North Spitsbergen, Arctic Summer
Sail to some of the most remote locations in Northern Europe aboard the Rembrandt van Rijn
From: USD 3,300
A 8-day expedition cruise
6 Reviews
The Trip Highlights
Witness iconic Arctic wildlife
Observe breathtaking icebergs and glaciers
Explore Spitsbergen like few travelers do
Spot seals and whales in their natural habitats
Your Polartours 'Plus' Experience
Venture to one of the most remote locations of northern Europe
Observe a polar bear!
Your trip is 100% carbon offset
Polar experts to answer all your questions
Become a North Spitsbergen expert on this exploration cruise in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The Arctic will enchant you with its breathtaking scenery, snow-capped peaks and immense icebergs. Make the most of your trip aboard your Zodiac and venture to some of the most remote islands on the planet. See the beauty of Arctic wildlife up close and be the lucky person to see a polar bear in its natural habitat!
We compensate all 2.86 tons of CO2 that this trip will cause.
Your ship: Rembrandt van Rijn
Sailing vessel Rembrandt Van Rijn has a wonderful history. She was originally built as a herring lugger in 1947. In 1994 she was rebuilt as a three-masted passenger sailing schooner in the Netherlands. She then sailed in Spitsbergen between 1994 and 1996 and in the Galápagos from 1998 to 2001. She then underwent another complete rebuild and interior refurbishment before her relaunch in 2011. Her communication and navigation equipment has always been updated according to the latest SOLAS regulations. She is a well-traveled and beautiful intimate arctic cruise vessel.
An arctic cruise aboard … Read more about Rembrandt van Rijn
Amenities
Observation Deck
Zodiac Fleet
Food & Drinks
Three simple and tasty meals of international cuisine per day are served buffet style in the restaurant and prepared by our cook.
No dates selected
Day 1 • Your incredible Arctic adventure starts in Longyearbyen
In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage. In the evening you sail for Trygghamna, where you see the remains of a 17th-century English whaling station and 18th-century Pomor hunting station, both of which you can visit the next morning.
Isfjorden is the second-largest fjord in Svalbard at 66 miles long. An important anchorage and shelter from the earliest times of human habitation here, most of the largest settlements on Spitsbergen have grown up along its shore. The largest is Longyearbyen, that started as a mining town and is the transport hub for those flying in and out of Svalbard, and the Russian mining town of Barentsburg.
Another key attribute of this fjord is that it very rarely ices up, thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream that is able to enter the fjord from the west. This not only makes it attractive to human settlers, but also for the wildlife that can't feed under fast ice.
Zodiac trips over the calm waters are a highlight, exploring the glacier fronts, and landings to explore the tundra and the chance to visit some spectacular bird cliffs. Do bear in mind that many cruise ships spend less time in the fjord (often sailing out the first evening and doing landings and exploration of the are on the last full day).
Therefore, for those that spend some extra time in Longyearbyen, it is highly recommended to spend more time exploring the area around the town, and activities like dog sledging, and also to visit other parts of Isfjorden fjord system, from day tris to camping. If you did not visit it on the cruise (and quite a few chose not to), a real highlight is to visit to the eerie and disused Russian mining town of Pyramiden. It used to be the biggest settlement in Svalbard and it feels like it belongs in Siberia, having the most northerly bust of Lenin in the World!
Day 2 • Foxes, seabirds, and grazing reindeer
Alkhornet and Trygghamna
Isfjorden is the second-largest fjord in Svalbard at 66 miles long. An important anchorage and shelter from the earliest times of human habitation here, most of the largest settlements on Spitsbergen have grown up along its shore. The largest is Longyearbyen, that started as a mining town and is the transport hub for those flying in and out of Svalbard, and the Russian mining town of Barentsburg.
Another key attribute of this fjord is that it very rarely ices up, thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream that is able to enter the fjord from the west. This not only makes it attractive to human settlers, but also for the wildlife that can't feed under fast ice.
Zodiac trips over the calm waters are a highlight, exploring the glacier fronts, and landings to explore the tundra and the chance to visit some spectacular bird cliffs. Do bear in mind that many cruise ships spend less time in the fjord (often sailing out the first evening and doing landings and exploration of the are on the last full day).
