An extended expedition encompasing Spitsbergen and smaller outlying islands
Spitsbergen is the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, and this voyage will attempt a circumnavigation of the island. Lying entirely within the Arctic Circle, Spitsbergen is rugged, wild, unspoiled—utterly unforgettable. When it comes to viewing Arctic wildlife, Spitsbergen is known as one of the most prolific destinations.
The island and surrounding area offers one of the best opportunities to view Polar bears, and with luck we’ll be able to see the world’s largest carnivores in their natural habitat. Walrus populations love Spitsbergen as well, feeding in the food-rich icy waters around the island. Whales and seabirds will also entertain during the sailing portions of the expedition, and we may catch a sighting of reindeer or Arctic fox when taking Zodiac excursions to shore.
Highlights
Extended expedition covers more of the Svalbard Archipelago
Greater exploration of the smaller, outlying islands and remote wilderness
Polar bear hunting sites of Phippsoya and Isbukta
24-hour daylight enhances wildlife viewing in this captivating land of peaks and glaciers
Key Information
12 nights on the ship
Expedition cruising in comfortable conditions
Countries visited: Spitsbergen
What's Included
All meals while on the ship
Beer and house wine during dinner
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout and qualified Expedition Staff
Mandatory transfer package including return flights between Helsinki and Longyearbyen
We can include flights from the UK. Please contact us for a quote.
What's Not Included
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations
Sustainability and Impact
At Exodus, we thrive on travel, and we firmly believe our adventures should help destinations thrive too.
As a certified B Corp, we aim to take a ‘nature positive’ approach across our adventures, including carbon and waste reduction, animal welfare and support for rewilding and conservation. We also seek to contribute to local communities, providing economic opportunity and empowerment.
Your Arctic adventure begins in Helsinki, renowned for its extraordinary architecture and intriguing mix of eastern and western influences. If you arrive early, explore the many museums, galleries and restaurants, relax at a Finnish sauna or wander the vibrant Design District before retiring at your included hotel.
Day
2
Embarkation Day in Longyearbyen, Svalbard
This morning, the group will transfer to the airport and board our private charter flight to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen’s largest settlement, where you’ll have some time to explore before embarkation. As theship sets sail, enjoy your first view of the island’s rugged, glacier-topped mountains rising majestically from icy waters.
Meals included: Dinner
Days
3 - 13
Exploring Spitsbergen and the Svalbard Archipelago
Expect a new adventure every day as we begin our circumnavigation by heading north and around the island of Spitsbergen, exploring smaller, outlying islands. We plan to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, but if conditions are favourable, we will also attempt a circumnavigation of the whole Svalbard archipelago. Every expedition will be different, depending on the weather and ice, but some of the places we may visit include the 14th of July Glacier, Ny London, Phippsøya, Alkefjellet and the seldom-visited Kvitøya.
These names may seem strange to you, but each site has its own unique appeal. There is no shortage of natural beauty in Spitsbergen, where colourful tundra meadows are complemented by immense glaciers. For birders, the 14th of July Glacier is home to puffins, Purple sandpipers, Common eiders, Barnacle geese and Arctic terns, while Alkefjellet’s cliffs are teeming with nesting Brünnich’s guillemots (Thick-billed murres).
Always on the lookout for wildlife, be sure to have your camera ready to capture reindeer when we visit sites like Ny London, Sundneset and Alkhornet. Searching for the iconic Polar bear is a constant activity for the Expedition Team. Phippsøya and Isbukta are two of the bears’ preferred places for hunting, which translates into great potential for you to view and capture them in action.
A big part of appreciating Spitsbergen comes from understanding the culture—not just how people live today, but also how this land was first explored. Whaling was a key industry, and you will see remains of outposts from the 16th century, plus other evidence of whaling at landing sites such as Smeerenburg.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
14
Disembark in Longyearbyen and fly to Helsinki
The time to say goodbye to your Expedition Team and shipmates has come. Your adventure ends as it began, in the historic frontier-style settlement of Longyearbyen. From here, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your included return group charter flight to Helsinki.
