Rugged & Remote Spitsbergen With The Midnight Sun Cruise

Day 1 - Newcastle, UK

Arrive: Wed 12 June 2024 / Depart: Wed 12 June 2024

The cruise terminal in Newcastle offers fast and efficient check-in areas, a spacious departure lounge with seating areas, a café-bar and smart washrooms all resulting in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, no pre-booking is required.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Alesund

Arrive: Fri 14 June 2024 / Depart: Fri 14 June 2024

Ålesund is Norway’s popular, art-nouveau epic of towers and turrets, ornaments and balconies, steeples and spires. The city’s delightful pedestrianised streets, offer a diverse mix of art galleries, shops and lively cafés, and lead to the 418 steps that climb Mount Aksla. The Fjellstua restaurant and café at the summit is the perfect place to sit and soak up panoramic views of this attractive city, the archipelago, and the Sunnmore Alps. Virtually destroyed by fire in 1904, Ålesund was rebuilt within three years and is regarded widely as one of Europe’s true visual experiences. The port is home to the Jugendstilsenteret – The National Art Nouveau Centre –, which has a well-preserved art nouveau interior and regularly features exhibitions and displays. GATEWAY TO THE FJORDS OF NORTHERN NORWAY Ålesund is the gateway to the iconic northwestern fjords and this seaport is the home base for Norway's largest cod-fishing fleet, which, unsurprisingly, provides the city's visitors with some superb seafood to try.

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - At Sea

Day 6 - Longyearbyen

Arrive: Mon 17 June 2024

Situated at 78° north, deep within the Arctic Circle, Longyearbyen is widely regarded as the world's northernmost town. It is also the largest settlement in Svalbard, located amongst incredible Norwegian Arctic wilderness on the archipelago's largest island, Spitsbergen. Set at the end of the Advent Fjord, and framed by flat-topped, snow-covered peaks, Longyearbyen is home to some 2000 inhabitants, several reindeer and the odd polar bear. The town Longyearbyen was only established as a permanent settlement in 1906 to exploit local coal reserves, and is named after American mining specialist, John M. Longyear. Only one mine remains working, but Mine 3, which was turned into a living museum in 1996 on its closure, can still be visited. The museum guides are all former miners who give first-hand accounts about life underground. The Svalbard Museum also provides insights into the life of miners, and the other local industry, whaling. The 24-hour sundial reminds visitors that the sun doesn’t set for months during summer, and the Spitsbergen Airship Museum, which has exhibits from the era of polar exploration, is worth discovery.

Day 7 - Longyearbyen

Depart: Tue 18 June 2024

Situated at 78° north, deep within the Arctic Circle, Longyearbyen is widely regarded as the world's northernmost town. It is also the largest settlement in Svalbard, located amongst incredible Norwegian Arctic wilderness on the archipelago's largest island, Spitsbergen. Set at the end of the Advent Fjord, and framed by flat-topped, snow-covered peaks, Longyearbyen is home to some 2000 inhabitants, several reindeer and the odd polar bear. The town Longyearbyen was only established as a permanent settlement in 1906 to exploit local coal reserves, and is named after American mining specialist, John M. Longyear. Only one mine remains working, but Mine 3, which was turned into a living museum in 1996 on its closure, can still be visited. The museum guides are all former miners who give first-hand accounts about life underground. The Svalbard Museum also provides insights into the life of miners, and the other local industry, whaling. The 24-hour sundial reminds visitors that the sun doesn’t set for months during summer, and the Spitsbergen Airship Museum, which has exhibits from the era of polar exploration, is worth discovery.

Day 7 - Tempelfjord (Spitzbergen)

Arrive: Tue 18 June 2024 / Depart: Tue 18 June 2024

Tempelfjorden is a fjord branch at the inner end of Sassenfjorden, a part of Isfjorden at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It is located between Sabine Land and Bünsow Land. The fjord is named after the mountain Templet, which resembles a temple. Every winter, the sailing vessel Noorderlicht is intentionally frozen into Tempelfjorden.

