Spitsbergen is Svalbard’s largest island and due to the Gulf Stream the 400 km long western coastline is rich in animal and plant life. The island got its name from the Dutchman Willem Barents who, in 1596, touched land on the north-westerly tip of the island.
Five days of adventure, including a visit to Longyearbyen, and a voyage on board MS Fram along the northwest coast of Spitsbergen, with its beautiful fjords surrounded by jagged peaks and huge glaciers.
Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, its west coast, some 400 kilometres long, is surprisingly rich in wildlife, and has in places some quite luxuriant vegetation, with tufts of beautiful small flowers growing up between the stones. The many historical monuments to be found all along this coastline give testimony to a heroic polar history, and to the hardiness of the hunters in earlier days. The first land seen by the Dutchman Willem Barents in 1596 was this northwest coast, and its impressive peaks inspired the name Spitsbergen.
A coastal adventure cruise provides an excellent way of experiencing these parts of Svalbard. Our ship, the MS Fram, is small enough to come in to shore where larger vessels cannot, but is big enough to offer the comfort that many passengers want when travelling by sea in Arctic regions. Accommodation in Longyearbyen is at the Radisson BLU Polar Hotel Spitsbergen, with comfortable rooms and private facilities.
Tour itinerary
Approximately 3 days are spent on board MS Fram and two days are spent in Longyearbyen and its surroundings, with accommodation at the comfortable Spitsbergen Hotel, or at Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen. Notably, all tours in the Arctic is subject to change due to weather and ice conditions.
A transfer guide will meet the participants on arrival at Longyearbyen Airport (on scheduled arrivals only, in accordance to the program), and will accompany and assist you throughout the stay in Longyearbyen. While staying in Longyearbyen you will learn about the history of Norwegian settlements in the region, and about everyday life today in the Svalbard community. Mining operations, scientific research, training, tourism and conservation all play their part.
Onboard MS Fram you will meet our cruise guides who will assist you during the cruise. The cruise itself will take you through a constantly changing landscape. The places that you travel during the night on the way north, can usually be seen during the day on the way back south. If you want to see absolutely everything, you will have to stay on deck round the clock! We normally do one landing per day. We dock at the quayside at Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund, and elsewhere we use PolarCircle boats. Landings are made where there are signs of hunting and other activities from earlier times, or where the natural history is of special interest.
The route takes you out of the Isfjord via Barentsburg and north along the coast of Prins Karls Forland. We then pass the estuary of the Kongsfjord and sail up past the exposed stretch of coast known as “The Seven Icebergs”, before reaching the northwest corner of Spitsbergen. This area is home to some magnificent fjords and islands, including the famous Magdalenefjorden, Smeerenburgfjorden, Danskøya, Amsterdamøya, and the Raudfjorden where we have set up one of our trekking 'base camps'. If the conditions are favourable, we will then sail across the 80° parallel. Early in the season, there is often a good deal of drift ice, meaning that it can be difficult to get through, but there is a better chance of seeing the large Arctic Ocean mammals. The weather conditions on the north side of the archipelago is often stable and fine. The exact route and landing places will be decided during the voyage. On the way back south, the ship stops in the Kongsfjord and calls at Ny-Ålesund and Blomstrandøya. Those who stay on deck as we sail further south will have a good chance of seeing whales.