The Arctic Adventure: Spitsbergen & North East Greenland

Friday 4th September – Longyearbyen

• Arrival into Longyearbyen which has regular and cheap flights from Oslo or Tromsø
• Those travelling on our Svalbard Soviet Frontier: Pyramiden & Barentsburg Arctic Ghost Towns trip, taking place before this tour, will have a day to explore the city
• Longyearbyen is the main town in Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, and the northernmost settlement in the world.
• Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plant have been recorded in it.
• Our Greenland cruise will start in the early evening. The ship will sail out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

Saturday 5th September – Spitsbergen

• Today we’ll sail to Raudfjorden, a 20 km long and 5 km wide fjord on the northwestern coast of Spitsbergen. It is spilling with glaciers and often visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline of this fjord also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears.
• 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.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Sunday 6th and Monday 7th September – At sea towards Greenland

• We’ll say goodbye to Svalbard and sail across the Greenland Sea. Keep watch for whales and migrating seabirds. The expedition crew is always on the lookout and will make announcements when they spot interesting wildlife.
• We’ll eventually see the jagged edge of the east Greenland ice flashing into sight ahead, signalling the next part of our voyage.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Tuesday 8th September – Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord

• As we approach Greenland, we’ll sail through the sea ice into Foster Bay and land at Myggebugten, in the isthmus of Hold with Hope – a name that reminds us of the great explorers from the past.
• Myggebugten was a Norwegian whaling, meteorological and radio station, built in 1932 and abandoned in 1959. Beyond the old hunters’ hut (where Norwegian trappers hunted for polar bear and Arctic fox in the first half of the 20th century), there is a sprawling tundra populated by musk oxen, with geese floating the small lakes.
• For those who want some exercise after two days at sea, we’ll have our first long walk (6-7 hours) of the voyage today. We’ll start at Myggbukta station and head into Badlanddal, then turn south to Fangsthytte near Kap Bennet. A Zodiac will sail ahead of the walking party and parallel to the coast to watch out for bears. Short and medium hike options will also be available.
• From here we’ll sail through Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, surrounded by towering mountains and bright interior icebergs. There is an opportunity here to see narwhals, the unicorn of the sea. An alternate route is Sofia Sound, a narrower waterway.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Wednesday 9th September – Devil’s Castle

• We’ll arrive at Teufelschloss (Devil’s Castle), a striking mountain of reddish rock with layered geology.
• Our intended landing site is Blomsterbugt (Flowers Bay). It is known for its Arctic hare population as well as the great northern divers (and their young) that gather around its nearby lake. The vibrant colours of the flora and the abundance of geological formations make this area one of the most picturesque in all Greenland.
• Lunch on the Ortelius
• In the afternoon we’ll head into the Antarctic Sound. This sound (a body of water wider than a fjord) was named by the Swedish explorer Alfred Nathorst after his ship Antarctic, hence the confusing name for a place in Greenland.
• In this sound, you’ll see the islands of Ruth, Maria, and Ella. Maria is the most likely spot for a landing. There, the hikers will be divided in groups (long, medium and short hikes) to explore the coastline, the valleys and the higher ridges.

Thursday 10th September – Alpefjord’s lofty peaks

• In the morning we’ll enter Segelsällskapets Fjord, with the streaked slopes of the Berzelius Mountains bordering the north side. We plan to land on the south shore, where ancient sedimentary formations can be seen on the ground. A hike will take us near a small lake with good chances to see musk oxen, Arctic hares, and ptarmigans.
• Lunch on the Ortelius
• In the afternoon the ship will venture into Alpefjord, aptly named for the spire-like peaks that thrust up around it. We plan to embark on a Zodiac cruise around Gully Glacier, which occupied almost the entire fiord less than 100 years ago.
• We’ll continue sailing deep into the fjord, where few have been before.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Friday 11th September – Antarctic Havn

• We’ll arrive in Antarctic Havn, an extensive valley where you may spot groups of musk oxen. Another interesting place to visit here is the former Norwegian trapping station.

