Historical Expedition Cruise "In the Footsteps of Aviation Pioneers"

Your Arctic adventure begins as you follow in the footsteps of legendary North Pole explorers!  

Welcome to Longyearbyen, the gateway to Svalbard and the starting point of your expedition. Upon arrival, your German-speaking staff will greet you and assist with your transfer to a comfortable hotel included in your itinerary. Take time to explore the charming town center at your own pace.  

Start your journey at the fascinating Svalbard Museum, where you can discover polar history and collect rare Arctic books and maps. In the evening, savor a delicious meal at one of Longyearbyen’s inviting restaurants.  

As the midnight sun bathes the landscape in endless daylight, enjoy the surreal beauty of the Arctic before settling in for the night. Close the curtains, rest well, and prepare for embarkation the following day!

Your day begins with a delightful breakfast at the hotel. While your luggage is transported to the ship, set off on an engaging city tour that reveals the rich history and culture of the world's northernmost town.  

The tour culminates at the North Pole Expedition Museum, where you revisit the daring journeys of polar explorers and gain insight into the historic sites you encounter on your voyage.  

Afterward, enjoy free time to savor lunch at a cozy cafe, browse for souvenirs, or take care of any last-minute shopping. Receive a complimentary expedition parka and waterproof boots to borrow during the cruise.  

Then, it's time to embark! Unlike Amundsen's airships or hydroplanes, your adventure begins aboard the MV Sea Spirit, a comfortable expedition vessel awaiting you in Longyearbyen's port. Once on board, settle into your spacious suite and explore your home for this incredible journey.  

The expedition team will kick off an exciting program of briefings and lectures, preparing you for the adventure ahead. After your first delicious dinner on board, step onto the open deck and take in the breathtaking Arctic scenery—illuminated by the endless daylight of the midnight sun.

On this trip, your goal is to circumnavigate the Svalbard archipelago, and weather and ice conditions permitting, attempt to reach the white island, Kvitøya, the last resting place of the Andrée expedition in the far northeast of Svalbard. Unless a polar bear pays a visit to the monument of the polar explorers, you can anticipate a landing at Andreeneset.

Throughout the journey, you aim to immerse yourself in the many facets of this incredible High Arctic territory. Much of Spitsbergen's pristine nature is safeguarded by a system of national parks, with the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park being the first along your route. It is the crown jewel of Svalbard's scenic wonders, known for deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain ranges and immense tidewater glaciers, calving icebergs into turquoise waters. The skies come alive with millions of murres, guillemots, and little auks, whose eggs hatch at numerous breeding colonies on small islands, mountainsides, and sea cliffs within the park. This presents a wonderful opportunity to encounter marine mammals, including beluga whales and various Arctic seals.

Enchanting places dot this beautiful area, such as the Blomstrand Peninsula and the Kongsbreen Glacier ("King's Glacier"). Human settlement, though rare along your route, can be found in Ny Ålesund—a former mining town and airship base now home to an international community of Arctic explorers. As one of the northernmost settlements globally, Ny Ålesund houses a museum, a souvenir shop, and a post office. It's also the starting point for the famous expeditions of the airships Norge and Italia led by Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile to the North Pole. The anchor mast of the airships still stands tall just behind Ny-Ålesund.

Further north, the small bay of Virgohamna served as the starting point for another spectacular expedition. In 1896/97, Salomon August Andrée aimed to be the first person to fly over the North Pole and crafted a hydrogen-fueled balloon. Taking off northwards from Virgohamna Bay, unlike Nobile and Amundsen, he wasn't fortunate enough to reach the Pole. Walter Wellman also commenced his unsuccessful attempts to fly to the North Pole from this very location.

The Svalbard archipelago sits halfway between the northern part of Norway and the North Pole. Depending on the season, weather, and ocean currents, you anticipate encountering pack ice north of Svalbard. You plan to journey along the ice edge towards the island of Nordaustlandet and further east towards Kvitøya. However, please remember that your route depends on the weather and the current ice situation.

On this trip, your goal is to circumnavigate the Svalbard archipelago, and weather and ice conditions permitting, you attempt to reach the white island, Kvitøya. The island is the last resting place of the Andrée expedition in the far northeast of Svalbard, and try to take the Zodiacs along the coast at Andreeneset to honor the memorial to the polar explorers.

Kvitøya is one of the rarely visited islands closest to Franz Josef Land. This place, almost entirely covered by ice, was the final resting place of the balloon expedition of the Swedish polar explorer Salomon August Andrée. Kvitøya is not always accessible to expedition ships but may offer another opportunity to observe polar bears in their natural habitat.

During this trip, you are likely to encounter significant amounts of sea ice in the vast Northeast Svalbard Nature Reserve and around Nordaustlandet, Svalbard's second-largest island. The ice may persist well into the summer in this remote and unique region. The massive ice cap of Austfonna rises above the breathtaking landscapes of the High Arctic. Part of it meets the sea along the 45-kilometer-long Brasvellbreen ice cliff - one of the greatest wonders of the Arctic world.

The polar desert landscape of Nordaustlandet, on the other hand, offers little vegetation but is home to many seabirds. The cliffs of Alkefjellet are home to thousands of guillemots, glaucous gulls, and other seabirds. In the past, this impressive rock formation has been an excellent spot for birdwatching and has repeatedly provided opportunities to spot foxes. Although you are now leaving the paths of Amundsen, Nobile, and Andrée, you can still listen to the fascinating lectures and watch historical film footage from the archive of the Zeppelin Museum.

The Southeast Svalbard Nature Reserve is a pristine and rarely visited wilderness containing hundreds of uninhabited islands. Broad tundra valleys on the large islands of Edgeoya and Barentsoya support the territory’s densest population of endemic Svalbard reindeer.

The valleys are also important breeding areas for ground-nesting birds such as geese, eiders, and sandpipers. Arctic foxes prowl the vast landscape, seeking to provide food for their young cubs, who are just now emerging from their dens. Shallow, murky seas are ideal feeding grounds for walruses resting in large numbers on gently sloping beaches. Historical sites throughout the islands provide glimpses into the region’s bygone era of trapping and hunting.

South Spitsbergen National Park is a vast region of varied landscapes, including polar deserts and impassable mountain ranges. The centerpiece of this park is Hornsund, a picture-perfect fjord where countless mighty glaciers cascade from soaring mountaintops into icy inlets. The park also includes the southern shores of Bellsund, a picturesque bay where the remains of historical whaling operations can be found, including wooden boats, cabins, and thousands of whale bones — a distant past scene frozen in time. Throughout the park, there is always a high probability of wildlife sightings.

Wildflowers will be at their peak during this time. Given its length and theme, this ambitious and in-depth historical expedition cruise around Svalbard offers a fantastic opportunity to delve into the history of aviation pioneers up close and learn about the many facets of the Arctic. Every day offers something new and exciting. Do not miss a single opportunity to encounter the fascinating wildlife of the Arctic, experience incredible polar landscapes, and follow in the footsteps of historic expeditions.

Your circumnavigation of the archipelago is coming to an end. You are back in the Isfjord on the west coast of Svalbard. You also get to experience beautiful places such as Alkhornet and Skansbukta before you return to Longyearbyen. Onboard, you reflect on the journey, recalling the adventures of the aviation pioneers and historical locations you visited in the last few days.

After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on board, bid farewell in Longyearbyen. Transfers to the airport or the town center are provided if you plan to stay longer in Svalbard. By this time, you may already be planning your next amazing trip to the polar world with the team!