Svalbard in Depth with AE Expeditions

Day 1 - Day of arrival in Oslo

On arrival at Oslo Gardermoen Airport, take the short stroll to the Radisson Blu Hotel adjacent to the terminal. Here you will meet with the AE Expeditions ground team and receive your luggage cabin tags.

An express train connects Oslo Gardermoen Airport with Oslo city centre in 20 minutes. Enjoy time at leisure exploring the Norwegian capital. Additional nights in Oslo can be arranged on request as well as a host of pre-tour itineraries - please ask our destination specialists for ideas.

Overnight at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Oslo Gardermoen.

Oslo, Norway

Day 2 - Longyearbyen and beyond

After breakfast, travel to Longyearbyen on board the charter flight with AE Expeditions. The flight is scheduled to depart at 09:35 for Longyearbyen and arrive at 12:45.

In Longyearbyen, an orientation sightseeing tour of the town is included - learn about the history of the town, its foundation and about everyday life in the high Arctic. You'll also visit the excellent Svalbard Museum, and Camp Barentz in the Advent Valley (10km east of Longyearbyen);a wilderness camp that tells the story of the expeditions of the past, including the experiences and conditions encountered by Willem Barentz and his team in 1596.

After the tour, you will be transferred directly to the pier to embark in the late afternoon. Overnight onboard the Sylvia Earle.

Sylvia Earle, Svalbard

Day 3-14 - Svalbard archipelago

Svalbard offers Arctic wilderness at its best. AE Expedition's experienced team will use their expertise to tailor your day-to-day itinerary, choosing the best options, based on the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions, and the possibility of encounters with wildlife. Above the Arctic Circle during the boreal summer, the sun does not drop below the horizon until late August, so you will enjoy 24 hours of daylight, and more time to explore this breathtaking part of the planet.

The plan is to attempt to explore the two largest islands in the archipelago; Spitsbergen and Nordauslandet, and reach Barentsoya and Edgeoya that are located in the Hinlopen Strait, a known polar bear migration route. We plan to visit the remains of old whaling settlements, old pomor sites, and enjoy early morning Zodiac cruises. We will encounter glittering glaciers, keep watch for beluga whales and watch for ivory gulls. Weather and ice permitting we may sail along the most northerly point of the Svalbard archipelago, a favoured spot to a large colony of walruses. We may encounter the mighty polar bear in its element, in the pack ice. If you are participating in an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have opportunity to experience the Arctic whenever conditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, when conditions are perfect, you will hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory to savour for years to come.

Throughout the sailing on board lectures take place and guests are encouraged to participate in a host of citizen science research projects. Whether you wish to learn more about the Arctic wildlife, photography, geology, glaciology and more, there is an expert guide on board to answer your questions. Guests are also given the opportunity to take a plunge in the Arctic waters, if conditions permit.

Kayaking, Svalbard

Day 4 - Day of departure or extended stay in Longyearbyen

In the morning, we cruise back into Longyearbyen for disembarkation. In Longyearbyen, explore Longyearbyen’s rich history with visits to three historic sites and a delicious lunch at Nansen. Discover Mine 3 where machines and equipment still remain from when the mine was shut down in 1996, the Nordover art gallery, and the fascinating North Pole Expedition Museum before transferring to the airport for your return charter flight to Oslo to continue your journey in the evening. The charter flight is scheduled to depart at 19:35 (07:35pm) for Oslo and arrive at 22:45 (10:45 pm)

Our recommendation is to extend your stay in Longyearbyen. The town warrants a longer stay in order to truly get under the surface of the world's northernmost settlement.

Brasvellbreen, Svalbard