Spitsbergen: Realm of the Ice Bear

Having made your way to Oslo, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to yourgroup hotel. Upon arrival at your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect yourluggage cabin tags and to speak with our ground operations team, who may have information to share with youabout pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash or purchase lastminute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.Accommodation: The Clarion Hotel Oslo (or similar)

Oslo is the capital of Norway and is also its largest city, situated at the head of Oslo Fjord and surrounded by hills and forests. Home to some 50 museums and full of galleries, cafés, a sculpture park and the Royal Palace, this vibrant city with its handsome 19th-century buildings and wide streets has much to offer. Its history dates back 1,000 years, and includes a rich seafaring heritage that ranges from the Viking era to Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki expedition. Discover more about this exciting city on our varied selection of excursions.

This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabinnumber. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the airport for our charter flight to Longyearbyen forembarkation. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. In Longyearbyen, explorethe town on a guided tour.After the tour, you will be transferred directly to the pier to embark in the late afternoon. Settle into your cabinbefore attending important safety briefings and enjoy the thrill of departure as we ‘throw the lines’ and set sail.Note: the excursion is contingent on the arrival time of our charter flight to Longyearbyen.

Oslo is the capital of Norway and is also its largest city, situated at the head of Oslo Fjord and surrounded by hills and forests. Home to some 50 museums and full of galleries, cafés, a sculpture park and the Royal Palace, this vibrant city with its handsome 19th-century buildings and wide streets has much to offer. Its history dates back 1,000 years, and includes a rich seafaring heritage that ranges from the Viking era to Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki expedition. Discover more about this exciting city on our varied selection of excursions.

The island of Spitsbergen is the largest in the Svalbard Archipelago and offers Arctic wilderness at its best. Themembers of our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use theirexpertise to tailor our day-to-day itinerary, choosing the best options, based on the prevailing weather, sea-iceconditions and the possibility of encounters with wildlife.Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils, set the stage for heroic tales ofearly exploration. See walrus hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, we stretch our legs on walks acrosstundra carpeted in brightly coloured wildflowers. We visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins,and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies.If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have an opportunity to enjoy that activity whenconditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable,you will hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory you will savour for years to come.

During the early morning, we cruise back into Longyearbyen. Farewell your Expedition Team upon disembarkationand enjoy some free time before transferring to the airport for your return charter flight to Oslo to continue yourjourney.

Longyearbyen is the biggest settlement in Svalbard. Seat of the Norwegian administration, it also has the best services and infrastructure in the archipelago. Located deep in the Adventfjord, a sidearm of the Isfjorden (Icefjord), Longyearbyen’s airport can be used all-year round, but its harbor is blocked by ice in winter. Most shops, hotels, restaurants and a hospital are within easy walking distance of the port. One of the most prominent buildings in town is the UNIS center, where several Norwegian universities have joined forces to operate and offer the northernmost higher education to both Norwegian and international students. Adjacent to UNIS, and well worth a visit, is the Svalbard Museum, covering the natural history and exploitation of Svalbard. Remnants of the former mining activity can be seen all around Longyearbyen and even in town.