Step ashore by expedition boat as you join guided hikes across Arctic tundra, beach ridges, and moraine fields. Feel the crunch of permafrost underfoot and breathe crisp air perfumed with saxifrage and moss while cliffs echo with kittiwakes and little auks.

Discover traces of whalers and trappers, learn about the polar desert’s resilient flora, and appreciate how glaciers, weather, and wildlife shape Svalbard’s raw landscapes. Distances and terrain vary, with routes chosen to highlight scenery, safety, and seasonal wildlife.

Glide in small boats beneath creaking glacier faces in Svalbard’s dramatic Hornsund fjord. Drift among blue icebergs, listen for the thunder of calving, and feel cold air spilling off the ice while your guides interpret glaciology and local wildlife behavior.

Watch for bearded seals hauled out on bergy bits, wheeling kittiwakes, and the stark geometry of newly calved ice. Flexible routes let the Expedition Team position the boats for scenery, light, and safe wildlife viewing.

Walk through Ny-Ålesund, one of the world’s northernmost communities, where international scientists study climate, geology, and Arctic ecology. Stroll past colorful former miners’ cottages and contemporary research stations in a landscape framed by glaciers and peaks.

Hear stories of airship pioneers at the Amundsen–Nobile mast and how a coal town transformed into a high-latitude laboratory. Landings occur when conditions allow, with guides ensuring respectful movement in a living research environment protected by strict regulations.

Scan the horizons with your Expedition Team to seek polar bears along the sea-ice edge, patrolling for seals. From open decks and expedition boats, watch for walrus, bearded and ringed seals, and rafts of fulmars and guillemots riding the swell.

Guides share insights on behavior, habitat, and conservation while helping you interpret tracks, leads, and ice. Quiet moments become powerful when a distant shape resolves into a bear or a whale’s plume drifts across the cold air.

Deepen your journey as you join engaging lectures on geology, wildlife, climate, and polar history led by the Expedition Team. In the ship’s Science Center, contribute observations and images to Citizen Science projects that support real research.

Discuss sea ice, seabirds, and marine mammals with experts, refine photography skills, and compare notes with fellow travelers. This enriching program transforms deck sightings and shore landings into a coherent story of the North Atlantic and Arctic.

Go ashore on remote Jan Mayen to explore otherworldly lava fields and black-sand beaches under the snowy cone of Beerenberg, the world’s northernmost active volcano. The island’s silence is broken by surf and seabird calls riding the wind.

Designated an Important Bird Area, Jan Mayen hosts fulmars, Brunnich’s guillemots, and little auks swirling above the cliffs. Landings are weather-dependent; when the window opens, the moment feels rare and privileged at the edge of the North Atlantic.

Cruise along Eyjafjorður, Iceland’s longest fjord, watching for humpbacks, minke whales, and white-beaked dolphins set against snow-dusted ridges and waterfalls. The sail-in frames the compact city of Akureyri with dramatic, glaciated scenery.

On arrival, an orientation highlights the botanical garden, waterfront, and town center dotted with cafés and galleries. Guides set the scene for optional explorations beyond the fjord, from volcanic landscapes to photogenic cascades.

Sail into Húsavík, overlooking whale-rich Skjálfandi Bay. From ship and shore, scan for humpbacks and minkes slicing the surface, with seabirds tracing the wind over a sweep of mountains and sea.

Stroll the harborfront and breathe the tang of salt and geothermal steam in a town celebrated for marine life and northern light. Those keen to learn more can visit museums or sea baths available locally during the call.

Walk with the Expedition Team through green valleys and pastel rhyolite slopes near the tiny settlement of Bakkagerði in Borgarfjorður Eystri. Trails reveal coves, sea stacks, and turf-roofed cottages set between ocean and mountains.

Hear about local folklore and the huldufólk “hidden people” woven into the landscape’s identity. In season, watch for puffins and eiders along the shore while learning how geology, fishing, and storytelling shaped this remote community.

