Length
8 days
Departs
Longyearbyen
Price
On quote
Sails
mid-May – Sep
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.
The route
| Leg | Waters | What you’ll likely see |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Longyearbyen & Isfjorden | Board ship, first fjord views, seabirds |
| 2 | West Spitsbergen coast | Tidewater glaciers, seals, reindeer |
| 3 | Northwest fjords | Major glacier fronts, Zodiac landings |
| 4 | Approach to pack ice | Drift ice, walrus, seabird flocks |
| 5 | Sea-ice edge | Polar bear odds peak, ice navigation |
| 6 | Northern bays | Tundra walks, Arctic fox, glacier fronts |
| 7 | Return south | Open-water wildlife, final landings |
| 8 | Longyearbyen | Disembark, transfer to airport |
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.