Arctic yacht expedition to the Spitsbergen archipelago (Norway).
9 DAYS
8 PEOPLE
3590 EURO
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9 days
1 GROUP: 17.05.25 — 26.05.25
× group is full
2 GROUP: 29.05.25 — 06.06.25
✓ there are places
3 GROUP: 09.06.25 — 17.06.25
✓ there are places
Go sailing to the real Arctic to experience the virgin beauty of the Arctic. Follow the path of the ancient Vikings to the harsh but attractive Spitsbergen. Get involved in observing and photographing real natives of the Arctic: polar bears, walruses. Catch the fish of your dreams and navigate the fjords to incredible blue glaciers.
Spitsbergen is one of the most mysterious corners of the World, the main advantage of which is its unique untouched Arctic nature, wild, beautiful and dramatic. Reserved, fabulous, fantastically beautiful places, almost untouched by civilization.
Spitsbergen is an archipelago between the North Pole and Europe. In Norway it is called Svalbard. Until 1920, Spitsbergen was considered a no-man's land. In 1920, Norway received sovereignty over the archipelago, and the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries received an equal right to conduct economic activities here and use the natural resources of the islands and territorial waters.
People went to Spitsbergen because of the coal deposits. At the beginning of the 20th century, companies of Norwegian, Russian, Swedish and American origin founded the cities of Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Pyramiden, Grumant, Sveagruva and New Ålesund. Throughout the 20th century, coal mining was the main driver of the economy here, but at the end of 2016, fuel prices fell and the focus shifted to tourism development.
Tourists go to Spitsbergen to see polar bears, walruses, glaciers and icebergs, and incredible and harsh Arctic nature. This is exactly what we will do on this expedition.
We will walk along the coast of the archipelago to the north until we reach the pack ice. Along the way, we will observe walruses, arctic foxes, seals, reindeer, and, of course, if we are lucky, we will see polar bears, beluga whales and other representatives of the most beautiful Arctic nature.
ROUTE
• charter of expedition yacht Wind Dancer for 9 days;
• services of a professional crew and ship's cook;
• 3 meals a day on board;
• fuel according to the route;
• port fees, all necessary taxes;
• all current expenses to ensure the life of the vessel;
• life jacket (PSP), automatic type, with harness;
• Double occupancy, in a comfortable heated cabin;
• bed linen, which includes a cozy duvet;
• access to visual materials such as nautical charts and a miniature on-board thematic library;
• Internet access in Starlink coverage areas
IMPORTANT!
Due to the fact that our expeditions do not include international flights to the starting point of the program, we cannot be held responsible for changes in flight conditions by airlines or airport requirements. Since our travelers fly from many different countries and cities, we never participate in the purchase of air travel and limit ourselves exclusively to advisory services in the selection of flights. Air agents or airlines from which tickets were purchased are responsible for the purchase and technical support.
ITINERARY
Day 1
(17.05.25) (29.05.25) (09.06.25)
Morning arrival at Longyearbyen airport. Meeting at the airport with a team representative. Transfer to the marina, check-in on the yacht, brief instructions, getting to know each other and the yacht crew. Purchasing groceries by our cook from the local supermarket. Getting to know the town.
Longyearbyen (Longyear) is the capital and largest village of Spitsbergen, with about 2,000 inhabitants. Today, Longyearbyen is the northernmost full-fledged village in the world, that is, a place where people live all year round without shifts, which is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure for a normal life, which is usually not the case for workers and scientific villages.
In the northernmost village, the northernmost newspaper is published, the northernmost hotels are built and planes land at the northernmost civil airport :).
Before going to sea, you will have time to get acquainted with the most interesting sights of this town: the local parish church and the polar museum. Nature lovers can take a walk around the city: the local vegetation has up to 100 species.
Closer to sunset, we hold the traditional party “Meeting the Paganels”, as well as the presentation of expedition T-shirts and badges. Dinner from our chef.
After dinner, our expedition ship leaves the city port through Icefjord.
Day 2
(18.05.25) (30.05.25) (10.06.25)
70 miles. In the morning getting up, coffee, breakfast.
Our first landing on the shore. An armed member of our team must accompany it.
Polar bears live in these places, so we will be extremely attentive and careful at each landing. We observe walrus rookeries in the Forlandsundet Strait.
Transfer to the Ny-Ålesund research station.
We enter the Kongsfjorden fjord, which is one of the most beautiful areas of Spitsbergen. Here we find the mountain settlement of Ny-Alesund.
Ny-Ålesund is the world's northernmost permanent public settlement.
