Price start from :
$
5,650
Contact Us
01 July 2025 - 10 Jul 2025
10 Days/9 Nights
Longyearbyen - Longyearbyen
Take a cruise around Spitsbergen and explore the icy waters of the North Atlantic. This special expedition offers you the chance to catch sight of whales, reindeer, Arctic foxes, walruses, seals, and the star attraction, the polar bear.
Description
All itineraries are for guidance only and may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings depend on site availability, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations.
You touch down in Longyearbyen, the main town of Spitsbergen. Explore this former mining town with attractions like the parish church and Svalbard Museum. In the evening, the ship sets sail, possibly spotting minke whales in Isfjorden.
Exploring Krossfjorden
Traveling north along the west coast, you reach Krossfjorden by morning. Here, you might take a Zodiac cruise near the Fourteenth of July Glacier. On the slopes, you can see colorful flowers and nesting birds. Watch for Arctic foxes and seals in the fjord.
In the afternoon, you sail to Ny Ålesund, a research center and the northernmost settlement on Earth. Visit the breeding grounds of geese and Arctic terns, and see the anchoring mast used by explorers Amundsen and Nobile.
The Massive Glacier
Depending on the weather, you may sail into Liefdefjorden to see the Monaco Glacier. The waters here are a feeding ground for kittiwakes and a hunting area for polar bears. If ice blocks the way, you can take an alternate route along the west coast.
Seven Islands Stop
Reach the northernmost point of your cruise at the Seven Islands, 540 miles from the North Pole. You may see polar bears and spend hours among the pack ice. In August, you might spend a second day here, or in July, visit Sorgfjord to see walruses and the graves of 17th-century whalers.
Hinlopen Highlights
Sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to seals and polar bears. You might spot blue whales at the entrance. Take a Zodiac cruise among the ice floes and visit bird cliffs with thousands of birds. Land on the east side to see reindeer, geese, and walruses, and explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet.
Barentsøya’s Bounties
Plan landings in Freemansundet, unless polar bears are present. Potential stops include Sundneset, Kapp Waldburg, and Rindedalen for tundra walks. You might cruise to Diskobukta or Kapp Lee to see walruses, Pomor ruins, and hike along Edgeøya.
Pointed Mountains
Explore the side fjords of the Hornsund area in southern Spitsbergen. See peaks like Hornsundtind and Bautaen. There are 14 glaciers here and chances to spot seals, beluga whales, and polar bears.
Bell Sund’s Flora, Fauna, and History
In Bell Sund, one of the largest fjord systems in Svalbard, enjoy lush vegetation and wildlife. Visit Ahlstrandhalvøya to see beluga skeletons or explore the side fjords to see reindeer and breeding little auks.
Journey's End
Your adventure ends as you disembark in Longyearbyen, taking home unforgettable memories of your expedition.
Highlights You Might Experience
Blue Whale
Barnacle Goose
Beluga Whale
Arctic Skua
Arctic Fox
Arctic Tern
Black Guillemot
Atlantic puffin
Bowhead Whale
Brunnics Guillemot Guillemot
Fulmar
Fin Whale
Bearded Seal
Glaucous Gull
Grey Phalarope
Hooded Seal
Ivory Gull
Harp Seal
King Eider
Killer Whale
Humpback Whale
Kittiwake
Little Auk
Northern Bottlenose Whale
Minke Whale
Pink-footed Goose
Polar Bear
Long-tailed Skua
Ringed Seal
Ptarmigan
Sperm Whale
Walrus
White-Beaked Dolphin
Svalbard reindeer
Cabins and Pricing
Quadruple Porthole
2 upper & lower berths
Complete Cabin
USD
22600 Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sharing Cabin
USD
5650 Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Triple Porthole
1 upper berth & 2 lower berths
Complete Cabin
USD
21000 Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sharing Cabin
USD
7000 Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Twin Porthole
2 lower berths
Complete Cabin
USD
16400 Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single Cabin
USD
13940 Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing Cabin
USD
8200 Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Twin Window
2 lower berths
Complete Cabin
USD
17700 Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single Cabin
USD
15045 Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing Cabin
USD
8850 Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Twin Deluxe
2 lower berths
Complete Cabin
USD
19000 Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single Cabin
USD
16150 Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing Cabin
USD
9500 Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Superior
1 double bed, 1 sofa bed
Complete Cabin
USD
21300 Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sharing Cabin
USD
10650 Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Map
IMPORTANT
EXCLUDED
INCLUDED
- Flights to the embarkation point and from the disembarkation point.
