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A whale fluke rising from the sea on a boat tour

Summer package · 8 days

Wildlife Voyager

Eight days, seven nights, a week led by the animals. More coast and a deeper season: whales, walrus haul-outs, Arctic fox on the tundra and loud seabird cliffs, with the time to wait for them. From €2,790 per person, June to September.

Length
8 days · 7 nights
From
€2,790 pp
Season
June to September
Base
Hotel in Longyearbyen · 7 nights
Guiding
English-speaking guides

Eight days is a wildlife-led week, long enough to follow the animals rather than a fixed route, and to spend more of it out on the coast where the summer comes alive. This is the trip for travellers who would rather wait for a whale than tick off a list.

You stay in Longyearbyen throughout and head out from town each day, but the plan belongs to the wildlife: whales in the open fjords, walrus on the haul-outs, seabird cliffs in full noise, and Arctic fox on the tundra. Set for the deeper part of the season, it lands you on the coast when feeding is at its most active.

Why a wildlife week needs time

Animals keep their own hours. The extra days are not padding. They are the margin that lets your guides read recent sightings, wait out poor light and return to whatever the coast has been doing best. A single day can miss the whales entirely; a week rarely does.

Honest about the odds

Wildlife is never guaranteed, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What this trip offers is the right water at the right time of year, guides who read the coast daily, and the patience built into the schedule. The animals decide the rest.

On this trip

What you’ll see and do

Whale surfacing in clear Arctic water

Built around the animals

Every day is planned around where the wildlife is, not a fixed route. Whales feed in the open fjords through the deep summer, and the team reads tides, light and recent sightings to put you in the right water. Nothing is promised, but the whole week is shaped to give the coast its best chance.

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

Walrus haul-outs

Walrus gather on gravel spits and low shores through the season, hauling out in heavy, tusked groups. You watch from the water at a respectful distance, with a guide keeping the boat clear so the animals stay settled and undisturbed.

Arctic fox on the tundra

Arctic fox on the tundra

A walking day across the open tundra puts you in fox country, where Arctic foxes work the slopes and the seabird colonies for food. They are quick and well-camouflaged, so sightings take patience, but summer, with cubs about, is the time you're most likely to find them.

Atlantic puffin perched on a coastal rock

Seabird cliffs

The coast runs loud with seabirds in summer. You pull in beneath nesting cliffs alive with kittiwakes and guillemots, with puffins on the rocks and the water thick with feeding birds, the engine of the food chain the larger animals follow.

Day by day

Your 8 days, day by day

8

8 guided days, 7 nights based in Longyearbyen.

  1. 1

    Day 1

    Arrival in Longyearbyen

    Transfer from the airport and settle into your hotel. The evening is yours under the midnight sun (town, the museum, or a first dinner), followed by a briefing on the wildlife week ahead.

  2. 2

    Day 2

    First coastal day

    A full guided boat day reading the nearer fjords for whales, walrus and birds, with long deck time and stops wherever the animals show. Lunch is included on the water.

  3. 3

    Day 3

    Walrus and the outer coast

    Further out along the coast to the haul-outs, watching walrus from a respectful distance while the guide keeps the boat clear. The route follows the wildlife and the weather.

  4. 4

    Day 4

    Seabird cliffs

    A day beneath the nesting colonies of kittiwakes, guillemots and puffins, with the surrounding water busy with feeding birds and, with luck, whales drawn to the same shoals.

  5. 5

    Day 5

    Fox country on foot

    A guided walk across the open tundra in search of Arctic fox and reindeer, at a relaxed pace, with a flexible afternoon to use the best light.

  6. 6

    Day 6

    Whales and open fjords

    A water day given over to whales in the open fjords, with the team free to range wider for feeding grounds. Sightings are never guaranteed, but the deeper season improves the odds.

  7. 7

    Day 7

    Best weather window

    A final flexible day, the team using the calmest conditions of the week to return to whatever the wildlife has been doing best, the advantage of an eight-day trip.

  8. 8

    Day 8

    Final morning and departure

    Breakfast, a last look down the fjord, and your transfer to the airport.

The fine print, up front

What your price covers

What's included

  • Experienced English-speaking wildlife guides
  • All equipment and safety gear
  • Search and rescue cover
  • Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation
  • Airport transfers in both directions
  • 7 nights' accommodation in Longyearbyen
  • Daily breakfast buffet
  • Lunch on all boat days
  • Guided boat days, seabird cliffs and the tundra walk

Not included

  • Flights to Longyearbyen
  • Travel insurance
  • Evening meals and other meals not listed
  • Optional extra excursions and rentals

From €2,790 per person, double occupancy. Flights to Longyearbyen are not included. Your final price depends on your exact dates and group, and we confirm it within 24 hours.

From the season

What it actually looks like

Beluga whales near the surface
Arctic fox on the tundra
Blue iceberg before snowy Arctic peaks
Small boat carrying passengers on a calm Arctic fjord

Good to know

Before you book

How fit do I need to be?

Moderate. Most of the week is spent on the boat, which is easy and seated, with one walking day on uneven tundra at a relaxed pace. Patient watching, rather than hard effort, is what wildlife days ask of you. Tell us about any mobility needs and we'll adjust.

What does the price cover?

English-speaking wildlife guides, all gear, search and rescue cover, airport transfers, seven nights in Longyearbyen with breakfast, lunch on every boat day, and all the guided days listed. Flights, travel insurance, evening meals and optional extras are not included.

When is wildlife at its best?

July and August are the peak: open water, active feeding, seabird colonies in full swing and Arctic fox cubs about. June and September still run well and are quieter. This trip is set for June to September for exactly that reason.

How good are the chances of whales and Arctic fox?

Better than on a shorter trip, because the whole week is built around finding them and there are more days to try. Even so, wildlife is wild: whales move with the shoals and foxes are shy and well-hidden. We tell you what's realistic, not what sounds good.

What happens if the weather closes in?

Seven nights give the team room to wait. A rough morning can become a tundra day, and a calm window later in the week can be saved for the wildlife you most want to see. The plan follows the conditions rather than the calendar.

Can I join on my own?

Yes. The boat and walking days run in small guided groups, so solo travellers are welcome and fit in without any single supplement on the activities. Send us your dates and we'll confirm departures.

Make Wildlife Voyager yours

Tell us your dates and who’s coming. We’ll confirm the plan and the exact price within 24 hours, no pressure.

Plan this trip