Cruises to Svalbard
North Spitsbergen, Arctic Spring
RVR19-17
The North Spitsbergen cruise sails to some of the remotest locations of northern Europe. The expedition gives you the opportunity to spot historic whaling remains, glaciers, a variety of Arctic birds including the Little Auk, and polar bears.
Alpine Peaks of Spitsbergen - Ski & Sail
RVR16-17
This is a voyage for experienced ski mountaineers who climb snow covered alpine mountains and ski downhill. A typical day will involve ski climbs on mountain tops which are in average 700-850 m high and downhill skiing from there (actual accumulated altitude climbed over the course of a day can exce...
North Spitsbergen, Arctic Spring
RVR17-17
The North Spitsbergen cruise sails to some of the remotest locations of northern Europe. The expedition gives you the opportunity to spot historic whaling remains, glaciers, a variety of Arctic birds including the Little Auk, and polar bears.
North Spitsbergen, Hike & Sail, Arctic Spring
RVR18-17
The North Spitsbergen cruise sails to some of the remotest locations of northern Europe. The expedition gives you the opportunity to spot historic whaling remains, glaciers, a variety of Arctic birds including the Little Auk, and polar bears.
Central Spitsbergen, Aurora Borealis
NOO26-16
The central Spitsbergen cruise offers the chance to explore both the beautiful fjord region as well as the history of the people who have lived and worked here. The expedition is also a wonderful way to enjoy the wildlife in its natural habitat and one of the great attractions in the Arctic: The Nor...
Svalbard cruise video
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Werden wir uns wiedersehen?
Ich steige in das Flugzeug in der Hoffnung, dich hier im hohen Norden zu finden, weit weg von meinem Daheim. Lange habe ich auf diesen Moment...
Svalbard blog
Amphibian, reptiles and herbivore mammals in the Arctic
Arctic ecosystems are relatively young in terms of geological time, having developed mainly over the past three million years. In general, species...
Svalbard experiences
See the highlights you may experience::
Svalbard wildlife
See the impressive array of wildlife you may encounter::
Map of Svalbard
Svalbard cruise reviews
Overall rating based on 52 votes
Wir buchten ein aussergewöhnliches Programm, in einem Teil der Welt, der noch weitgehend unberührt ist, in klimatischen Verhältnissen, die für uns neu waren und in einer Landschaft, die zum...
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It shouldn't have happened in 2016! My daughter, Siân and myself had decided that 2017 would be the year we would both head North to circumnavigate the Svalbard Archipelago. However, work bookings intervened...
Everything about this Spitsbergen , N.E. Greenland to Iceland adventure was perfect . The expedition staff were so impressive - knowledgable , friendly , immensely capable -just wonderful people working as a...
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I had some concerns about taking this trip. I am older, not in the best shape, have type 1 diabetes, but REALLY had an interest in the Arctic. Our trip could not have been better. We had a wonderful group leading...
The crew and staff aboard the Plancius helped make the holiday even more enjoyable. Even though we experienced rough winds, everything was done to make sure we experienced as much as possible, and the zodiac...
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A trip into the unknown and wow couldn't have been better. The mv Plancius is a lovely ship with plenty of room, very good cabins and social areas and excellent amount of viewing space at different levels....
Svalbard FAQ
What is the best time to travel to Spitsbergen?
This depends on what you want to experience at Spitsbergen. In case you want to experience the Polar night or the Aurora Borealis, November to February is the best time to travel to Spitsbergen. Do you want to see the midnight sun and enjoy boat trips,...
Read more >>When is the winter season in Spitsbergen?
The sun sets for the last time in Spitsbergen in mid-September and rises above the horizon again in mid-February. The winter landscape and temperatures prevail until May.
Read more >>What is the temperature and weather like in Svalbard?
The weather in Spitsbergen differs per area and location. Although snow can occur throughout the year in Svalbard, the North Atlantic Current helps provide Svalbard with warmer temperatures than many other areas within similar latitudes. However,...
Read more >>Where can I see Polar bears during the Spitsbergen voyage?
As Polar bears are animals which can travel many kilometres in a day, it is impossible to say where and when you can spot Polar bears. Your best chance to observe Polar bears are found in the areas around sea ice. The chance to see Polar bears in Svalbard...
Read more >>What wildlife can I see in Spitsbergen?
Your cruise to Spitsbergen will come with an enormous amount of opportunity to spot wildlife. Polar bears are obviously the main attraction regarding wildlife. There are six national parks throughout Spitsbergen, and Svalbard alone is known to contain,...
Read more >>What is the time in Svalbard?
Spitsbergen uses CET/Greenwich Mean Time +1 (GMT +1). This means that if it is 22:00 GMT (10 p.m.) during your cruise to Spitsbergen, it would be 16:00 (4 p.m.) in New York City, USA, 21:00 (9 p.m.) in London, U.K. and 09:00 (9 a.m.) the next morning...
Read more >>About Svalbard
Svalbard weather
Svalbard is located located in the high Arctic and shares the Arctic’s designation as a technical desert when it comes to annual precipitation (or lack thereof). Particularly the eastern part of Svalbard sees relatively little precipitation annually. The west coast sees more precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Depending on when you take your Svalbard cruise you can expect temperatures to average anywhere from -14°C in the winter to 6°C in the summer.
Facts about Svalbard
- The name “Svalbard” is an old name (going back to at least the 1100s) meaning “cold coasts.”
- Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s only true town, was founded by an American in 1906. It has a little over 2000 inhabitants.
- Almost 65% of Svalbard is a protected nature reserve or a national park.
- Svalbard is the archipelago (chain of islands) off the north coast of Norway.
- Svalbard has the world’s third biggest ice sheet, coming behind only Antarctica and Greenland.
- Svalbard is made up of 4 main islands, and almost 150 smaller islands.
- Nobody gets buried on Svalbard. Because of the cold in the ground bodies generally fail to decompose, meaning that the graveyards would quickly get overrun. Therefore bodies are shipped to mainland Norway and buried there.
Travel to Svalbard
Travel to Svalbard and experience one of the Earth’s northernmost human inhabitations. Your Svalbard expedition cruise will take you to a beautifully stark landscape of glaciers and rugged snow-capped mountains. During your Svalbard holiday you’ll explore the preserved and protected history of the region, watch high Arctic wildlife on both land and at sea. Come during the late autumn/early winter months and your Svalbard cruise will be capped off by the great wonder of the Polar skies, the Northern Lights. For the polar bear enthusiasts special polar bear itineraries are arranged to offer the best polar bear experiences.
Polar bear video by Vedat Mihmat
