British Isles, Jan Mayen and Svalbard

13 Days

Overview

Start this unique voyage from iconic Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle famously rises above Scotland’s capital to give a sense of the city’s eclectic and eventful history. The quaint town boasts not only medieval buildings, but also 18th century architecture in its newer parts.

From Edinburgh, you will visit Jan Mayen before continuing to Spitsbergen, part of the renowned High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Visitors will explore fjords on the west side of the island as they search for polar bears and other iconic wildlife. Stunning landscapes and the area’s rich anthropological and geological history will guarantee an unforgettable Arctic experience!

Welcome to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and starting point of your expedition. To provide you with more time to enjoy this metropolis rich in history and culture, you have a pre-cruise night of hotel accommodation. Relax and take a stroll through town, enjoying both medieval and classic 18th-century architecture. The famous Edinburgh Castle rises majestically above it all.

Enjoy the next morning and early afternoon at leisure. Each corner of Edinburgh’s old streets opens beautiful unexpected vistas of green hills or a blue flash of the distant sea. In the afternoon, you will be transferred from the hotel to the ship in the nearby Port of Leith. Before dinner, there’s time to explore the Sea Spirit, your home-away-from home for the next days.

Kirkwall is a small, quiet town, with a gentle pace of life. The town is the capital of the remote and amazing Orkney archipelago. Kirkwall is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in 1046. Such a long history has left a rich heritage that we explore today. The most famous are the sandstone St Magnus Cathedral, considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland, the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace.

Included is a tour of the “Ancient treasures of Orkney with St Magnus Cathedral.” Depart Kirkwall and head into the west of Mainland, Orkney’s largest island. This tour passes through the gentle rolling landscape of Orkney and into the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney; an area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its wealth of pre-historic archaeology. Passing the Standing Stones of Stenness, you will stop at the Ring of Brodgar; a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5000 years. Continue on to the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae, beautifully interpreted in the visitor centre. See the remarkable dwellings revealed from beneath the sand dunes by storms only 150 years ago.

Hear some of the stories from your guide today en route back to Kirkwall. Once back in the island capital, you will take a tour of St Magnus Cathedral, built by the Vikings during their 500 year reign over the islands.

Fair Isle is a real paradise for birdwatchers. Huge number of birds inhabits the lush grasslands and spectacular cliffs. Over 345 species have been recorded here – more than anywhere else in Britain. During your walk across the island, hope to see northern fulmars, kittiwakes, northern gannets, puffins, and great and arctic skuas.

National Geographic Traveler had designated Faroe Islands as “authentic, unspoiled and likely to remain so”. It seems that the Nature spares no colours in “painting” the islands. Deep-green hills, bright blue sea, colourful houses and boats, orange-red puffins’ beaks make the sceneries unforgettable, meanwhile traditional wooden dwellings with turf roofs look like they belong in a fairy tale.

The rugged Faroese are proud of their Viking heritage and their love of the sea. Today you will explore Tórshavn, the capital and largest city of Faroe Islands. Tórshavn is a unique city, where history meets modernity, where picturesque old turfed houses and modern buildings stand side by side…

Presentations and workshops by expert staff, as well as a range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. Seabird viewing and whale sightings can be enjoyed from panoramic open decks as well as exterior stateroom windows and balconies.

Jan Mayen hosts the landscapes of breathtaking beauty and northernmost subaerial active volcano on the planet – the Beerenberg. The island is wild and uninhabited not including members of Norwegian weather station. The signboard at the entrance door says (translated from the Norwegian): “Theory is when you understand everything but nothing works. Practice is when everything works but nobody understands why. On this station, we combine theory and practice in a way that nothing works and nobody understands why”. Northern fulmars, Kittiwakes, and Brünich’s guillemots breeding on steep cliffs and slopes represent the birdlife of Jan Mayen.

The lectures from invited speakers prepare you for meeting with the unique Arctic wildlife and awesome landscapes of Svalbard.

This is a real expedition in a true High Arctic wilderness. As such, your route and exploration opportunities here are heavily dependent on the weather and sea ice conditions. Your experienced captain and expedition leader decide the itinerary and continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant.

Polar bears and other quintessential Arctic wildlife can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and around Svalbard. You will exploit every opportunity to experience excellent wildlife viewing, to discover incredible scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of the historic polar expeditions that came before you.

Explore the spectacular fjords, coasts, and islands in the western part of Svalbard. This area contains the archipelago’s most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities. Deep fjords and narrow channels are flanked by jagged snowy mountain peaks. Immense tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into turquoise waters. Fields of flowering tundra are home to grazing reindeer and playful Arctic fox. Bountiful inshore and offshore waters are home to walrus and a wide variety of whales. The whole area is alive with migratory birds, including numerous rare species, taking advantage of summer’s fecundity in 24-hour daylight.

To complete the Arctic experience, you will also explore places rich with history. Your area of exploration contains the historical remnants of whaling camps, coal mining operations, trappers’ cabins, staging areas for historic attempts to discover the North Pole, and even an abandoned polar research station. The days are filled with memorable excursions, sumptuous meals, presentations by the experts, and enough stunning scenery and wildlife to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions.

After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on board, bid farewell to your team and fellow passengers in Longyearbyen. Transfers are provided to the airport or to the town center in case you plan to stay longer in Svalbard.