Meals included: Breakfast
Essential Info
Group Information
The Ocean Adventurer takes a maximum capacity of 128 passengers. The Exodus group forms part of the ship’s complement, enjoying the relaxed, intimate and informal atmosphere, which breaks into smaller groups to facilitate the frequent excursions. We offer these cruises in conjunction with Quark Expeditions and Exodus participants will join an international group, not all of whom have booked through Exodus. Occasionally some of these may be younger than 18 years old, the Exodus’ stated minimum age for this trip.
Is this trip for you?
Travelling Conditions
The voyages are designed to be as flexible as possible, taking advantage of circumstances and events as they occur, as well as passengers’ wishes and particular interests wherever possible. The atmosphere on board is relaxed and friendly with expedition staff, including naturalists and Polar experts, on hand and the opportunity to mingle with people from all over the world. The ship is kept warm, clean and comfortable.
On the Zodiac cruises you are sitting still for most of the time with the potential for some sea spray and a cold headwind – if you are not dressed appropriately you will get cold. On the shore excursions, the majority of landings are ‘wet’ which means that the Zodiacs beach and you are helped to slide into the ankle deep shore break before walking up onto dry land (wellington boots are issued to all passengers).
There are, of course, no paths, so be prepared for slippery, rough terrain and sometimes fairly deep snow. Back on board the cosy ship after each adventure, you can have a hot shower and then relax with a tea, coffee, hot chocolate or something stronger from the bar.
Optional activities
Sea kayaking option:
Kayaking in the Arctic is probably one of the most intimate and inspiring ways you can explore the rugged coastlines and calm bays of the regions we visit.
Kayaking in the Polar Regions is highly weather-dependent, however we guarantee at least one outing throughout your voyage, but your kayak guides will take you out as many times as possible throughout your voyage.
Offered on most Arctic voyages, spaces are limited and require some kayaking experience. All equipment, guides and instructions are provided by Quark.
Paddling Excursion:
Explore the ocean from a more intimate vantage point on a sit-on-top kayak. No experience is required to manoeuvre these very stable kayaks, allowing you to enjoy an unforgettable experience on the water, taking in breathtaking landscapes and wildlife. Whether it’s your first time in a kayak or you want greater flexibility to try other Adventure options, this shorter excursion is for you.
Paddling in the Polar Regions is highly weather-dependent and a one-time experience. Your kayak guides will attempt to take you out on the water for 1-1.5 hours of paddling. Offered on most voyages, spaces are limited. All equipment, guides and instructions are provided by Quark.
Polar Itineraries
All Polar itineraries should be treated as a guide only – it is possible that, amongst other things, the capricious nature of wind, visibility and ice, intelligence from previous sailings, changes in local landing regulations or the expert opinion of the crew onboard may lead to adjustments to the route published.
Booking Conditions
Please note that, as with all Polar holidays and voyages, the booking conditions for this trip differ from our standard conditions.
The required deposit is 25% per person of your selected travel arrangements (minimum £1000 per person or equivalent in booking currency) and the balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid at least 133 days before your departure date. The deposit is non-refundable, and at 133 days before departure date, our cancellation penalties are 100% of the holiday cost.
Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.
Joining Instructions
Travelling land only: 14 days starting and ending in Helsinki
Your trip starts at the airport hotel in Helsinki in the afternoon of Day 1 of the itinerary listed below. Details of how to reach the start point are given in the Final Joining Instructions.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Helsinki, Finland Location end: Helsinki, Finland
Vaccinations and Health
Arctic
There are no specific health risks.
Visa
Arctic
No visa required for British passport holders.
Food & Drink
All meals while on the ship included.
Typical Meals
The ships galley offers good quality service and cuisine throughout, with excellent chefs preparing international menus including vegetarian dishes, accompanied by a wide variety of drinks from around the world on sale.
Breakfast: Buffet style – unlimited tea and coffee, a selection of fruit juices, hot options including bacon and eggs or omelettes, a selection of bread and toast and jam/honey/marmalade, fruit and cereal.
Lunch: Three course set meal or buffet, or the occasional BBQ.
