Hurtigruten's Expedition Across the Arctic Sea 2018

HURTIGRUTEN VOYAGE 2018

This Hurtigruten voyage on board MS Spitsbergen takes you from Bergen in the south of Norway, heading north along Norway's spectacular coastline to the North Cape, before sailing via Bjørnøya to the remote and mysterious island of Spitsbergen - home of the polar bear.

Day 1 - Embarkation in Bergen :

Location : Bergen

Before you check in, explore the charming port and Hanseatic city of Bergen. Stroll through the narrow medieval streets of the UNESCO-listed Bryggen quarter, visit the Hanseatic Museum or stroll among the stalls at the fish market. Take the funicular railway 320m up Mount Fløyen, located just outside the city, and you'll enjoy the best view of Bergen and its fjords. In the evening your Hurtigruten voyage sets off through the Hjeltefjord, following in the wake of the Vikings who sailed from here to the Shetland Islands and beyond.

Day 2 - Ålesund and Geirangerfjord :

Location : Dalsfjord.

At approximately 60 km long Dalsfjord is located in the "Land of Waterfalls" in the Norwegian Sogn-og Fjordane, in the Sunnfjord region. Here you can expect a breathtaking natural landscape with waterfalls, rivers, lakes, mountains and valleys. You will sail deep into the Dalsfjord, and far in, you will arrive at the scenic village of Bygstad. Go ashore here to explore this little fjord community with its historic church, see the waterfalls and perhaps do some shopping or visit the local café.

Day 3 - Island fishing village :

Location : Grip.

The archipelago of Grip lies 14 km off the mainland coast. The abandoned fishing village Gripholmen was settled in the 1400s and was once Norway's smallest municipality with a couple of hundred inhabitants. The Grip lighthouse, at 47-meter tall is one of the tallest lighthouses in Norway. It was built between 1885 and 1888 on the 7-meter high islet of Bratthårskollen, north of Gripholmen. Today, Gripholmen is a beloved summer holiday retreat. A multitude of colourful houses and an old stave church welcome you to this unique place.

Day 4 - A Famous Landmark :

Location : Coast of Helgeland.

Enjoy a closer look at the "Torghatten" - the famous mountain with a massive hole eroded right through it, located on the coast of Helgeland. This beautiful landmark has a fascinating geological history, not to mention being a source of local legend. Legend tells us that it was the Horseman's arrow (Hestmannen is the Norwegian name of the mountain) that created the hole, whereas geologists have ascertained that it was ice erosion that carved out the impressive hole. Even better, it is relatively easy to walk through the hole, which rewards you with superb panoramic views of hundreds of small islands and majestic mountains. Go ashore, explore the island or make the hike up to the mountain to walk through the hole.

Day 5 - Crossing the Arctic Circle:

Location : Træna and Vikingen.

Visit Træna, fairy-tale kingdom of islands, skerries and mountains: perhaps the most distinctive of all the island communities off the Norwegian coast. One of the smallest districts in Norway with more than 1000 islets, rocks and skerries and less than 500 inhabitants, situated on the Polar Circle. Later you might have the chance to go ashore on the island of Vikingen, where you will find the statue representing the actual border of the Arctic Circle and enjoy an "Arctic ceremony".

Day 6 - The stunning beauty of Lofoten :

Location : Lofoten Islands.

On Norway’s Lofoten Islands thirty minutes east of Svolvær is the picturesque fishing village of Henningsvær. This charming fishing village with Mount Vågakallen as the highest point has the most well-preserved architecture of the traditional Norwegian villages as well as a stunning natural location. The settlement is located off the coast of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago. Later that day you will sail through the Raftsundet strait before entering the magnificent Trollfjord. Surrounded by mountains that stretch up to 1,200 meters above sea level, this narrow fjord slices deeply and dramatically into these mountains. MS Spitsbergen navigates carefully far along the Trollfjord, where mountain walls rise directly out of the sea. Enjoy sailing into this pristine channel which at times is so narrow that it feels as though you can reach out and touch the side of the fjord.

Day 7 - An Arctic paradise :

Location : Sommarøy.

Sommarøy is an archipelago of small islands with white, sandy beaches and a lively fishing community. Here, you can visit the local museum, king’s park, handicraft society, art studio, church and of course the legendary Kaillkråa. As it is mostly the women who do all the grocery shopping, the men are left in the Kaillkråa, where they each have a hook with their name above on which their coffee cups hang! Here there is a choice from a variety of excursions like hikes and kayaking, or you can take this opportunity to visit Tromsø. This lively small city is known as the Gateway to the Arctic. The colourful downtown area is rich in polar history, and it is beautifully situated, surrounded by the dramatic Lyngen Alps, blue fjords and hundreds of island.

