A modern expedition cruise ship among the sea ice below snowy Arctic peaks

Expedition cruise · departs Longyearbyen

Short Voyage + Town

6 days, Sat to Thu. A pre-cruise Longyearbyen stay with a guided town tour, then a west-coast voyage by expedition vessel under the midnight sun. Zodiacs ashore daily.

Route: Longyearbyen (guided town stay) → west Spitsbergen coast → Longyearbyen
Length: 6 days · 5 nights
Sails: May to September
From: from €3,900 pp
Voyage: English-speaking voyage

6 days, Saturday to Thursday, pairing a pre-cruise Longyearbyen stay and guided town tour with a west-coast voyage aboard a Polar Code-compliant expedition vessel. You start on land (settling in, learning the place) then sail the west Spitsbergen coast with Zodiac landings most days. It runs in the midnight-sun season.

This is the same length as the Six-Day Fjord Voyage but front-loaded with town. If you want context before the coast (the history, the museums, the layout of Longyearbyen), this is the version that builds it in with a guide.

Life on board

Once at sea, 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. Daily Zodiac excursions take you ashore or close to glacier fronts, conditions allowing. The land portion adds a guided town tour before you board.

Wildlife odds, honestly

Over a normal six days the west coast delivers walrus, seals, seabirds, reindeer, and Arctic fox with good reliability. Polar bears are possible but not the aim of a short coastal loop; they follow the sea ice further out. No sighting is promised: ice, weather, and animal movement decide the week. The naturalists work to put the ship in the right place, and the town day gives you a strong start whatever the sea offers.

On this voyage

Highlights of the cruise

Town first, then the coast

You start on land with a guided day in Longyearbyen, taking in the history, the museums and the layout of the world's northernmost town, so you board with context rather than rushing straight to sea. It is the gentlest possible start to an Arctic voyage.

Small boat carrying passengers across a calm Arctic fjord

Out into Isfjorden by Zodiac

Once aboard, the ship heads out through Isfjorden and the Zodiacs go to work. The first glacier fronts and seabird cliffs come on day one at sea, close enough to read from the water.

Seals and seabirds of the coast

The west coast is busy in summer, with seals hauled on the ice, kittiwakes and guillemots wheeling off the cliffs, and belugas working the shallows. The pace stays relaxed, with short sailing distances between landings.

Reindeer on the tundra

Shore landings put you on open tundra among grazing Svalbard reindeer and, with luck, Arctic fox. Most walks are optional and easy, and the naturalists set the pace by the ground and the weather.

Leg by leg

The voyage, stage by stage

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

1
Saturday

Longyearbyen town day

You arrive and settle in with a guided town tour, covering the history, the museums, and the layout of Longyearbyen before you sail.
2
Sunday

Board ship in Isfjorden

You board the vessel and head out into Isfjorden, with the first glacier fronts and seabirds along the way.
3
Monday

West Spitsbergen coast

The ship works the west coast among tidewater glaciers, with a Zodiac landing and seals as conditions allow.
4
Tuesday

Sheltered bay

A walrus haul-out, a tundra walk, and reindeer fill a day in a sheltered bay.
5
Wednesday

Return coast

The return run brings open-water wildlife, Arctic fox, and the last landings of the voyage.
6
Thursday

Disembark in Longyearbyen

You disembark in Longyearbyen and transfer to the airport.

The route

Where you'll be sailing

1 Longyearbyen (guided town day)
2 Isfjorden (board ship)
3 West Spitsbergen coast
4 Sheltered bay (turnaround)

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
Pre-cruise Longyearbyen stay with guided town tour

Not included

Flights
Travel insurance
Optional land programs

From €3,900 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.

Walrus Likely

Seals Possible

Seabirds Likely

Reindeer Likely

Arctic fox Rare

From the voyage

Out where the road ends

Mirror-calm Svalbard fjord with reflected snowy peaks

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

Atlantic puffin perched on a coastal rock

Ice floes drifting in front of a glacier

Good to know

Before you sail

How is this different from the Six-Day Fjord Voyage?

Same length, but front-loaded with a guided day in Longyearbyen before you sail. If you want the town's history and context first, this is the version that builds it in. The voyage itself is a shorter west-coast loop.

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. All meals, lectures and Zodiac gear are aboard.

Will I see polar bears?

Possibly, but they are not the aim of a short coastal loop; bears follow the sea ice further out and north. The town day and the west-coast wildlife are the reliable parts of this trip.

How fit do I need to be?

Moderate. The town day is easy walking; at sea you step in and out of Zodiacs and walk on uneven ground, with most landings optional. 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-May to September, the midnight-sun season, when the west coast is navigable and the wildlife is most active.

Sail the Short Voyage + Town

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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