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - Hammerfest

Arrive: Thu 20 June 2024 / Depart: Thu 20 June 2024

Laying claim to being the world’s most northerly ‘town’, Hammerfest in Norway is also one of the country’s oldest, but has undergone extensive modernisation, resulting in a colourful town on the island of Kvaløya. Thanks to its location within the Arctic Circle, Hammerfest experiences the ‘midnight sun’ phenomenon between May and July, during which the sun never sinks below the horizon. These long days throughout summer provide the perfect opportunity to explore the region’s rugged landscape, with hiking and fishing popular activities to enjoy. The town itself has some interesting sights, including The Museum of Reconstruction for Finnmark and Northern Troms, which details the town’s colourful history, and The Polar Bear Society, which, in addition to housing stuffed polar bears, provides information on the town’s early life. Hammerfest is also home to one of 10 monuments that form the Struve Geodetic Arc, a chain of markers that stretch from Norway down to the Black Sea. These UNESCO-recognised monuments helped astronomers Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve to work out the size and shape of the planet.

Day 10 - Alta, Norway

Arrive: Fri 21 June 2024 / Depart: Fri 21 June 2024

As one of the best places on earth to witness the Northern Lights in winter, and experience the sensation of the Midnight Sun in summer, Alta is a truly magical destination. Originally inhabited by the indigenous Sami people, the area has a fascinating cultural history. Rock carvings in nearby Hjemmeluft are believed to date from around 4,200 to 500 BC. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the carvings on display in the Alta Museum are evidence of the existence of human activity in the far north during prehistoric times. Alta needed rebuilding after World War II, so the buildings of this northern Norwegian port are relatively new; notable architecture includes the Northern Lights Cathedral. A particular highlight in the winter months is the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel. Everything inside and outside the hotel is made of ice, and is open to visitors from January until it melts away in spring. The head of the Altafjord, where the Altaelva runs through the town, is said to have the best salmon fishing in the world. It’s still possible to see the fish leaping up the river, despite the construction of the 100m Altadammen in the 1970s.

Day 11 - Tromso, Norway

Arrive: Sat 22 June 2024 / Depart: Sat 22 June 2024

The island city of Tromsø is one of northern Norway’s true delights. Rich with neo-classical architecture, the city known as the ‘Gateway to the Arctic’ contains the largest number of wooden houses in Northern Norway, and its old world charm makes it a joy to explore. A major cultural hub above the Arctic Circle, Tromsø is famed as a viewing point for the colourful Northern Lights that often light up the night sky. The city’s most recognisable landmark is the must-visit Arctic Cathedral. Built in 1965, the cathedral’s distinctive iceberg-shaped design was inspired by the landscapes of Northern Norway and features a beautiful glass mosaic. The many museums and galleries in the city include the Perspektivet Museum – set in a neo-classical building built in 1838 that has exhibits from Tromsø’s past, plus the Art Museum of Northern Norway and the Mack Brewery. Tromsø is also home to Polaria, an Arctic aquarium that is popular with locals and tourists alike. The aquarium’s tanks are full of Arctic fish species, and the friendly bearded seals always delight the visiting crowds. Tromsø, and the stunning landscapes that surround it, are best viewed from the top of the Storsteinen Mountain, which stands 420 metres above sea level. Accessible via cable car, the peak is easy to reach and one of the most popular spots on the edge of the city.

Day 12 - Tjeldsundet Strait, Norway

Day 12 - Seven Sisters Mountain Range

Day 12 - Torghatten

Arrive: Sun 23 June 2024 / Depart: Sun 23 June 2024

A scenic cruise along the shores of Toget Island allows you see one of Norway's most astonishing natural wonders - Torghatten Mountain. The mountain is known affectionately as 'the mountain with the hole', Torghatten is famous for the huge tunnel that strikes right through the middle of it and has has to be seen to be believed.

Day 13 - Kristiansand, Norway

Arrive: Mon 24 June 2024 / Depart: Mon 24 June 2024

Take a tour on the Setesdal Vintage Railway, or go on a scenic coastal drive of the area, passing through the old town. There may also be opportunities to see views over the Kristiansand Fjord, or visit the Vest-Agder open air County Museum.

Day 14 - At Sea

Day 15 - Newcastle, UK

Arrive: Wed 26 June 2024 / Depart: Wed 26 June 2024

The cruise terminal in Newcastle offers fast and efficient check-in areas, a spacious departure lounge with seating areas, a café-bar and smart washrooms all resulting in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, no pre-booking is required.