Svalbard Circumnavigation

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take a stroll through the high street of Longyearbyen, the world’s most northerly town, and follow in the footsteps of polar explorers
• Sail past Spitsbergen’s most beautiful glacier, Monacobreen, as it calves icebergs
• Spy on hundreds of polar bears, seals, walruses, whales and arctic foxes in their natural habitat
• Inspect tundra-loving wildflowers such as tufted saxifrage and arctic white campion in Wijdefjorden
• Learn more about this isolated polar region from our on board team of experts

ITINERARY

LONGYEARBYEN
DAY 1
Longyearbyen is the world’s most northerly town and with it comes the world’s most northerly high street and pub. On Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s largest island, Longyearbyen is home to The North Pole Expeditions Museum which chronicles early efforts to reach the pole by air. The nearby Svalbard Global Seed Vault preserves duplicates of seeds held in gene banks worldwide. The surrounding Arctic waters are populated by whales including bowheads and narwhals, while walruses are regularly seen hauling.


SVALBARD
DAY 2 - 8
Located deep inside the Arctic Circle, approaching the Svalbard archipelago feels a lot like sailing towards the edge of the world. Known as the kingdom of the polar bears, we’ll be hoping to spot some of its subjects as we explore some of the most varied polar landscapes in the Arctic. Down in our Zodiac boats, we’ll get close to the gargantuan glaciers, rapidly retreating from the oceans that they feed. In the north of the archipelago, past the magnificent fjords, the remaining sea ice offers the perfect hunting ground for polar bears. Closer to Longyearbyen, the landscape is punctuated with large areas devoid of snow and ice alongside vast tundra and exposed beaches. Alongside Svalbard’s 3,000 polar bears, this Arctic wildlife hotspot is also home to walrus, Svalbard reindeer, ringed seal, the arctic fox and many species of marine mammals and seabirds.


LONGYEARBYEN
DAY 9
Longyearbyen is the world’s most northerly town and with it comes the world’s most northerly high street and pub. On Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s largest island, Longyearbyen is home to The North Pole Expeditions Museum which chronicles early efforts to reach the pole by air. The nearby Svalbard Global Seed Vault preserves duplicates of seeds held in gene banks worldwide. The surrounding Arctic waters are populated by whales including bowheads and narwhals, while walruses are regularly seen hauling.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• Return regional flights to the port of embarkation and/or disembarkation (where specified)
• Group return transfers from the airport to the cruise port (via our included accommodation where applicable)
• One night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel or onboard
• All meals onboard
• Onboard accommodation in a stateroom selected category
• 24-hour room service
• Coffee, tea, soft drinks and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day
• Lecture programmes by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
• One selected shore excursion/expedition activities per port of call
• Branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka and use of rubber boots in Polar Regions
• Standard WiFi
• Onboard gratuities & port taxes