SAILING AREA
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Now autumn is in the air after an Arctic summer. The mountains and coastal areas may be covered with snow again and the temperatures are around 0 to -5 degrees Celsius. Nature is beginning to show beautiful autumn colours and the transition period from 24 hours of light to dusk has started so that in the mornings and evenings we experience beautiful violet and other pastel shades in the sky. The spectacular light at this time of year makes these trips ideal for photography enthusiasts. If we’re lucky we might even be able to see the Northern Lights at night. Because of the relatively short distances, this trip will offer the opportunity to sail to the sights as much as possible, provided the weather conditions allow us to do so. During this trip we will visit perhaps the 2 most accessible and versatile fjord systems of Spitsbergen: the Isfjord and the Bellsund. Here we find all the beauty that the Arctic wilderness offers. In addition to impressive glaciers, unique geological mountain formations, large bird cliffs and a rich animal life, it is home to a wealth of cultural heritage that has been well preserved over the past 400 years due to the cold climate. These industries, which lie on the edge of what is humanly possible, have clearly left their mark here and offer a narrative insight into the past. On the beaches in the fjords, these traces of human life and activities are visible, showing how closely the landscape and people were connected.
Starting of 2024 we offer two various types of routes during Arctic Fall. One week we will head Northwest, the other week we will head to Bellsund & Isfjorden
Northwest

Bellsund & Isfjorden

Voyage details
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Period September
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Duration 8 or 9 days
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Embarkation Longyearbyen
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Disembarkation Longyearbyen
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Ship Noorderlicht
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Price from € 3299
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SAILING AREA
ITINERARY
PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with AECO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.
Arctic Spring: Northwest
You will arrive at the small airport of Longyearbyen, located about 15 minutes drive from the centre of the small town. Longyearbyen is the largest inhabited settlement in Spitsbergen and the world’s most northerly inhabited town with more than 1000 inhabitants. If you have the opportunity, it is an absolute must to visit the Svalbard museum. Here you can delve into the history of the island, the coal mining industry, the wealth of unique polar animal species, scientific developments and the many polar expeditions. After your visit, you can take a walk into the former mining town where you will find several shops offering a collection of unique Arctic products and souvenirs. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preserves the global variety of agricultural crops, is also located nearby.
Our sailing ship Noorderlicht will be waiting for you at the so-called ‘floating pier’ where you can embark from 16:00. After a welcome from the captain, the mooring lines will be cast off and you will receive a comprehensive safety briefing from the crew. Afterwards you will enjoy a delicious first dinner on board, while the ship sets course towards Trygghamna bay, where it will anchor for the night. The name Trygghamna comes from the original Dutch name ‘safe harbor’, because of its sheltered and safe anchorage possibilities
During this voyage we will set course to the North-West of Svalbard. Depending on the circumstances, the places listed below are possible destinations.
Alkhornet Cliff
Possibly our first zodiac landing will be in Trygghamna, where you can see the remains of a 17th century English whaling station and a 18th century hunting station of the Pomor (Russian hunters).
From here we might hike to the 428-meter high Alkhornet cliff, where some 10,000 pairs of different seabirds breed. The cliffs are composed of carbonate rock, which is more than a billion years old. The tundra at the bottom of the cliff receives nutrients from the sea birds and provides meadows for reindeer, nesting sites for geese and shelter for Arctic foxes. Therefore, this location is very suitable for spotting these animals as well as polar bears.
St. Johns
If the entrance of the fjord is free of ice, at nightime we will sail into the St. John Fjord. This beautiful and sheltered fjord system contains multiple glaciers and is one of the favorite spots of the captain. If we are lucky, we can enjoy the singing of the bearded seals at night.
Forlandsundet
This is a beautiful strait located between the main island of Spitsbergen and the island of Prins Karls Forland. Because this sailing area may still be in the grip of winter, there is opportunity to spot a lot of wildlife including ringed and bearded seals. Historically, the Forlandsundet strait has always been a fear for many whalers, because of the Forlandsrevet sandbank on the north side. Due to its shallow draft, the Noorderlicht is one of the few ships that can navigate these waters although the crew will need full concentration. In the meantime, do not forget to keep an eye out for large groups of walruses that can often be found at Sarstangen and Poolepynten! They form a beautiful scene with panoramic mountains in the background that cameras love.
