Arriving into the High Arctic airport of Longyearbyen, you will be met by our team and transferred to your basecamp lodge for dinner and a good night’s sleep. The next morning after a hearty breakfast you will transfer to our expedition logistics base. Here you will meet your guide team, learn about the forthcoming days adventures and receive a full safety briefing. You will then be kitted up in polar clothing, repack your kit and equipment and be transferred to the port to board your private ice-breaking expedition vessel. From here you will experience a multi-night sailing adventure into the wildlife rich ocean habitat of Western Svalbard.

After a home cooked breakfast you will be transferred with all your kit to our expedition base to meet your guide team. Here you will get kitted up and repack and receive a full safety briefing before you begin the next leg of your expedition. A short hop by 4x4 to the port and you will board your expedition vessel and head off along the fjord to open ocean.

For the next few hours you will motor approximately fifty nautical miles towards a stunning colony of huge walrus. After lunch you will transfer to the shale beach and observe your guide interacting with the hareem of walrus and the great bulls. This is without doubt a world-class wildlife spectacle. On re-boarding your vessel, drinks and dinner will be served.

For the next week you will slip into a wonderfully varied routine - a sound night’s sleep followed by fresh coffee and a delicious homecooked breakfast, then a range of activities ranging from a snow-machine excursion, snow-shoe adventure, zodiac inflatable cruise or a morning spent on the bridge spotting polar bear tracks in the summer pack ice.

The crew and skipper of your vessel will be on constant alert for polar bear activity and the further north you go the more likely good sightings will be. On board lunch will be served at 1pm and then a siesta can be enjoyed, or a quiet time with a good novel before a full afternoon of activities before hot showers, drinks and dinner. Due to the ever-present summer sunlight at this time of year we will have zero restrictions to wildlife sightings. Some days we will enjoy a packed lunch out in a remote fjord, other days we might be shielding from a passing squall in a sheltered cove. Each day brings with it the promise of a new adventure. Just about any wilderness activity can be catered for and traditionally we discuss your preference for the coming day over a whisky the night before. This is a most civilised expedition! 

Your last two days will be spent exploring glaciers and mountain passes as we sail south again. For your final evening we transfer you to a luxurious hotel where a piping hot sauna, 3-course dinner and a great night’s rest in this rustic Arctic lodge awaits.

After a good breakfast you will cruise along the fjords passing through beautiful scenery towards Longyearbyen. Once back in town you repack at our expedition base, have a light lunch and the chance to do a bit of shopping in the various boutiques and then transfer back to the airport for last farewells and your homeward flights.

As an artist who works in nature I have been exploring Arctic Svalbard for more than 15 years. I am drawn to the high Arctic with the lunar quality of the landscape, the endless summer light, the thrill of discovering fresh polar bear tracks in virgin snow and viewing the magnificent polar bear roaming free on the ice pack.

There is a freedom to travelling by expedition vessel, far beyond the limits of the regular tourist zone, with the ability to cut a swathe through virgin ice pack, to deploy snow machines and kayaks, the feeling of being totally self-sufficient yet enjoying relative comfort and warmth and the luxury of having your meals prepared by your excellent expedition chef. This is a high Arctic expedition in the old-school style.

I have ground-truthed this unique, action-packed, multi-day, ocean-based adventure with my team of expert polar logistics guides to ensure over your week with us you will not only cover some incredibly scenic nautical miles but will experience an authentic glimpse into the world of the walrus and ice bear - all this in the company of a world class natural history filming team who live and work here all year round. You will truly unplug from civilisation and experience the finest Svalbard has to offer in the company of true polar experts in both comfort and style.

TALK TO OLLY ABOUT THIS TRIP