Expedition Details
A high Arctic archipelago situated between Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard is a place of deep fjords, snow-capped mountains, massive sheets of ice, and magnificent polar bears. Travel under the midnight sun aboard the National Geographic Explorer and experience nature in its purest form.Trip Highlights
- Search for the very symbol of the Arctic—the polar bear—and observe these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
- Take naturalist-led shore walks, and cruise among beautiful passing icebergs in a Zodiac or a kayak.
- Experience the legendary midnight sun: the ethereal light of the northern summer, when the sun never sets.
- Watch for huge walruses, bearded and ringed seals, arctic foxes, and reindeer.
Itinerary - 11 Days
Days 1 & 2 — U.S./Oslo, Norway
Depart on an overnight flight to Oslo. Upon arrival, check into our hotel. On an afternoon tour of this charming city, stroll among the famed Vigeland sculptures—hundreds of life-size human figures set in terraced parklands. Visit the Fram Museum, showcasing the polar ship Fram and dedicated to one of the explorers and wooden vessels that navigated the Arctic Sea in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This evening is free to explore Oslo on your own.
Hotel Continental
Day 3 — Oslo/Longyearbyen
Depart Oslo on a private charter flight, and enjoy breathtaking vistas en route to Longyearbyen. Embark the National Geographic Explorer, your base for the next six days.
(B,L,D)
Days 4 through 9 — Exploring Svalbard
This voyage is undertaken in the spirit of discovery, and our travel in the archipelago is exploratory by design. In a region ruled not by humans but by polar bears, we let nature guide our course. Svalbard lies north of the Arctic Circle, where the summer midnight sun never sets. With our fully stabilized ice-class expedition ship, we are able to probe the ice in search of wildlife; our exact day-to-day itinerary remains flexible, depending on local ice and weather conditions. Zodiacs and kayaks take us closer to experience the region's geologic features and wildlife and wildflowers that flourish during the summer months.
With our National Geographic photographer and a seasoned naturalist staff, venture to the foot of stunning tidewater glaciers, kayak among sparkling icebergs, and explore fjords that split the rugged coastlines. Hike through miniature gardens blooming on the tundra; and search the edge of the pack ice for polar bears, walruses, seals, reindeer, and arctic foxes. Nowhere can the polar bear be seen more reliably in its natural environment than here.
(B,L,D daily)
Day 10 — Longyearbyen/Oslo
In Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Svalbard, disembark and enjoy time to explore. Founded by an American coal executive in 1906, this is one of the northernmost human settlements on Earth. Fly back to Oslo this afternoon.
Radisson Blu Hotel (B,L)
Day 11 — Oslo/U.S.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the return flight home.
(B)
Optional Extensions
- Norway's Fjords - Pre-Trip Extension, 5 Days
- Iceland - Post-Trip Extension, 5 Days
Related Trip
View LargerExpedition Team
A diverse team of experts, including naturalists, historians, and a National Geographic photographer, will accompany each expedition aboard the National Geographic Explorer. See one of the members of our extraordinary team below.
David Doubilet
Acclaimed underwater photographer David Doubilet estimates he has spent nearly half his life in the sea since taking his first underwater photograph at the age of 12 with a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a bag. Exploring the world's waters, David has photographed in the depths of such places as the southwest Pacific, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Tasmania, Scotland, the northwest Atlantic, and Antarctica. His work has taken him to freshwater ecosystems such as Botswana's Okavango Delta and Canada's St. Lawrence River. He has photographed stingrays, sponges, and sleeping sharks in the Caribbean as well as shipwrecks in the South Pacific, the Atlantic, and at Pearl Harbor. He has produced more than 70 stories for National Geographic magazine and several books, including Fish Face, The Kingdom of Coral: Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and Water Light Time. David has been awarded the prestigious Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award and the Lennart Nilsson Award in Photography.
David will join the following departures:
Jun 08 - 18, 2012 • Jun 15 - 25, 2012
This trip is offered in association with Lindblad Expeditions.
Expedition Dates 
Special Offer
Book the June 8, 15, and 22, 2012 departures by March 31, 2012 and receive complimentary round-trip charter airfare ($725 value) between Longyearbyen and Oslo. Subject to availability; new bookings only. Please call for details.
Expedition Costs
Airfare is not included in the expedition cost. Round-trip economy airfare between Newark and Oslo is $1,195 and between Oslo and Longyearbyen is $725 (subject to change).
Special Offer
Book by December 15, 2012 and receive free charter airfare between Longyearbyen and Oslo (a $725 value) on the June 8 and 22, 2012 departures. Subject to availability.