Therefore, for those that spend some extra time in Longyearbyen, it is highly recommended to spend more time exploring the area around the town, and activities like dog sledging, and also to visit other parts of Isfjorden fjord system, from day tris to camping. If you did not visit it on the cruise (and quite a few chose not to), a real highlight is to visit to the eerie and disused Russian mining town of Pyramiden. It used to be the biggest settlement in Svalbard and it feels like it belongs in Siberia, having the most northerly bust of Lenin in the World!
Day 3-4 • Earth’s northernmost community
You head north for Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden. The landscape is likely to show signs of winter, the crags and slopes still blanketed with snow. Here there are great opportunities for snowshoeing and visiting historic sites: Ny London, where you can see the remains of early 20th-century marble mining, and Ny Ålesund, the northernmost community in the world. There are also research stations and the famous anchor mast of the dirigible Norge, which took the first flight across the North Pole to Nome, Alaska in 1926. Krossfjorden offers views of colossal glaciers and lofty mountain peaks, but ultimately the extent of fjord ice dictates the itinerary here.
A trip along the northwestern coast of Svalbard is always worth with the wildlife, the scenery, and the history. As far back as the 1600s his part of Svalbard was a huge center for whaling, including "Blubber Town" - with the main target being the oil-rich bowhead whale, the Arctic's only full-time resident baleen whale species.
The "town" of New Ålesund is on the shore of King's Bay ("Kongsfjorden") and well worth a visit. With a summer population of 120 and a hardy winter population of about 35, this is the most northerly permanent civilian settlement in the world. Originally the coal mining town of King's Bay, it played a key role in the history of arctic exploitation and exploration, especially flight.
Today it is at the center of Arctic and atmospheric research, and is one of the most northerly communities in the World. Don't miss the chance to send a postcard from the world's most northerly Post Office.
Day 5 • Walrus watching, seal seeing
Cutting south between the main island of Spitsbergen and Prins Karls Forland, you may encounter walruses at Poolepynten, a common haul-out site. You also have views of St. Johnsfjorden, near Gaffelbreen. The winter ice may not have loosened its grip on the water here, and seals (ringed and bearded) could be numerous in the area.
Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard Peninsula, and the only one to have a permanent population.
The southwestern part of Spitsbergen benefits from facing the warmer waters that the Gulf Stream carries into this part of the Greenland Sea. This means that the shores and waters here remain ice-free for much of the year except the coldest winter months. The one area that tends to retain 'fast ice' the longest (sea ice attached to the land) happens to be the most southerly fjord, Hornsund.
As well as a warmer arctic climate than many other places on the same latitude, Spitsbergen benefits from long months of the arctic "midnight sun", when the sun doesn't set at all between the 20th of April and the 22nd of August.
The combination of long daylight hours and a warmer climate means that Spitsbergen is a haven for birdlife with the chance to sail into the heart of this part of the island surrounded by glaciers, offering stunning and rugged vistas, with some amazing geology. There is tendency to try for landings in Bellsund, and combine landings and ship cruising and Zodiac cruises in Hornsund, with some impressive glacial fronts.
Day 6-7 • Wide tundra, tall mountains
You now double back into Isfjorden and venture to Ymerbukta. Here you find an vast tundra with its own bird wildlife, depending on the time of the year, as well as spectacular geological formations along the coast. Further northeast, near Ekmanfjorden, you have the chance for another hike. Common to this area are numerous glaciers near or in the sea. In Gipsvika you can go on shore near the cliff of Templet, a mountainous location of eroded sedimentary rock from the Upper Carboniferous period – around 290 million years ago.
Isfjorden is the second-largest fjord in Svalbard at 66 miles long. An important anchorage and shelter from the earliest times of human habitation here, most of the largest settlements on Spitsbergen have grown up along its shore. The largest is Longyearbyen, that started as a mining town and is the transport hub for those flying in and out of Svalbard, and the Russian mining town of Barentsburg.
Another key attribute of this fjord is that it very rarely ices up, thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream that is able to enter the fjord from the west. This not only makes it attractive to human settlers, but also for the wildlife that can't feed under fast ice.
Zodiac trips over the calm waters are a highlight, exploring the glacier fronts, and landings to explore the tundra and the chance to visit some spectacular bird cliffs. Do bear in mind that many cruise ships spend less time in the fjord (often sailing out the first evening and doing landings and exploration of the are on the last full day).