Glaciers of Kongsfjord & Krossfjord
When we will be able to be sailing to the beautiful Kongfjord and Krossfjord, you will be greeted by the towering face of the “14th July” glacier. Bearded seals often lie to rest on the broken ice floes, and near the glacier we may find breeding colonies of black-billed guillemots, kittiwakes and puffins.
These fjords in particular feature the historical heritage of the English. In the early years of whaling, the English and the Dutch made an agreement in which they divided the whaling areas among themselves. The English obtained the right to hunt south of the Magdalenafjord and the Dutch were granted control over the northwestern corner of Spitsbergen.
Murray points
In Murraypynten, named after a Scottish oceanographer, we hope to make a landing to spot walruses from at close range. Murraypynten is a peninsula north of the Grimaldibukta. From the hills you have a beautiful panoramic view of the rugged mountain and glacial landscape of Spitsbergen and the flat landscape at the foot of the mountain makes it wonderful and easy to walk. On the south side of Murraypynten you can visit a ruin of a hut built by a German expedition in 1963.
Blomstrandhalvoya Peninsula
We may be able to organize a landing on the Blomstrandhalvoya peninsula, where the remains of a marble mine can be seen at Ny London. From this location we also have a beautiful view of the Tre Kroner, the three iconic mountain peaks that shine through the ice cap.
Ny Alesund
In bad weather conditions, we can visit the former mining town of Ny Alesund. Ny Alesund is the world’s most northerly settlement and today a renowned polar research center . The special bond of the Netherlands with Spitsbergen is honoured here by the Arctic center of the University of Groningen. They use a number of buildings here as polar station, where research is carried out into barnacle geese and climate change.
Forlandsundet
Histocally, the northern part of the strait has always been a fear to many whalers, because of the Forlandsrevet sandbar. Willem Barentsz called this northern part the ‘ Forlandsundet Keerwyck ‘, because they had to turn at the sandbank for the shallows. Due to its shallow draft, the Noorderlicht is one of the few ships that can navigate these waters although the crew will need full concentration. In the meantime, do not forget to keep an eye out for large groups of walruses that can often be found at Sarstangen and Poolepynten! They form a beautiful scene with panoramic mountains in the background that cameras love.
Ghost town ‘Barentsburg’
Depending on the availability of a berth in Barentsburg, we can sail towards the Russian mining settlement where we will be able to arrive towards the end of the afternoon. After an adventurous journey in the unspoilt nature of Spitsbergen, you will have the opportunity to move freely without the supervision of a guide with a rifle, as is necessary in most of Spitsbergen. We might stay here for 2-3 days.
The name Barentsburg was given in 1924 by the Dutch Spitsbergen Company to the then Dutch mining settlement. In 1926 the mining town was taken over by the Russians, after which it grew into a town of miners with more than 1000 inhabitants. Today there are still about 400 people of mainly Russian or Ukrainian descent. Since the mine has not been profitable for a long time, the focus has shifted more and more to tourism. From the dock where our ship is moored, we will first have to climb some 140 wooden steps before we enter the main street. Here we will see that the Soviet period has left its mark. There is a life-size bust of Lenin in the middle of the town, billboards with photos of workers and modernist Soviet buildings. Furthermore you can find the world’s most Northerly brewery and find the Pomor museum.
Unfortunately, our adventure through the Arctic landscape of Spitsbergen has come to an end. After a hearty breakfast, you are kindly requested to disembark by 09:00. We hope that we have been able to show you the variety and beauty of Spitsbergen and that you enjoyed an unforgettable experience on board the Noorderlicht.
Arctic Spring: Bellsund & Isfjorden
You will arrive at the small airport of Longyearbyen, located about 15 minutes drive from the centre of the small town. Longyearbyen is the largest inhabited settlement in Spitsbergen and the world’s most northerly inhabited town with more than 1000 inhabitants. If you have the opportunity, it is an absolute must to visit the Svalbard museum. Here you can delve into the history of the island, the coal mining industry, the wealth of unique polar animal species, scientific developments and the many polar expeditions. After your visit, you can take a walk into the former mining town where you will find several shops offering a collection of unique Arctic products and souvenirs. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preserves the global variety of agricultural crops, is also located nearby.
Our sailing ship Noorderlicht will be waiting for you at the so-called ‘floating pier’ where you can embark from 16:00. After a welcome from the captain, the mooring lines will be cast off and you will receive a comprehensive safety briefing from the crew. Afterwards you will enjoy a delicious first dinner on board, while the ship sets course towards Trygghamna bay, where it will anchor for the night. The name Trygghamna comes from the original Dutch name ‘safe harbor’, because of its sheltered and safe anchorage possibilities
During this voyage we will set course to the Bellsund and Isfjorden. Depending on the circumstances, the places listed below are possible destinations.
