North Spitsbergen, Polar Bear Special

Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Svalbard archipelago. Before embarking, take the opportunity to stroll around this former mining town, whose parish church and Polar Museum are well worth visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out and along Isfjorden.

Ny Alesund is the world's most northerly settlement, which, when it was a mining village, was served by the world's most northerly railway, which can still be seen - Ny Alesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose and Arctic Tern. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration can walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile, in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928, before their flights to the North Pole.

Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, we plan go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andoya. Common eider and pink-footed geese nest here, and the rarer king eider may also be seen. Sailing into Liefdefjorden, we will cruise near the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and sometimes, polar bears are seen on the glacier.

Plan to sail across Hinlopen Strait to Kinnvika on the island of Nordaustlandet to explore the polar dessert landscape. The strait is home to bearded and ringed seals, as well as polar bears and ivory gulls. We'll navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvoya in our Zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brunnich's guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, we will attempt a landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet, home to reindeer, pink-footed geese, breeding ivory gulls, and walrus. Near Torellneset we will walk along beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. We may encounter more walrus along the way.

Today we will reach the northernmost islands of Svalbard: the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. We will attempt to land on Phippsoya, where walrus are often hauled out on land. We will then try to find the pack ice to take in the spectacular surroundings and search for wildlife such as polar bears and perhaps even the illusive Ross gull. We will reach the area of 81 degrees north - just 540 km from the geographic North Pole.

As we head back westwards, we watch for whales and birds for deck and take in expert presentations from our team.

This long and narrow island has a mix of beautiful landscapes, from Alpine peaks to rolling tundra and rocky shores. We plan to land here to walk and take in the scenery and spot wildlife.

Disembark and transfer to airport or hotel