Arctic Discoveries in Spitsbergen

DAY 1 | Paris > Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen)

Private flight from Paris in the morning to the capital of the archipelago. Excursion and free time in the city. Navigation in the Isfjord.

DAY 2 | Cross Bay and Magdalena Bay

Visit the July 14 Glacier and its bay inhabited by reindeer, foxes, birds, and seals. Explore the Lilliehook Glacier, a 7-kilometer-long ice front. Cruise along the coast of the Seven Glaciers, passing by fjords that carve into Prince Albert I Land. Midnight navigation in Magdalena Bay, surrounded by breathtaking alpine peaks and ice.

DAY 3 and 4 | Monaco Glacier and Ice Floe

Explore the Monaco Glacier, named in honor of Prince Albert I, featuring a magnificent ice front and large icebergs. In the evening, sail towards Moffen Island (whales, walruses, polar bears?), beyond 80° North. During our journeys through the ice floe, we will search for polar bears, whales, and seals, navigating between the large ice plates that shape this otherworldly environment.

DAY 5 and 6 | Hinlopen Strait and Northeast Land (?)

Explore Hinlopen Fjord (depending on ice conditions) in Northeast Land, with its large glacial caps. Witness the largest bird colony in the archipelago, nested in the rugged basalt cliffs. Depending on the sea ice conditions, we will navigate through the sea ice to discover the islands and spectacular fjords in the North and West of the archipelago, carved by peaks and glaciers, earning the archipelago its name ‘Spitsbergen’.

DAY 7 | Smeerenburg Fjord

Le fjord de Hinlopen (selon les glaces), en Terre du Nord-Est, avec ses grandes calottes glaciaires. Grande colonie d’oiseaux, la plus spectaculaire de l’archipel, nichée dans les falaises déchiquetées de basaltes. Selon les conditions de banquise nous naviguerons dans la glace de mer où nous partirons à la découverte des îles et des fjords spectaculaires du Nord et de l’Ouest de l’archipel, découpés par les pics et glaciers et qui ont valu à l’archipel le nom de «Spitzberg».

JOUR 7 | Fjord de Smeerenbourg

The fjord of 17th-century whalers and the starting point for major polar expeditions. The glacier front plunges into the sea, and its mountains are intricately carved by frost. Walruses and seals are frequently spotted. Explore the vast colonies of guillemots.

DAY 8 | King’s Bay

The peaks of the Three Crowns dominate this superb bay rich in exceptional history. Several receding glaciers calve their large icebergs into the bay. Explore the botanical site of Ossian Sars, where reindeer and Arctic foxes are regulars beneath bird colonies.

DAY 9 | Longyearbyen

Free time and transfer to the airport for the return flight. (Private flight to Paris)

©Photos-Grands Espaces

THE OCEAN NOVA

The polar ship par excellence

✔ Only 70 to 75 passengers

✔ Unparalleled polar experience in the Arctic and Antarctica

✔ 8 Zodiacs on board and nine French-speaking expedition guides for a true university of the Far North

✔ A panoramic lounge and conference room that enhances the reputation of the ship

With a length of 73 meters and a width of 11 meters, a draft of 4 meters, it has an ice class A1-B1 and is served by a crew of 38. This robust polar vessel offers remarkable comfort, combining efficiency and elegance, along with the exceptional expertise of Grands Espaces, thus providing the hallmark of exploration cruises for 72 privileged passengers. It features a wide gangway for easy access to the Zodiacs.

The ship is equipped with facilities that far exceed environmental regulations, allowing it to reduce its ecological impact: state-of-the-art smoke filters, on-board waste treatment, propulsion solely using light fuel, which is less polluting, and engines enabling the lowest consumption per passenger. This consumption also leads to complete carbon offsetting, making this ship carbon neutral.