Poseidon Expeditions - your polar cruise operator

Arctic / British Isles, Jan Mayen & Svalbard / From the Highlands to the High Arctic
British Isles, Jan Mayen & Svalbard map route

British Isles, Jan Mayen & Svalbard

From the Highlands to the High Arctic


SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: X1,3

Sorry, the date of the cruise has expired. Please see the next date in our brochure.

May 20, Edinburgh (Scotland)

May 31, Longyearbyen (Svalbard)

M/v Sea Spirit
114 Passengers

13 days

12 days

Photography

Dates days Activities Special Offers Rates from
Crossing the Arctic Circle
29 May - 10 Jun 2024
13 Photography Last Minute Deal US$ 6 895
US$ 4 482
per person
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Crossing the Arctic Circle
27 May - 8 Jun 2025
13 Photography SUPER EARLY BIRD SAVINGS US$ 6 795
US$ 5 776
per person
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Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Edinburgh, Scotland (hotel night)

Welcome to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and starting point of our expedition. To provide you with more time to enjoy this metropolis rich in history and culture, we’ve arranged pre-cruise hotel accommodations near the city center. Relax and take a stroll through town, enjoying both medieval and classic 18th-century architecture. The famous Edinburgh Castle rises majestically above it all.

Day 2: Welcome Aboard!

Enjoy the morning and early afternoon at leisure. Each corner of Edinburgh’s old streets opens beautiful unexpected vistas of green hills or a blue flash of the distant sea. In the afternoon, you will be transferred from the hotel to the ship in the nearby Port of Leith. Before dinner, there’s time to explore the Sea Spirit, your home-away-from home for the next nine days.

Day 3: Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

Kirkwall is a small, quiet town, with a gentle pace of life. The town is the capital of the remote and amazing Orkney archipelago. Kirkwall is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in 1046. Such a long history has left a rich heritage that we explore today. The most famous are the sandstone St Magnus Cathedral, considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland, the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace.

Included tour “Ancient treasures of Orkney with St Magnus Cathedral.” Depart Kirkwall and head into the west of Mainland, Orkney’s largest island. This tour passes through the gentle rolling landscape of Orkney and into the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney; an area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its wealth of pre-historic archaeology. Passing the Standing Stones of Stenness, we will stop at the Ring of Brodgar; a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5000 years. We then continue on to the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae, beautifully interpreted in the visitor centre. See the remarkable dwellings revealed from beneath the sand dunes by storms only 150 years ago.

Hear some of the stories from your guide today en route back to Kirkwall. Once back in the island capital we will take a tour of St Magnus Cathedral, built by the Vikings during their 500 year reign over the islands.

Day 4: Fair Isle, Shetland Islands

Fair Isle is a real paradise for birdwatchers. Huge number of birds inhabits the lush grasslands and spectacular cliffs. Over 345 species have been recorded here – more than anywhere else in Britain. During our walk across the island, we hope to see northern fulmars, kittiwakes, northern gannets, puffins, and great and arctic skuas.

Day 5: Torshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark

National Geographic Traveler had designated Faroe Islands as “authentic, unspoiled and likely to remain so”. It seems that the Nature spares no colours in “painting” the islands. Deep-green hills, bright blue sea, colourful houses and boats, orange- red puffins’ beaks make the sceneries unforgettable. We stop at the capital of the Faroes —Torshavn.

Included tour “Kirkjubøur.” During the Middle Ages, Kirkjubøur was the ecclesiastical and cultural centre of the Faroes. Here was the Bishop’s residence until the Reformation, when the Faroese diocese was abolished. The imposing ruin of Saint Magnus Cathedral still dominates the site. Construction of the Cathedral is thought to have begun in the late-thirteenth century, as the style of the building is from the best period of Gothic architecture, common to West Norwegian church building of that time. Tradition has it that it was never finished; yet recent research has revealed that it was probably roofed at one time. The Roykstovan, standing on the wide, stone foundation of a portion of the Bishop’s palace, has been the home of the farmers in Kirkjubøur for centuries and occupied by the same Faroese family for 17 generations.

Covered with a traditional turf roof, it is a large building made of logs, which are said to have come drifting all the way from Norway some 700 years ago. The farmhouse interior reflects the lifestyle of a large Faroese farm. On our way to and from Kirkjubøur, we have a magnificent view to the west of the islands of Koltur, Hestur, Sandoy, and Vágar.

Day 6: At sea

Presentations and workshops by our expert staff, as well as our range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. Seabird viewing and whale sightings can be enjoyed from panoramic open decks as well as exterior stateroom windows and balconies.

Day 7: Jan Mayen

Jan Mayen hosts the landscapes of breathtaking beauty and northernmost subaerial active volcano on the planet – the Beerenberg. The island is wild and uninhabited not including members of Norwegian weather station. The signboard at the entrance door says (translated from the Norwegian): “Theory is when you understand everything but nothing works. Practice is when everything works but nobody understands why. On this station, we combine theory and practice in a way that nothing works and nobody understands why”. Northern fulmars, Kittiwakes, and Brünich’s guillemots breeding on steep cliffs and slopes represent the birdlife of Jan Mayen.

Day 8: At sea

The lectures of our invited speakers prepare us for meeting with the unique Arctic wildlife and awesome landscapes of Svalbard.