Alkhornet Cliff
Possibly our first zodiac landing will be in Trygghamna, where you can see the remains of a 17th century English whaling station and a 18th century hunting station of the Pomor (Russian hunters).
From here we might hike to the 428-meter high Alkhornet cliff, where some 10,000 pairs of different seabirds breed. The cliffs are composed of carbonate rock, which is more than a billion years old. The tundra at the bottom of the cliff receives nutrients from the sea birds and provides meadows for reindeer, nesting sites for geese and shelter for Arctic foxes. Therefore, this location is very suitable for spotting these animals as well as polar bears.
Akseloya
Akseloya is a long and narrow island in the mouth of the Bellsund, blocking the majority of the Van Mijenfjord. This island is named after the sailing schooner that the Finnish explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiold chartered for his 1864 expedition to Spitsbergen. Here we will see that the ancient traditions of pelt hunting are preserved. After the walk we go to the caving glacier Fridtjofbreen which is surrounded by picturesque mountains. Keep a good eye out for belugas who have often been spotted here in previous years!
Midterhuken
From Midterhuken we have a fantastic view of the youngest mountainridge (65 million years old !) of Spitsbergen. A collision of continental plates has created the fold and break lines that we can see on the mountain. On the cliffs we find noisy colonies of guillemots, kittiwakes, little auks and Norwegian fulmars. The droppings of these birds provide rich nutrients that makes the surrounding tundra remarkably green and fertile. This tundra in turn provides a good breeding ground for arctic foxes and herds of reindeer. Even polar bears are regularly spotted here in search of food. After the morning hike, we will resume the journey to the bay of Fleur de Lyshamna, where we will be dropped off near 3 old rowboats that once belonged to the Norwegian beluga hunter Ingvald Svendsen. From there we walk to Kvitfiskstranda (‘white whale beach’) where there is a hut called Bamsebu, a whaling station built by the same Svendsen. At this location, a massacre of whales took place in the 19th century and the bones of the animals are still to be seen on the beach as a reminder of the grim past. Fortunately, despite the massive hunting of belugas in the past, they are now spotted again regularly in the fjords!
Bellsund: Recherchefjord
We plan a final landing in the Bellsund at the Recherchefjord. The high concentration of historical sites in this fjord are proof of the fact that the rich landscapes and abundant animal life have attracted many hunters and other professions. During the 17th and 18th century it harboured one of the largest whaling fleet in Svalbard and in the early 20th century, a coal mine was developed. Remains from these periods can be seen here at several locations. After the landing we will sail back North, back to the Isfjord.
Ghost town ‘Barentsburg’
Depending on the availability of a berth in Barentsburg, we can sail towards the Russian mining settlement where we will be able to arrive towards the end of the afternoon. After an adventurous journey in the unspoilt nature of Spitsbergen, you will have the opportunity to move freely without the supervision of a guide with a rifle, as is necessary in most of Spitsbergen. We might stay here for 2-3 days.
The name Barentsburg was given in 1924 by the Dutch Spitsbergen Company to the then Dutch mining settlement. In 1926 the mining town was taken over by the Russians, after which it grew into a town of miners with more than 1000 inhabitants. Today there are still about 400 people of mainly Russian or Ukrainian descent. Since the mine has not been profitable for a long time, the focus has shifted more and more to tourism. From the dock where our ship is moored, we will first have to climb some 140 wooden steps before we enter the main street. Here we will see that the Soviet period has left its mark. There is a life-size bust of Lenin in the middle of the town, billboards with photos of workers and modernist Soviet buildings. Furthermore you can find the world’s most Northerly brewery and find the Pomor museum.
Unfortunately, our adventure through the Arctic landscape of Spitsbergen has come to an end. After a hearty breakfast, you are kindly requested to disembark by 09:00. We hope that we have been able to show you the variety and beauty of Spitsbergen and that you enjoyed an unforgettable experience on board the Noorderlicht.
SAILING AREA
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
Included
- All meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Coffee & tea
- Bed linnen & towel
- Crew: 5 nautical crew and 2 guides
- Port fees
- Fuel
Excluded
- Flights to Longyearbyen
- Drinks aboard
- Travel & cancellation insurance
- Tip/gratuities for the staff on board
View availability & pricing
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VOYAGE INQUIRY
Arctic Fall 2024
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