Venture ashore by expedition boat landing to explore beaches and valleys where ice and rock meet the sea. Follow your guides on a guided tundra hike across permafrost ground patterned with mosses, lichens and saxifrages.

Scan cliffs for kittiwakes and guillemots while learning about polar bear–aware protocols that ensure safety for wildlife and guests. The focus is on observation, slow walking and immersive, low-impact exploration.

Cruise beneath towering glacier walls as your ship threads the deep inlets of Hornsund. Listen for the cracks and groans that precede ice calving, and watch turquoise bergy bits drift past in shifting light.

Guides interpret the geology and glaciology behind these glacier-carved fjords, pointing out blue seracs, moraines and the wildlife that forages along the sea-ice edge in this high-Arctic amphitheatre.

Walk the marked paths of Ny-Ålesund research settlement, one of the world’s northernmost communities. Learn how international scientists monitor climate, sea ice and migratory birds in this remote archipelago.

See the historic airship mast of Amundsen and Nobile, reminders of early polar aviation, and call at the world’s northernmost post office to mail a card stamped from 78°?N. Photography is guided to respect ongoing research.

Join a naturalist-led wildlife watch on the open decks as you sail Arctic and North Atlantic waters. Learn to read blows, dorsal fins and flight patterns to distinguish species at sea.

From the sea-ice edge to open fjords, spot fulmars and puffins, porpoises and whales while guides share tips to identify seabirds in flight and interpret marine behaviour against the dramatic scenery.

Engage your curiosity through the ship’s Expedition Lecture Programme covering geology, glaciers, wildlife and culture across Svalbard, Iceland, the Faroes and Scotland. Talks are designed for all interest levels.

Contribute data in Citizen Science sessions—log seabird sightings, assist with whale photo-ID or measure water clarity—supporting real research while enjoying hands-on learning in the Science Center.

If conditions allow, set foot on Jan Mayen, a seldom-visited Arctic outpost. Walk across cinder beaches and moss-tinted lava fields framed by the snow-mantled cone of Beerenberg volcano.

Learn why the island is an Important Bird Area, home to nesting fulmars and kittiwakes. This remote, research-guarded sanctuary offers a rare taste of high-latitude solitude and raw geological power.

Cruise Eyjafjorður, Iceland’s longest fjord, flanked by snow-capped ridges and cascading streams. Keep watch for humpbacks in the calm waters as the harbor town of Akureyri comes into view.

Stroll with your guide to the serene Akureyri Botanical Garden and admire Akureyrarkirkja, a hilltop church by Guðjón Samúelsson. Cafés, street art and cozy bakeries lend the town a distinctly Nordic charm.

Wander Húsavík’s painted waterfront and visit the renowned Húsavík Whale Museum, where life-size skeletons, films and exhibits bring cetacean biology to life against the backdrop of Skjálfandi Bay.

Discover how local geology shaped exploration here, including the Apollo astronaut training history at the town’s Exploration Museum. Learn responsible whale-watching ethics before enjoying time in the harbor cafés.

Walk with your guides through Borgarfjorður Eystri’s green valleys and rhyolite hills, where streams braid through meadows and mountains rise close to the sea. Folklore here speaks of the huldufólk ‘hidden people’ living among the rocks.

Step onto the Hafnarhólmi puffin colony boardwalks (in season) for close, respectful views of colorful bills and bustling burrows. This blend of hiking and gentle wildlife watching captures the coast’s quiet magic.

Walk Elduvík, a tiny hamlet split by the Stórá river, where grass-roofed houses and a simple church huddle beside Funningsfjørður. Sheep graze the slopes and seabird calls carry on the wind.

Pause along the pier to admire tranquil water and Kalsoy viewpoints across the strait. Your guide shares island traditions—from language to fishing—rooted in a landscape shaped by ocean and weather.

Stroll Tinganes old town, where turf-roofed houses painted red cluster on a rocky peninsula and narrow lanes wind between doorways hung with fishing gear.

Hear about Norse settlement and modern island life, and step into the National Museum of the Faroe Islands or the Nordic House for exhibits on seafaring, wool crafts and the fragile ecology of the archipelago.

Explore Lerwick’s lanes and harborfront, passing stone merchants’ houses and piers busy with local boats. Visit the Shetland Museum & Archives for Pictish carvings, textiles and stories of North Sea trade.

Climb to Fort Charlotte for town views and harbor seal watching along the shoreline. Your guide highlights Norse place-names and living traditions that make these isles distinct within Scotland.

Refine technique in a photography workshop focused on exposure, composition and working ethically around wildlife. Learn strategies to capture calving glaciers and shifting Arctic light.

Practice on deck with guidance on long lenses, stabilization and weatherproofing as you shoot wildlife ethically. Sessions balance creative vision with the practical realities of expedition conditions.

Embark on guided sea kayaking in small groups for a quiet, water-level view of Spitsbergen’s coves and glacier bays. Glide past brash ice and sculpted bergy bits as seabirds wheel overhead.

All gear and dry suits are provided; previous paddling experience is recommended. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, and operates only in suitable weather and ice conditions.

Set out on a whale-watching cruise from Húsavík aboard a restored oak boat to search Skjálfandi Bay for humpback and minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and porpoises.

Local guides share natural history and responsible viewing practices while you keep cameras ready. This excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with departures planned to match sea and weather conditions.

Soak in Geosea baths, where naturally heated seawater overflows infinity pools perched above Húsavík’s cliffs. Gaze at views over Skjálfandi Bay as warm mineral water eases travel-weary muscles.

Changing rooms, bar service and quiet corners make this a restorative interlude between excursions. Entry is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to opening hours and availability.

Visit Goðafoss, the ‘Waterfall of the Gods’, where turquoise water fans over basalt, then continue to Lake Mývatn geothermal landscapes of lava pillars, hot springs and pseudocraters.

Guides explain active volcanism and birdlife adapted to these nutrient-rich shallows. This coach-based adventure is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with terrain and stops tailored to conditions.

Tour KHB Brugghús distillery to hear how small-batch spirits are crafted on Iceland’s remote east coast. Sample the storied local moonshine, Landi, alongside select beers and liqueurs.

Discuss ingredients, traditions and modern techniques with the team. This flavorful cultural experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; participants must meet the legal drinking age.

Ride the Fløibanen funicular to trailheads above the city for forest paths and panoramic city views across fjords and seven hills. Descend to stroll UNESCO-listed Bryggen with its colorful timber warehouses.

This guided extension is available after disembarkation as a Post-Programme. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour, ideal if you’re extending your stay in Bergen.

Explore the world’s northernmost town on foot and join a guided orientation along the colorful main street. Hear stories of life in this frontier community at the edge-of-the-wilderness setting, where Svalbard reindeer sometimes wander between galleries and cafés.

Step inside the Svalbard Museum for exhibits on Arctic mining heritage, polar exploration and wildlife. Fossils, trapper tools and poignant photographs add context to the stark beauty surrounding Longyearbyen.