One of Earth’s grandest wildlife experiences

Sail to the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, the best place on the planet to see polar bears—wild and majestic in their native habitat. Over the past 30+ years, our ace spotters have given our guests multiple opportunities to experience close sightings. In addition to the bears, we’ll have the opportunity to see and observe walrus, fascinating creatures and wonderful photo subjects, reindeer, elusive arctic foxes, fur seals, and a glory of birds. The islands of the archipelago are ideal for walking, with some hikes revealing artful, sculptural arrangements of whale bones on pebbled beaches, and the ghostly remains of trapper’s huts.

Search for polar bears and walrus alongside our skilled veteran spotters
Explore under the midnight sun—and take advantage of spectacular photo ops with tips from a National Geographic photographer
Sail up to rock-wall rookeries teeming with thousands of birds, see pelagic birds from the ship’s rail when we’re underway, and Zodiac cruise near a cloud of feeding arctic terns
Actively explore––kayak, Zodiac cruise, hike, and walk
Even discover the seldom-seen undersea via video shot by an ROV

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Duration

11 Days

Price

From $12,350 per person
(does not include flight)

Dates

May

Jun

Special offers

FREE BAR TAB AND CREW TIPS INCLUDED

BACK-TO-BACK SAVINGS

BRINGING THE KIDS

TRAVELING AS A GROUP

COMBINING OFFERS

Ships

National Geographic Endurance

National Geographic Resolution

Discover

Arctic Svalbard: Land of the Polar Bears

Arctic, New and Noteworthy

Day By Day

Sail into the ice with a top expedition team of naturalists who illuminate all you see. Your expedition leader will enable Zodiac cruises and kayak expeditions, too—enabling you to experience the wonders with all your senses, at water level or eye level. You’ll have a choice of activities, plus your choice of naturalists to join—for a movable feast of personalities, insights, and interests. Our day-by-day exploration of Svalbard is flexible. We rely on our decades of experience here to help us read the climate conditions and ice to find where wildlife is most active.

2023

Embark

Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway)

Disembark

Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway)

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Day 1

U.S. / Fly Overnight to Oslo

Fly to Oslo on an overnight flight.

Day 2

Oslo, Norway

Arrive in Oslo, the capital city where each year the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in the presence of the King of Norway. Check in to the Hotel Bristol (or similar). In the afternoon, our introduction to Oslo begins with a stroll among the famed Vigeland sculptures—hundreds of life-size human figures set in terraced Frogner Park. Next we visit the Fram Museum, dedicated to Norwegian explorers Nansen and Amundsen. Join your fellow travelers for a welcome cocktail reception then the evening is at leisure for dinner on your own. (L)

Day 3

Oslo / Longyearbyen / Embark Ship

Depart Oslo on a charter flight, and enjoy breathtaking vistas en route to Longyearbyen. On arrival, visit the Svalbard Museum to learn the story of Svalbard and its context in Norway and the Arctic, from 17th-century whaling to modern mining, research and tourism. Then tour the Gallery Svalbard to view the permanent art and cultural collections as well as studios of local artists. Embark National Geographic Endurance or National Geographic Resolution, your base for the next six days. (B,L,D)

Day 4-9

Exploring Svalbard

Our travel in the archipelago is truly exploratory by design, and our exact day-to-day movements will remain flexible, depending on local conditions.

Our main focus is the search for Svalbard’s amazing wildlife: polar bear, reindeer and walrus. Observe seals and arctic foxes and search for the very symbol of the Arctic—majestic polar bears. Cruise in Svalbard’s fjords, venture to the foot of stunning tidewater glaciers. We take our Zodiacs and kayaks among beautiful icebergs, and experience the geology, wildlife and wildflowers that give color and vitality to the High Arctic. (B,L,D)

Day 10

Longyearbyen / Disembark / Oslo

Disembark in Longyearbyen, meet up with a local guide and take a short bus ride to Camp Barentz in the nearby Advent Valley for a taste of Arctic culture. Here, you’ll discover a unique collection of buildings including an authentic gamme, a traditional round building with an open fire in the center, and a lavvo, the traditional tent of the Sami people. Enjoy refreshments and meet some of the friendly sled dog huskies that reside at camp. Fly back to Oslo and overnight at the Radisson Blu Airport Hotel. (B,L)

Day 11

Oslo / U.S.

After breakfast, proceed to the airport for flights home. (B)

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)

Call now

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1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)

Call now

Book Now

Special Offers

FREE BAR TAB AND CREW TIPS INCLUDED

Special Offers

We will cover your bar tab and all tips for the crew on all National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endurance, and National Geographic Orion voyages.