Dinner: Three or four courses with a starter of soup and/or salad, a choice of mains with at least one vegetarian option and a dessert, with tea and coffee.
Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this holiday – please do inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so that our local team can be well prepared.
Weather
Spitsbergen has a short season from mid June to mid August; and there is 24 hour daylight in all three months. There may be more sea ice in the earlier months and some more flowers, but in reality with the capricious nature of the weather and wildlife there is not much to choose between them.
Weather Charts
Longyearbyen
OCEAN ADVENTURER
The Spitsbergen In Depth: Big Island, Big Adventure is offered on the Ocean Adventurer which is a Polar Adventure Ship. Full board accommodation on the ship, generally on a twin share basis in a variety of cabin types, all with en suite facilities.
Polar Adventure Ships
These are small ice rated vessels well qualified for Polar waters. Intimate adventures are always more enjoyable with like-minded passengers and staff, so these voyages are for people who like flexible itineraries and plenty to keep them busy. Activities include frequent Zodiac excursions, trekking and many hours on deck in areas that other ships only dream about accessing. Food and staff are superb and every guest benefits from the technical advances of this superb fleet. Rest assured our Polar Adventure Ships enable any traveller to maximize their experience sensitively in the Poles.
OCEAN ADVENTURER
The Ocean Adventurer is a comfortable vessel with spacious cabins, which all have private bathroom facilities and exterior views. Designed to carry travellers in comfort to the most remote corners of the world, Ocean Adventurer was built in 1976, and underwent extensive upgrades in 2017. This multi-million dollar investment included renovations to the interior of the ship, significant technical upgrades, and the addition of a new cabin category, the Owner’s Suites. The refurbishment gave the ship new bathrooms in every cabin, and upgrades to the Lounge, Dining Room, gym, and suites. Technical enhancements – including two new engines, generators, gear boxes, drive systems, and re-bladed propellers – resulted in increased fuel efficiency, and a minimized carbon footprint.
Cabin Class:
TRIPLE: From 145 sq. ft. (13.5 sq. m), a Triple Cabin is equipped with two lower berths and one upper berth. Located on the Main Deck, it has private facilities, and a porthole with exterior views.
LOWER DECK TWIN: From 115 sq. ft. (11 sq. m), a Lower Deck Twin Cabin is equipped with two lower berths. Located on the Lower Deck, it has private facilities, and a porthole with exterior views.
MAIN DECK TWIN PORTHOLE: From 115 sq. ft. (11 sq. m), a Main Deck Twin Porthole Cabin is equipped with two lower berths. Located on the Main Deck, it has private facilities, and a porthole with exterior views.
MAIN DECK TWIN WINDOW: From 115 sq. ft. (11 sq. m), a Main Deck Twin Window Cabin is equipped with two lower berths. Located on the Main Deck, it has private facilities, and a window with exterior views.
SUPERIOR: From 132 sq. ft. (12 sq. m), a Superior Cabin is equipped with two lower berths. Located on the Upper and Captain’s Decks, it has private facilities, and windows with exterior views.
DELUXE: From 144 sq. ft. (13 sq. m), a Deluxe Cabin is equipped with two lower berths. Located on the Captain’s Deck, it has private facilities, and windows with exterior views.
SUITE: From 215 sq. ft. (20 sq. m), a Suite is equipped with one double bed made up of two twin berths. Located on the Captain’s Deck, it has windows with exterior views and private facilities.
OWNER’S SUITE: From 208 sq. ft. (19 sq. m), an Owner’s Suite Cabin is equipped with one double bed made up of two twin berths. Located on the Bridge Deck, it has private facilities, and windows with exterior views. Cabin 403 has a bathtub and shower; other Owner’s Suites have showers.
Everything was perfect -food, expedition leader, guides, hotel staff. Perfect weather too. 8 polar bears and 8 blue whales too and all these rest. The trip was excellent through and through.
*Please note any date & price adjustments will be displayed on the next step of booking. You will be able to revert back to booking without flights if the options aren't suitable for you.
You may also like
Pack in all the excitement of an epic long Arctic cruise into only seven days!