Svalbard: A Polar Bear Quest

Svalbard: A Polar Bear Quest

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Svalbard: A Polar Bear Quest

12 Days Starting in Norway and ending in Spitsbergen

Visiting: Arctic, Norway

Tour operator:

Exodus Adventure Travels

Tour code:

ZVZ

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

60 - 120

Physical rating:

Leisurely / Moderate

Age range:

17 to 99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Adventure Tours

Interests:

Polar, Wildlife Tours

Tour Overview

For majestic beauty and untamed wilderness, few places can rival the Svalbard Archipelago. The long days of summer allow for ample time to discover the abundant wildlife and stark natural beauty of the High Arctic as you explore during Zodiac cruises, by kayak, and on foot.

Highlights

  • Photograph dramatic landscapes, including chiseled fjords, glittering glaciers, and lush tundra blazing with purple saxifrage and moss campion.

  • Discover hundreds of thousands of breeding seabirds, including kittiwakes, guillemots, dovekies, puffins, and rare ivory gulls.

  • Explore by Zodiac, kayak, and on foot to fully appreciate the varied landscapes of this wild, nearly uninhabited realm.

  • Enjoy opportunities for extended exploration during the long summer days of nearly continuous daylight.

  • Search for the Svalbard Archipelago’s legendary wildlife: seals, walrus, whales, Arctic foxes, reindeer, and our ultimate goal—polar bears.

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Arrive in Oslo and transfer to our hotel.

Meals Included: dinner


Arrive in Oslo and transfer to our hotel. Lunch and the remainder of the day
are at leisure to enjoy this fascinating and colorful city on your own.
Gather this evening for a welcome reception followed by dinner and overnight
at the /Radisson Blu Airport Hotel./

*Accommodation*: Radisson Blu Airport Hotel

Day 2 : Transfer to the airport and board our private charter flight to Longyearbyen.

Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner


This morning, transfer to the airport and board our private charter flight to
Longyearbyen. Enjoy some free time to explore this Arctic mining town and
capital of Svalbard; the brightly colored buildings house a variety of small
shops and restaurants, as well as the Svalbard Museum. Embark the /Ocean
Adventurer/ in the late afternoon.

*Accommodation*: The Ocean Adventurer

Day 3-11

Meals Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner


Spend nine days exploring the rugged coastline, spectacular narrow fjords,
and offshore islands of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard
Archipelago. The primary goal is to locate wildlife, which is found here in
abundance during the short summer season. Many varieties of seabirds nest in
great profusion along the steep cliffs surrounding the islands. In addition
to walrus haul-outs, bearded, ringed, and harp seals can be seen basking on
ice floes. Our team of experts will also keep an eye out for polar bears. The
nature of polar expeditions requires flexibility regarding the daily schedule
of activities, and landings may be dependent on weather, tide, and ice
conditions. Though specific stops are not guaranteed, the following are
places visited on past expeditions:

*Fjortende Julibreen* - Named after the French Bastille Day (July 14 Glacier)
by Prince Albert I of Monaco, this 10-mile-long glacier reaches more than 100
feet above sea level at its highest point. This is a wonderful opportunity
for photography, with the blue-white glacier surrounded by dark, imposing
mountains. The nearby cliffs are also prime breeding grounds for thick-billed
murres and puffins. With luck, experience the drama of calving ice as it
falls from the glacier wall into the surrounding water.

*Amsterdamøya Island* – Go ashore to explore the remains of the
16th-century Dutch whaling station of Smeerenburg. Among the ruins you will
find whale oil-cemented sands marked the sites of the blubber ovens which
rendered down the whale catch and a memorial erected in 1906. This historic
site honors the whalers who lost their lives in the 17th and 18th centuries
while working in extreme Arctic conditions.

*Phippsoya Island* - At the far northern edge of the Svalbard Archipelago,
Phippsoya Island boasts a classic High Arctic environment—a barren, rocky
landscape with some coastal plains, but otherwise mountainous, with steep
slopes. The lowlands support mostly lichens and mosses, some of which are
quite colorful, and small patches of Svalbard poppy and saxifrage are
scattered among the jumble of rocks. This area is known as a popular haul-out
for walrus, though sightings of these lumbering giants are never guaranteed.
They often create quite a rowdy scene, as each walrus vies for a choice spot
of coastline. There are also small colonies of seabirds including Atlantic
puffins, dovekies, and rare ivory gulls.

*Hinlopen Strait* - Glaciers, chiseled fjords, and icebergs hallmark this
desolate and exquisitely beautiful region. Board Zodiacs to watch for, and
photograph, bearded, harp, and ringed seals.

*Alkefjellet* - These impressive, sheer basalt cliffs are a haven for
breeding seabirds. Tens of thousands of thick-billed murres (Brünnich’s
guillemots) raise their young here, as well as glaucous gulls and kittiwakes.
Keep an eye out for opportunistic Arctic foxes hunting for eggs at the base
of the cliffs.

*Accommodation*: The Ocean Adventurer

Day 12

Meals Included: breakfast


Disembark this morning in Longyearbyen. Transfer to the airport for your
group charter flight to Oslo and connect with your independent homeward
flight.