BACK-TO-BACK SAVINGS

Special Offers

Save 10% on any consecutive journeys taken on board one of our expedition ships. This savings is applicable on voyage fares only, and are not valid on extensions or airfare.

BRINGING THE KIDS

Special Offers

We believe sharing an expedition with your kids or grandkids is a life-enhancing experience. So take $500 off for each child under the age of 18.

TRAVELING AS A GROUP

Special Offers

Save 5% when traveling as a group of 8 or more people. Take advantage of these great savings, while enjoying traveling with your friends and family. This savings is applicable to voyage fares only, and is not valid on extensions or airfare. Deposit, final payments, and cancellation policies for group travel vary from our regular policies.

COMBINING OFFERS

Special Offers

Certain offers may be combinable, up to two savings opportunities, except where noted otherwise. For example, travel with a group of 8 or more on back-to-back expeditions, and take advantage of both savings.

Dates, Rates & Cabins

Travel on this itinerary from $12,350 per person

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Daily Expedition Reports

Follow Along

Daily Expedition Reports

6/22/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Bellsund, Spitsbergen

The final day of an expedition is always filled with excitement and anticipation. After an amazing journey all around Svalbard, we were eager to see what we might be able to experience today to round out such a fantastic trip. With some wonderful weather to greet us into the calm waters of the large fjord of western Spitsbergen, Bellsund, we headed out after breakfast from National Geographic Endurance . Our last outing in Svalbard certainly did not disappoint! Not everyone can say they’ve walked along the terminal moraine of a tidewater glacier. On shore, we were treated to stunning views of the large glacier, Recherchebreen, and the surrounding expanse of the fjord. As an extra treat, we took the scenic route back to the ship by way of an impromptu Zodiac cruise, visiting a small haulout of walrus and exploring the glacial lagoon, which offered the chance for a closer view of the glacier face and an appreciation of the sculptures of ice it leaves behind. In between packing and editing photos, our last afternoon onboard included presentations from undersea specialist Rory and polar bear expert Kerstin. Following Captain Aaron Wood’s farewell cocktail party and another excellent dinner by the amazing dining team, our trip would not be complete without one last interruption by wildlife. This time we sighted fin whales out along the deep-water shelf. Then we watched the voyage slideshow put together by our photo instructor, Michael, and reminisced on an incredible trip around Svalbard.

Daily Expedition Reports

6/21/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Gnålodden and Burgerbukta

As our expedition leader, Stefano Pozzi, had predicted, the 50 knot gusting winds gave us a rocking night’s sleep, but National Geographic Endurance being such an awesome ship, made it feel like we were being rocked soundly to sleep like babies. We were headed for a fjord on the west coast near a beautiful bird cliff, Gnålodden. Here, there was a sheltered bay where the beautiful looming mountains protected us so we managed a safe but wild landing. The adventurous guests and staff who made it to land saw arctic foxes, beautiful flowering saxifrages, a pair of arctic skua, and nesting glaucous gulls. The steep cliffs were dripping with lovely black-legged kittiwakes. There were more birds than land on the shore, which made for an incredible landing. Ice had drifted in along the shoreline, giving excellent close-up photography opportunities for guests brave enough to bring their cameras onto the rainy landing site. When we all returned, the crew had set up Baileys, Kahlua, and hot chocolate drinks to warm the arctic-blown guests and staff. After a well-deserved lunch of burgers, a pod of belugas appeared in Burgerbukta! There were two young calves and a suspected beluga with a deformity, which was amazing to see as it was not a young beluga but an adult. This beluga had a deformed spine, giving it odd bumps and ridges along its back. We hope the family pod continues to support this amazing beluga, surviving and thriving in the wild Arctic. After the pod moved off, our education programme kicked off with our naturalist Alice giving a presentation on Seabird Migration in Svalbard. She raved about arctic terns and all the reasons why birdlife is so abundant in the archipelago. Whilst she was presenting, the undersea team braved going out into the still stormy weather with an ROV to take some footage at 85 m depth, showing shrimps and stalked anemones at the silty fjord basin. Following Alice’s talk, we had another presentation by National Geographic photographer Erika Larson, who previewed her short film on how the Sami people live and work with reindeer. The video showed the Sami living amongst a harsh and never-ending arctic tundra with expansive scenery. It told the story of the respect for the reindeer, their community, and their drive to work and live in this phenomenal landscape that is their home.