- Pre- and post- land arrangements.
- Passport and visa expenses.
- Meals ashore.
- Personal health Insurance for Medical, Accident and Repatriation/Evacuating.
- All personal expenses, including but not limited to laundry services, bar beverages, and excess internet usage charges.
- The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
- Voyage aboard the indicated vessel
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
- Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
- Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen.
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
- AECO fees and governmental taxes.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material.
FAQ
Can I access any digital reading material while on board?
- Yes, we offer an app called PressReader that gives you access to a number of magazines and periodicals while you're on board. Simply connect to the ship's Wi-Fi, use the QR code or link to access the app, and enjoy reading.
How much cash per person should we bring?
- We advise that you bring as little cash as possible. You can pay the bill at the end of your expedition with a credit card while still on board. You might need some cash for purchases during excursions, but most places also accept payment with credit cards. For tipping the crew and expedition team, however, we prefer that you use cash.
Will I be able to change currency on board?
- No, you are not able to change currency on board.
What forms of payment do you accept when making a reservation?
- We accept payment via bank transfer, Wise or credit card (Mastercard and Visa). When paying with a credit card, we have to pass on a credit card fee.
What is the time in Svalbard?
- Spitsbergen uses CET/Greenwich Mean Time +1 (GMT +1). This means that if it is 22:00 GMT (10 p.m.) during your cruise to Spitsbergen, it would be 16:00 (4 p.m.) in New York City, USA, 21:00 (9 p.m.) in London, U.K. and 09:00 (9 a.m.) the next morning in the Antarctic South Pole.
What is the best time to travel to Spitsbergen?
- This depends on what you want to experience at Spitsbergen. In case you want to experience the Polar night or the Aurora Borealis, November to February is the best time to travel to Spitsbergen. Do you want to see the midnight sun and enjoy boat trips, kayaking or hiking? Then the best time to visit Spitsbergen is around May until September. This is the summer period of Spitsbergen.
How many cabins are there on the Plancius?
- There are in total 50 cabins at the Plancius: 4 quadruple cabins with private toilet and shower 9 twin porthole cabins 25 twin cabins with window 2 twin deluxe cabins (ca 15 square meters) 10 superior cabins (ca 21 square meters)
How many people can travel on board the Plancius?
- There is place for 116 passengers aboard the Plancius. Furthermore there are 45 staff & crew on board : 17 nautical crew, 19 hotel staff (6 chefs, 1 hotel manager, 1 steward-barman and 11 stewards/cabin cleaners), 7 or 8 expedition staff and 1 doctor on board.
❮
❯
You May Also Like
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Alpine Peaks of Spitsbergen, Ski & Sail
08 May 2025 - 15 May 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 3.750 per person
% Save up to $ 110
Arctic
Vlissingen
Vlissingen to Aberdeen
29 May 2025 - 31 May 2025 3 Days / 2 Nights
From $ 200 per person
Arctic
Vlissingen
19 Days Extensive Arctic Ocean - North Spitsbergen Explorer
29 May 2025 - 16 Jun 2025 19 Days / 18 Nights
From $ 4.550 per person
Arctic
Vlissingen
Arctic Ocean - Aberdeen, Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding
29 May 2025 - 09 Jun 2025 12 Days / 11 Nights
From $ 1.950 per person
% Save up to $ 2.150
Arctic
Aberdeen
Arctic Ocean - Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding
31 May 2025 - 09 Jun 2025 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 1.750 per person
Arctic
Aberdeen
17 Days Extensive Arctic Ocean - North Spitsbergen Explorer
31 May 2025 - 16 Jun 2025 17 Days / 16 Nights
From $ 4.350 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife
03 Jun 2025 - 10 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer
08 Jun 2025 - 18 Jun 2025 11 Days / 10 Nights
From $ 5.350 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Polar Bears, Bowhead Whales & more
10 Jun 2025 - 17 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Into the pack ice - Polar Bear Special
