Svalbard Adventure with M/S Quest

Day 1: Longyearbyen, Svalbard

We arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to our hotel.

Day 2 - 8: Expedition cruising

Explore Longyearbyen on your own before meeting up your fellow expedition members and guides for lunch. In the afternoon we board the expedition ship and sail out through Isfjorden - our Arctic expedition has started! We are now in a part of the world where we are completely dependent on the ice and weather conditions. Our exact itinerary depends on these factors and on the wildlife we encounter. Our aim is to head out on Zodiacs cruises every day and also to go ashore when the opportunity arises. Here are some examples of places we may visit:

Prins Karls Forland

This narrow strip of land is covered by a magnificent and snow-covered mountain chain. The island is also home to many seabirds and harbour seals.

Virgohamna, Danskøya

Danskøya was the starting point for two of the most daring attempts to reach the North Pole. The Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon and American journalist Wellman started with an airship. Interesting remnants of these Arctic expeditions can still be seen here.

Fantastic fjords

Svalbard offers the visitor countless spectacular fjords. During our journey we will explore a some of them such as: Liefdefjorden, meaning “The fjord of love”, is lined with snow-covered mountain peaks and here we hope to cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest in the area and if we are lucky we may see the rare king eider. In Krossfjorden we enjoy in the beautifully sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier and are greeted by the large numbers of kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots nesting on the nearby cliffs. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty – dominated by magnificent glaciers. It is also a favourite spot of seals and the bird cliffs are abuzz with activity. Kongsfjorden is home to the scientific village of Ny-Ålesund. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile set out on their heroic expeditions to the North Pole.

Sjuøyane

These islands are situated north of Nordaustlandet and it is Svalbard’s northernmost outpost. On one of the islands, Rossøya, Andrée and his companions had one of their depots with supplies in case their, by now legendary, balloon trip in the late 1800s would fail.

North Spitsbergen

North of Spitsbergen, we may come across the edge of the pack ice. Not many ships venture here and we can marvel at the silence and grandeur of this icy landscape. We keep an eye out for the iconic Arctic wildlife.

Southwest Spitsbergen

The grand fjords of Hornsund offer spectacular glaciers and a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain peaks, often rising above the clouds. On a clear day you can see the summit of the highest mountain, Hornsundtind, at 1431 metres. Hornsund is a favourite haunt of some of Svalbard’s polar bears and bearded seals can often be seen resting on the fjord ice.

Day 9: Longyearbyen

Early morning we disembark our expedition ship and begin our journey back home.

Please note: All itineraries are for guidance only. Our exact route will depend on the ice, weather conditions, wildlife and government regulations. The places mentioned are just examples of some of the many sites Svalbard has to offer. We always strive to maximise your experience. Please remember that flexibility is the key to a successful expedition!

Environmental Regulations

To ensure responsible tourism and protection of the environment, new regulations came into force in Svalbard on 1 January 2025. Read more about the regulations and PolarQuest's comments about these changes.