SAIL AROUND SPITSBERGEN IN 16 DAYS

Day 1: Embarkation in Longyearbyen

You will arrive at the small airport of Longyearbyen, located about 15 minutes drive from the centre of the small town. Longyearbyen is the largest inhabited settlement in Spitsbergen and the world’s most northerly inhabited town with more than 1000 inhabitants. If you have the opportunity, it is an absolute must to visit the Svalbard museum. Here you can delve into the history of the island, the coal mining industry, the wealth of unique polar animal species, scientific developments and the many polar expeditions. After your visit, you can take a walk into the former mining town where you will find several shops offering a collection of unique Arctic products and souvenirs. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preserves the global variety of agricultural crops, is also located nearby.

Our sailing ship Noorderlicht will be waiting for you at the so-called ‘floating pier’ where you can embark from 16:00. After a welcome from the captain, the mooring lines will be cast off and you will receive a comprehensive safety briefing from the crew. Subsequently you will enjoy a first delicious 3-course dinner on board, while the ship sets course towards the Bellsund.

Day 2: Glacier Fridtjofbreen and the historic sights in the Bellsund

In the Bellsund we will hopefully organize a landing at Midterhuken, where we have a fantastic view of the youngest mountain chain (65 million years) of Spitsbergen. A collision of continental plates has created the fold and break lines that we can see on the mountain. During lunch we will sail to Kapp Toscane, where we will be dropped off near 3 old row boats. From there we walk to Kvitfiskstranda (‘white whale beach’) where there is a hut called Bamsebu. At this location, a massacre of whales took place in the 19th century and the bones of the unfortunate animals are still to be seen on the beach as a grim reminder of the past. Fortunately, despite the massive hunting of belugas in the past, they are often spotted in the fjords again. Depending on the weather conditions we will sail further towards the Hornsund or the South Cape of the island of Spitsbergen.

Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen is the largest inhabited settlement in Spitsbergen and the world’s most northerly inhabited town with more than 1000 inhabitants. If you have the opportunity, it is an absolute must to visit the Svalbard museum. Here you can delve into the history of the island, the coal mining industry, the wealth of unique polar animal species, scientific developments and the many polar expeditions. After your visit, you can take a walk into the former mining town where you will find several shops offering a collection of unique Arctic products and souvenirs. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preserves the global variety of agricultural crops, is also located nearby.

Longyearbyen is the departure and arrival point of our expeditions. Generally, you'll find our ship at the so-called 'Floating Pier.' That's where you embark and disembark.