Flat ice floe drifting on deep blue water at the sea-ice edge

Expedition cruise · departs Longyearbyen

North Coast Explorer

8 days from Longyearbyen to the northern fjords and the sea-ice edge by expedition vessel under the midnight sun. Glacier fronts, drift ice, and daily Zodiac landings.

Route: Longyearbyen → northern fjords & sea-ice edge → Longyearbyen
Length: 8 days · 7 nights
Sails: June-July
From: from €5,900 pp
Voyage: English-speaking voyage

8 days from Longyearbyen into the northern fjords and up to the sea-ice edge, aboard a Polar Code-compliant expedition vessel under the midnight sun. You go past the standard west-coast loop toward glacier fronts, drift ice, and the boundary where open water meets pack ice, the terrain where bears and walrus concentrate. Zodiac landings run most days.

Two extra days over the six-day voyages buy real distance north. This is the shortest itinerary that genuinely targets the sea-ice edge rather than the sheltered fjords, which changes both the scenery and the wildlife odds.

Life on board

The vessel is built and operated to the Polar Code for ice-affected waters and carries roughly 57 crew, including 15 polar specialists and an onboard physician. All meals are served on board, and naturalist lectures cover ice dynamics, geology, and the animals you are tracking. Daily Zodiac excursions take you ashore and along ice edges, conditions allowing.

Wildlife odds, honestly

Reaching the sea-ice edge raises polar bear odds well above a west-coast loop, and walrus, seabirds, seals, and Arctic fox are consistent across eight days. Even so, nothing is guaranteed: bears track the ice, and the ice moves with wind and season. Some voyages have repeated sightings; some have few. The naturalists read the ice daily and position the ship for the best chance; the Arctic decides the rest.

On this voyage

Highlights of the cruise

Small expedition ship in Arctic waters before snowy peaks

The ship is your basecamp

Unpack once and wake somewhere new each morning. A small Polar Code expedition ship carries you north with meals, naturalist lectures and an onboard physician, so the days are spent ashore and on the water, not packing and moving hotels.

Polar bear on the drift ice off Svalbard

All the way to the sea-ice edge

Two extra days over the short voyages buy real distance north, past the sheltered fjords to the drift ice and the boundary where open water meets pack ice. This is where polar-bear odds peak, and where a land trip simply cannot reach.

Small boat carrying passengers across a calm Arctic fjord

Ashore by Zodiac, most days

A fleet of Zodiacs runs you onto beaches without a footprint: tundra walks, glacier fronts, seabird cliffs and ice edges, with a naturalist crew reading the weather and the animals as the day unfolds.

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

The wildlife of the ice

The route is built around the animals: walrus haul-outs, ringed and bearded seals, dense seabird flocks and whales in the open water, with Arctic fox on the northern bays. Nothing is promised, but the ice edge stacks the odds.

Leg by leg

The voyage, stage by stage

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

1
Days 1-2

Longyearbyen and west coast

You board ship in Longyearbyen and sail out through Isfjorden, then down the west Spitsbergen coast past tidewater glaciers, seals, and reindeer.
2
Day 3

Northwest fjords

The ship works the northwest fjords among major glacier fronts, with Zodiac landings as conditions allow.
3
Day 4

Approach to pack ice

Heading north toward the ice, you reach drift ice with walrus and seabird flocks.
4
Day 5

Sea-ice edge

At the sea-ice edge polar bear odds peak among the floes. Ice and weather decide the exact navigation.
5
Days 6-7

Northern bays and return south

Tundra walks, Arctic fox, and glacier fronts fill the northern bays before the ship turns south for open-water wildlife and final landings.
6
Day 8

Disembark in Longyearbyen

You disembark in Longyearbyen and transfer to the airport.

The route

Where you'll be sailing

1 Longyearbyen & Isfjorden (start & finish)
2 Kongsfjorden & Ny-Ålesund
3 Northwest corner & Smeerenburg
4 Sea-ice edge
5 Hinlopen Strait & northern bays

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 €5,900 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

Seabirds Likely

Seals Possible

Arctic fox Rare

From the voyage

Out where the road ends

Ice floes drifting in front of a glacier

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.

How are the days planned?

A voyage follows ice and weather, not a fixed map. The captain and expedition leader set the route day by day, with Zodiac landings most days when conditions allow. That flexibility is the point of a real expedition.

Will I see polar bears?

This itinerary targets the sea-ice edge, where bear odds are highest, well above a west-coast loop. 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. 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 the departure port are not included.

When does it sail?

Mid-May to September, the midnight-sun season, when the northern waters are navigable and the coast and wildlife are at their most active.

Sail the North Coast Explorer

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

Request a cabin quote