Svalbard and Greenland Summer Micro Cruise

To get the most from a Secret Atlas expedition, it’s important to be stable on your feet and able to undertake short hikes. But there’s no requirement to undertake any given activity, and we usually split into two groups: those who want to go to the top of the hill, and those who’d prefer a more leisurely stroll at the bottom (or a Zodiac cruise!).

This Svalbard and East Greenland expedition starts in Longyearbyen, Svalbard where you will board your Secret Atlas micro expedition vessel.

This Svalbard and East Greenland expedition ends in Akureyri, Iceland where you will disembark. Akureyri has an international airport and there are transport options to Reykjavík.

Unlike larger vessels with higher passenger capacities, our voyages are personal and unique in their approach. Travelling with a small group of guests means more time exploring, more flexibility, and less time waiting to board Zodiacs and go ashore.

Our small expedition vessels will get you closer to nature and more immersed in the landscape than larger ships, offering you a more transportative and transformative experience with no crowds or queuing.

Guests are not permitted to use drones during the expedition. In any case a drone is being used during your expedition, it will be for professional use only by a member of the Secret Atlas team with the required permissions.

Limitations are in place to protect the wildlife we encounter. Often, it is not possible to get up-close to the wildlife we see. For more information, check out the ‘Visitor Guidelines’.

It’s how we see the world. 

• Genuinely small group sizes at both poles, for the most intimate and transformative experience

• Expedition leaders and guides with decades of polar experience and hundreds of expeditions between them

• No queueing for Zodiac cruises and shore landings

• Itineraries that evolve to maximise opportunities presented by ice, wildlife, and weather.

• Comfortable accommodations, where the real luxury is the freedom and time to explore

 We call our pioneering way of exploring the Expedition Micro Cruise. It forms the basis of all our adventures, including our photography expeditions and private charters.

Svalbard is an untamed Arctic wilderness, and on every expedition, we encounter different wildlife. In our opinion, it’s the best place in the High Arctic to see wildlife. 

The chances of encountering wildlife are very high, and on previous Svalbard and Spitsbergen cruises, we have seen walruses, Arctic foxes, whales, polar bears, Svalbard reindeer, and a variety of birdlife. 

The distinctive and dignified musk ox is commonly sighted during Expedition Micro Cruises to Greenland. Polar bears roam these lands, but sightings are not guaranteed – after all, they have plenty of habitat to explore on the world’s biggest island! 

Narwhals are another iconic Greenland sight, though the “unicorn of the sea” can be elusive. Far easier to spot are the large seal population and a great breadth of Arctic birds, including puffins, guillemots, and kittiwakes.