A Circumnavigation of Arctic Islands
Fully circumnavigating Svalbard, this luxury expedition cruise explores all the highlights of the Arctic. In the true spirit of adventure, your routing will follow the whims of Mother Nature, although the spectacular journey promises snow-capped peaks and towering icebergs aplenty. With the help of your naturalist guides, keep an eye out for fearsome polar bears, graceful whales and all manner of seabirds. As well as time exploring Oslo at the start and end of your journey, you’ll also have opportunities to connect with the polar past throughout your trip, with historic sites and citizen science projects.
Trip highlights
- Set sail around the entire Svalbard archipelago to see the best of the Arctic
- Watch reindeer roam on land or see whales breaching the waters
- Explore Arctic tundra on foot, kayak amid icebergs or take a polar plunge
- Cruise through the Arctic with naturalist guides on board for expert insights
- Become part of the Arctic’s story by engaging with citizen science projects
- Marvel at the sight of a walrus haul-out, where walruses gather in large groups
Bespoke trips with Jacada
We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Privately guided tours
- Private transfers
- Meticulously selected experiences
- Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Itinerary in detail
Every Jacada trip is tailored to your personal preferences and interests. Below you’ll find a sample itinerary to inspire your own custom-designed journey.
Days 1-3
Discover the Norwegian capital
Chic Oslo is the perfect, gentle introduction to life among the fjords. Set on its own 100-kilometre-long inlet and backed by forested hills, it has a wonderfully scenic position for an urban centre. Explore its serene streets and harbour on foot – the city is exceptionally walkable – and look out for interesting architecture and history at the Akershus Fortress and Nobel Peace Centre. During your two nights here, you will stay in one of our favourite city hotels before flying up to Svalbard for your polar adventure.
Days 3–4
Begin your Svalbard expedition cruise
Land in the northernmost town in the world and join your luxury Arctic cruise to set sail for a circumnavigation of the Svalbard Islands. Longyearbyen is a fascinating place: signposts warn of polar bears as you wander through the settlement and the town museum charts the history of Arctic exploration. Once you’ve learned about explorers past, get ready to follow in their footsteps as you cruise out of Longyearbyen and make for wild Arctic waters.
Days 4–12
Glaciers and mountains in Svalbard
Begin your exploration of the Svalbard Islands as you set sail around this rugged, wild archipelago. Days spent cruising through the ice will mesmerise, while Zodiac excursions to seabird colonies and remote villages offer a chance to understand why these isles captivated explorers in centuries gone by.
Trip highlights
Glaciers and Mountains
Felling Brave?
Citizen Science
An exploration of Northwest Svalbard
Wake to views of the dramatic landscapes of Kongsfjord, a small village in northwest Svalbard set on the shores of a remote inlet beside icy glaciers and beneath the imposing peaks of the Three Crowns mountains. Spend a day ashore exploring tiny Ny-Ålesund, scientific station base for polar explorers. Take part in some citizen science projects, or simply wander the colourful houses at the world’s northernmost permanent community.
Brave the cold with a polar plunge
Throughout this Svalbard expedition cruise, polar experts will be looking out for the best location and conditions for the infamous polar plunge. Water temperatures range from 2–8°C (36–46°F) and under the guidance of your adventure experts, you can embrace the chill and take a bracing plunge from the vessel’s gangplank.
Take part in crucial scientific research
Science and research is an essential part of life in the Arctic and the work done by teams here helps preserve this magical environment for all to enjoy. Take part in data capture for the ongoing projects in this polar region to become part of the Arctic’s future story.
Explore further
Nordvest-Spitsbergen
Hinlopen Strait
Sail through a national park
The Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park is a protected area in the northwest of Svalbard, home to former whaling stations and myriad wildlife. See the old blubber ovens once used for processing whale fat or visit the old sailors’ burial grounds, all the while keeping an eye out for polar bears, walrus and seabirds in the skies under the guidance of our expert naturalists.
Navigate the ice floes
Experience serene and splendid isolation as you gaze out across the Arctic pack ice. Heading for the Hinlopen Strait, your vessel will spend the day slowly cutting through the ice floes of this wild and remote sea. Stand out on deck with your binoculars and keep your eyes trained on the ice – this seemingly desolate landscape is, in fact, teeming with wildlife.
Incredible wildlife
Gentle Giants
Aerial Grace
Go whale watching with your naturalist guide
Several species of whale call the Arctic their home and as you sail through the pack ice, you might spot bowhead whales or even the elusive beluga with its unique bulbous forehead. Keep your eyes peeled with binoculars in hand and your onboard naturalists will guide your line of sight.
Birdwatching in the Hinlopen Strait
Myriad seabirds live and hunt around the Arctic sea ice. Look out for pristine, white ivory gulls or the black little auks that hunt here. The Hinlopen Strait is a birding highlight of any Arctic expedition cruise in Svalbard. Set in the northeast of the archipelago, here you will cruise past vast, towering cliffs where thousands of seabirds have made their home during breeding season. The vast majority are black and white guillemots and pretty fulmars, each nesting within their own little crevice and raising their young high above the ocean. Skuas and gulls swoop around the cliff edges, seeking out unsupervised eggs and vulnerable young they take as food.
All around Svalbard
Eastern Svalbard
South Svalbard
West Svalbard
Explore the island of Edgeøya
As your expedition cruise rounds the eastern coast of Svalbard, more history and wildlife comes into focus. On the island of Edgeøya you will step foot within the Southeast Svalbard Nature Reserve, where a large population of reindeer roam freely on the ice and tundra. Watch the lounging walruses on the island’s southwest coast, and look out for evidence of the former walrus-hunting and whaling industries.
Spot wildlife in Spitsbergen
The Atlantic currents at the southern tip of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, warm the waters of the south Bellsund and Hornsund fjords. This means magical wildlife sightings abound: Arctic fox and reindeer trot across the valleys while seabirds nest in the cliffs. Take the opportunity to walk on Arctic tundra at the Vårsolbukta grasslands, or visit the polar research station Calypsobyen to understand how science is protecting this place of fragile ecosystems.
Complete your trip round Svalbard
Completing the circumnavigation of Svalbard, your vessel will make its way through Forlandsundet. Conditions permitting, you might see the Poole Point headland, where hundreds of walruses can be seen hauled out onto the shoreline, their magnificent tusks a bright white in the summer sunshine. Or step ashore to explore the Arctic plains and snow-capped mountains.
Days 12–14
A final two nights in Oslo
Flying from Spitsbergen back to Oslo, you will bid farewell to the Arctic circle and return to the Norwegian capital with fond memories of the Svalbard Islands. Spend your time here embracing the coffee and pastry culture that pervades, or learn how early explorers found their own ways around the Arctic at the Fram Museum.
Charles and Anabel are the most incredible and knoweldgeable travel experts. We had the the time of our lives exploring the Galapagos and parts of Ecuador on this trip - it was Perfect. Every detail of the trip was thought out and planned. From arriving at the airport to our departure- the entire trip was seamless and effortless. Particulairly with…
Why book with Jacada
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.
Positive impact
We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.
