Svalbard cruises

The Svalbard cruising season runs from late April to late September or early October, each month offering its own unique charm. Before April, sea ice locks much of the coastline, making many areas inaccessible. After September, daylight hours dwindle as winter begins to set in.

April and Early May
In the early season, Svalbard is blanketed in snow, transforming the archipelago into a pristine, frozen paradise—perfect for landscape photography. The dramatic contrast of ice, snow, and early light creates a dream setting for capturing the Arctic’s raw beauty.

Mid-May to Late June
As 24-hour daylight arrives, the sea ice along Svalbard’s northern coastline begins to recede, allowing cruises to explore further north. The endless daylight not only enhances the experience of the Arctic wilderness but also makes this the prime time for wildlife enthusiasts, with excellent opportunities to spot polar bears, walruses, and bird colonies.

July and August
Summer takes hold in July and August, with the retreat of sea ice enabling most cruises to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s largest island. This period is perfect for adventurers seeking to explore the archipelago’s full breadth, from its fjords and glaciers to its tundra landscapes and wildlife.

September
As autumn approaches, Svalbard transforms again. The sun dips lower in the sky, creating extended golden hours with stunning, elongated sunrises and sunsets. September is a photographer’s dream, offering dramatic light and a quieter, more serene Arctic experience.

All our expedition cruises depart from Longyearbyen, the main settlement on Svalbard. Longyearbyen is easily reached by daily flights from Oslo in Norway, making it one of the easiest destinations to reach in the High Arctic.

• LONGYEARBYEN TRAVEL GUIDE

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.

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 time ashore.

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

Non-expedition cruises on regular cruise ships don’t offer shore landings and often only visit Longyearbyen, which means they miss out on lots of the adventure. The average cruise ship doing non-expedition cruises takes 2000 passengers.

A number of companies offer Svalbard expedition cruises with landings on larger vessels. The average number of passengers these ships take is over 200. In our opinion, that is too many people to be landing at sensitive places in the Arctic at one time.

Many companies advertise small ship cruises to Svalbard, but their definition of a ‘small ship’ varies and can range from 250 guests down to 12. The difference between travelling with 250 guests and 36 or 12 guests is huge. Our Expedition Micro Cruises to Svalbard are the way they should be: intimate and low-impact.

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. 

A big part of the adventure of an expedition cruise to Svalbard is to spend time exploring the wilderness, meaning every expedition is different. 

Our route is decided on the day of boarding and is chosen by the expedition leader and the captain, in line with the prevailing weather and ice conditions. Their aim is to ensure that you see the very best that Svalbard has to offer.

On a typical cruise, you can expect daily shore landings to visit sites of historical and natural interest and to undertake short wilderness hikes. 

Svalbard has over 2000 glaciers and we aim to visit at least one calving glacier face, which is an incredible, unforgettable sight. On some cruises, if conditions allow, we will attempt to visit the edge of the sea ice.

We visit known wildlife sites, including beaches where walruses haul out, areas where polar bears are frequently sighted, and cliffs where migratory birds breed in their millions.

Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream on Svalbard’s climate, it is warmer during the summer than most people would imagine. A summer’s day rarely feels colder than the temperatures experienced in Northern Europe during the winter – you may be out hiking in only a base layer.

The temperature varies hugely depending on the month you travel, with the months of July and August offering the warmest temperatures. 

Average highs:

April -9°C,

May -3 °C

June +3°C

July +7°C

August +6°C

September +1°C

Our Svalbard expeditions are suitable for the vast majority of people and we aim to make them as accessible as possible. 

We ask that our guests have a good level of mobility, as it is a requirement that you can safely step down from the vessel into the landing craft and then exit the landing craft onto land. 

Due to the remote areas we visit and the distance from medical assistance, we advise that you have a reasonable level of fitness and are in good health. 

During shore landings, we have two guides, which enables us to split the group if we have some keen hikers and some other guests who want to keep things leisurely.

We don’t have any age restrictions on our expeditions and we pride ourselves on having diverse guests from all over the world, united by a passion for exploring. 

In the past we have had young professionals eager to explore, through to middle-aged solo travellers looking for their next adventure and retirees looking to see Svalbard in a more in-depth way. Our Svalbard expeditions are friendly and inclusive for all our guests.

Yes, you can. Every year we welcome solo travellers on board, where you will find a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

We offer accommodation options for single cabins or sharing a cabin with travellers of the same gender.

That’s a great question and one we want to answer honestly.

Our Svalbard cruise vessels don’t burn heavy fuels, which are particularly detrimental to the environment, and run on standard marine diesel. 

During our cruises, we follow very strict guidelines as set out by AECO (Association Of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators) to ensure minimal impact on the wildlife and places we visit. This includes following strict rules about not disturbing wildlife in its natural habitat. 

We employ highly experienced expedition leaders to run our expeditions in accordance with the rules and safety code laid out by AECO. 

We are proud members of 1% for the Planet, pledging to donate at least 1% of our annual revenue to charitable causes that benefit our world. 

In addition, we support the Yachts for Science initiative, regularly taking scientists and researchers on our expedition vessels, giving them the transport and space they need to complete their important work.

We believe that working with local communities is a big part of responsible tourism and hire locally wherever possible. 

For more information on our commitment to the planet and what we’re doing to make our expeditions as responsible as possible, head to Our impact.