Faroe Islands, Iceland, Spitsbergen – Island Hopping in and around the Arctic (Northbound)

Start in Scotland's vibrant city of culture

A former industrial powerhouse, Glasgow has reinvented itself as a cultural hot spot, packed with museums, galleries, and parks. Discover the splendid Art Nouveau architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh before your expedition cruise begins.

You’ll embark your ship MS Spitsbergen in Fairlie, a small community outside of Glasgow. Lying on the shores of the Firth of Clyde and nestled against a backdrop of the North Ayrshire Hills, this area is known for coastal towns that boast both Viking heritage and scenic walks.

Get to know the ship before meeting the Expedition Team – your guides for the adventure ahead. Enjoy your first onboard dinner as we set sail.

Start your adventure in Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow which is overflowing with historic landmarks and a vibrant culture. The distinct architecture is reminiscent classic 19th-century fused together with modern early 20th-century dubbed ‘Glasgow Style’. The checkerboard layout makes the city easy to navigate with lively street entertainment around every corner.

Discover the mystical coastline of the Scottish Isles

Today, we sail through the wild beauty of the Hebrides, a scattered world of rugged coastlines and quiet islands. Spend the day on deck with the Expedition Team as we navigate these storied waters, keeping watch for seabirds, dolphins, seals, and perhaps even whales.

The Hebrides have inspired travellers, monks, fishermen, and storytellers for centuries, and there's a special atmosphere to these remote islands that reveals itself best from the sea. Enjoy the shifting landscapes of green hills, dark cliffs, white beaches, and distant lighthouses as we continue deeper into the North Atlantic.

Discover Norse heritage in Kirkwall

Today we visit Kirkwall, the vibrant, Viking-influenced capital of the Orkney Islands, easily explored on foot.

Start with the majestic St Magnus Cathedral, built from the region's distinctive red sandstone, and admire the stone ruins of the adjacent Earl's Palace, a once-grand Renaissance building. The Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae is also just a short bus ride away.

Whisky lovers will appreciate the excellent single malts from Highland Park and Scapa distilleries. If gin is more your thing, the Orkney Distillery produces small-batch spirits with local botanicals.

In bustling Kirkwall, the main town on Orkney, there's plenty to see in the narrow, winding streets extending from the harbor. The cathedral and some museums are highlights.

Explore Scotland's northernmost town

Welcome to the Shetland Islands. Lerwick, the capital, is a friendly, Victorian-influenced fishing town set in beautiful scenery. Navigate its narrow lanes on foot to discover little shops selling local whiskies, woollen sweaters, and fudge, then head to the old waterfront for the Shetland Museum, home to Pictish carvings and intricate lace shawls. Nearby, Fort Charlotte and the regal town hall are worth a look.

Keep your binoculars handy: grey and common seals bask along Lerwick's beaches, and red-throated divers, redshanks, and curlews are often spotted from the shore.

Founded by Dutch fishermen in the 17th century, Lerwick today is a busy town and administrative center. Handsome stone buildings—known as lodberries—line the harbor; they provided loading bays for goods, some of them illegal. The town's twisting flagstone lanes and harbor once heaved with activity, and Lerwick is still an active port today. This is also where most visitors to Shetland dock, spilling out of cruise ships, allowing passengers to walk around the town.

Surround yourself with the sounds of Faroese nature

Today we’ll stop to explore the tiny village of Elduvík, with just 23 inhabitants. Set in the Funningsfjørður inlet in the Faroe Islands. Elduvík is split in two by the river Stórá.

Despite its size, Elduvík has a school, church, dock, and pier. From the waterfront, look across sparkling waters to the nearby island of Kalsoy. Walk the charming streets and listen for seabirds, bleating sheep, and waves lapping from the fjord. You'll notice many houses still wear traditional grass roofs, offering natural insulation against the Faroese weather.