Therefore, for those that spend some extra time in Longyearbyen, it is highly recommended to spend more time exploring the area around the town, and activities like dog sledging, and also to visit other parts of Isfjorden fjord system, from day tris to camping. If you did not visit it on the cruise (and quite a few chose not to), a real highlight is to visit to the eerie and disused Russian mining town of Pyramiden. It used to be the biggest settlement in Svalbard and it feels like it belongs in Siberia, having the most northerly bust of Lenin in the World!
Day 8 • Your unforgettable Arctic cruise comes to an end in Longyearbyen
You disembark in Longyearbyen, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies .
Isfjorden is the second-largest fjord in Svalbard at 66 miles long. An important anchorage and shelter from the earliest times of human habitation here, most of the largest settlements on Spitsbergen have grown up along its shore. The largest is Longyearbyen, that started as a mining town and is the transport hub for those flying in and out of Svalbard, and the Russian mining town of Barentsburg.
Another key attribute of this fjord is that it very rarely ices up, thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream that is able to enter the fjord from the west. This not only makes it attractive to human settlers, but also for the wildlife that can't feed under fast ice.
Zodiac trips over the calm waters are a highlight, exploring the glacier fronts, and landings to explore the tundra and the chance to visit some spectacular bird cliffs. Do bear in mind that many cruise ships spend less time in the fjord (often sailing out the first evening and doing landings and exploration of the are on the last full day).
Therefore, for those that spend some extra time in Longyearbyen, it is highly recommended to spend more time exploring the area around the town, and activities like dog sledging, and also to visit other parts of Isfjorden fjord system, from day tris to camping. If you did not visit it on the cruise (and quite a few chose not to), a real highlight is to visit to the eerie and disused Russian mining town of Pyramiden. It used to be the biggest settlement in Svalbard and it feels like it belongs in Siberia, having the most northerly bust of Lenin in the World!
Reviews
Hans Peter Ulrich
20 days full of adventures - skilled crew and good company with fellow travellers. Pics says mor then 1000 words: see my selected fotos on https://hpulrich.ch/arktis/spitzbergen-groenland/ Thanks to everybody who makes this happen! (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)
Angela Wyse
My husband and I were on the Rembrandt Van Rijn cruise that left Longyearbyen on June 16, 2022. We wanted to send you a quick note to tell you what an incredible experience we had. In particular, we wanted to tell you how much we appreciated our guides Jordy and Fritz. They truly made our trip into something special that will remain with us for a long time. Fritz was incredibly knowledgeable about birds and even sparked in us a new interest in birding. Jordy had a great sense of humor and we learned so much from his almost uncanny knowledge of the geography, geology, and wildlife of Svalbard. He was also generous enough with his photography skills to make a trip log for us that we will treasure. We left the ship hoping that we will be able to have another polar adventure with Jordy and Fritz sometime soon! (copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)
Andrea Dehn
Thank you Oceanwide Expedition for this amazing tour on the Rembrandt van Rijn. A very welcoming captain (Joachim) and crew and experienced guides (Jan and Chloé) ensured us a great week. Our main wish was to meet Orca’s and Humpback Whales, searching and feeding the herring in the fjords of Troms and this has been fulfilled. We really recommend a tour like this because it is such a privilege to see these majestic animals in their natural habitat and to leave them likely undisturbed thanks to the considerate manoeuvres by the captain. We had everything the weather can provide in January, frozen rain, snow storm, heavy winds, and sun! Yes, we were the lucky folk who could say hello to the sunlight after a long wintertime period without daylight. But we had not really cleary nights, so The Northern Lights were easily visible in 2 nights. So we will come back! (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)
Ingrid Worman
Amazing trip, great sceneries and amazing wildlife encounters! Fantastic guides, loved it! (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)
Bill Francis
We've been waiting since 2020 to do this expedition and almost didn't make this one because of medical issues. I want to take special note of the Service Manager, Alfredo who went above and beyond in making us feel welcome aboard. Also kudos to the chef Khabir for his excellent variety of well prepared meals. Thanks also Captain Joachim for his safe guiding in these pristine waters. Thanks again for a special memory. Bill and Carla Francis (Copied from Oceanwide Expeditions)