• We will see the numerous archeological remains left over from the station’s use in the 1930s, when it was used as a hunting station but also the residence of a Norwegian governor during Norway’s occupation of East Greenland.
• There is also wildlife here. Along with the many birds common to the area, such as black guillemots, we may see musk oxen.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Saturday 12th September – Scoresbysund

• Today we’ll reach Scoresbysund, sailing along the glaciated Boons Kyst. We hope to do a Zodiac cruise past one of the glacier fronts, along with a visit to the basalt columns and ice formations of Vikingebugt.
• Lunch on the Ortelius
• In the afternoon, we plan to sail by the east coast of Milne Land among a multitude of giant icebergs. If we can also land at Charcot Havn, we will make a walk to the Charcot Glacier. We will then continue by Bjørneør and sail into Ø fjord, where we might also make a landing.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Sunday 13th September – Røde Ø,

• On today’s menu, a zodiac cruise to Røde Fjord where a mountainous coast meets with some of the world’s most beautiful icebergs in an all-natural myriad of colours. The austere blue-white of the icebergs sets sharp against the brooding red backdrop of the sediment slope of Røde Ø (Red Island) is one of YPT’s favourite places in Greenland.
• A zodiac ride will take you closer to the giant ships of ice which are numerous enough to form a virtual maze of ice and snow.
• When we land on Røde Ø, instead of hiking as a group, we will be able to walk freely inside a large perimeter. It is a perfect chance to enjoy the wonders of Greenland in perfect isolation and silence.
• The afternoon plan is to sail through the northern parts of Røde Fjord, with the chance to see musk oxen and warm autumnal foliage.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Monday 14th September – Giant icebergs

• During the day, we’ll see enormous icebergs, some of which are taller than 100 metres and a few kilometres long! They are so big that some of them touch the bottom of the sea.
• In the afternoon, we’ll land near Sydkap, where we’ll witness one of the most iconic sights in Eastern Greenland, Hall Bredning, renowned for its dazzling display of reflected light.
• Today’s long walk goes from Sydkap to Nordøstbugt (12 km, 7.5 miles to the northeast), where the river coming from Holger Danskes Briller flows into the sea. We plan to walk south along the shore to Satakajik, seeing whale vertebrae and the remains of Thule summer houses. Passengers who opt out of the long walking group can join us at this location for their second excursion of the day.
• Dinner and overnight on the Ortelius

Tuesday 15th September – Ittoqqortoormiit

• In the morning we’ll make a tundra landing on Liverpool Land, in Hurry Inlet.
• Things will get even more exciting in the afternoon as we’ll reach Ittoqqortoormiit, the largest settlement in Scoresbysund at about five hundred inhabitants. We’ll get to experience life in Greenland, seeing people going about their business on their sleds pushed by dogs. You may have sent a postcard from Pyongyang, and here you can send postcards too!
• Lunch on the Ortelius
• In the afternoon we’ll sail south, passing the picturesque landscapes of the Blosseville Coast.

Wednesday 16th September – At sea towards Iceland

• Today is a sea day. We’ll spend the day heading back towards Iceland. It won’t seem so long as we’ll get plenty of opportunities to see whales and seabirds. Your YPT guide will also keep you well entertained
• In the evening, we end our trip on a memorable note as we will hopefully get to sit back and take in the Northern Lights.
• We may have spent some time there already, but we’ll celebrate our last night in the ship’s bar for what will surely have been the trip of a lifetime

Thursday 17th September – Akureyri

• Arrival in Akureyri at 9am
• There is a direct bus transfer back to Reykjavik, arriving around 3pm
• We also offer the possibility to go back to Reykjavik at a slower pace, with our private minivan. We’ll be stopping along the way for nice views and waterfalls, including Goðafoss, the “Waterfall of the Gods”, Glanni and Þórufoss, seen in the TV show Games of Thrones
• Some say that every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. Not with YPT! While this is the end of the tour, we can prolong the expedition showing you the highlights of Iceland; or help you arrange connections to your next destination.