REMOTE ARCTIC CRUISE: SVALBARD TO ICELAND 

SHIPS OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Swan Hellenic Vega

Making her maiden voyage in July 2022, the SH Vega is a 5 star elegant Scandi-design boutique ship offering you an intimate setting from which you will be fully immersed in all the sights and scenery of your voyage.  She will carry a maximum of 152 guest in 76 cabins.

The ship incorporates a PC5 ice-strengthened hull combined with extra-large stabilisers to make your journey as smooth as possible.  For the comfort of guests, suites have a separate living room and bedroom. All staterooms are equipped with spacious wardrobes and bathrooms.

Day 1 Longyearbyen

The world’s most northerly town, Longyearbyen, on Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s largest island, also claims the most northerly high street and pub. It’s home to The North Pole Expeditions Museum chronicling early pole-reaching efforts by air. Arctic waters around are populated by whales, including bowheads and narwhals, while walruses are regularly seen hauling out.

Days 2 – 4 Svalbard

Svalbard is the kingdom of the polar bears, deep in the Arctic Circle, featuring varied polar landscapes and gargantuan glaciers. Beyond magnificent fjords in the north, the remaining sea ice serves as prime hunting grounds for polar bears. Closer to Longyearbyen, tundra and beaches replace snow and ice. Alongside 600 polar bears, this Arctic hotspot is home to walrus, Svalbard reindeer, ringed seals and arctic fox. A zodiac tour with the expedition team is included.

Day 5 Day At Sea

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

Day 6 Jan Mayen Island

The snow-covered stratovolcano Beerenberg dominates the ice cap and glaciers at the northeast end of Jan Mayen Island. Halfway between Svalbard and Iceland, this Norwegian island’s only residents are the Norwegian Armed Forces or meteorological station staff. Purple saxifrage and endemic dandelions grow next to the black sands, while northern fulmars, Brünnich’s and black guillemots and little auks make Jan Mayen an important birding area.

Days 7 – 9 Kong Oscar Fjord

Kong Oscar Fjord marks the northern edge of Scoresbysund and leads to Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park. Its vast valleys open to the sea, framed by towering mountains, deep waters and shimmering ice. This dramatic, hostile yet beautiful landscape features Berzelius Bjerg, a striking mountain with colourful strata, formed millions of years ago when these peaks lay beneath the ocean.

Day 10 Ittoqqortoormiit

One of the world’s most remote towns and the most isolated community in Greenland, Ittoqqortoormiit is largely inaccessible by ship for nine months of the year. Founded in 1925 by Danish explorer Ejnar Mikkelsen and Inuit settlers, it is home to 450 residents who mostly rely on hunting and fishing. The community preserves Greenlandic traditions, from harvesting qiviut–the prized muskox underfur–to maintaining sled dogs and wearing national dress.

Days 10 – 12 Scoresbysund

The world’s largest fjord system, Scoresbysund spans over 350 km into Greenland’s heart. This vast network of fjords, glaciers and icebergs is framed by towering basalt mountains, which shield Greenland’s wildlife from Arctic winds. Muskoxen, Arctic foxes and mountain hares roam the land, while little auks, puffins, fulmars, snowy owls, gyrfalcons and great black-backed gulls soar overhead. Seals and whales are common sightings in the waters.

Day 13 Isafjordur

Surrounded by fjords in the Westfjords region, Ísafjörður is a bustling fishing town and cultural center in northwest Iceland with cafés, restaurants and museums. The Heritage Museum, also known as the Maritime Museum, houses some of the country’s oldest buildings and explores the region’s fishing heritage through compelling exhibits. Nearby, Osvor is a replica of a 19th-century Icelandic fishing station.

Day 13 Vigur Island

A jewel of the Westfjords, Vigur is the fjord’s second-largest island and a thriving seabird sanctuary. Flocks of arctic terns, puffins, guillemots and eider ducks nest atop rocky cliffs. As one of only two inhabited islands, Vigur supports a family farm continuing the centuries-old eiderdown harvest across 3,500 nests. This remote pillar also houses Iceland’s sole windmill, its tiniest post office and a 200-year-old, still-seaworthy rowing boat.

Day 14 Reykjavik

On the final morning of your expedition, we arrive in this diminutive but dramatic capital city.

Please note:

This itinerary provides general information about each destination and is weather dependent and some venues and highlights mentioned may not be open or accessible on the day. For the most accurate tour program, we recommend contacting us closer to your departure date.