The Kings Bay Kull Company founded the village in 1916, like all other modern settlements in the archipelago, for coal mining, which began in 1917. Already in 1929, however, coal mining was stopped and was resumed only in 1945, when the Norwegian government assumed all costs. In 1963, due to falling coal prices and frequent collapses and methane explosions in mines, resulting in the death of workers, coal mining was finally stopped.
In 1925, 1926 and 1928, the expeditions of R. Amundsen and U. Nobile to the North Pole on airplanes and airships started from Ny-Ålesund. The remains of the masts to which these aircraft were once attached have also been preserved.
After this, Ny-Ålesund was practically abandoned, but in 1968 its development began as a research center. In addition to Norway itself, the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea and China maintain research stations in Ny-Ålesund.
The islands and islets in the interior of Kongsfjorden are teeming with birds, and mighty glaciers flow straight into the sea.
We disembark. We walk. We study. We admire it. We take many photographs. Lunch and dinner from our cook according to schedule.
Day 3
(19.05.25) (31.05.25) (11.06.25)
By morning, moving north along the western coast of Spitsbergen, we arrive at the Crossfjord. Breakfast and coffee as scheduled, and then we have Arctic beauty.
On our beautiful yacht we go along the picturesquely rugged front part of a heavily eroded glacier, the name of which was given by northerners unspoiled by the summer warmth - “July 14 Glacier”. To your great amazement, on its slopes you can see fresh flowers that open brightly during their flowering period. Kittiwakes and thick-billed guillemots nest on nearby slopes.
Agile Arctic foxes scurry here and there, waiting for the moment when some careless chick, in the absence of the watchful eye of its mother, will fall off the nest and fall down.
Danish Island is one of the islands of the Spitsbergen archipelago, located near the Magdalenfjord. Like many other Svalbard islands, people do not inhabit the Danish island. A Danish whaling base was established here in 1631, which was subsequently abandoned in 1658.
The island is famous for the fact that in 1897 it became the launching point for an expedition to the North Pole in a hot air balloon, led by the Swedish polar explorer Andre.
We disembark. We walk. We study. We admire it. We take lots of photographs. Lunch and dinner from our cook according to schedule.
Day 4
(20.05.25) (01.06.25) (12.06.25)
Transfer to Liefdefjord.
Not far from the entrance to the mouth of the Liefde fjord we will land on the tundra-covered island of Andoya. Many very interesting polar birds nest here.
As we move along the Liefdefjord, our team will see the impressive Monaco Glacier. MONACOBREEN (Monaco Glacier) is a glacier named after Prince of Monaco Albert I, who led glacier expeditions in 1906.
This 40-kilometer glacier has a height of about 1,250 meters and from a distance does not seem so high, but only until you swim closer to it and then a huge wall of ice and snow simply appears as a skyscraper in front of your eyes. When we are nearby, we can hear the crackling of the ice and even see moments of breaking off blocks crashing into the water with a roar, so we do not swim too close. Polar bears can often be found here.
Therefore, we always show maximum attention during landings, monitor the terrain, and always stay close to the armed member of the yacht crew.
Returning to the yacht after disembarking, in the passages between the fjords, we practice arctic fishing. If we are lucky, a lot at once. The main thing is to take no more than we can eat cod in one or two sittings.
Lunch and dinner according to schedule. Relax after a day full of impressions.
Day 5
(21.05.25) (02.06.25) (13.06.25)
Transition to Prince Charles Island.
Along the way, we practice fishing. We carefully study the shores with binoculars. We look for polar bears.
If we are lucky, we will also see whales, frequent guests in these parts. And if we are really lucky, we will be able to see the legendary beluga whales as well.
Depending on the weather and general mood, we make landings in beautiful places. We walk a lot and take pictures.
Lunch and dinner according to schedule. In the evening, gatherings in the wardroom, exchanging impressions and photographs. Rest.
Day 6
(22.05.25) (03.06.25) (14.06.25)
Prince Charles Land is the westernmost island in the Spitsbergen archipelago. It is considered one of the most attractive attractions in Spitsbergen.
The entire island and the surrounding sea area are part of the Forlandet National Park. Dutch navigator and explorer Willem Barents discovered the island in 1596.
The coastal part of Karla Island is home to large populations of polar bears. If we are lucky, we will be able to observe them in their natural habitat. There is also the famous walrus rookery Polpyunten.
Walruses are incredibly interesting to watch. These are amazingly strange and at the same time graceful animals. Walruses are very sensitive to danger and noise. When walruses gather in mass aggregations at shore rookeries, stampedes can occur as the easily spooked walruses try to reach the water. Therefore, we try not to make noise near walrus colonies and not to scare the animals.
