Reiseverlauf

Reiseverlauf abhängig von Wetter- und Eislage. Beschriebene Naturerlebnisse/Tiersichtungen sind mögliche Ereignisse auf den Expeditionen und nicht garantiert.

• Day 1 Arrive in Oslo

  Upon arrival in Oslo, make your way to your group airport hotel, located just a five-minute walk from the International Terminal. At your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags and to speak with our ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash or purchase last minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket. The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense. Accommodation: Oslo airport Hotel (to be advised).

• Day 2 Fly to Longyearbyen, embarkation

  Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago and offers Arctic wilderness at its best. Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountain ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walrus hauled out on sea ice or beaches, stretch your legs on tundra walks carpeted in brightly coloured wildflowers, and visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins. This expedition has been thoughtfully designed and includes a mix of activities, such as expert-led talks, engaging workshops and exhilarating Zodiac cruise safaris. You will be accompanied by engaging guest speakers from the world of science chosen by New Scientist Discovery Tours, along with the highly knowledgeable and supportive expedition team. Learn about topics including glaciology, climate, marine biology, and the history of polar exploration, deepening your connection to this remote and rugged archipelago. If you’ve chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you’ll have the chance to enjoy it when conditions allow. For those eager to take a polar plunge, once conditions are suitable, you’ll hear the call to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory to savour for years to come.

• Days 3–7 Spitsbergen

  Spitsbergen offers an exceptional introduction to Arctic expedition travel. Our experienced Expedition Team will shape each day around weather, sea ice, wildlife and the latest local information, selecting the best opportunities rather than following a fixed list of landing sites. Summer often allows us to explore a wider choice of fjords along western and northern Spitsbergen. Zodiac cruises may trace blue glacier fronts and sheltered bays, while guided walks cross flower-dotted tundra, raised beaches and fossil-rich polar desert. Historic camps and trappers’ huts reveal the human stories layered into this apparently untouched wilderness. The season is alive with wildlife. Bird cliffs resound with guillemots, kittiwakes and puffins, and little auks stream between sea and nesting slopes. Walrus rest at coastal haul-outs, whales feed in productive waters and reindeer graze on the tundra. Arctic foxes patrol the shore and bird colonies, while polar bears remain an unpredictable possibility throughout the archipelago. If you have selected an optional activity such as kayaking, we will aim to offer it whenever conditions allow. Guided walks, Zodiac excursions and the possibility of a polar plunge make the most of the long summer days.

• Day 8 Disembark in Longyearbyen, fly to Oslo

  During the early morning, we cruise back into Longyearbyen. Farewell your Expedition Team upon disembarkation and enjoy some free time before transferring to the airport for your return charter flight to Oslo to continue your journey. *Note: the arrival time in Oslo is contingent on the approved allocated slot for our charter flight to and from Longyearbyen, which we expect to receive in March 2028.