HIGHLIGHTS
- Embark
on your journey from Longyearbyen, the biggest settlement in Svalbard
- Spend
the next 2 days in Northern Region of Svalbard, with a number of
impressive fjords, bays and glaciers
- Follow
that by spending 2 days in the Southern Region of Svalbard, where
remains of huts and mines, as well as active commercial and scientific
settlements can be found and visited
- Spend
3 days exploring Scoresby Sund, Greenland which is the largest and
longest fjord system in the world, and exhibits all the natural wonders
Greenland has to offer
- Visit
Ittoqqortoormiit, one of Greenland's most isolated settlements, where
some 460 inhabitants call it home
- Finally,
disembark in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland's land of ice, fire and
natural wonders
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
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| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
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Rates are listed per person
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| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
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ITINERARY
Day
01: Longyearbyen, Norway
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.
Days
02-03: Svalbard Northern Region, Norway
Svalbard's
northern region is less influenced by the Norwegian Current coming
through the Greenland Sea than the southern region and shows more ice.
The northern part of the island of Spitsbergen shows quite a number of
impressive fjords, bays and glaciers. The Nordaust Svalbard Nature
Reserve includes Spitsbergen's east coast, the Hinlopen Strait,
Nordaustlandet and some islands further east like Kvitoya and Storoya.
Several walrus haul-outs, spectacular glaciers, bird cliffs and bird
islands, as well as surprising flora in Arctic deserts and the
possibility to see polar bears and to visit historically important
sites make this an area prone for exploration. Ice conditions will
dictate which sites can be seen.
4
Included Shore Excursions
Zodiac
Cruise with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Moderate
Hiking
with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Extensive
Kayaking
with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Extensive
Expedition
activities with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Moderate
Days
04-05: Svalbard Southern Region, Norway
Svalbard's
Southern Region and specifically Spitsbergen's west coast is less
ice-clogged than the rest of Svalbard due to the moderating influenced
of the Gulf Stream. Several fjords cut into the western coast of
Spitsbergen and have been used by trappers and hunters, as well as the
different mining companies that tried to exploit the riches of the
archipelago's largest island of Spitsbergen. Remains of huts and mines,
as well as active commercial and scientific settlements can be found
and visited. Depending on the time of the season, glaciers can be
visited on foot or by sea. Hornsund will reveal fascinating views of
geological formations, craggy mountains, spectacular glaciers and a
variety of seabirds and seals.
4
Included Shore Excursions
Zodiac
Cruise with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Moderate
Hiking
with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Extensive
Kayaking
with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Extensive
Expedition
Activities with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Moderate
Days
06-07: Day at sea (International Waters)
Days
at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with
what you've been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym,
visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply
topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to
busy days spent exploring shore side.
Days
08-10: Scoresby Sund, Greenland
Scoresby
Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world, and exhibits
all the natural wonders Greenland has to offer. This labyrinth of
islands, fjords and ice boggles the mind at every turn. Named in honour
of William Scoresby, the English explorer who mapped the area in 1822,
Scoresby Sund today hosts only the small town of Ittoqqortoormiit,
although it has been inhabited by many Paleo-Eskimo cultures in the
past. The area is incredibly rich in Arctic wildlife, hosting musk
oxen, arctic foxes and a wealth of marine life including whales,
belugas, narwhals, walrus and seals, as well as several species of sea
birds, including King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins and several species of
geese which migrate to the area during the fleeting Arctic Summer. It
is also one of the best places in the world to see polar bears in their
natural habitat, an experience that can never be forgotten. But the
scenery is the true highlight of Scoresby Sund. The area is very
sheltered, and the waters of the fjords are often glassy and calm, save
the vast icebergs which calve off the vast glaciers which drain from
the Greenland Ice Sheet into the fjord. Staggering geological variation
means no two mountain views are the same, some black, layers and
covered with permanent ice, while some are jagged, pinnacled cliffs
sweeping out to the fjord to eye-watering heights, crowned with ice
that never melts.
1
Included Shore Excursion
Zodiac
Cruise with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Moderate
Day
11: Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
In
the 1920s the sparsely settled coast of East Greenland had too many
families living in Ammassalik (today's Tasiilaq) for the hunting
grounds available and in 1925 Scoresbysund was chosen to start a new
settlement with some 70 Inuit from Ammassalik and four families from
West Greenland. Less than 10 kilometers from the entrance to the
Scoresbysund system, Ittoqqortoormiit ("Big House Dwellers") lies on
the southern tip of Liverpool Land, a low and rounded area compared to
the steeper mountains further south or into the fjord system. Some 460
inhabitants call Ittoqqortoormiit, one of Greenland's most isolated
settlements, their home. Not counting the military and civilian
researchers at Daneborg, Northeast Greenland, their closest neighbors
actually live in Iceland. Although Greenland's hottest hot springs are
located some 8 kilometers south of Ittoqqortoormiit, the village is
frozen in some nine months of the year and access to other parts of the
country can only be done via the Nerlerit Inaat Airport at Constable
Point some 38 km to the north with flights to Iceland and West
Greenland. The former village's shop serves as a small museum and
features historic photographs and costumes and shows what a typical
hunter's home from the 1960s looked like. Today hunting narwhals,
seals, polar bears and muskoxen is still an important part of the life,
but tourism is gaining importance.
2
Included Shore Excursions
Kayaking
with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Extensive
Expedition
activities with Silversea Expedition team
Activity
Level: Moderate
Day
12: Day at sea (International Waters)
Days
at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with
what you've been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym,
visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply
topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to
busy days spent exploring shore side.
Day
13: Reykjavik, Iceland
The
capital of Iceland's land of ice, fire and natural wonder, Reykjavik is
a city like no other - blossoming among some of the world's most
vibrant and violent scenery. Home to two-thirds of Iceland's
population, Reykjavik is the island's only real city, and a welcoming
and walkable place - full of bicycles gliding along boulevards or
battling the wind when it rears up. Fresh licks of paint brighten the
streets, and an artistic and creative atmosphere embraces studios and
galleries - as well as the kitchens where an exciting culinary scene is
burgeoning. Plot your adventures in the city's hip bars and cosy cafes,
or waste no time in venturing out to Iceland's outdoor adventures.
Reykjavik's buildings stand together in a low huddle - below the whip
of winter's winds - but the magnificent Hallgrímskirkja
church is a solid exception, with its bell tower rising resolutely over
the city. Iceland's largest church's design echoes the lava flows that
have shaped this remote land and boasts a clean and elegant interior.
The Harpa Concert Hall's sheer glass facade helps it to assimilate into
the landscape, mirroring back the city and harbour. Its LED lights
shimmer in honour of Iceland's greatest illuminated performance - the
northern lights. Walk in the crusts between continents, feel the spray
from bursts of geysers and witness the enduring power of Iceland's
massive waterfalls. Whether you want to sizzle away in the earth-heated
geothermal pools, or hike to your heart's content, you can do it all
from Reykjavik - the colourful capital of this astonishing outdoor
country.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Butler
service in every suite
- Unlimited
Free Wifi
- Personalised
service – nearly one crew member for every guest
- Choice
of restaurants, diverse cuisine, open-seating dining
- Beverages
in-suite and throughout the ship, including champagne, select wines and
spirits
- In-suite
dining and room service
- Onboard
entertainment
- Onboard
gratuities
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Zodiac
Cruise with Silversea Expedition team
- Hiking
with Silversea Expedition team
- Kayaking
with Silversea Expedition team
- Expedition
activities with Silversea Expedition team
