Jewels of the Arctic

Having made your way to Oslo, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to yourgroup hotel. Upon arrival at your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect yourluggage cabin tags and to speak with our ground operations team, who may have information to share with youabout pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash or purchase lastminute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.Accommodation: The Clarion Hotel Oslo (or similar)

This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabinnumber. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the airport for our charter flight to Longyearbyen forembarkation. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. In Longyearbyen, explorethe town on a guided tour.After the tour, you will be transferred directly to the pier to embark in the late afternoon. Settle into your cabinbefore attending important safety briefings and enjoy the thrill of departure as we ‘throw the lines’ and set sail.Note: the excursion is contingent on the arrival time of our charter flight to Longyearbyen.

Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of our experienced Expedition Team, who have madecountless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary, choosing the best options based on theprevailing weather, sea-ice conditions and opportunities for wildlife encounters.Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales ofearly exploration. See walrus hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, we stretch our legs on walks acrosstundra carpeted in brightly coloured wildflowers. We visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins,and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies.If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have an opportunity to enjoy that activity whenconditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable,you will hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory you will savour for years to come.

Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of our experienced Expedition Team, who have madecountless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary, choosing the best options based on theprevailing weather, sea-ice conditions and opportunities for wildlife encounters.Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales ofearly exploration. See walrus hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, we stretch our legs on walks acrosstundra carpeted in brightly coloured wildflowers. We visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins,and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies.If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have an opportunity to enjoy that activity whenconditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable,you will hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory you will savour for years to come.

Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of our experienced Expedition Team, who have madecountless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary, choosing the best options based on theprevailing weather, sea-ice conditions and opportunities for wildlife encounters.Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales ofearly exploration. See walrus hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, we stretch our legs on walks acrosstundra carpeted in brightly coloured wildflowers. We visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins,and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies.If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have an opportunity to enjoy that activity whenconditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable,you will hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory you will savour for years to come.

The approach to Jan Mayen is spectacular. The huge 2,277-metre (7,470 foot) Beerenberg volcano is thenorthernmost active volcano in the world, and it last erupted in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great placeto look for whales and dolphins and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea. If the weather isfavourable, we will try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the eastcoast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to thisarea, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of theprevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiacexcursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery.Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), andglaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thulearchaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to theInuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, withapproximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandicsled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.We hope to explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit.Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacularplace that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Joseffjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords andsounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, thearea is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer,near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-leggedkittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.We will attempt to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countlessopportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. We hope to cruise throughKong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast ofLiverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 yearsago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways inthis area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of theelusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the eastcoast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to thisarea, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of theprevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiacexcursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery.Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), andglaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thulearchaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to theInuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, withapproximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandicsled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.We hope to explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit.Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacularplace that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Joseffjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords andsounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, thearea is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer,near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-leggedkittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.We will attempt to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countlessopportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. We hope to cruise throughKong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast ofLiverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 yearsago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways inthis area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of theelusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the eastcoast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to thisarea, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of theprevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiacexcursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery.Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), andglaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thulearchaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to theInuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, withapproximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandicsled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.We hope to explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit.Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacularplace that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Joseffjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords andsounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, thearea is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer,near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-leggedkittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.We will attempt to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countlessopportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. We hope to cruise throughKong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast ofLiverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 yearsago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways inthis area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of theelusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the eastcoast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to thisarea, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of theprevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiacexcursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery.Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), andglaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thulearchaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to theInuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, withapproximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandicsled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.We hope to explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit.Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacularplace that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Joseffjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords andsounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, thearea is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer,near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-leggedkittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.We will attempt to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countlessopportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. We hope to cruise throughKong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast ofLiverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 yearsago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways inthis area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of theelusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the eastcoast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to thisarea, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of theprevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiacexcursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery.Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), andglaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thulearchaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to theInuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, withapproximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandicsled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.We hope to explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit.Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacularplace that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Joseffjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords andsounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, thearea is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer,near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-leggedkittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.We will attempt to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countlessopportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. We hope to cruise throughKong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast ofLiverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 yearsago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways inthis area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of theelusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the eastcoast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to thisarea, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of theprevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiacexcursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery.Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), andglaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thulearchaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to theInuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, withapproximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandicsled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.We hope to explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit.Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacularplace that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Joseffjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords andsounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, thearea is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer,near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-leggedkittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.We will attempt to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countlessopportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. We hope to cruise throughKong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast ofLiverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 yearsago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways inthis area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of theelusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

Crossing the Denmark Strait to Iceland, search for whale blows and photograph the many seabirds that trail our shipin the ever-present arctic winds.

During the early morning, we cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell yourExpedition Team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys. Transfer to Keflavik airport.Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we recommend booking flights departing after 12.00 pm on the day ofdisembarkation in case there are delays.