12 Jun 2025 - 19 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Versatile landscapes, sea ice & wildlife - Summer Solstice
16 Jun 2025 - 23 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer - Summer Solstice
18 Jun 2025 - 28 Jun 2025 11 Days / 10 Nights
From $ 5.350 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Explorer - Into the pack ice - Summer Solstice - Polar Bear Special
19 Jun 2025 - 26 Jun 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Basecamp - Free kayaking, Hiking, Photo Workshop, Cleaning the Shores
26 Jun 2025 - 03 Jul 2025 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.300 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Around Spitsbergen, In the realm of Polar Bear & Ice
30 Jun 2025 - 09 Jul 2025 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.650 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Around Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet
14 Aug 2025 - 23 Aug 2025 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.650 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis, Including Long Hikes
23 Aug 2025 - 05 Sep 2025 14 Days / 13 Nights
From $ 7.450 per person
Arctic
Vlissingen
North Sea - Vlissingen to Aberdeen
25 May 2026 - 27 May 2026 3 Days / 2 Nights
From $ 300 per person
Arctic
Aberdeen
Arctic Ocean - Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice Edge, Spitsbergen, Birding
27 May 2026 - 05 Jun 2026 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 3.050 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen - Arctic Spring , Hike & Sail
29 May 2026 - 05 Jun 2026 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 3.950 per person
% Save up to $ 3.200
Arctic
Keflavik
Arctic Ocean – Northwest Iceland - Pack Ice – Grimsey – Jan Mayen – Ice Edge – Spitsbergen
29 May 2026 - 13 Jun 2026 16 Days / 15 Nights
From $ 5.760 per person
% Save up to $ 5.190
Arctic
Keflavik
22 Days Extensive Arctic Ocean – Northwest Iceland - Spitsbergen Explorer
29 May 2026 - 20 Jun 2026 23 Days / 22 Nights
From $ 9.320 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen - Arctic Spring , Birding Special
05 Jun 2026 - 15 Jun 2026 11 Days / 10 Nights
From $ 5.600 per person
Arctic
Akureyri
Arctic Ocean - Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding
05 Jun 2026 - 13 Jun 2026 9 Days / 8 Nights
From $ 2.750 per person
Arctic
Aberdeen
Arctic Ocean - Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, Ice edge, Spitsbergen, Birding - Summer Solstice
12 Jun 2026 - 21 Jun 2026 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 3.050 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen Basecamp – Summer Solstice - Free Kayaking, Hiking, Photo Workshop, Diving (supplemented)
19 Jun 2026 - 26 Jun 2026 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.450 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen - Arctic Summer
25 Jun 2026 - 05 Jul 2026 11 Days / 10 Nights
From $ 5.600 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
East Spitsbergen - Home of the Polar Bear, Including Long Hikes & Cleaning the Shores
26 Jun 2026 - 03 Jul 2026 8 Days / 7 Nights
From $ 4.450 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
North Spitsbergen - In Pursuit of the Bowhead Whale
28 Jun 2026 - 07 Jul 2026 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.900 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland, Fly & Sail
12 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2026 20 Days / 19 Nights
From $ 9.350 per person
Arctic
Longyearbyen
Around Spitsbergen incl. Nordaustlandet
17 Aug 2026 - 26 Aug 2026 10 Days / 9 Nights
From $ 5.900 per person
Blog
Blog
Eight Engaging Reindeer Facts
When we think about reindeer, we might also think of Saami herders or the holidays or teams of these beloved Arctic animals pulling a bell-covered sleigh across the nighttime sky. Only the first of these options, however, is something you're likely to encounter on an Arctic expedition cruise - and that's only in Northern Norway.
Blog
15 Toothy Facts About the Atlantic Walrus
The walrus is one of the most recognizable animals on the planet, and for good reason. Try sneaking into a cinema with those tusks!
Blog
What’s so Special about East Spitsbergen?
We’ve previously discussed our north Spitsbergen journeys and Spitsbergen circumnavigations, but the eastern parts of this incredible island have not received the attention they deserve. Despite the name, our east Spitsbergen voyages explore much more than just the eastern side of Spitsbergen.
