JEWELS OF THE ARCTIC
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13 DAYS
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Oslo, Norway | Overnight Oslo hotel |
| Day 2 | Longyearbyen | Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the airport for your charter flight for embarkation |
| Days 3 and 5 | Svalbard | Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best, sea birds, whales, phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges and walrus |
| Day 6 | At Sea | On board presentations, sea birds, whales |
| Days 7 | Jan Mayen | The approach to Jan Mayen is spectacular the huge 2,277metre Beerenberg volcano |
| Day 8 | At Sea | On board presentations, sea birds, whales |
| Days 9 - 11 | East Greenland | Fjords, Glaciers |
| Day 12 | Denmark Strait | On board presentations, sea birds, whales |
| Day 13 | Reykjavik, Iceland | Disembark Reykjavik and transfer into town |
Please Note: 2026 departure operates in reverse, starting in Reykjavik and ending on Oslo
SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY
Sylvia Earle
The Sylvia Earle is a new purpose built, polar expedition vessel taking up to 130 guests. This vessel has been designed in close consultation with Antarctic expedition specialists and is the first expedition cruise ship designed with the ULSTEIN X-BOW hull. This cutting edge nautical technology allows for gentle travel and motion at sea, improved comfort and safety on-board, reduced vibrations, lower fuel consumption and emissions and ‘virtual anchoring’ which means the ship can float anchor-less while launching the Zodiacs without disturbing delicate sea floor areas. There are four sea-level launching platforms for fast and efficient access to and from Zodiacs.
Day 1 Oslo
Having made your way to Oslo, you will be transferred to your hotel. Enjoy free time exploring Oslo, and in the evening, dine at your leisure (dinner not included).
Day 2 Longyearbyen
This morning, your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Enjoy breakfast in the hotel before joining your fellow expeditioners on a guided city tour of Longyearbyen.
Transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Longyearbyen for embarkation. In Longyearbyen, explore the town on a guided excursion tour.
Days 3-5 Svalbard
Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions and opportunities for wildlife encounters.
Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walrus hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, we stretch our legs on walks across tundra carpeted in brightly coloured wildflowers. We visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies. Most memorable are encounters with the majestic polar bear on pack ice.
Day 6 At Sea
As we sail towards the coast of East Greenland, we may encounter whales feeding in the rich waters of the north. Approaching East Greenland, be prepared to encounter more pack ice, look for spot seals, seabirds, including the northern fulmar and Brünnich’s guillemot.
The strong, icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seals and whales. Climatic conditions and the concentration of ice in the vicinity often create thick morning fog that only vanishes in presence of the midday sun. Our experts will inform and entertain us with fascinating discussions on plants, animals, ice and heroic tales of exploration.
Day 7 Jan Mayen
The approach to Jan Mayen is spectacular. The huge 2,277metre (7,470 foot) Beerenberg volcano is the northernmost active volcano in the world, and it last erupted in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great place to look for whales and dolphins and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea. If the weather is favourable, we will try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast. This is one of the landings used to supply the weather station Olonkinbyen, situated on the eastern side of the island.
Day 8 At Sea
Sail across Denmark Strait, reflecting on your rich experiences and enjoying the antics of northern fulmars, black-backed gulls, dolphins, orcas and other whales. The educational program will continue and you will have some time to go through the many images you are sure to have from your experiences in Greenland and Spitsbergen.
Days 9-11 East Greenland
In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.
Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.
The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.
Explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacular place that simply needs to be seen to be believed.
We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of the elusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.
Day 12 Denmark Strait
Crossing the Denmark Strait to Iceland, search for whale blows and photograph the many seabirds that trail our ship in the ever-present arctic winds.
Day 13 Reykjavik, Iceland
During the early morning, we cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell your Expedition Team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys.