Spitsbergen: Expedition to North-East Land and Austfonna Glacier
Century-old trapper huts and history of ancient Arctic hunting An expedition to Svalbard. A polar cruise to northern Spitsbergen, North-East Land, and the giant Austfonna glacier. We invite you to join a unique polar expedition to little-known and rarely explored areas of the Svalbard Archipelago. From the Arctic capital Longyearbyen, we'll sail along the western coast of the island up to the 80th parallel. At this point, we'll be just 780 kilometers from the North Pole! We'll circumnavigate Spitsbergen from the north and enter the Hinlopen Strait separating Spitsbergen from North-East Land, which is our expedition's destination. This isolated Arctic island is 3/4 covered by glaciers, including the largest - Austfonna. It's Europe's third-largest ice cap, with an impressive glacier wall stretching for dozens of kilometers. The view of glacial river waterfalls dropping from dozens of meters into the Arctic Ocean, huge calving ice blocks, and colorful icebergs filling the fjord is an unforgettable experience.
Unique Arctic views will accompany us during the entire 15-day journey. Sharp mountain ridges, from which Spitsbergen got its name, calving glaciers and colorful icebergs, all colors of Arctic tundra, occasionally dotted with old trapper huts.
The expedition to northeast Spitsbergen is rich in wildlife :-) Along our route, we'll encounter walruses, seals, whales, reindeer, Arctic foxes, and with some luck, polar bears, while little auks will dominate the bird cliffs.
We'll stop for trekking and walks in beautiful and peculiar places, also known for their interesting polar expedition history. We'll see where Amundsen and Nobile launched their airship expeditions in the early 20th century, and where Swedish official Andree attempted to conquer the North by balloon. We'll visit Texas Bar, the abandoned Kinnvike research station, and the active Polish Polar Station Kaffioyra of Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń.
Our mode of transportation is a yacht adapted for polar cruises with a professional and trained crew, allowing us to access places inaccessible to average tourists. Join us for shared watches, polar day, and the most beautiful Arctic views!
Dates of tours
| Number | Difficulty | Date | Duration | Price | Remarks | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN-1024-25 | 3 | 09.08.2025 to 23.08.2025 | 15 |
3190 EUR |
TRIP GUARANTEED |
Book now! |
DETAILED ITINERARY:
DAY 1 The day is booked for a flight to Spitsbergen
DAY 2 Meeting in Spitsbergen's capital Longyearbyen. Food provisioning, accommodation on the expedition yacht, and safety training. We depart for the icy Isfjord during the endless sunset (it's polar day, there's no night). At the old Norwegian radio station at Kapp Linne, we turn north. Through calm waters - protected from the Greenland Sea by Prince Charles Island - we reach the research settlement of Ny Alesund. This is where great explorers - Amundsen and Nobile - launched their Arctic expeditions by airship in the early 20th century. We replenish water and fuel supplies and continue our journey.
DAYS 3-4 We continue north through the narrow strait between Spitsbergen Island and the uninhabited islands of Amsterdamoya and Danskøya. On July 11, 1897, from nearby Virgohamna cape, the naive Swedish official Andree launched his balloon. The expedition failed, and the traveler's fate was well described by Bea Uusma in her book "Expedition." We turn east. For the first time during the expedition, we cross the 80th parallel. Only 780 kilometers separate us from the North Pole. From a distance, we observe hundreds of walruses in the nature reserve on Mofen island and, with some luck, whales feeding in the nutrient-rich waters of the Arctic Ocean.
DAYS 5-6 We turn south and enter the Hinlopen Strait separating Spitsbergen from North-East Land, which is our expedition's destination. We observe polar bears' favorite "summer buffet" - bird cliffs on Wahlbergoya island, with colonies numbering hundreds of thousands of little auks. Trekking on North-East Land (Nordaustlandet), an isolated Arctic island discovered only in 1707 by Dutch whaler Cornelis Giles. Over 3/4 of the island is covered by glaciers.
DAYS 7-8 We reach the giant Austfonna glacier. It's Europe's third-largest ice cap, covering an area of approximately 7,800 km². We'll see part of the hundreds of kilometers long glacier wall, where rivers flow in waterfalls to the sea, ice blocks break off with a thunderous sound, and giant icebergs cover the surrounding sea to the horizon. Austfonna is losing mass at a rate of about 2 km³ annually due to ongoing climate change.
