Reiseverlauf

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

• Day 1 Arrive in Oslo

  Having made your way to Oslo, walk the short distance to our group hotel. Upon arrival 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

  This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before walking to the airport for our charter flight to Longyearbyen for embarkation. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. In Longyearbyen, explore the 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 cabin before 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.

• Days 3–10 Svalbard

  Early-season Svalbard is defined by light, snow and ice. Our experienced Expedition Team will shape each day around weather, sea ice, wildlife and the latest local information. Rather than follow a fixed sequence of landings, we remain free to spend time where conditions are strongest—whether that means exploring a glacier-filled fjord, approaching the pack-ice edge or changing course for an unexpected wildlife encounter. Possibilities may range from the deep fjords of western Spitsbergen, including Hornsund or Kongsfjorden, to the northwestern coast and remote islands farther north. If sea ice permits, the longer voyage may also create opportunities to explore towards Hinlopen Strait or Nordaustlandet. These names describe the scale of our ambition, not a promised route: ice can both open extraordinary experiences and close passages overnight. On shore, snow-fringed beaches and newly exposed tundra reveal reindeer tracks, fox trails, fossils and the first hardy plants of the season. Migratory birds return in vast numbers, filling cliffs and scree slopes with guillemots, kittiwakes, puffins and little auks. At sea, we watch for walrus and seals around ice and coastal haul-outs, and for whales feeding in productive waters. Polar bears may be encountered anywhere in Svalbard and are observed only from a safe distance without changing their behaviour. The human story is equally compelling. Weathered huts, whaling remains and scientific outposts speak to centuries of survival, ambition and research in the High Arctic. Our guides will bring these places into context while ensuring fragile cultural remains are left exactly as found. If you have selected an optional activity such as kayaking, we will aim to offer it whenever conditions allow. Zodiac cruising, guided walks and the possibility of a polar plunge add different perspectives to a voyage driven by discovery rather than a timetable.

• Day 11 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 our charter flight back to Oslo. *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. We recommend allowing flexibility when arranging onward travel.