Stroll the lanes of Elduvík, a tiny village beside Funningsfjørður, hearing the sounds of surf, sheep bells, and seabirds. View grass-roofed houses, a simple church, and the river Stórá as it meets the fjord, with Kalsoy island rising across the water.

Learn how turf roofs, boat sheds, and communal pastures evolved to meet Atlantic weather. Your guide shares everyday stories of island life and the maritime rhythms that still anchor this peaceful hamlet.

Explore Tórshavn’s cobbled alleys and turf-roofed cottages on a guided walk through the historic heart of one of Europe’s smallest capitals. Wander the red-painted warehouses of Tinganes, the old trading quarter on a basalt headland.

Hear how Norse settlers, Hanseatic traders, and modern islanders shaped culture and governance here. Wind, sea spray, and the scent of heather lend texture to views across harbors, stone lanes, and bright facades.

Walk Lerwick’s narrow lanes past slate roofs and stone warehouses to the ramparts of Fort Charlotte overlooking Bressay Sound. Browse local knitwear and crafts before pausing by boats bobbing along the historic waterfront.

Learn about Shetland’s Norse roots and maritime trade, and watch for grey and common seals along the shore. Time allowing, call into the excellent Shetland Museum to trace stories from Pictish carvings to crofting and fishing.

Slip into near-silent bays as you paddle a sea kayak among brash ice and mirror-calm water. Feel the scale of the Arctic as bergy bits crackle alongside your bow and glacial walls rise ahead.

Led by certified guides with specialist gear and safety briefings, this small-group adventure emphasizes scenery and serenity. Offered at additional cost and bookable on tour; operation depends on weather, sea state, and landing windows.

Venture inland to witness the turquoise cascade of Goðafoss waterfall before exploring the volcanic shores of Lake Mývatn. See lava formations, steaming vents, and bird-rich wetlands set against sweeping northern horizons.

Guides interpret geology, folklore, and ecology while allowing time for photos at scenic viewpoints. This curated excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour; durations and exact stops may vary with conditions.

Soak in oceanside infinity pools as you unwind at the GeoSea geothermal baths, where mineral-rich seawater rises warm from the earth. Watch Skjálfandi Bay and mountain ridges glow in shifting light while steam drifts on the breeze.

This restorative experience blends Iceland’s geothermal gifts with sublime views from a cliff-top setting. Entry is at additional cost and bookable on tour; towel and refreshment options are available on site.

Delve into cetacean science at the Húsavík Whale Museum, where full skeletons and detailed exhibits illuminate the lives of the North Atlantic’s giants. Learn how researchers identify whales and track migrations across vast ocean basins.

Engaging displays connect conservation with local history and culture in Iceland’s renowned whale-watching town. Admission is at additional cost and bookable on tour; allow time to browse the educational galleries and shop.

Sample small-batch beers and Iceland’s traditional spirit on a guided visit to KHB Brugghús, home to Landi Icelandic moonshine. Meet local producers and hear how mountain water, barley, and rugged climate shape distinctive flavors.

Enjoy a convivial tasting with notes on history, technique, and modern craft revival in an isolated corner of the Eastfjords. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; responsible enjoyment is encouraged.

Extend your adventure with a Post-Programme guided hike into the forested hills that cradle Bergen. Follow well-marked trails to viewpoints surveying fjords, islands, and the UNESCO-listed waterfront of Bryggen.

Local guides share stories of mountain culture, weather, and wildlife while pacing the route for steady, scenic walking. This add-on operates after disembarkation, at additional cost, and is bookable on tour.

Explore Svalbard’s gateway on a short city orientation as you join a guided panoramic tour of Longyearbyen. Take in glacier-backed mountains, pastel-painted houses, and views over Adventfjorden while hearing how life thrives in the High Arctic. Keep an eye out for the compact, gentle Svalbard reindeer that sometimes wander close to town.

Gain context on the archipelago’s Arctic coal-mining heritage and its modern role as a research hub. Your guide highlights key landmarks and everyday stories of a community shaped by polar night, midnight sun, and sea ice.