The chain of Grampian Mountains, which from a distance flaunt their snow-white rocky peaks, stretching in a continuous strip from north to south, is unusually picturesque. The island is also home to many species of arctic birds and seals.
Taking a gun, a good mood and binoculars, we disembark to observe and explore the island. Lunch and dinner according to schedule. In the evening, gatherings in the wardroom, discussing events and impressions of the past day, exchanging photos. Rest.
Day 7
(23.05.25) (04.06.25) (15.06.25)
Milenfjord. The mouth of the Van Cuylenfjord, notable for the numerous remains of beluga whales (a beluga is a small white whale), destroyed in this place back in the 19th century.
This cemetery is another reminder of the senseless and barbaric destruction of the fauna of Svalbard.
By a lucky coincidence, the beluga whale population was not completely destroyed, and therefore they can still be observed in the waters of the bay, and of course we will try to see them.
Day 8
(24.05.25) (05.06.25) (16.06.25)
We are heading back to Icefjord. Along the way, we go to various interesting places.
If we have time, we stop to go fishing so that we can have fresh fried, boiled, or baked cod for lunch or dinner. The cook quietly hates us, but we promise that we will not catch much, just to eat.
Along the way we look at various nice places that are good for photographs at this time of day. We get closer to the glaciers.
Return to Longyearbyen.
In the evening, a farewell dinner from our “chef”. Exchange of impressions, photographs. We are planning new joint plans. We are sad that the expedition is already over.
Day 9
(25.05.25) (06.06.25) (17.06.25)
After a delicious breakfast. Farewell to the yacht crew. Tears of sadness from parting with your “new” or “old” friends. We put our cabins in order, throw out the trash and leave the beautiful yacht Wind Dancer that has already become our home.
We dream of meeting again and are making our future “great” plans for new travels and expeditions...
Airport transfer. End of the expedition. Saying goodbye to harsh Spitsbergen. Flight home.
Wind Dancer
Yacht «Wind Dancer» a 21-meter steel sail-motor Bermuda sloop was built by Viking Marine-Rahmi H. Koc by Sciomachen – Naval Architects and Yacht. The metal hull with a long keel line has excellent seaworthiness.
The yacht's equipment allows sailing of any complexity, including difficult ice conditions.
Fuel supply 2100 liters in two tanks.
Freshwater supply 1000 liters + distiller.
For a comfortable stay of guests and crew on board, there are:
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4 toilets with showers;
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autonomous heating system for all residential interior spaces;
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independent air conditioning system for each room.
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television;
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modern audio system;
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washing machine with dryer;
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fully equipped kitchen with fridge and freezer,
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yacht library.
Two diesel generators, service batteries, and a powerful inverter provide all the premises of the yacht with 220 volts during long passages. An inflatable boat with an outboard motor allows for movement between ship and land.
The yacht can comfortably accommodate 12 people: 8 passengers and 4 crew members. Each cabin is comfortable and cozy with separate beds for 2 people.
The composition of the team is experienced professionals with the necessary experience of ice expeditions: Captain, First mate, Sailor, Cook.
Plan-scheme "Wind Dancer" (Dancing with the Wind")
1,2,3,4,5,6 - cabins
7,8,9,10 - toilet and shower
Each member of the expedition will be provided with a duvet, pillow, bed linen, towel.
A detailed video review of the Wind Dancer yacht can be viewed here:
WHY WITH PAGANEL?
We are unique
For many years, we have been traveling the world to our small planet's most remote and unusual places. We do not use the services of domestic travel agencies. The trips we invent and carry out are always unique and have their unique zest, charm, and adventurous spirit.
Creation
The first thing that interests us is creativity in everything. During the expeditions, we shoot a lot of videos, take pictures, write stories, draw pictures. If you are interested in a creative approach to life and travel, then WELCOME... we are very happy to meet you!
Interest
By joining our team, you join a kind of club family, which already consists of several hundred people who are interested in discovering the world with us.
Since most of the expenses for organizing a trip – air tickets and travel documents for other modes of transportation, accommodation, excursions, services of local companies and guides, etc. – are made by us in advance, long before the trip, the prepayment or payment for the trip is non-refundable in the event of cancellation.
Since most of the expenses for the organization of the trip are air tickets and travel documents for other types of transport, accommodation, excursions, services of local companies and guides, etc. are not refundable in case of your cancellation of the trip. We simply have no way to return it.
Please note that this itinerary is tentative. The weather always has the last word. The itinerary is designed to allow sufficient time at the end of the Expedition in case of any weather-related delays. If necessary, the captain can change the expedition route depending on external conditions!
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