SVALBARD, ICELAND AND GREENLAND’S EAST COAST

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

National Geographic Endurance

Launched in 2020, the National Geographic Endurance is a next-generation expedition ship, purpose built for polar navigation. The Category A vessel is a fully stabilized, highly strengthened ship designed to navigate polar-passages and uncharted waters all year round. Designed to provide an extremely smooth ride in even the most adverse of conditions, reduced spray on deck and wave-splicing action making for superior observation. The National Geographic Endurance is outfitted with kayaks and a fleet of Zodiac landing crafts, underwater cameras, video microscopes to explain elements of the surrounding environments, a hydrophone to listen to the vocalisations of marine mammals, an open bridge to constantly talk to your captain and expedition crew along with snorkeling gear and wet suits for underwater excursions.

Day 1 Oslo, Norway

Arrive in Oslo and transfer to your centrally located hotel. Spend the day exploring this vibrant city at your own pace. Check in with the hospitality desk this afternoon to make final arrangements before your charter flight the following day.

Day 2 Oslo to Longyearbyen

Depart Oslo on a charter flight and enjoy breathtaking vistas over icy fjords and the Barents Sea en route to Longyearbyen. On arrival to this Arctic outpost, explore the world’s northernmost settlement, which has morphed from a coal mining hub to a base for exploration and science in recent history. Witness daily life, and delve into this history, before embarking National Geographic Resolution, your base for the next fifteen days.

Days 3 – 15 Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland

Your day-by-day itinerary, in keeping with the nature of an expedition, is a thoughtfully considered framework based on decades of experience in this dynamic Arctic region. Your team takes full advantage of an experienced captain, expedition leader and naturalists—as well as technological resources. Armed with the latest satellite imagery, they’ll chart where the ice is impenetrable, and where there are leads guiding the ship to exciting discoveries. Your ship has an ice-strengthened hull and forward-searching sonar, plus agile Zodiacs and kayaks, allowing your expedition team to make forays among the icebergs. The undersea specialist deploys the ROV, bringing back imagery few have ever seen. And with unforgettable days in the ice and two photographers on board, guests have expert assistance to get their best photos ever.

Begin in Svalbard, Norway, a place of deep fjords, snowcapped mountains and massive ice sheets. Svalbard is one of the best places on the planet to see polar bears in their natural habitat—the sea ice. Venture to the foot of vast tidewater glaciers, kayak among sparkling icebergs, hike the tundra and explore fjords that split the coastline. Svalbard’s wonders are a prelude to days ahead of discoveries on unknown shores, following the ice’s edge. Be on deck as your captain navigates between icebergs that drift from the calving glaciers.

With a course set west, Jan Mayen is on the itinerary—an isolated volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean. Here, you’ll discover the island’s unique geology and black sand beaches and learn of the interesting history of Jan Mayen’s past inhabitants. If the ice yields, the ship will aim for Scoresbysund on the east coast of Greenland, the longest fjord system in the world. If the ice is unrelenting, the ship will head to Iceland. The finale of your journey is the west coast of Iceland: Ísafjarðardjúp, a microcosm of life in the Westfjords with islands and wildlife around every corner including Vigur Island, home to a centuries-old tradition of eider farming.

Day 16 Reykjavik

Disembark in Reykjavík and transfer to the airport for flights home.