Lone polar bear standing on melting sea ice at the pack-ice edge

Expedition cruise · departs Longyearbyen

Full Circumnavigation

10 days, a complete loop around the Svalbard archipelago by expedition vessel under the midnight sun. Pack-ice edge, the remote east coast, and daily Zodiac landings.

Route: Longyearbyen → full circle around the archipelago → Longyearbyen
Length: 10 days · 9 nights
Sails: July to August
From: from €7,400 pp
Voyage: English-speaking voyage

10 days, a complete circle around the Svalbard archipelago from Longyearbyen, aboard a Polar Code-compliant expedition vessel under the midnight sun. The loop runs the pack-ice edge in the north and the remote east coast that shorter voyages never reach. Zodiac landings run most days, weather and ice permitting.

A full circumnavigation is the most complete way to see the archipelago by sea. Instead of an out-and-back along the west coast, you cover all four sides (west fjords, the northern ice, the seldom-visited east, and the southern capes) in one voyage.

Life on board

The vessel meets the Polar Code for ice-affected waters and carries about 57 crew, including 15 polar specialists and an onboard physician. All meals are served on board, and naturalist lectures run between landings to cover the ice, geology, and wildlife of each coast. Daily Zodiac excursions take you ashore and along ice edges as conditions allow. The full loop depends on ice. A heavy season can force a route change.

Wildlife odds, honestly

Covering all four coasts and the pack-ice edge gives this voyage the strongest wildlife spread on the schedule: polar bears at the ice, walrus and reindeer on the coasts, whales in open water, Arctic fox on the landings. Even so, nothing is promised. Bears follow the ice, whales follow the food, and a single voyage can be rich or quiet depending on the year. The naturalists read ice and weather daily and route the ship for the best odds; the Arctic still has the final say.

On this voyage

Highlights of the cruise

A small expedition ship in Arctic waters

All four coasts in one voyage

Instead of an out-and-back along the west, you sail the whole way round: west fjords, the northern ice, the seldom-visited east, and the southern capes. It is the most complete way to see the archipelago by sea, and the route depends entirely on the ice that year.

The pack-ice edge in the north

The loop runs north to the drift ice and the boundary where open water meets pack ice. This is where polar-bear odds peak, among the floes: never guaranteed, but better here than anywhere else on the schedule.

The seldom-visited east

Few voyages reach the eastern side of the archipelago. Here the landings are untravelled, the ice lingers, and the sense of distance is real, with open Arctic water and no other ship in sight for days.

Whales off the southern capes

Rounding the south brings deep open water where whales feed, along with seabird cliffs and the last big landings before the run back north. The wildlife spread across the full circle is the widest in the fleet.

Leg by leg

The voyage, stage by stage

10 days at sea and ashore, ice and weather permitting.

1
Days 1-2

Longyearbyen and west fjords

You board ship in Longyearbyen and sail the west fjords, passing glacier fronts, seabirds, and seals as the loop begins.
2
Day 3

Northwest coast

The ship works the northwest coast among tidewater glaciers, with walrus and reindeer likely on the shores.
3
Days 4-5

Pack-ice edge

You reach the pack-ice edge in the north, where polar bear odds peak among the drift ice. Weather and ice decide the exact navigation.
4
Days 6-7

Remote east coast

The voyage covers the seldom-visited east, with bears, Arctic fox, and untravelled landings that shorter trips never reach.
5
Day 8

Southern capes

Rounding the southern capes brings whales, open-water wildlife, and seabird cliffs.
6
Day 9

Return up the west

The ship runs back up the west coast for final Zodiac landings and glacier fronts, ice and weather permitting.
7
Day 10

Disembark in Longyearbyen

You disembark in Longyearbyen and transfer to the airport.

The route

Where you'll be sailing

1 Longyearbyen & west fjords
2 Northwest corner
3 Sjuøyane / pack-ice edge (north)
4 Hinlopen & the remote east
5 Southern capes (Sørkapp)

The line follows the sailing route; ice and weather decide the exact landings.

On board

What the voyage covers

What's included

Voyage aboard a Polar Code-compliant expedition vessel
~57 crew including 15 polar specialists and an onboard physician
All meals on board
Zodiac shore excursions
Naturalist lectures

Not included

Flights
Travel insurance
Optional land programs

From €7,400 per person, based on shared cabin occupancy. Flights and travel insurance are not included. Cabin grades and exact pricing are confirmed on request, within 24 hours.

Wildlife

What you might see out there

The Arctic is wild, not a zoo. These are honest odds across the season, never a guarantee.

Polar bears Possible

Walrus Likely

Whales Possible

Arctic fox Rare

Reindeer Likely

From the voyage

Out where the road ends

Ice floes drifting in front of a glacier

Walrus resting at the water's edge on a Svalbard shore

Good to know

Before you sail

What kind of ship is it?

A small expedition vessel built and operated to the Polar Code for ice-affected waters, with roughly 57 crew including 15 polar specialists and an onboard physician. Cabins, all meals, lectures and Zodiac gear are aboard.

Will the ship really go all the way round?

That is the plan, but a full circle depends on the ice. In a heavy season the captain may reverse the loop or turn back from a blocked coast. The route is set day by day by ice and weather, not a fixed map, and that flexibility is the point of an expedition.

Will I see polar bears?

This voyage gives the best bear odds on the schedule, because it runs the pack-ice edge and the remote east where bears concentrate. Even so, bears track the moving ice and nothing is guaranteed. The naturalists position the ship for the best chance; the Arctic decides the rest.

How fit do I need to be?

Moderate. You step in and out of Zodiacs and walk on uneven ground ashore, but most landings are optional and you set your own pace. Ten days at sea suit travellers comfortable with a longer voyage. Tell us about any mobility needs and we'll advise honestly.

Is travel insurance required?

Yes. Polar voyages require insurance covering medical costs and emergency evacuation. Cancellation cover is strongly recommended. Flights to and from Longyearbyen are not included.

When does it sail?

Mid-July to early September, when the ice has opened enough to attempt a full circle. Earlier in the season the eastern and northern coasts are often still locked in.

Sail the Full Circumnavigation

Tell us your dates and group and we'll send cabin options and the exact price within 24 hours, no pressure.

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