More than 600 miles (nearly 1,000 kilometres) from Denmark’s west coast lie the Faroes, a triangle of eighteen windswept islands, seventeen of which are inhabited. Only 48,500 people plus some 70,000 sheep roam these remote lands. Much of the islands’ heritage reflects a medieval past, beginning with the arrival of farmers from western Norway who settled here in the 9th century. Evidence of this Scandinavian heritage is preserved through centuries of isolation; ancient structures can still be seen in villages clustered around old churches. Sheer cliffs and waterfalls carve Streymoy, the largest of the islands, where Torshavn is one of the world’s smallest capitals with about 12,400 inhabitants, plus another 5,000 living in the suburbs of Argir and Hoyvik. Visitors find interesting museums, churches, monuments and all the amenities of a modern town and thriving harbour here. The world’s oldest, still active parliament was founded in the Viking age. Today, it houses the main offices of the local government. Many of the attractions are found outside of Torshavn in the rugged beauty of Streymoy. There are fields with grazing ponies and sheep, tiny hamlets where residents live in half-timbered houses topped by green grass roofs, and dramatic rock formations. Birds by the thousands populate the craggy seaside cliffs, which make an ideal stopover for migratory gannets, guillemots and puffins. The Faroes' climate is generally wet and windy. Because of the Gulf Stream, the temperature is a good deal more moderate than the latitude might imply; it also helps to keep Faroe harbours ice-free year-round.

Enjoy a relaxing day as we cruise towards Iceland

As we sail towards Bakkagerði, time is yours to enjoy at your own pace. Swap stories with fellow travellers in the Explorer Lounge, relax in a hot tub on deck while scanning for seabirds and marine life, or join the Expedition Team in the Science Centre as they set the scene for northern Iceland: its stunning landscapes, cultures, and beliefs.

Exploring the fjord-cut coastline

Iceland's east coast is cut by deep fjords, lined with tumbling waterfalls and bird-filled cliffs. Quiet villages dot the shoreline, including Bakkagerði, known as Iceland's puffin capital, where nearby platforms at Hafnarhólmi let you watch Atlantic puffins nesting in their thousands.

Beyond the birds, this is a landscape steeped in folklore and drama. We might visit Álfaborg, the legendary 'elf rock' said to house the queen of the queen of the 'hidden people' – huldufólk – and look up at the jagged Dyrfjöll peaks and colourful rhyolite mountains framing the fjord. Thanks to our Zodiacs, we can reach stretches of this coastline that are otherwise inaccessible, exploring Iceland in true expedition style.

With their dazzlingly colorful beaks and smart black-and-white attire - attractive and charismatic puffins are always a delight to encounter. Iceland is home to many colonies of these adorable birds, but the 10,000 pairs that breed among the remote Borgarfjörður Eystri fjord, close to the small fishing village of Bakkagerdi, are some of the most abundant and accessible you will find. As one of the easternmost points in Iceland, it offers some of the best opportunities in the country for viewing the charming seabirds away from the crowds. Birdwatchers can also look out for nesting gulls, fulmars, and kittiwakes during their explorations. The fjord, surrounded by the Dyrfjöll Mountains, takes its name from the distinctive formation of Álfaborg, or Elf Rock. Folklore swirls in this enchantingly beautiful location, as the locals say that this hill, close to the village of Bakkagerdi, is the home of the Icelandic elf-queen. Wonderful panoramic hiking trails snake off into the surrounding landscapes and hills, and you can soak in more of the scenery of eastern Iceland from the Zodiacs. Bakkagerdi is the largest village in the Borgarfjörður Eystri fjord area - with approximately 100 residents - and the low-profile, jauntily painted houses are almost lost against the dramatic mountains and waters. The village’s most famous former resident was Iceland's renowned and beloved painter, Jóhannes Kjarval. His artwork adorns the small church’s altarpiece, which dates back to 1914.

Iceland's best whale watching spot

Today you'll discover Húsavík, a charming fishing town and one of the best places in the world to see whales. It looks out over Skjálfandi Bay, where humpback and minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises, and even the elusive blue whale are regularly spotted.

On shore, the Whale Museum brings you closer to these giants, while the Exploration Museum tells a more unexpected story: in the 1960s, NASA sent 32 Apollo astronauts to train in the lunar-like lava fields nearby, preparing them to collect rock samples on the Moon. For something more relaxing, soak in the geothermal waters at GeoSea overlooking the bay, or end the day with a beer at the local microbrewery.

