An epic two-week sailing expedition from Longyearbyen to the remote Liefdefjorden and back. Visit the bird cliffs of 14. Juli Bukta, trek glaciers in Magdalenafjord, explore the historic balloon launch site at Virgohamna, and stand before the magnificent Monaco Glacier. A journey through whaling history, polar wildlife, and landscapes untouched by civilisation.
Week 1: Depart Longyearbyen and sail north through Isfjorden. Visit the abandoned Russian mining town of Pyramiden — a Soviet ghost town frozen in time since 1998. Continue north along the west coast, stopping at Ny-Ålesund, the world's northernmost permanent settlement and a hub for international Arctic research.
Visit Magdalenafjord, often called the most beautiful fjord in Svalbard. Surrounded by five glaciers and dotted with remains of 17th-century whaling stations, this is where the raw beauty and violent history of the Arctic converge. Hike on the moraines of Waggonway Glacier and search for Arctic fox dens.
Explore Virgohamna ('Virgin Bay'), the site from which Swedish engineer S.A. Andrée attempted to reach the North Pole by hydrogen balloon in 1897. The rusted remains of the balloon hangar and the graves of early explorers make this one of the most atmospheric historical sites in the Arctic.
Week 2: Push north to Liefdefjorden, home of the magnificent Monaco Glacier — a 5km-wide tidewater glacier that regularly calves enormous icebergs. The bird cliffs of 14. Juli Bukta host tens of thousands of Brünnich's guillemots, kittiwakes, and puffins. Polar bears are frequently sighted in this area.
The return journey follows the east coast of Prins Karls Forland, with stops at walrus haul-outs and seal colonies. Arrive back in Longyearbyen with two weeks of unforgettable Arctic memories and a deep understanding of why Svalbard is one of the last true wilderness areas on Earth.