Day 9-12: Exploring Svalbard

This is a real expedition in a true High Arctic wilderness. As such, our route and exploration opportunities here are heavily dependent on the weather and sea ice conditions we encounter. Our experienced captain and expedition leader decide the itinerary and continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant. You can be sure that the best possible advantage will be taken of the circumstances presented to us by Nature in this wild and remote corner of the Arctic.
Polar bears and other quintessential Arctic wildlife can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and around Svalbard. We exploit every opportunity to experience excellent wildlife viewing, to discover incredible scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of the historic polar expeditions that came before us.

We anticipate exploring the spectacular fjords, coasts, and islands in the western part of Svalbard. This area contains the archipelago’s most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities. Deep fjords and narrow channels are flanked by jagged snowy mountain peaks. Immense tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into turquoise waters. Fields of flowering tundra are home to grazing reindeer and playful Arctic fox. Bountiful inshore and offshore waters are home to walrus and a wide variety of whales. The whole area is alive with migratory birds, including numerous rare species, taking advantage of summer’s fecundity in 24-hour daylight.

To complete the Arctic experience we also explore places rich with history. Our area of exploration contains the historical remnants of whaling camps, coal mining operations, trappers’ cabins, staging areas for historic attempts to discover the North Pole, and even an abandoned polar research station. The days are filled with memorable excursions, sumptuous meals, presentations by our experts, and enough stunning scenery and wildlife to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions.

Day 13: Disembarkation in Longyearbyen, Svalbard

After breakfast we say farewell in the town of Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Norwegian territory of Svalbard. We provide a transfer to the airport or to the town center if you wish to spend more time here. In this case, be sure to see the excellent Svalbard Museum and take advantage of quality shopping and dining opportunities in this fascinating Arctic settlement.

Important:

Itinerary, landings and all other activities during the cruise depend strongly on ice and weather conditions and are subject to the decisions of the Expedition Leader and the Captain of the vessel. Encounters with any mentioned wildlife cannot be guaranteed.

Rates Include:

  • 1 pre-voyage hotel night in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Edinburgh;
  • Group transfer to the ship on day 2;
  • Shipboard accommodation;
  • All meals on board throughout the voyage;
  • Tea and coffee station 24 hours daily;
  • All scheduled landings/excursions (subject to weather and ice conditions);
  • Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader & Expedition Team;
  • Branded Poseidon Expeditions parka;
  • Rubber boots for shore landings for the time of the cruise;
  • Welcome and Farewell cocktails;
  • All port fees;
  • Group transfer to airport or central location upon disembarkation;
  • Pre-departure materials;
  • Digital Voyage Log;
  • Wi-Fi on board.

Rates Do Not Include:

  • Airfare;
  • Visa and passport fees (if applicable);
  • Luggage and trip cancellation insurance;
  • Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages other than those for special events and celebrations;
  • Personal expenses such as laundry and telecommunication charges;
  • Tips for the local guides and drivers;
  • Emergency evacuation insurance to a minimum coverage of US$ 200,000 per person;
  • The cost of any applicable medical tests (such as COVID-19) or vaccinations required either by a national government or Poseidon Expeditions before, during or after the cruise;
  • Staff gratuities.

Special guests

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Moshe Agami

Lecturer

Moshe is a Professor of Botany (ret.) from Tel Aviv University, Israel. He has published books and many research articles in international journals of botany and ecology. He held the position of Director of the Botanical Gardens in Tel Aviv University for 13 years. He gives lectures on phytogeography, ecology, and adaptations of plants to different environmental conditions, climatology and vegetation life zones on earth, etc. Moshe has substantial knowledge of wild plants (and animals too) and ecology, from 1972 he has exposed thousands of accompanying nature lovers to nature's wonders on more than 200 excursions and voyages across 7 continents. Guiding in expeditions in the Russian Far East, including Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka, Chukotka and Wrangle Island. He guided around Melanesia to Papua New Guinea, The Solomon’s and Vanuatu. Moshe has also guided in Antarctica, South Georgia and Falkland Islands as well as the Subantarctic Islands and the Ross Sea, Greenland, the Galapagos Islands, Svalbard, Seychelles (including Aldabra), etc.


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Yaara Agami

Lecturer

An experienced and passionate journalist, formally the Foreign Affairs correspondent of GLZ, the most popular radio station in Israel, and the Editor in Chief of its foreign news magazine. She is writing comprehensive nature and history articles for Ynet, the most viewed Israeli news website, and giving lectures on the history of Asia, Europe, Africa and the North Pole. Interviewed Prime Ministers, Senators, Nobel prize winners, leading scientists, etc. An Expedition Leader to Seychelles and Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean and a nature tours guide to the Galapagos, Ecuador and Tanzania. Traveled to more than 30 countries including Kamchatka and Wrangel in the Russian Far East, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Japan, China, Nepal, Turkey, Namibia, Lapland, etc. UWC International College graduate in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Adventure options

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Free option

The Polar Regions are perhaps the most photogenic on earth, with countless beautiful scenes presenting themselves every day. Endless expanses of ice, beaches crowded with seals or penguins, sunsets over unbroken horizons, starlit skies, and even the majestic northern lights – they all present fantastic photographic opportunities – and in order to make sure that you come home with some spectacular images we offer you the chance to learn and practice your photography alongside an experienced professional.

Our expert Photographer will be on hand to answer your questions and give advice, both in the form of on-board lectures and workshops on shore. Explore the key elements of photography in a fun and relaxed setting, with plenty of opportunities for questions and feedback. Learn how to see light in a new way and experiment with the techniques of composition and framing.


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