Svalbard & the Arctic Circle Cruise – Aqua Expeditions
Tour Introduction
Discover the stark beauty and extraordinary wildlife of the High Arctic on this eight-day expedition cruise around Svalbard. Travelling aboard the elegant Aqua Lares, you’ll explore remote fjords, towering glaciers, and drifting pack ice in search of polar bears, walrus, Arctic foxes, and seabirds. Each day brings new landings and wildlife encounters, guided by an expert expedition team.
Highlights include historic whaling sites, dramatic bird cliffs, and the vast Bråsvellbreen glacier front. With opportunities for tender excursions, a polar plunge, and visits to some of Svalbard’s most scenic and wildlife-rich locations, this voyage offers a comprehensive introduction to the Arctic wilderness at the top of the world.
Full Itinerary
Arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to the port for embarkation. After settling into your cabin aboard Aqua Lares, attend a safety briefing and introductory meeting with your expedition team. Set sail in the late afternoon and begin your journey into the Arctic wilderness.
Staying at Aqua Lares. Includes Dinner.
This morning, land at Gravneset to explore a historic whaling site and cemetery set among glaciers and rugged peaks. In the afternoon, continue to Smeerenburg Fjord and Sorgattet, once a hub of 17th-century Dutch whaling. Conditions permitting, step ashore to view the remains of the settlement and observe Arctic birdlife including terns and geese.
Staying at Aqua Lares. Includes All Meals.
Navigate into the drifting pack ice and join a tender excursion to search for polar bears, bearded seals, and ivory gulls. In the afternoon, take part in a polar plunge for those keen to experience the icy Arctic waters firsthand
Staying at Aqua Lares. Includes All Meals.
Begin the day at one of Svalbard’s renowned bird cliffs, home to thousands of nesting Brünnich’s guillemots. Look out for Arctic foxes and glaucous gulls below the ledges. In the afternoon, cruise along the Bråsvellbreen glacier front, part of the Austfonna ice cap, and observe seasonal meltwater waterfalls cascading down the vast ice wall.
Staying at Aqua Lares. Includes All Meals.
Cruise through Hinlopenstretet, a glacier-lined strait known for nesting Brünnich’s guillemots and sightings of bearded seals and polar bears near the ice edge. In the afternoon, land at Torellneset to observe Atlantic walrus hauled out on the beach between feeding sessions.
Staying at Aqua Lares. Includes All Meals.
Arrive at Sorgfjorden, site of a 17th-century naval battle between French warships and Dutch whalers. Explore remnants of the whaling era along the shore, including graves and blubber ovens. Look out for Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes, and walrus at nearby haul-out sites, with summer birdlife adding to the activity.
Staying at Aqua Lares. Includes All Meals.
Begin the day in Krossfjorden, where the 12km-long Lilliehöökbreen Glacier dominates the landscape. Watch for seals on the ice and kittiwakes overhead. In the afternoon, continue to Kongsfjorden, a scenic fjord framed by glaciers and snow-covered peaks, long favoured by explorers and researchers.
Staying at Aqua Lares. Includes All Meals.
Spend the morning exploring Longyearbyen before disembarking Aqua Lares after lunch. Transfer to the airport for onward travel.
Includes Breakfast and Lunch.
Tour Accommodation
Aqua Lares
Overview
Aqua Lares is a 77-metre former icebreaker reimagined as a superyacht, offering a rare blend of rugged capability and refined comfort. Purpose-built for exploration and now sailing some of the world’s most remote destinations, this vessel embraces the spirit of relaxed luxury. With just 15 individually designed cabins – including three expansive Owner’s Suites – Aqua Lares accommodates up to 30 guests in understated elegance. Each cabin features bespoke furnishings, warm wood finishes, and curated textiles, creating a serene retreat after days spent at sea.
As the world’s only superyacht offering both private charters and individual cabin bookings for small-ship expeditions across East Africa and the Arctic Circle, Aqua Lares sets a new standard in expedition accommodation. Guests enjoy a one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio, ensuring highly personalised service throughout six beautifully appointed decks. Onboard amenities include a fine dining restaurant, spa and wellness spaces, a cinema, outdoor jacuzzi, and a sun deck lounge – each designed to offer comfort, connection, and a front-row seat to the ever-changing seascape.
Aqua Lares sails two distinct seasonal itineraries. In East Africa, guests can explore the Seychelles archipelago, including UNESCO-listed Aldabra Atoll, the granite cliffs of La Digue, and the remote African Banks – destinations rarely accessible to larger vessels. During the Arctic summer, the ship ventures north to Svalbard, navigating icy fjords and glacier-lined coasts in search of polar bears, walruses, and seabird colonies. Whether snorkelling in coral-rich waters or cruising past towering icebergs, each voyage is designed to immerse guests in the natural wonders of these extraordinary regions.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Capacity
Length
Class
Cabins
15
Facilities
Outdoor and indoor jacuzzis, spa, massage treatment room, outside dining area, cinema room, lounges and bars, outdoor exercise area, helicopter landing area, swim platform.
There are 15 cabins including three Owner's Suites (five room categories in total). Rooms have either king-sized, double, or twin beds, and all have ensuite bathrooms, with a walk-in shower, overhead rain-shower, and organic hair/bath amenities.
Six decks: Sun Deck, Bridge Deck, Owner's Deck, Upper Deck, Main Deck, Lower Deck.
Local Wildlife
Svalbard mammals: polar bear, walrus, Arctic fox, Svalbard reindeer, ringed seal, bearded seal, bowhead whale, beluga, narwhal, minke whale, fin whale, orca, humpback whale.
Svalbard birds: Brunnich's guillemot, rock ptarmigan, Atlantic puffin, razorbill, little auk, common guillemot, northern fulmar, Sabine's gull, ivory gull, northern gannet, snow bunting, common eider, black-legged kittiwake, Arctic skua, Arctic tern, pomarine skua, tundra bean goose, greylag goose, greater white-fronted goose, barnacle goose, brent goose, long-tailed duck, ruddy shelduck, dunlin, pectoral sandpiper, common redshank, red knot, green-winged teal, common ringed plover, red-throated diver, gyr falcon.
Seychelles cetaceans: spinner dolphin, common bottlenose dolphin, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, Risso's dolphin, dwarf sperm whale, short-finned pilot whale, sperm whale, humpback whale, blue whale.
Seychelles birds: Seychelles fody, Aldabra fody, Aldabra drongo, Aldabra white-eye, white-throated rail, Seychelles warbler, Seychelles bulbul, Seychelles kestrel, Seychelles magpie-robin, Seychelles blue-pigeon, comoro blue-pigeon, Seychelles sunbird, Seychelles swiftlet, Seychelles scops owl, Seychelles parrot, black-naped tern, white-tailed tropicbird, red-tailed tropicbird, great frigatebird, crab-plover, Malagasy pond-heron, red-footed booby, ruddy turnstone.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Tour Dates
Adult Price
Single Supp
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Best Visited:
June to September
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965