The town of Húsavík sits below Húsavíkurfjall mountain on the eastern shore of Skjálfandi bay. Just above the town is lake Botnsvatn, a popular place for outings. The lake is just the right size for a nice hike around it. The lakes surroundings are rich in vegetation and bird life and trout is said to be abundant, though small. Húsavík harbour lies below the bank right in the heart of town. The harbour once boasted a large fishing fleet, bustling with the activity of fishermen. It still serves as a fishing harbour but today's activity revolves more around the successful whale watching businesses. The first organised whale watching excursions in Iceland started from here in 1995. Since then, whale watching has become a major attraction and Húsavík continues to be the leading destination for whale watching. In addition to the tours, a fascinating whale museum is located right by the harbour. Húsavík is considered to be the oldest settlement in Iceland. The Swedish explorer, Gardar Svavarsson, spent one winter there in 870 AD during which time he built himself a house from which the settlement derives its name.

Time to relax and discover what adventures lie ahead

As we cross the Arctic Circle and head towards Jan Mayen, you’ll enjoy a day at sea. There's plenty to do on board. Scan for marine wildlife from the deck, enjoy the panoramic sauna or soak in a hot tub, or simply relax in the Explorer Lounge & Bar, a great place to read or watch the world glide by.

The Expedition Team will also be on hand to share insights on what’s to come over the next few days exporing the Arctic.

Visit an active volcano that's a haven for birdlife

Today we reach Jan Mayen, a volcanic island suspended 500 km offshore with no permanent residents and almost no visitors. The only inhabitants are temporarily stationed Norwegian military personnel, meaning we join a very select group given the chance to set foot here.

Dominated by Beerenberg, the world's northernmost active volcano, the landscape feels almost alien: volcanic rock, moss, and lichen stretching to the horizon. Conditions permitting, we'll go ashore to explore. While there are no land mammals, Jan Mayen is a designated Important Bird Area, home to large colonies of northern fulmars, Brünnich's guillemots, and little auks. Keep watch for whales and seals in the surrounding waters too. This is one of the true highlights of any Arctic expedition.

Described as one of the most remote islands in the world, Jan Mayen liesbetween Norway to the east and Greenland to the west. It is a rugged volcanicisland 34 miles long and is made up of two parts – the larger section to thenorth (Beerenbeg Volcano) and the longer but narrower section to the south. Amile-wide isthmus links these two parts. Geologically, the island was formed bya ‘hotspot’ where molten magma pushes up through the earth’s crust to createvolcanoes in the middle of nowhere. Politically, Jan Mayen is an integral partof Norway. The eighteen people living on the island work for either the NorwegianArmed Forces or the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Their main purpose isto operate the Loran-C radio navigation system. From 1615 to 1638, the Dutchran a whaling station here. Today, the island is a nature reserve underNorwegian jurisdiction aimed at preserving the pristine Arctic island and themarine life, including the ocean floor.

A peaceful interlude in your adventure

Spend the day at your leisure as we sail across the Barents Sea deeper into the Arctic towards the Svalbard archipelago. Watch the open water slip by from the Explorer Lounge & Bar, soak in a hot tub on deck while scanning for seabirds, or work up a sweat in the gym. The Expedition Team will set the scene for what's ahead with lectures on Svalbard's history, geology, and wildlife. This time is yours to enjoy.

A land of spectacular beauty

Spitsbergen, Svalbard's largest island, is a wilderness of steep mountains, glaciers, and scattered offshore islands.

Over the next few days, we'll explore dramatic fjords where glaciers creak and calve icebergs into the sea, push north towards Northwest Spitsbergen National Park where sea ice may shape our route, and scan for the wildlife that thrives here: polar bears, walruses, Arctic foxes, reindeer, and colonies of seabirds nesting on the cliffs.

Each day will be different. Landings, Zodiac cruises, kayaking, hikes: be ready for anything as your Captain and Expedition Team read the conditions and seize every opportunity the Arctic offers.

Spitsbergen: The Arctic’s Crown of Pointed Mountains
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago, a Norwegian territory located deep within the Arctic Ocean, about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. It is a premier destination for high-Arctic exploration and a vital center for international research.

A last day at the top of the world

Your Arctic adventure ends in Longyearbyen, where you’ll catch your flight back to Oslo.

You'll return home knowing more about Arctic animals, history, polar ice, and climate change than when you arrived – and with memories of an incredible experience.

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.