Poseidon Expeditions - your polar cruise operator

Arctic / British Isles, Jan Mayen & Svalbard / Three Pearls of the Arctic
British Isles, Jan Mayen & Svalbard map route

British Isles, Jan Mayen & Svalbard

Three Pearls of the Arctic

GET 3000 USD OFF*

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

Reykjavik (Iceland)

Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen)

M/v Sea Spirit
114 Passengers

13 days

Sea Kayaking 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
Request a quote
Crossing the Arctic Circle
27 May - 8 Jun 2025
13 Photography SUPER EARLY BIRD SAVINGS US$ 6 795
US$ 5 776
per person
Request a quote

Itinerary

Day 1: Reykjavík, Iceland

Welcome to Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland and starting point of our expedition. After arriving via scheduled commercial flight service, you are free to explore this fascinating city. Reykjavík is home to a wealth of cultural institutions including museums, galleries, and the Hallgrímskirkja church. Leisure possibilities inside the city include parks, gardens, and thermal baths. You can also take advantage of Reykjavík’s wide range of shopping possibilities, excellent dining options, and famous nightlife. Your hotel for the night has been arranged by us and is included in the price of the voyage.

Day 2: Embarkation in Reykjavík

In the afternoon, we welcome you aboard the luxury expedition ship M/V Sea Spirit. Explore the ship and get comfortable in your home away from home for the extraordinary adventure to come. Savor the anticipation of your Arctic dreams coming true as we slip our moorings and sail out of the harbor.

Day 3: Westfjords, Iceland

Our expedition day in the Westfjords area reveals the rare beauty of the part of Iceland where mass tourism disappears — only about 10% of Iceland’s visitors ever see the region. Taking advantage of every weather favorable condition, we choose the best places to discover breathtaking coastal fjords, jagged bird cliffs, and tiny fishing villages embracing traditional ways of life.

Day 4: Grimsey Island, Iceland

The tiny island of Grimsey lies exactly on the Arctic Circle. Grimsey is remarkable for majestic basalt rocks and bird colonies where one can see the Atlantic puffins, known also as the "clowns of the sea".

Day 5: Jan Mayen Island

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 6: At sea

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

Day 7-12: 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.

Human habitation in this area can be found only at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world’s most northerly settlements, complete with museum, gift shop, and post office.

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;
  • Group transfer to the ship on day of embarkation;
  • 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;
  • Emergency Evacuation Insurance to a maximum benefit of USD 150,000 per person.

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;
  • Staff gratuities.

Expedition Leader

/

Christian Bruttel

Christian, originally from Germany, is an experienced Arctic expedition leader living in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. His passions for climbing, hiking, kayaking, and long-distance bike riding have taken him around the world.

Special guests

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Filip Kulisev

Famous wildlife photographer

Philip Kulisev is a famous photographer of the wild nature. Recognized as the Master of QEP (the highest qualification of professional photographers), the best landscape photographer in Europe in 2012 by the version of Golden Camera, the owner of the highest qualification according to the British Institute of Professional Photographers.

Photos made by Philip on the cruise will be exhibited at his personal exhibition in Monaco. The exhibition will be held in autumn 2018 under the aegis of the Charity Fund of Prince Albert II of Monaco. The official opening will take place with the personal participation of Prince Monaco.


/

Joanna Kafarowski, PhD

Geographer, Writer

Joanna has worked extensively with Indigenous women in the Arctic and has a passion for the North. She has a strong interest in women in polar history and is the author of “The Polar Adventures of a Rich American Dame A Life of Louise Arner Boyd" (Dundurn Press, 2017) and editor of "Gender, Culture and Northern Fisheries" (Canadian Circumpolar Institute, 2009). She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of the Society of Woman Geographers.

Adventure options

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Kayaking fee $655 - A$885 - £505 - €625

Sea Kayak Club is typically offered on voyages that include High Arctic destinations such as Greenland, Svalbard (Spitsbergen), Franz Josef Land, or a combination of these thrilling places. Experience calving glaciers in Svalbard, cathedral-like icebergs in Greenland, or labyrinthine expanses of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, all from our sturdy and stealthy sea kayaks. Join us for an unscripted kayaking adventure as we explore rugged coastlines and remote waters that very few people have ever paddled.

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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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