Spitsbergen activity holiday
As a part of our efforts to be climate neutral, there will be an additional climate investment charge of NOK 250 per guest.
This is donated in its entirety to forestry project in Masai Mara, Kenya.
Description of Spitsbergen activity holiday
This five day Spitsbergen activity holiday transports you to the Nordenskiöld glacier, 90 km from Longyearbyen. It’s a place that, in summer, can only be reached by boat; a place that’s well off any familiar route, where you can enjoy a unique Arctic break.
Your base is the Nordenskiöld Lodge, hidden beneath the Nordenskiöld glacier on the shores of an icy fjord. It accommodates just 10 guests at a time and sits right in front of the glacier, so there are fantastic views directly from the lodge porch. You can be sitting with a coffee and watch the glacier calving. The Lodge has no electricity or running water, and in this sense is a real expedition lodge, but it boasts plenty of modern comforts, too, including indoor toilets, a sauna and comfy beds.
This activity holiday includes kayaking, glacier walking (the ice is beautifully blue!), trekking and simply soaking up the unique Arctic scenery and silence. As we head back to Longyearbyen on the last day of the trip, we stop off to visit the now disused Russian settlement of Pyramiden. It was abandoned in 1998, but in recent years many of its buildings have been opened up again for visitors to explore. There is lots of fascinating history here and it’s well worth a visit.
Throughout this five day holiday, you can spot all kinds of Arctic wildlife. During summer, as we travel by boat from Longyearbyen, you might see whales, foxes, hatching birds and even the giant of the Arctic – the polar bear. Depending on the weather, we use an open RIB or a closed, larger vessel for the journey to and from Longyearbyen.
Price information
As a part of our efforts to be climate neutral, there will be an additional climate investment charge of NOK 250 per guest.
This is donated in its entirety to forestry project in Masai Mara, Kenya.
Check dates
Leader interview
Travel guides
Responsible Travel
Planet
Wildlife:Meeting polarbears when travelling to Spitsbergen is one of the highlights. It’s not only a dangerous predator, but also vulnerable and illegal to hunt. In the area around Nordenskiold Lodge you may see the polar bear hunt for seals, even in summer time. The polar bears have adjusted the lack of sea ice, and keep in this area even when it is no ice. We follow the philosophy that we as humans are visitors to the Arctic, this is polarbear land and we adjust to them instead of the other way around. That means that we take our safety precautions, and we do not disturb the polar bear unless it is for safety reasons.
Transport:
Our boats are equipped with energy saving propels, and we use led free fuel. During the days at Nordenskiold Lodge, we do not use motorized transport at all, but use our feet on the glaier and in the area around, in adittion to kayaking. A guaranteed close to nature experience!
People
Friends and neighbours:We use local restaurants for food catering on this trip.
We also visit Pyramiden on our way, the Russian settlement which was abandoned in the mid 90’s. Today it is open for visitors and you get a tour around the small city, visiting the cultural house, library and a few of the houses.
A fair deal:
We employ staff with the aim to avoid short-term contracts and season work. Seaons in Spitsbergen are very different with different level of activity. Over the past years we have more staff in fixed, long-term contracts, for a more sustainable company and destination. Our guides have annual training and education to ensure quality, motivation and safety for the guests. Glaciers in particular is important on this trip, the glaciers change every year and good knowledge is therefore a must. We educate our guides and hosts with this in mind. The company also have possibility for staff to apply for education support paid from the company.
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