Svalbard Cruise: Polar Bears Special

7 nights, 8 days 1 Jun, 2027 – 8 Jun, 2027

Start Date

1 Jun, 2027

End Date

8 Jun, 2027

Duration

7 nights, 8 days

Price

3945

Join YPT on an incredible tour in the northern reaches of the world on a cruise around Svalbard. This extraordinary adventure promises incredible landscapes and unforgettable wildlife encounters.

We will start in Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost settlement which despite its location – less than 1,000km from the North Pole – is easily accessible by plane from Norway. After boarding the comfortable M/V Ortelius, we'll venture through the breathtaking fjords, glaciers, and frosty terrains of North Spitsbergen.

During a whole week, we'll sail through vast stretches of sea ice, keeping our eyes peeled for the mink whales, bowhead whales, blue whales, bearded seals, ringed seals, and various seabirds that call this region home. There's also a good chance to see the mighty polar bear. There are more of them in Svalbard than people!

This Svalbard cruise will take place at a perfect time, when Svalbard is bathed in a never-ending daylight that casts a golden glow across the land. You'll experience the enchantment of the midnight sun, where the horizon never fully darkens, creating a surreal, ethereal atmosphere.

This is your chance to explore one of the world's most remote and stunning destinations. Secure your spot on this unforgettable Arctic adventure today!

On a trip like this, we cannot guarantee the itinerary – it will depend on the weather, the condition of the ice and wildlife spotting opportunities. The final say is with the captain of the ship and the professional team onboard.

Cabin Type	Cost
Quadruple Porthole	€3945
Triple Porthole	€4895
Twin Porthole	€5495
Twin Window	€5995
Twin Deluxe	€6395
Superior (double bed for one or two people)	€14,495 (for two people) €12,095 (for one person)
Junior Suite (double bed for one or two people)	€16,495 (for two people) €13,995 (for one person)
Grand Suite (double bed for one or two people)	€17,695 (for two people) €14,995 (for one person)

Note: the price is per person. The price for a complete twin cabin occupied by one person is 1.7x the shared rate.

Tour Highlight

See whales, seals, seabirds and the mighty polar bear
Experience the Midnight Sun, when Svalbard is bathed in a never-ending daylight
Cruise around Svalbard in the stunning Arctic environment

Included

Accommodation on the ship in quadruple porthole rooms (higher standard accommodation on request)
All meals on the ship including snacks, coffee/tea
All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage
Program of lectures by noted naturalists
Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes for landings

Excluded

International flights to and from Svalbard
Visa charges if applicable
Drinks and personal spending
Tips for the crew
Optional kayaking activities (€600, limited spots available)

Group	Start date	End date	Duration	Price	Single Supplement

Print Itinerary

Full Itinerary

Tuesday 1st June – Longyearbyen

Arrival at your convenience into Longyearbyen. The airlines Norwegian and SAS both have daily flights from Oslo or Tromso. You can also continue directly from our Across the Arctic Circle: Fair Isle, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen cruise
Longyearbyen is the main town in Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, and the northernmost settlement in the world.
You can visit the Svalbard Museum to learn about the mining industry, Arctic exploration and the local wildlife. You can also explore the streets of Longyearbyen or hop on an ATV for a tour outside of the city limits (YPT can help organize your day).
Board the ship at 4:00pm in the Svalbard harbour
In the early evening, the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.
Dinner and overnight on the ship

Wednesday 2nd June – Raudfjord

This voyage will take you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen.
Our goal during the trip is to be off the vessel as much as possible. While our planned schedule and activities are always subject to change due to local conditions (ice, weather, wildlife spotting opportunities), a typical day involve a zodiac cruise and a landing in the morning, and another cruise and landing in the afternoon.
Today, on the north coast of Spitsbergen, we plan to visit Raudfjord (Red Fjord), famous for its striking red sedimentary rocks. We’ll also try to approach the glacier front of Ayerfjord. This area, historically significant as the site where Willem Barentsz first discovered Spitsbergen, offers an opportunity to explore rocky islands teeming with nesting birds like Great Skuas, Barnacle Geese, and Arctic Terns.
During our cruise of the expansive Raudfjord, we may also see ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears. We will try to land at Alicehamna or Buchananhalvøya, a large peninsula which juts out into the middle of Raudfjord.
Dinner and overnight on the ship

Thursday 3rd June – Monaco Glacier

Depending on the weather and sea ice, today we could sail into Liefdefjorden, the “Fjord of Love”, land at Texas Bar and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier (named in the honour of the first Prince Albert of Monaco, a famed explorer of the early 1900s). The waters in front of this precipitous glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground.
Texas Bar is one of the historic areas we visit on certain Svalbard trips, and it always proves to be a cherished landing site among both our guides and guests. An old trapper’s hut, Texas Bar is not actually a bar at all. In fact, the bulk of its career has been dedicated to hunting and science. It was built in 1927 by Hilmar Nøis and Martin Petterson Nøis, Norwegian trappers who erected several other such huts in the surrounding region.
If ice conditions prevent us from sailing here early in the season, we may sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen.

Friday 4th June – Highlights of Hinlopen

Torday, we aim to sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, and polar bears. The islands in Hinlopen Strait are known to be ‘bear traps’, where the bears are stuck when the sea ice retreats at the end of spring. At the entrance, there is even the possibility to spot blue whales. After cruising among the ice floes of Lomfjord in the Zodiacs, you can view the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet, with their thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots.
On the east side of Hinlopen Strait, we may attempt a landing on Nordaustlandet. Here we may see reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses. Here, we will see Isisøyane or the Isis islands. They were covered by the icecap of Austfonna which covers a large part of Nordaustlandet. Austfonna is the third largest glacier by area and volume with the ice being almost 600 meters thick at the thickest point. However, with the retreat of Austfonna, Isisøyane appeared and it was evident that the Isisøyane were actually island. They were named in 2009.
We can take an alternate route if ice prevents entry into Hinlopen.
Dinner and overnight on the ship

Saturday 5th June – The Seven Islands

The northernmost point of the voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet at Chermsideøya or Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands. The Seven Islands that make up the northern-most part of the Norwegian archipelago. The three biggest islands are Martensøya, Parryøya, and Phippsøya, with the four smaller islands being Nelsonøya, Tavleøya, Vesle Tavleøya, and Waldenøya.
The islands are markers for many of the great explorations of the Arctic. Some of the islands are even named after famed explorers – Parryøya for Parry, Phippsøya for the British explorer Phipps, and Nelsonøya for the renowned British admiral Horatio Nelson, who, legend has it, was almost eaten by a polar bear when he visited the area as a young naval midshipman.
Here we may reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, so the ship may park for several hours among the pack ice before wheeling around west again.
Dinner and overnight on the ship

Sunday 6th June – Sailing the continental shelf

While retracing our route west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, we sail the edge of the continental shelf.
Here fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones (where cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below the sea’s surface) that run along the Spitsbergen banks.
At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, you have a good chance of sighting minke whales.

Monday 7th June – Forlandsundet, St. Johns Fjord, or Alkhornet

Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet at Sarstangen or Poolepynten, which is situated at Prins Karls Forland, a beautiful flat trundra with a almost tropical like sandy beach. A perfect spot for a polar plunge, if you see what we mean…
Alternatively, we might sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.
Dinner and overnight on the ship

Tuesday 8th June – Back to Longyearbyen

Even great adventures must eventually come to an end. The vessel arrives back in Longyearbyen in the early morning, and bus transportation to the airport will be provided.
YPT able to arrange extra activities like hiking, or day tours to Pyramiden or Barentsburg, for those who want more of a taste of Svalbard

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