Daily Expedition Reports

6/20/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Freemanssundet and Kapp Lee

Unlike yesterday, this morning, we did not wake up to the loud sounds of crushing ice, even though we did pass some sea ice during morning hours in Freemanssundet. We started off our day with a lovely lecture on glaciers from Ezra, one of our naturalists. Suddenly, we received an announcement from the expedition leader, Stefano, that a haul-out of almost 200 walruses had been spotted. Swiftly, all of the Zodiacs were lowered, and we enjoyed a delightful short Zodiac exploration around Kapp Lee. Opposed to yesterday’s exploration between ice floes, where we, with one exception, only saw females, we were only able to spot male walruses on land and in the surrounding water. Some of them were quite curious, and we were able to admire their large size and spectacular tusks. It is incredible that animals of that size sustain themselves by only eating small mussels and remain so incredibly elegant while swimming! After eating wonderful Swedish meatballs and taking an afternoon nap, we headed back out. It was time for our first longer hike in the Arctic wilderness! And what an afternoon it was! We landed on a beach that was pink with flowering purple saxifrages. Yet, howling wind reminded us that we are indeed still in the harsh Arctic. But the wind accompanied by occasional snow and rainfall did not disturb our exploration. Looking at the remains of old fox traps, one can’t help but wonder how people that landed here centuries ago must have felt when facing this barren landscape when they first arrived. In the surrounding ponds we saw lots of birds - red phalaropes, whose females are the showy and colourful ones, majestic-looking king eiders, and long-tailed ducks. In the distance, we spotted cute and curious Svalbard reindeers. They seemed to have decided to lie down to avoid this windy weather to the best of their abilities, and curling up on the ground made them look like fluffy piles of snow. During the rest of our hike, we enjoyed the vast openness of the Arctic tundra and the feeling of being just a small human amongst this majestic landscape. After a slightly bumpy Zodiac ride, we were back in the warmth and comfort of the ship. The evening ended with an interesting recap, a delicious dinner, and a well-deserved break, after which the waves rocked us to sleep.

Daily Expedition Reports

6/19/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Storøya

Holy macaroni, what a spectacular day! We were woken from our morning slumber by the now familiar sound of ice gently clunking along the hull. What an incredible feeling to wake up, knowing that you are well and truly in the habitat of the lords of the arctic! Eager eyes were up and searching on the bridge bright and early, looking for hints of off white (translucent) fur. Shortly after breakfast, Captain Aaron Wood’s eagle eyes spotted a large male polar bear on an isolated ice floe, eagerly attending to his recent hunting success. For over an hour, we had a stunning view as the large, healthy bear carefully feasted on the blubber of his bearded seal prey. We were so lucky to have such a clear view, and everyone captured both fantastic memories and phenomenal photographs. After a delicious lunch, we approached the coast of Storøya: a small island, predominantly covered in ice, located in the northeast of the Svalbard archipelago. Here we planned an afternoon Zodiac cruise, hoping to spot some wildlife. We were utterly thrilled to encounter about 100+ walrus spread out in small groups amongst the broken ice floes. The wind was calm, the light was golden, and everything was perfect for an intimate encounter with these magnificent beasts. Mothers with young calves were spotted, and it was utterly enchanting to see them in a moment of sweet, snuggly rest on the ice. Our local Norwegian guide, Carl Erik Kilander (who just happens to have been raised by walrus), noted it was the most memorable walrus encounter he had experienced. The evening meal was enjoyable as always, thanks to our wonderful team of chefs. After dinner was punctuated by the spotting of another two polar bears ahead of the ship. I don’t think we could have asked for a more perfect day.

Daily Expedition Reports

6/18/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Sjuøyene and Chermisdeøya

We were awakened this morning by the sound of National Geographic Endurance crushing through fast ice. The excitement was high as our plan was to visit a small group of islands known as the Sjuøyene (the seven islands) on the northeast side of Nordauslandet. Approaching Phippsøya, the largest island of the group, we encountered a female walrus swimming with her calf. Scout boats were sent out and it was determined that a landing was not possible, so we continued searching for wildlife. Our efforts were rewarded as we found a single polar bear sleeping on an ice floe. The bear was quite content to sleep away the morning, even as we watched and took photographs. Our afternoon proved to be a bit more exciting on the polar bear front as we found a very large and curious male polar bear walking on the pack ice. Time and again the bear turned and headed in our direction, trying to get a good whiff of the curiously shaped object just in front of it. In the end, the bear walked off into the distance. After dinner, we decided to visit Chermisdeøya. Expedition ships visit the southern end of this island to create a geoglyph of their ship’s name, positioning rocks to spell out the name of the ship. The Swedish ship Jӓderin is the oldest ship represented. Jӓderin visited the island in 1898 as part of the Swedish section of the Arc-de-Meridian project. What a glorious evening, as we basked in the sunshine and enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs.