World Wildlife Fund

Across the Far North: Spitsbergen to Iceland

Aboard the Clipper Adventurer

 

From $9,980 per person, based on double occupancy; single rates from $16,580.

Trip Overview

Two remote northern lands reveal a world of abundant marine and wildlife, not to mention landscapes of black basaltic islands, glaciers, volcanoes and flowering tundra. Cruise Spitsbergen's hidden inlets, fjords, and rocky outcroppings. Look for polar bears hunting along the pack ice and watch hundreds of walruses lounging on the gravel shores of protected bays. Our exploration of Iceland includes Grimsey Island, which is home to 36 species of seabirds, lava-flow labyrinths, tiny fishing villages, a crater lake occupied by whooper swans and Europe's largest glacier.

This trip can be combined with our Iceland to Greenland tour, which runs July 26 – August 10, 2009.

Trip Itinerary

Monday, July 13, 2009: Depart U.S.
Depart this evening on your independent flight to Oslo.

Tuesday, July 14: Oslo, Norway
Arrive in Oslo this afternoon and transfer to our airport hotel. Lunch is on your own and the day is at leisure to explore the capital. Later, join the group for a welcome dinner. (D)

Wednesday, July 15: Oslo / Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen / Embark Clipper Adventurer
Fly in the morning to the capital of Svalbard, Longyearbyen. Explore the former Arctic mining town’s brightly colored buildings, which house small shops, restaurants and a polar museum. Embark the Clipper Adventurer in the afternoon and begin the voyage northward along the western coast of Spitsbergen. (B,L,D)

Thursday, July 16 through Monday, July 20: Svalbard Archipelago
The next five days are spent exploring the coastline, fjords and offshore islands of Spitsbergen, which is one of just three populated islands on the archipelago. Our goal is to look for wildlife, which is found here in abundance during the short summer season, and we’ll make landings as the weather and ice conditions permit. Though the expeditionary nature of our voyage precludes guaranteeing specific stops, we plan to visit the following places: (B,L,D daily)

• Raudfjorden: This seldom-visited waterway, with its tidewater glaciers, is set against a backdrop of soaring mountain peaks. Gray pebble beaches show off the bloom of bright saxifrages and Arctic poppies. Watch for foraging Svalbard reindeer on land and Dovekies tending to their cliff nests.
• Liefdefjorden: Rugged mountains rise from the permanent ice cap and the Monaco Glacier spills into the sea at the deepest part of this waterway, which is a favored feeding ground for thousands of kittiwakes. Whales and seals are commonly spotted.
• Moffen Island: A small, atoll-like island just a few feet above sea level, Moffen is a protected walrus sanctuary. Witness these massive creatures haul themselves onto the gravel shores. Look for polar bears and the rare Sabine’s gulls that breed on the island.
• Hinlopen Strait: The 90-mile Hinlopen Strait divides Spitsbergen from Nordaustlandet, which is Svalbard’s second-largest island. Glaciers, fjords and icebergs hallmark this desolate and beautiful region. Board Zodiacs to watch for and photograph bearded, harp and ringed seals. Occasionally, lone polar bears are spotted.
• Freemansundet: The remains of old trapper huts dot the landscape and whale bones and Siberian driftwood line the shores of the sound of Freemansundet. Kittiwakes, black guillemots and Glaucous gulls soar overhead.

Tuesday, July 21: At sea

Wednesday, July 22: Jan Mayen Island, Norway
Just 34 miles long and less than 700,000 years old, Jan Mayen Island sits between Spitsbergen and Iceland. The island’s glacier-covered, 7,500-foot Beerenberg volcano has erupted six times since 1732, making it the northernmost active volcano in the world. Norwegian Meteorological Institute researchers are the only humans who live here, sharing the island with the fulmars and puffins that nest in great numbers. With permission of the institute and weather permitting, we will go ashore and view the old whaling and weather stations. (B,L,D)

Thursday, July 23: Grímsey Island, Iceland
Although Iceland’s northernmost island is nearly directly on the Arctic Circle, its climate is mild. Fewer than 200 people live here permanently, earning their living fishing and processing fish. Grímsey’s 300-foot-high basaltic cliffs provide views of kittiwakes, razorbills, fulmars and others among the 36 species that nest on the island. Weather permitting, go ashore in Sandvik. (B,L,D)

Friday, July 24: Húsavik
Arrive in the harbor town of Húsavik on the mainland of Iceland and set off inland for a full-day exploration of the Lake Myvatn region. It’s a photographer's paradise, with sculpted lava-labyrinth formations, an exploded crater-turned-lake steaming sulphur pits and boiling mud pools. The lake supports vast numbers of breeding ducks and whooper swans. Return to the ship in the afternoon. As we sail southward, keep a lookout for humpback, minke, fin and sei whales, along with orcas dolphins and harbor porpoises. (B,L,D)

Saturday, July 25: Seydisfjördur
The 11-mile cruise along Seydisfjördur is a scene of stunning geology, cascading waterfalls and soaring mountains. Board a motor coach and take a mountain pass to Iceland’s third largest lake, Lagarfljót, where the Hengifoss waterfall is one of the highest in the country. Visit the site of a former monastery, now a residence for international artists and writers. Head to a government forestry station where more than 40 species of trees from various parts of the world grow. This afternoon, board Zodiacs for explorations along the edges of the fjord or explore the 800-person village Seydisfjördur. (B,L,D)

Sunday, July 26: Höfn
The fishing community of Höfn is the gateway to Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull. While most of Iceland is pastoral and green, its southeastern corner is covered by the glacier’s 2,000-foot-thick ice. During a visit to the glacier, transport by specially tracked vehicles called snowcats. Weather permitting, take a snowmobile-guided excursion on the glacier. After lunch, watch icebergs calve into the land-locked lagoon of Jökulsárlón. (B,L,D)

Monday, July 27: Heimaey / Surtsey Island
A dramatic volcanic history haunts the archipelago of Vestmannaeyjar off Iceland’s southwestern coast. In 1973, its largest island, Heimaey, experienced a seven-month volcanic eruption that created an entirely new mountain. Explore the island and look for the largest puffin colonies in the world. Later, circumnavigate the world’s youngest island, Surtsey. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, July 28: Reykjavík / Disembark
Disembark after breakfast and take a full-day excursion showcasing the “Golden Circle” – Gullfoss Waterfall, the geothermal Geysir Center and Thingvellir National Park. After lunch, drive to the Nesjavellir before transferring to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, July 29: Reykjavík / U.S.
After the morning at leisure and lunch at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your independent flight home. (B,L)