zNorway and Svalbard by Small Ship

On arrival, you’ll be escorted to the Thon Hotel Opera. Join your fellow travelers for dinner at the hotel. Meals D

Experience Oslo’s history and culture through its food, from the vibrant Aker Brygge waterfront to the trendy Grünerløkka district. Meals B+L+D

Fly to Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Islands. Tour Longyearbyen and board the ice-class Ocean Atlantic to begin your voyage. Meals B+D

Sail through the Kongs Fjord to visit Ny Ålesund and its scienti‚c research stations. Conditions permitting, make another landing at Ny London, home to Arctic terns. Meals B+L+D

In the secluded bay of Virgohamna, you’ll learn about its infamous history as the starting point for several failed attempts to reach the North Pole. On Fugelsongen Island, you’ll find Svalbard’s largest colony of little auks, a diminutive black and white bird that can dive up to 95 feet into the sea. Meals B+L+D

Even before Hampton Sides published his gripping account of the USS Jeanette’s 1879 attempt to reach the North Pole, the 80th Parallel has been a lure for world adventurers. Today we’ll navigate as far north as sea conditions allow – possibly bringing us to within 10 degrees of the North Pole – and 5 degrees farther than the Jeanette’s ill-fated voyage. Meals B+L+D

Navigating the pristine waters of northern Svalbard as far east as possible, we hope to explore the Wood Fjord, where walruses can be spotted, and the Andøyane Islets, a nesting ground for migratory birds. Sailing deep into the Liefde Fjord would bring you close to the Monaco Glacier. Meals B+L+D

Going ashore on the so-called Blomstrand Peninsula, we’ll ‚nd that it is now an island – the result of a receding glacier. A hike up the 1,263-foot peak of Irgensellet is rewarded with a view of rugged mountains, icy seas and the Kongs Glacier. Later, if conditions permit, a Zodiac excursion will show you the impressive curved face of the Lilliehöök Glacier. Meals B+L+D

Sailing into Bellsund Inlet, you’ll go ashore at Vårsol Bay with our Expedition Team to explore the moss-covered tundra and a rocky cliff where hundreds of thousands of little auks have built their nests. Along the majestic Recherche Fjord, a Zodiac landing at Calypsobyen reveals an important cultural and historic site that bears witness to the early 20th-century mining exploits of the Northern Exploration Company. Meals B+L+D

Disembarking in Longyearbyen, A+R guests will enjoy a special Husky adventure. Learn to harness these hard-working dogs and set out across the Arctic landscape in wagons specially built to keep the dogs trained and exercised when the snow is gone. Then fly to Tromsø and check in to the Clarion Hotel The Edge. Tonight we take you to Whale Island to experience and photograph the Arctic wilderness under the magical light of the Midnight Sun. Enjoy a hearty dinner and Nordic tales around the camp fire. Meals B+D

After breakfast, we’ll take you to the airport for your included flight back to Oslo. Meals B