What's Included

  • Gift certificates for recommended expedition gear

  • Medical expense coverage and emergency evacuation insurance

  • World-class lecture and expedition team

show more

What's Not Included

  • Airport arrival and departure taxes

  • Items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages (other than listed above), and other incidentals

  • Airfare from your home city/Oslo/Longyearbyen and Longyearbyen/Oslo/home city

  • Travel insurance

  • Email/Internet/fax/telephone charges

Food


Accommodation


Check out our Q&As

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews of this operator

Jane Holdaway (Google Reviewer)  

Had an exceptional holiday with...

24-Mar-2025

Had an exceptional holiday with Exodus during which we travelled extensively around Sri Lanka and got a real taste of the country and the people who live there. The itinerary was packed with interesting trips and activities and all of the hotels were very comfortable. We had an excellent local guide who looked after our group brilliantly and became a friend by the end of the tour. This was not the cheapest tour we looked at but we don't regret a penny spent on it because of the quality and attention to detail. Would thoroughly recommend Exodus!

Gergana Racheva  

Very helpful and prompt service

06-Jan-2023

Very helpful and prompt service. I called to check for an already booked trip and once we sorted this, the agent was ready to help me with another booking as well. He actually waited for me to book my flight tickets, answered all my questions, informed me of all my options. Exodus is a tour company I am using regularly due to the quality of their trips, ease of booking and helpfulness of their customer service team

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Tim Hardy  

Stunning walking. Walking the Amalfi Coast

04-Nov-2021

This trip takes you through the most beautiful parts of the Mediterranean walking with a guide and also discovering the wonders of Pompeii and Vesuvius. The hotel had a nice feel as family run, spotless and comfortable rooms, we were well looked after for breakfasts and dinner each day, and the barmen fixed some mean cocktails for us.!

paul green (Google Reviewer)  

Went on a tour of...

14-Jan-2022

Went on a tour of morocco in October and loved it ,mohamed the tour guide was excellent, probably go with exodus to India next year

Paul Green  

It's amazing what you can do in a week! Cycling the Dalmatian Coast.

08-Oct-2021

This holiday was extremely enjoyable. The itinerary is well planned and the route takes you to a variety of destinations. Not having been to Croatia before I didn't know there were so many beautiful small islands and I loved the ferry and catarmaran rides. The coastal route we took was dramatic and the World Heritage sites in Split and Dubrovnik very interesting and worth visiting. The Adriatic Sea was warm, blue and inviting, good for swimming even in October. The hotels we stayed in varied in size from medium to large. I particularly liked the one just outside Dubrovnik as I had a sea view. Tourists were plentiful in Split and Dubrovnik but in the other places we stayed there was an end of season feel and it was quiet on the roads and in the resorts. The food was good and our guide was always able to recommend a nice restaurant for our evening meal. The weather in October was good for cycling - not hot, partly cloudy most days and one day it rained!

Roger Wells (Google Reviewer)  

We have just returned from...

12-Feb-2025

We have just returned from a 2 week Exodus trip to Egypt, Alexandria to Aswan. We had a great time, enjoyable company, with an excellent guide, Sayed. All worked out as described. The 3 day Red Sea extension was relaxing. Even the train journey, Cairo to Aswan, was a great part of the experience

Sian Anstey (Google Reviewer)  

I have just returned from...

31-Mar-2025

I have just returned from the most fabulous cycling holiday to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It was without doubt the best holiday you could ever wish for. Excellent in every possible way. Thank you Exodus. I just can’t decide which holiday to do next.

Damian Cannon (Google Reviewer)  

We've been on several group...

21-Mar-2025

We've been on several group trips with Exodus to destinations such as India and Jordan where we'd rather let some one else do the organising. In all cases these trips have been excellent with wonderful guides and well designed itineraries. We have always returned with happy memories. In cases where things have gone wrong Exodus have never disappointed us with their service. During one case our plane was diverted at the start and we joined the tour 3 days late. But despite this Exodus organised everything, including a driver, required to let us catch up. Equally during the pandemic our trip was cancelled twice and in the end we decided to take a full refund which Exodus handled properly. Having just returned from our latest trip we're already considering where we can go next. It's possible that we wouldn't bother to use Exodus in Europe because we can organise everything ourselves but further afield we'll definitely be travelling with Exodus again.

Mrs Y Morrison  

Fabulous company and trip

06-Jan-2023

We went overland from Cape Town to Zimbabwe through Botswana and Namibia. What a fantastic trip. Our first time with Exodus although we have travelled extensively around the world. We would highly recommend this company for such a brilliant trip - we got everything and more all at a good price. Thanks to everyone involved. We are looking at our next trip!

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Alison Payton (Google Reviewer)  

I've done 8 trips in...

17-May-2023

I've done 8 trips in the last 14 years with Exodus, and have been rewarded with a 10% discount on all future bookings. I feel very confident that I'll receive pleasant, efficient service, and have the unusual holiday experience that I'm looking for each time. I've trekked to the top of snow-capped peaks, wild-camped in the desert, seen amazing spectacles of nature, visited 4 capital cities in a week, and learned about local culture and experienced local hospitality in a way that I simply wouldn't on a conventional holiday. The quality of the accommodation and guides can vary, but this is mainly down to cultural differences and things that Exodus can't control. I've only ever complained once, my complaint was taken seriously, and I was sent a discount voucher - you can't say fairer than that. I remain a loyal customer.

Book with Confidence

  • Transfer as credit for future tours

    Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 90 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 120 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.

    Up to 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 89 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 51 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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