True Expedition Svalbard Cruise from Helsinki
True Expedition Svalbard Cruise from Helsinki
This expedition packs all the excitement of a true Arctic voyage into a single adventure-rich week, exploring the highlights of western Spitsbergen. Beginning in Helsinki, you fly by charter to Longyearbyen and embark, then sail a coast crowned with mountains, glaciers, towering cliffs and deep fjords that shelter thriving Arctic ecosystems. This is hands-on expedition travel: your guides maximise every chance to spot walrus, reindeer, polar bears and other iconic wildlife, while you hike the tundra, cruise by Zodiac among the ice, and have the option to kayak the polar waters. You sail into Krossfjorden for some of the best glacier calving in Spitsbergen, stand where Dutch whalers built one of Europe’s most northerly outposts nearly four centuries ago, and watch seabird cliffs teeming with life. Active, immersive and led by a seasoned polar team, it is the true expedition experience, with the convenience of an all-in charter-flight package.
Itinerary highlights
Pack a true Arctic expedition into one adventure-rich week of western Spitsbergen highlights.
Fly by charter from Helsinki straight to Longyearbyen, with hotels and transfers handled.
Sail into Krossfjorden for some of the finest glacier calving in all of Spitsbergen.
Stand at Smeerenburg, where Dutch whalers built a northerly outpost nearly 400 years ago.
Watch the seabird cliffs of Alkhornet, alive with fulmars and Brunnich's guillemots.
Hike the tundra and cruise by Zodiac among glaciers, fjords and ice, with optional kayaking.
Search for polar bears, walrus and reindeer with an expert, adventure-minded expedition team.
Take part in an included activity programme: hiking, photography, the polar plunge and more.
True Expedition Svalbard Cruise from Helsinki
This expedition packs all the excitement of a true Arctic voyage into a single adventure-rich week, exploring the highlights of western Spitsbergen. Beginning in Helsinki, you fly by charter to Longyearbyen and embark, then sail a coast crowned with mountains, glaciers, towering cliffs and deep fjords that shelter thriving Arctic ecosystems. This is hands-on expedition travel: your guides maximise every chance to spot walrus, reindeer, polar bears and other iconic wildlife, while you hike the tundra, cruise by Zodiac among the ice, and have the option to kayak the polar waters. You sail into Krossfjorden for some of the best glacier calving in Spitsbergen, stand where Dutch whalers built one of Europe’s most northerly outposts nearly four centuries ago, and watch seabird cliffs teeming with life. Active, immersive and led by a seasoned polar team, it is the true expedition experience, with the convenience of an all-in charter-flight package.
Itinerary highlights
Pack a true Arctic expedition into one adventure-rich week of western Spitsbergen highlights.
Fly by charter from Helsinki straight to Longyearbyen, with hotels and transfers handled.
Sail into Krossfjorden for some of the finest glacier calving in all of Spitsbergen.
Stand at Smeerenburg, where Dutch whalers built a northerly outpost nearly 400 years ago.
Watch the seabird cliffs of Alkhornet, alive with fulmars and Brunnich's guillemots.
Hike the tundra and cruise by Zodiac among glaciers, fjords and ice, with optional kayaking.
Search for polar bears, walrus and reindeer with an expert, adventure-minded expedition team.
Take part in an included activity programme: hiking, photography, the polar plunge and more.
What's Included
- Charter flights Helsinki to Longyearbyen and return, with pre and post hotel nights and transfers in Longyearbyen
- Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping
- All meals on board, with complimentary select beer, wine and cocktails at bar service and dinner
- An expedition parka to keep and waterproof boots on loan
- Included activities: hiking, photography, polar plunge, presentations and Zodiac cruising
- Leadership and lectures from an experienced expedition team
- Complimentary Wi-Fi (subject to polar conditions); port charges and luggage handling
What's Included
- Charter flights Helsinki to Longyearbyen and return, with pre and post hotel nights and transfers in Longyearbyen
- Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping
- All meals on board, with complimentary select beer, wine and cocktails at bar service and dinner
- An expedition parka to keep and waterproof boots on loan
- Included activities: hiking, photography, polar plunge, presentations and Zodiac cruising
- Leadership and lectures from an experienced expedition team
- Complimentary Wi-Fi (subject to polar conditions); port charges and luggage handling
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Every journey I plan starts with a conversation. Tell me what excites you, what you've always dreamed of experiencing, and I'll craft something extraordinary. The best expeditions begin with a single question: What would make this unforgettable for you?
Ashley | Expedition Planner
FAQs
This is a Helsinki air-gateway expedition: you fly by charter from Helsinki to Longyearbyen and back, and the voyage itself concentrates on the highlights of western Spitsbergen, its great glacier fjords, whaling history and seabird cliffs. It is a focused west-coast week rather than a full circumnavigation of the archipelago.
The fare includes a charter flight and hotel package that bundles the Helsinki to Longyearbyen flights, transfers and pre and post hotel nights into one seamless arrangement, so you simply make your way to Helsinki. International flights to Helsinki are arranged separately.
It is adventure-forward and hands-on: an included activity programme of hiking, photography, Zodiac cruising and the polar plunge, optional sea kayaking, and a seasoned expedition team focused on getting you out into the wilderness as much as possible, all in a single action-packed week.
Western Spitsbergen is rich in wildlife and history. You search for polar bears, walrus and reindeer, watch seabird cliffs at Alkhornet, witness glacier calving at Lilliehook and Monaco Glaciers, and step ashore at Smeerenburg, a 400-year-old Dutch whaling site. Sightings are never guaranteed, but the chances are excellent.