ICELAND – JAN MAYEN – SPITSBERGEN
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13 DAYS
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
| Day 1 | Reykjavik, Iceland | Explore Reykjavik, overnight hotel |
| Day 2 | Embarkation | Morning at leisure, set sail in the afternoon |
| Day 3-4 | Westfjords and Grimsly Island, Iceland | Visit the Westfjords area and Grimsey Island |
| Days 6 |
At se | Seabirds, onboard presentations |
| Days 7-12 | Exploring Spitsbergen | Polar bears, walrus, seals, sea birds, whales. glaciers, fjords |
| Day 13 | Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen | Disembark in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen |
Day 1 Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik is a beautiful city with many lovely restaurants. You may wish to visit the Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir and the tectonic plate boundary where North America and Europe are pulling away from each other. There are a wealth of cultural institurions here including museums, galleries and the Hallgrimskirkja church. Spend the night here and perhaps try some of the local delicacies including, fermented shark, smoked puffin puffin and horse. Your hotel for the night is included in the voyage cost.
Days 2-4 Embarkation and Exploring Iceland
After embarkation settle into your room and meet your fellow travellers and the expedition team. The following days will be spend exploring the coast of Iceland stopping at Westfjords and Grimsey Island.
Westfjords area is a filled with breathtaking fjords, jagged cliffs and dotted with tiny fishing villages embracing a more traditional way of life. Grimsey Island lies exactly on the Arctic Circle and has majestic basalt rocks and bird colonies where you can see the Atlantic puffin, also known as the “Clowns of the sea”.
Days 5 Jan Mayen Island
Jan Mayen Island has breathtaking landscapes and here you will find the northernmost subaerial active volcano on the planet, the Beerenberg. The island is uninhabited except for a Norwegian weather station. The birdlife of Jan Mayen includes: Northern fulmars, Kittiwakes and Brunich’s guillemots.
Days 6 At Sea
Enjoy the facilities onboard the ship and attend presentations held by the expedition staff. Keep your eye out for whales breaching and seabirds fishing. You care also able to visit the open bridge and witness the captain and his team navigate their way to Spitsbergen.
Day 7-12 Exploring Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen offers fantastic Arctic wildlife viewing including the majestic polar bear. You will explore the deep fjords, coasts and islands in the western part of Spitsbergen encountering wildlife including seabirds, walrus, seals, arctic fox and with any luck a few polar bears. Here you will find the scenery impressive with towering mountains, jagged cliffs, calving glaciers and clear turquoise waters.
This is a true expedition in the Arctic and the itinerary is extremely weather dependent.
Day 13 Longyearbyen
Overview:
After breakfast disembark in Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard. After arriving you will be transferred to the airport for your homeward flight or to the town centre if you wish to stay longer.