The Explorer's Dream
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What do you say when people ask you about your last vacation? Would it not be nice to say that you spent 9 days in the arctic, with polar bears, foreign culture, ghost towns and luxury in an adventurous mix?
Now you have the chance. Join us in this long, breathtaking, and comfortably cold adventure, where we explore Spitsbergen, it’s culture, nature and wildlife with skilled guides and modern equipment. We will guide you through the highlights of Svalbard with no stress and warm nights, several days without cell phone connection or e-mails. We will explore and experience and if the weather is challenging we will endure and return back to civilization with new knowledge and spirit! |
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Program
Day 1;
The guide will greet you welcome at your hotel at 10 in the morning. The guide will give you a final briefing of our upcoming adventure before we head out to pick up our snowmobiles which are to take us to the Russian settlement «Barentsburg». On our way to Barentsburg we will enjoy our first expedition lunch outside.
When we arrive at Barentsburg we will check in at the hotel before we get to know the city and the inhabitants of the coal mining settlement and their stories.
We will have dinner at the restaurant and maybe we can visit the local brewery before we hit the beds.
Day 2;
Today we will be guided by the local russian tour operator and we might be able to see some of the places and houses that are parts of the coal mining industry.
During the afternoon we take our snowmobiles out to the russian helicopter base which used to be a closed settlement just outside Barentsburg. Rumours say that this was the town of the KGB during the cold war. We will also be able to check out the stunning view from the Robert mountain just above Barentsburg.
After an intriguing, but yet relaxed, day we spend our last night in the hotel in Barentsburg.
Day 3 and 4.
After enjoying a russian breakfast we check out and our expedition continues. We will spend most of this day in the Greenfjord area, where we among other things try to find the 65 million years old tracks of the dinosaurs who inhabitated Svalbard back in those days. We will need to have a little bit of luck and a little bit of climbing gear in order to find these tracks, but we will try!
When we are done climbing and exploring we head westwards towards Isfjord Radio, an old coastal radio station which has been transformed to the northernmost boutique hotel in the world. We will be greeted welcome by the staff and taken well care of during our next two days at this remarkable place.
At Isfjord Radio we will be able to try out the «Arctic Spa», which actually is Sauna followed by a short swimming session 200 meters away from the Sauna. Hat and socks are recommended, since we are to run to and from the beach with no shelter except our bathrobes (and a rifle).
The chef at Isfjord Radio is famous for his food and he serves many local ingredients mixed with exciting flavours and exclusive wine.
When waking up in the cosy and comfortable beds we can look forward to a slow breakfast with a stunning view. Our only goal today is to explore the western coast of Spitsbergen, with the contrast between the open blue sea on one side and the alpine mountains on the other side. We will end up in a bay which in English would be called «The Spring Sun Bay». This is a place where the migrating birds have their first stop when returning after a long dark winter. The possibilities for spotting the arctic fox will also be present here. On our way back or forth we will pass an ancient polar bear trap and a walrus haul out site, and if we are lucky these lazy animals will greet us both welcome and goodbye after a while.
Day 5 and 6
After a delicious and luxurious stay at Isfjord Radio we are now heading towards the East coast of Spitsbergen where we are to spend the next two days in a tent. The tent will be less comfortable than a hotel bed, but will still provide us a warm and sheltered place to eat and sleep in. We will have extra polar bear guards with us these two nights, but we are happy if you choose to step in and become a polar bear guard. All by yourself in the arctic light night you really get to feel the Arctic. Experience tells us that these hours alone in the arctic is something you as a guest will remember for the rest of your life.
These two days at the East coast will focus on exploration and experience the nature. We will follow the coastline and preferably the fast sea ice in our quest to experience the harsh environment where the Polar Bears feed, breed and eat during winter. There are of course no guarantee that we see any of these shy, but also curious animals, but if we do, it will be a bonus for us as visitors in the polar bears realm.
All meals are served inside the tent except for our expeditin lunch which we will have somewhere between ice floes or – bergs at the east coast.
Day 7 and 8
We are now leaving the east coast and will drive towards Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian settlement, which actually has an open hotel an spend the next two days in the areas around this settlement. We will be provided with a local russian guide who will follow us and give us access to various buildings in town, such as the cultural center, the swimming pool and maybe some other buildings.
This settlement is supposed to be one of the top 10 ghost cities in the world to visit, and we have now the chance to experience this city with no stress at all.
Breakfast, dinner and overnight stay at the Hotel Tulipan in Pyramiden
Day 9.
Today we are head back to Longyearbyen, and we will drive over glaciers, mountains, valleys and hopefully we will be able to find fast sea ice and we will return back in town in the afternoon. We will of course stop where the nature is at it’s best and fully enjoy the last days outside in the arctic.
Information
This trip is meant to fill the gap between mass tourism and extreme arctic expeditions. This trip will give you a mempry for life. We have a guide/guest ratio 1:1, which means that you will have personal service and will be in safe hands no matter what happens during these nine adventurous days!