DAYS 9-10 Today we'll visit Kinnvike - a Swedish-Finnish research station abandoned in the 1960s. The facility is preserved in very good condition. The Finns even built a sauna there, and the house was heated with radiators! We sail to the very edge of Spitsbergen to the Seven Islands archipelago - Sjuoyane. There's a chance to see the rare Greenland whale species.
DAYS 11-12 We'll see unique hot springs (!) and enter Liefdefjorden to admire the impressive active Monaco Glacier. We'll visit the popular trapper's cabin Texas Bar with free alcohol. Along the way, we'll observe ringed and bearded seals lounging on ice floes. We'll take a walk through the tundra to the beautiful Lake Richardvatnet. The boat will pick us up from Raudfjorden, known as Red Fjord due to the color of its rocks.
DAYS 13-14 Return journey south. Along the way, we'll visit the Polish Polar Station Kaffioyra of Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń. We return to Isfjord, past a spot favored by belugas. Farewell dinner and beer at Kroa, an atmospheric restaurant in downtown Longyearbyen - the capital of Svalbard.
DAY 15 After breakfast, end of expedition.
INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE
• yacht rental, cabin space, and Polish-speaking crew
• englisg-speaking Arctic guide equipped with weapons in case of polar bear encounters
• 2-3 meals per day during the expedition
• fuel and port fees
• information packages
• boat insurance, rescue operations, and health insurance as required by the Governor of Svalbard
• travel agency insurance guarantee
• mandatory personal insurance: accident insurance, insurance against the costs of treatment, travel luggage
• mandatory fee for the state Tourist Guarantee Fund per person
• mandatory fee for the state Tourist Assistance Fund per person
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
• Flight to Spitsbergen -we can help you select and buy a ticket
• Meals during flight and in Longyearbyen before and after the cruise
IMPORTANT:
Participants must be in good health, able to participate in watches (at least once daily) and resilient to living conditions on a yacht (there is a hot water shower, but its use will be very limited).
SEASICKNESS:
Although we'll be sailing close to Spitsbergen's coast, in fjords and straits, some participants may experience seasickness. However, it usually passes after two days at most.
INSURANCE:
During the trip, participants are covered by insurance whose scope of protection is completely sufficient for this type of trip. Each participant can additionally insure themselves against trip cancellation costs.
SATELLITE PHONE:
During the cruise, we'll have access to a satellite phone, which can receive free SMS messages from loved ones via internet. All calls from the satellite phone will be charged according to Iridium rates.
MEALS AND ALCOHOL:
• Meals 2-3 times daily (breakfast, lunch, and dinner or breakfast and dinner) will be prepared by the cook with help from participants.
• Mue to the nature of the expedition, bringing any alcohol on board is strictly forbidden. During the expedition, our minibar will offer symbolic amounts of alcohol for disinfection purposes, and for raising a symbolic toast upon achieving our objective (only on land).
ACCOMMODATION:
In two- and three-person cabins: there are 3 two-person cabins and 1 three-person cabin. For single registrations, placement will be assigned in a cabin with another participant. Watches will be scheduled so everyone has time for undisturbed rest.
GROUP:
We travel in small groups. Maximum number of participants is 7.
WEATHER:
The climate is harsh, northern. Usually temperature in the fjords is around 2-7°C, and near glaciers and on open sea about 0°C. In August there's polar day - the sun doesn't set and shines also at night. Strong winds may blow at sea, although we'll mostly travel in fjords and coastal waters.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE YACHT ("Ice Hammer"):
• Total length: 14.9 m
• Hull length: 14.28 m
• Width: 3.99 m
• Draft: 1.9 m
• Engine: 2x 50hp
• Water tank: 900 lt
• Fuel tank: 1200 lt + 400 lt
• Number of cabins: 5
• Number of WCs: 2
• Weight: 17000 kg
• Sail area: 100 m²
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• The itinerary may change depending on the date of departure, weather and other factors.
• Learn more about general conditions of participation and find out how to sign up for a trip.
• Attention! In case of the introduction of restrictions that prevent the implementation of the tour, we will refund 100% of the money paid up to 7 days from the date of cancellation of the tour.
• The organizer of the trip is Active Travel Agency Barents.pl