Day 8 - Northernmost Point in Europe :

Location : North Cape.

There's a place in the far north, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Arctic Ocean and their frigid waters mix. This is the North Cape – in Western Finnmark, Northern Norway. Here, the only dry land between you and the North Pole is the Svalbard archipelago, and the summer sun doesn't set between the middle of May and the end of July. Over the past centuries, adventurers, royalty and expeditions have set the North Cape plateau as their goal. At the northern edge of mainland Europe, overlooking steep cliffs and watching the eternal horizon is a feeling that cannot be fully described. Join an optional excursion here - either by foot or bus. Alternatively, visit Skarsvåg, said to be the world's northernmost fishing village or Gjesvær, an old fishing village with history that goes back to the Viking Age. As the ship continues sailing further north, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the cape from the sea.

Day 9 - Bjørnøya - Millions of Birds :

Location : Bjørnøya.

Bjørnøya (Bear Island) is the southernmost of the Svalbard group of islands, situated in the Arctic Ocean between the Norwegian mainland and Spitsbergen. This 178 square kilometres island is rarely visited, but has a fascinating history and geology and an abundant bird life. Only nine people live here forming a crew appointed and sent to the island by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The island is thought to have the largest concentration of sea birds on the Northern Hemisphere. Around the southern tip, the overhanging cliffs with stacks off shore represent an extremely important breeding habitat for seabirds. This is the northern limit for some auk species, for example. One of the reasons for this being such a avian hot-spot is that this is where cold water from the Arctic Ocean meets warm Gulf Stream currents, forming part of the global marine conveyor belt system. In the convergence of waters of different salinity and temperature, there are often optimal feeding grounds for sea birds. This is also the place to measure concentrations of pollutants in species high in the food chain.

Day 10 - Arctic Wilderness :

Location : South Spitsbergen National Park, Hornsund.

The most beautiful fjord in Spitsbergen, this relatively small fjord in South Spitsbergen National Park is a place that has a long tradition in Hurtigruten history. The old Hurtigruten steamer D/S Lyngen had scheduled stops here to serve trappers. This used to be a stronghold for the hardy folk that concentrated on Polar bear hunting, lasting up until 1973, when Polar bear hunting was prohibited in all Arctic countries. An exemption was granted to indigenous peoples that had a thousand year old tradition to refer to. The landscape of Hornsund is largely alpine with the majestic Hornsundtinden soaring highest of all. Another very special mountain is Bautaen or in English; the Obelisk, which, seen from the right angle looks like a giant Viking sword.

Day 11 - At 78° 55' N :

Location : Ny-Ålesund and Longyearbyen.

As the MS Spitsbergen sails into the Kongsfjord, you will find one of only four permanent settlements on Svalbard: the old coal-mining town of Ny-Ålesund, one of the northernmost settlements in the world. This was the starting point for many expeditions to the North Pole, with names like Amundsen, Ellsworth and Nobile strongly linked to this place. Even today you can see the mast that the airship 'Norge' was moored to before her departure on the first trans-polar flight. Some countries run their own national research stations here, and there is always plenty of research activity taking place during the summer months. You will also sail into the Isfjord, the most extensive fjord system on Svalbard, on your way to Longyearbyen.

Day 12 - Flying South :

Location : Longyearbyen.

You arrive in Longyearbyen at night, and transfer to the airport for your night flight to Oslo, arriving there early in the morning. You can either fly back home, or spend some time to explore the Norwegian capital before returning home.

DEPARTURES 2018 :

19th May.

Expedition Across the Arctic Sea 2018

 

PLEASE NOTE:

• All prices are shown in £s per person.
• All planned landings are subject to weather and ice conditions. All itineraries are subject to change.

The price you pay for your cabin will depend on when you book. Early bookers will get the 'from' price. As the cabins get booked up, the price will rise towards the 'to' price, which is the highest fare that you will pay. It is strongly advised to book early to get the best fare.

Add a Flight Package. Price from £408 per person

Your Flight Package price includes :

• • Flights in economy class from London to Bergen and from Oslo to London.
• • Transfer airport to ship in Bergen.

Extra nights in Bergen and Oslo can be booked. Prices on request.