Six adventurous days, which includes both a visit in Longyearbyen and a 3-day cruise with MS Fram along the northwest coast of Spitsbergen. Here you can enjoy beautiful fjords, breathtaking mountains and impressive glaciers.

Spitsbergen is the largest island in the island group of Svalbard. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the 400-kilometer west coast is  a surprisingly rich in wildlife and a colorful vegetation. During the cruise we will visit old hunting stations and other cultural sites, which tells of the extreme conditions, the first Arctic pioneers had to tackle. When the Dutchman Willem Barentz discovered Svalbard in 1596, it was the west coast he found. The mountain peaks inspired him to give the island the name Spitzbergen. An adventure cruise along the coast is a fantastic way to experience this part of Svalbard. Please be aware that all cruises in the Arctic can be subject to changes in program due to weather and ice conditions.

Itinerary
In 2010, there is only one departure from Wednesday to Monday. Three days are spent aboard the Fram and two days in Longyearbyen and surroundings. Accommodation in Longyearbyen will be on Spitsbergen Hotel with comfortable rooms and good facilities. One of our transfer guides await you on arrival at Longyearbyen airport, IF you have made an agreement about this. The guide follows and helps you during your entire stay in Longyearbyen. Here you will hear about the Arctic history and the everyday life in the small community where mining, research and tourism play an important role.

On board Fram you will meet the cruise guides, who assist you throughout the cruise. The cruise takes you through an ever-changing landscape. The locations you pass on the way north in the night can usually be experienced in day time on the way south. We normally go ashore once a day. In Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund the ship berths, while Zodiacs are used other places.

The sailing trip goes from Isfjorden via Barentsburg and northwards of the west coast along the coast of Prins Karls Forland. Then we pass the mouth of Kongsfjorden and pass the exposed coastline, called "The seven icebergs" before we reach the northwest corner of Spitsbergen. The area has some of the most beautiful fjords and islands all over Svalbard, among them Danskerøen (the Danes Island), Amsterdam Island, the Smeerenburg fjord, the Raud fjord and the famous Magdalene Fjord. Weather permitting, we sail at 80 degrees north. Early in the season there may be some drift ice in the area. It may make it difficult to 80 degrees north, but it also increases the chance to see the largest Arctic marine mammals. The weather conditions north of the island groups are often good. The exact route is determined on the way definitely depending on the weather - and ice conditions. On the way back we stop in Kongsfjorden and visit Blomstrandhalvøen and Ny-Ålesund. There are great chances of seeing whales if you stay much on deck.

Daily schedule
Wednesday (day 1)
Arrival in Longyearbyen and transfer to the Spitsbergen Hotel, followed by a welcome meeting at the hotel. In the evening there is dinner at Restaurant Funktionærmessen at the hotel.

Thursday (day 2)
After breakfast, you check out of the hotel and have lunch at Restaurant Funktionærmessen at the hotel. After lunch, there is sightseeing by bus around Longyearbyen including visit to the Svalbard Museum and Gallery Svalbard. The tour ends at the quay, where you board Fram. The course is set to Barentsburg. The evening ends with a Russian folklore show at the cultural centre before departure. In the night we sail out into the ice fiord, then along the coast of Prins Karls Forland and Kongsfjorden on the way north.

Friday (day 3)
In the night / early morning we pass "The seven icebergs" before we reach the northwest corner of Spitsbergen. We arrive at the Magdalene fjord in the morning. In the afternoon we continue north along the north west coast of Spitsbergen and go ashore at interesting spots.

In the afternoon we go ashore with Zodiacs. If the ice conditions are fine we sail 80 degree north and reach the island Moffen. In the night we sail south. cruiser we continued northward along the northwest coast of Spitsbergen and go ashore to interesting places.

Saturday (day 4)
If weather and ice conditions permit, we sail to the Wood Fjord area. In Liefdefjorden we admire the impressive front of the  Monaco glacier. In the afternoon we go ashore in Zodiacs. If ice conditions are favorable, we sail at 80 degrees north and up to the island Moffen. On the night we sail southward.

Sunday (Day 5)
Arrival at Ny-Ålesund. Guided tour through the town focussing on the history of mining and exploration of the Arctic. You have time to walk around on your own, visit the museum and maybe buy some souvenirs. At lunch time, there is departure from Ny-Ålesund. We cross Kongsfjorden towards Blomstrand. In the afternoon we continue south along the coast of Prins Karls Forland and return to the ice fiord.

Monday (Day 6)
Arrival in Longyearbyen. We leave the ship. Direct transport from the quay to the airport included.