Inspiration
Spitsbergen Circumnavigation
For those who dream of venturing to the edge of the world, this 12-day expedition offers the ultimate Arctic experience.
Sea ice, silence and the spell of the far north
Designed to circumnavigate the entirety of Spitsbergen – the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago – this journey delivers a complete immersion in the sights, sounds and stillness of the far north. From towering glaciers and sculpted pack ice to dramatic bird cliffs and abandoned mining towns, Spitsbergen offers one of the most varied polar landscapes on Earth, and with it, a front-row seat to the wildlife that calls it home.
Travelling aboard a small expedition vessel with an expert polar crew, this is slow, intentional exploration at its best: a journey shaped by wind and weather, sea ice and sunlight. Your days will unfold based on real-time conditions, with your captain and guides constantly adapting to give you the best experience possible. With flexibility comes reward: and few places are as rewarding as the high Arctic.
- Longyearbyen
- Eastern Spitsbergen
- Northern Reaches
- Western Spitsbergen
Pauline Duffin
Pauline specialises in designing highly-personalised adventures, guided by her decades of travel expertise. With a focus on India, South East Asia and South America and a deep love of African safaris, she's renowned for her finely-tuned ability to create experiences that reflect your unique interests.
Longyearbyen
Your adventure begins in Longyearbyen, the northernmost town on Earth and the largest settlement in Svalbard. Despite its remote location, this small frontier outpost has plenty of charm, with colourful wooden houses, Arctic museums and a scattering of cafés, shops and weatherworn pubs lining the icy shore.
After a pre-departure briefing and welcome from your expedition team, you’ll embark your vessel and set sail into the icy waters of Isfjorden.
As the town disappears behind you and the midnight sun casts long shadows over the sea, you’ll leave civilisation behind – bound for the white silence of the polar wilderness. Cameras come out, conversation slows and the vastness of what lies ahead begins to settle in.
Cruise beneath the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet by Zodiac
As your small boat drifts closer to the base of the towering basalt cliffs, the sound rises before the sight – a wild chorus of wings, cries and sea spray. Thousands of thick-billed murres swirl above, dive into the sea, and cling to narrow ledges carved by time. Arctic foxes prowl the rocky base, hoping for a fallen egg. The air is cold and clean, the silence between bird calls deep and resonant. From this water-level perspective, Spitsbergen’s scale becomes even more striking. It’s one of the Arctic’s most surreal and spectacular moments – a meeting of movement, stillness and the pure drama of nature.
Eastern Spitsbergen
Your first days at sea take you along Spitsbergen’s rugged eastern coastline, a region often dominated by sea ice in the early season and full of drama throughout the summer. Here, towering glacier fronts calve into the sea, icebergs drift silently past your ship, and wildlife sightings can happen at any moment.
One possible stop is Alkefjellet, a towering basalt cliff that rises abruptly from the sea. Thousands of thick-billed murres (Brünnich’s guillemots) nest here each summer, creating a raucous wall of sound and movement. If conditions allow, you’ll cruise beneath the cliffs in Zodiacs, watching the birds wheel and dive overhead while Arctic foxes patrol the scree below for fallen eggs.
Another highlight may be a visit to Isbukta, an ice-choked bay where polar bears are frequently seen patrolling the shoreline or lounging on sea ice. Sightings are never guaranteed – but few moments are as thrilling as spotting one of these elusive creatures in its natural habitat, undisturbed and wild.
Throughout these days, your team will lead Zodiac cruises, offer on-deck photography sessions, and guide short hikes ashore when safe and permitted. This is expedition travel at its most flexible, and most rewarding. Each encounter feels personal – just you, the landscape and a sense of pure wonder.
Northern Reaches
As you round Spitsbergen’s northern tip, you’ll encounter a truly Arctic world, where sea ice often lingers well into the summer and the sun never sets. The landscape becomes more austere, more remote, and more silent. But it’s here, in this extreme environment, that the Arctic comes into its own.
Your crew may attempt to reach Moffen Island, a protected nature reserve that’s home to large walrus haul-outs. These enormous creatures often lounge on the gravel beaches in sociable piles, grunting and snorting in the sun. You may also spot beluga whales near Bourbonhamna, or Arctic foxes weaving through the tundra during a guided shore landing.
The northern route is also where you’ll most likely encounter pack ice: long stretches of floating sea ice that drift south from the polar cap. Navigating through these fields feels otherworldly: the air turns cold and still, the light becomes diffuse, and the sound of ice cracking around the ship is unlike anything else on Earth. At times, the vessel slows to a near standstill, allowing you to absorb the surreal quiet of the drifting ice.
Western Spitsbergen
As you turn south along the island’s western edge, the landscape softens into sweeping tundra and serrated mountains – still dramatic, but slightly more forgiving. This is a region rich in both wildlife and human history.
You may visit the ghost town of Pyramiden, an abandoned Soviet mining settlement preserved in an eerie time warp. Here, Lenin statues still stand guard over decaying playgrounds, and your guides will walk you through rusted dormitories, old sports halls and empty canteens now reclaimed by Arctic silence.
If conditions allow, your team may land at Ny-Ålesund, the world’s northernmost permanent research station and the historic departure point for many early polar expeditions. Surrounded by glaciers and accessed only by ship, it offers a fascinating contrast to the wilderness that surrounds it.
Other landings might take you ashore for a final tundra hike or Zodiac cruise, with time to reflect on all that you’ve experienced: the silence, the wildlife, the light, the sheer scale of the polar world.
Return to Longyearbyen
Your voyage ends where it began, in Longyearbyen.
As you disembark, there’s time for one last stroll through the settlement or a warm drink in a local café before transferring to the airport for your flight home.
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