SVALBARD ENCOUNTERS: AUGUST 10 AND AUGUST 17
Join the MS Fram as she sails along the northwest coast of Spitsbergen, journeying through a landscape of breathtaking fjords and gigantic glaciers, all set before a magical backdrop of jagged mountain peaks. The coastline here is surprisingly rich in wildlife and historical remains too, offering a fascinating insight into the heroic efforts of the polar explorers of old.

DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN THE ARCTIC
Arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay.

DAY 2 LONGYEARBYEN
The voyage starts in Longyearbyen, generally accepted as the capital of Svalbard. Here you’ll find all amenities of a small modern town surrounded by breathtaking Arctic landscape. Longyearbyen’s history has strong ties to coal mining and heritage from the early colliers can be seen everywhere. A sight-seeing tour of Longyearbyen will introduce you to the town and includes a visit to the museum and gallery.

DAY 3 HORNSUND
We arrive in the beautiful fjord of Hornsund where we make landings either at Gåshamna or Gnålodden before lunch. Onboard there will be lectures. After
lunch we will enjoy the beautiful scenery of Brepollen, or cruise in Burgerbukta. In the afternoon we sail south.

DAY 4 BELLSUND
After waking up in Bellsund, we will make a landing either on Ahlstrands peninsula or in Calypsobyen. After lunch we sail towards the beautiful Vårsolbukta, well known in the area for its little auk cliff and named after the motor cutter “Vaarsol” that was used by the Norwegian Svalbard Expedition in 1914. In the afternoon we sail north towards Kongsfjorden.

DAY 5 KONGSFJORDEN
Kongsfjorden, or Kings Bay, is the largest fjord on the north west coast of Spitsbergen. A large tributary fjord called Krossfjorden may also be visited while we’re in the area. The landscape varies from large tundra plains to alpine peaks with dramatic glaciers calving into the ocean. On the northern shores of the entrance of Kongsfjorden, look out for the mountain in the shape of a bishop’s hat and aptly named Mitre. At the end of the fjord you see the majestic Kongsbreen (Kings Glacier) with its three characteristic nunataks named Nora, Dana and Svea after Norway, Denmark and Sweden. At 78º 55’ N, Ny Ålesund is the world’s northernmost year-round community. Previously a coal mining settlement, it is now an advanced Arctic research station. In the golden age of Arctic exploration Ny Ålesund was the starting point for numerous expeditions towards the North Pole. Names like Amundsen, Ellsworth and Nobile are strongly linked to this place and today you can still see the mast that the airship ”Norge” was moored to before her departure on the first trans-polar flight. Nowadays, numerous countries run their own national research stations here, and research activity is high in the summer. We also hope to sail above the 80th parallel to reach Moffen, a walrus haul out and bird sanctuary. Moffen’s atoll-like shape with a lake in the middle made it a perfect safe harbor in bad weather for the early whaling ships.

DAY 6 WOODFJORDEN AND LEIFDEFJORDEN
These large fjords in north Spitsbergen are striking for their landscape which varies from the largest flat plain in Svalbard, Reindyrsflya (reindeer plain), to red stone, Devonian geology, remnants of volcanoes and even the northernmost warm spring on Earth. The day will be spent cruising towards the Monaco glacier, during which we will pass a number of small islets where eider ducks nest during the summer. If we are lucky, there’s a good chance that we will see a polar bear searching for eggs here. Also, be on the lookout for the arched back of the occasional minke whale or a bearded seal sunbathing on the ice-flows close to the glacier front.

DAY 7 NORTH WEST SPITSBERGEN NATIONAL PARK
Known colloquially as the North West Corner, this area, scattered with islands, fjords and beaches, has a long history of exploration. When Willem Barents first found Svalbard in 1596, this was the land he first saw. The name he gave to this new land was Spitsbergen, reflecting the sharp and steep mountains in the area. Today, Magdalenefjorden is one of the fjords that we aim to visit. Here you’ll experience a true piece of Spitsbergen’s history; a whaling station from the 16th century, including a graveyard of the whalers that died during the first whale oil “gold-rush.”

DAY 8 ISFJORDEN
In central Spitsbergen, Isfjorden is the most prominent fjord system in Svalbard. We will spend the day exploring both the outer and the inner sections of this network. One of the most prominent mountains in the outer part is Alkhornet, where thousands of Brünnich’s Guillemots nest during the summer season. In the inner parts of Isfjorden the landscape changes dramatically. Large U-valleys, carved by the giant glaciers that covered the area some ten thousand years ago, are home to large populations of the endemic Svalbard Reindeer, and the sedimentary geology rising hundreds of feet out of the ocean perfectly maps the area’s geological history. Our main aim today is to find a scenic fjord arm and arrange a farewell barbecue in these beautiful Arctic surroundings.

DAY 9 LONGYEARBYEN
The voyage ends in Longyearbyen.

Rates from $3600 per person in an inside cabin based on double occupancy.

Rates include:
- Voyage in cabin grade of your choice on a full board basis
- Transfers as applicable
- 1 night in Longyearbyen including breakfast and sightseeing.
- Wind and water proof jacket

Fuel surcharge is US$8 per night

We offer the right Spitsbergen cruise at the right price. Call 1-800-334-6544 (U.S.) or +1-212-480-4521 (International) or go to How to Book

Information on MS Fram, including a deck plan

For other Spitsbergen expeditions, click here

To view a video of Spitsbergen, click here.