Blog
Birding Opportunities Abound in Spitsbergen
Seabirds are the most prevalent type of bird in Spitsbergen. Experts have estimated that there are 164 bird species that have been found throughout Spitsbergen at various points during recent history, but only 30 of them are known to turn to the Svalbard Islands as their primary breeding spot.
Blog
Spitsbergen: a true polar bear trip
On the third day of our Svalbard cruise, we navigated through the sea ice north of Spitsbergen. The morning greeted us with fog and fragmented ice, but conditions gradually improved. A swarm of black-legged kittiwakes trailed behind us, as our ship stirred the waters, pushing aside ice floes to reveal the tiny dark polar cod beneath.
Blog
10 Tips for Photographing the Northern Lights
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, offer some of the most breathtaking photographic opportunities in the Arctic. However, capturing this stunning phenomenon requires more than just luck. To take your best northern lights photos, it's helpful to understand some key aspects of aurora-specific photography.
Blog
The Pack Ice and Polar Bears of North Spitsbergen
The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is renowned for being one of the prime locations to observe polar bears. The largest island in this region, Spitsbergen, not only offers sightings of these majestic Arctic creatures but also provides a unique opportunity to experience the phenomenon of pack ice.
Blog
The Arctic Borderland of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Kongsfjorden is a glacial fjord in Svalbard that hosts a diverse array of flora and fauna.
Blog
Polar Bear Sets Impressive New Diving Record
According to polar bear experts Rinie van Meurs and Dr. Ian Stirling, the new record for polar bear diving is an astounding three minutes and 10 seconds. Unless this particular polar bear has an unusually large lung capacity, we can now safely assume that these creatures have the ability to remain underwater for an extended period of time.
Blog
Polar bear feast
The polar bear was relishing his meal; the snow and his face were turning red from the blood. As we observed him eating, our own stomachs began to grumble. It was time for lunch.
Blog
Arctic Icon: 10 Facts about the Polar Bear
Polar bears are to the Arctic what penguins are to Antarctica.
Blog
8 Scientific Wonders of the Arctic
The Arctic’s frozen landscape not only contains scenic gems, it also prompts fascinating advances in research. Here are some of the eight best.
Blog
The Ins, Outs, and Ups of Polar Mountaineering & Ski Mountaineering
Traveling to the polar regions, whether to the Arctic or Antarctica, is an adventure almost no matter what you do.
Blog
Solargraphy & Pin Hole photography in the Arctic
Blog
“The polar bear will still be there”
For several hours, we had been navigating the pack ice in search of polar bears. Despite numerous binoculars scanning the ice, no bears were visible, and only a few tracks were found. This suggested we might be in an area with fewer bears. Later that morning, we decided to head a few miles east, suspecting a higher bear population there.
Blog
The Enchanting Islands of Svalbard
Svalbard is an Arctic archipelago situated between the North Pole and the Norwegian mainland, offering visitors some of the most stunning wildlife and landscapes in the world. Here we explore seven of the most visited Svalbard islands, highlighting the many wonders that draw people back year after year.
Blog
Svalbard’s 12 Most Iconic Animals
Each of our Arctic regions offers its own distinct and unforgettable features: Greenland boasts mountainous shorelines and record-setting fjords, Northern Norway is renowned for the aurora borealis and historic masted schooners, and Svalbard (especially Spitsbergen) is where you're most likely to encounter a variety of Arctic wildlife.
Blog
Arctic Foxes: Constant Gardeners of the Arctic
Given how widespread their habitat is, it is little wonder that Arctic foxes are one of the animals we most often see during our Greenland and Svalbard expeditions. The Arctic fox is a circumpolar species whose feeding grounds include North America, Eurasia, even Iceland, ranging from nearly the North Pole all the way down to the sub-Arctic islands.
Blog
Where the Polar Bears Roam
Going to the Arctic without clapping eyes on a wild polar bear can be reasonably compared to visiting Africa without seeing a giraffe or a zebra or, most analogously, a lion.
Blog
16 Conversation-Starting Svalbard Facts
It might seem odd that an icy, snowy, bear-packed cluster of islands at the edge of the world could be such a hotspot (so to speak) of outdoor tourism.