The Polar Travel Company

� SWA

Duration: 10 days
Starts: Troms�, Norway
Ends: Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Language: English speaking voyage

Included

Optional

Embark on the Heart of Svalbard luxury cruise, starting in the enchanting Arctic city of Troms� and ending in Longyearbyen. This breathtaking journey takes you through the Svalbard archipelago under the mesmerizing glow of the midnight sun. Experience undisturbed wilderness in a landscape like no other, where the majestic polar bear reigns supreme. Throughout this voyage, explore fascinating destinations, beginning with Troms��famed for its Arctic Cathedral and the panoramic views offered by the Fjellheisen cable car. From Skarsv�g, venture to Nordkapp, Europe's northernmost point. Svalbard�s best is unveiled, from Bear Island's dramatic bird cliffs to Longyearbyen's intriguing museums. Look forward to sights of seabird colonies, glaciers, and historic charm. Activities include wildlife spotting, with opportunities to see polar bears, walruses, and foxes in their natural habitat. The adventure intensifies with kayaking excursions led by the Swan Hellenic Expedition Team, allowing you to paddle through pristine Arctic waters. Each activity is meticulously crafted to offer an engaging and immersive Arctic exploration.

� SWA

Day 1: Troms�
The Arctic gateway, Tromso at 69 degrees north, is renowned for the midnight sun in summer and the Northern Lights in winter. The Arctic Cathedral, with stained-glass windows, hosts midnight concerts. The Fjellheisen cable car offers panoramic views from Mount Storstei�nen, while the historic centre features old wooden houses. The Polar Museum chronicles early polar explorations, and the thriving Alpine Botanic Garden adds to Tromso's charm.

Day 2: Skarsvag (Nordkapp)
Skarsv�g, Europe�s northernmost fishing village on Mager�ya Island, is a short journey from Nordkapp (North Cape)�Europe's northernmost point above the Arctic Circle, marked by a striking globe monument. Only Svalbard stands between here and the North Pole. Along the coast, Atlantic puffin colonies and over a million seabirds nest, including arctic skuas, razorbills, northern gannets, white-tailed eagles, common eider ducks and great cormorants.

Day 2: Cruising North Cape
North Cape (Nordkapp), the northernmost tip of Europe in Norway, where the Arctic Ocean meets the rugged coast, is a majestic headland that has fascinated explorers for centuries. Cruising to North Cape promises an awe-inspiring encounter with nature's grandeur and a glimpse into the Arctic's captivating allure. In summer, North Cape basks in the ethereal glow of the midnight sun, a surreal phenomenon where the sun never fully sets.

Day 3: Bear Island
The greatest bird cliff in the Barents Sea is on Bear Island, or Bj�rn�ya, Svalbard�s southernmost island. Atlantic puffins, northern gannets, glaucous gulls, great skuas, black-legged kittiwakes, little auks, common guillemots, and Br�nnich's guillemots, nest on the steep cliffs near Kapp Kolthoff, south of S�rhamna. The ocean has sculpted sea stack rock columns, sea caves and tunnels, with a notable tunnel at Perleporten.

Days 4-9: 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.

Day 10: 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. Nearby, Svalbard Global Seed Vault preserves duplicate seeds from gene banks worldwide. Arctic waters around are populated by whales, including bowheads and narwhals, while walruses are regularly seen hauling out.