Price; only on request
Departures; only on request - March/April/May
Included; transport to and from your hotel before/after the trip, all meals, wine package at the hotels, clothes to wear during the snowmobile trips, accomodation during the trip, safety equipment, fuel and SAR-insurance
Not included; Accomodation in Longyearbyen the days before and after the trip, personal travel insurance.
Day 1;
The guide will greet you welcome at your hotel at 10 in the morning. The guide will give you a final briefing of our upcoming adventure before we head out to pick up our snowmobiles which are to take us to the Russian settlement «Barentsburg». On our way to Barentsburg we will enjoy our first expedition lunch outside.
When we arrive at Barentsburg we will check in at the hotel before we get to know the city and the inhabitants of the coal mining settlement and their stories.
We will have dinner at the restaurant and maybe we can visit the local brewery before we hit the beds.
Day 2;
Today we will be guided by the local russian tour operator and we might be able to see some of the places and houses that are parts of the coal mining industry.
During the afternoon we take our snowmobiles out to the russian helicopter base which used to be a closed settlement just outside Barentsburg. Rumours say that this was the town of the KGB during the cold war. We will also be able to check out the stunning view from the Robert mountain just above Barentsburg.
After an intriguing, but yet relaxed, day we spend our last night in the hotel in Barentsburg.
Day 3 and 4.
After enjoying a russian breakfast we check out and our expedition continues. We will spend most of this day in the Greenfjord area, where we among other things try to find the 65 million years old tracks of the dinosaurs who inhabitated Svalbard back in those days. We will need to have a little bit of luck and a little bit of climbing gear in order to find these tracks, but we will try!
When we are done climbing and exploring we head westwards towards Isfjord Radio, an old coastal radio station which has been transformed to the northernmost boutique hotel in the world. We will be greeted welcome by the staff and taken well care of during our next two days at this remarkable place.
At Isfjord Radio we will be able to try out the «Arctic Spa», which actually is Sauna followed by a short swimming session 200 meters away from the Sauna. Hat and socks are recommended, since we are to run to and from the beach with no shelter except our bathrobes (and a rifle).
The chef at Isfjord Radio is famous for his food and he serves many local ingredients mixed with exciting flavours and exclusive wine.
When waking up in the cosy and comfortable beds we can look forward to a slow breakfast with a stunning view. Our only goal today is to explore the western coast of Spitsbergen, with the contrast between the open blue sea on one side and the alpine mountains on the other side. We will end up in a bay which in English would be called «The Spring Sun Bay». This is a place where the migrating birds have their first stop when returning after a long dark winter. The possibilities for spotting the arctic fox will also be present here. On our way back or forth we will pass an ancient polar bear trap and a walrus haul out site, and if we are lucky these lazy animals will greet us both welcome and goodbye after a while.
Day 5 and 6
After a delicious and luxurious stay at Isfjord Radio we are now heading towards the East coast of Spitsbergen where we are to spend the next two days in a tent. The tent will be less comfortable than a hotel bed, but will still provide us a warm and sheltered place to eat and sleep in. We will have extra polar bear guards with us these two nights, but we are happy if you choose to step in and become a polar bear guard. All by yourself in the arctic light night you really get to feel the Arctic. Experience tells us that these hours alone in the arctic is something you as a guest will remember for the rest of your life.
These two days at the East coast will focus on exploration and experience the nature. We will follow the coastline and preferably the fast sea ice in our quest to experience the harsh environment where the Polar Bears feed, breed and eat during winter. There are of course no guarantee that we see any of these shy, but also curious animals, but if we do, it will be a bonus for us as visitors in the polar bears realm.
All meals are served inside the tent except for our expeditin lunch which we will have somewhere between ice floes or – bergs at the east coast.
Day 7 and 8
We are now leaving the east coast and will drive towards Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian settlement, which actually has an open hotel an spend the next two days in the areas around this settlement. We will be provided with a local russian guide who will follow us and give us access to various buildings in town, such as the cultural center, the swimming pool and maybe some other buildings.
This settlement is supposed to be one of the top 10 ghost cities in the world to visit, and we have now the chance to experience this city with no stress at all.
Breakfast, dinner and overnight stay at the Hotel Tulipan in Pyramiden
Day 9.
Today we are head back to Longyearbyen, and we will drive over glaciers, mountains, valleys and hopefully we will be able to find fast sea ice and we will return back in town in the afternoon. We will of course stop where the nature is at it’s best and fully enjoy the last days outside in the arctic.
Information
This trip is meant to fill the gap between mass tourism and extreme arctic expeditions. This trip will give you a mempry for life. We have a guide/guest ratio 1:1, which means that you will have personal service and will be in safe hands no matter what happens during these nine adventurous days!
Price; only on request
Departures; only on request - March/April/May
Included; transport to and from your hotel before/after the trip, all meals, wine package at the hotels, clothes to wear during the snowmobile trips, accomodation during the trip, safety equipment, fuel and SAR-insurance
Not included; Accomodation in Longyearbyen the days before and after the trip, personal travel insurance.
