HIGHLIGHTS
Birding
Enjoy
birding together with fellow birders and visit remote places with rare
bird-species.
Walk
on Fair Isle
Zodiac
Cruising & Shore Program
Shore-Based
Walking
Explore
the last true wilderness of our planet on foot, and absorb the beauty
of the polar regions at your own pace
Birds
of Fair Isle
See
some of Britain’s rarest winged wildlife
Weather
station on Jan Mayen
The
Birds of Jan Mayen
A
stark volcanic island beloved of seabirds, Jan Mayen is home to
glaucous gulls, northern fulmars, kittiwakes, little auks, Atlantic
puffins, and much more
Sailing
under the midnight sun & along the ice edge
Experience
the Arctic’s 24-hour days as you sail some of the far
north’s most active areas for viewing both marine mammals and
seabirds
Harp
Seal
These
"saddlebacks" are historically known as true ice enthusiasts, visiting
the land mainly for breeding and spending the bulk of their lives at sea
Atlantic
puffin
These
horn-beaked auklets have nicknames both jocular and solemn: "sea
clowns" for their facial hues, "little brothers of the north" for the
monk-like tones of their plumage
Fulmar
The
Norse used to call them "foul ghouls" for their pungent-smelling
stomach oil, but this evolutionary trait is both a defensive tactice
and mid-flight energy source
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
| Start Date | End Date | Quadruple Porthole | Triple Porthole | Twin Porthole | Twin Window | Twin Deluxe | Superior |
|---|
| Jun 12, 2026 | Jun 21, 2026 | 3,050 | 3,650 | 4,350 | 4,650 | 4,900 | 5,550 |
| Jul 31, 2026 | Aug 11, 2026 | 8,399 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Quadruple Porthole | (Mid-range)
Twin Window | (High-end)
Superior |
|---|
| Jun 12, 2026 | Jun 21, 2026 | 3,050 | 4,650 | 5,550 |
| Jul 31, 2026 | Aug 11, 2026 | 8,399 | N/A | N/A |
ITINERARY
Day 1: Sights of the Granite City
You
arrive in Aberdeen, the Granite City, frequent winner of the Britain in
Bloom competition. This is the true start of your trip. Several
cetaceans, including orcas (killer whales), are native to these seas.
To the south you see the lighthouse on Girdle Ness that was designed by
the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, the famed Scottish writer
who gave us such classics as Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde. More passengers join you in Aberdeen.
Day 2: Birds, seals, and world-famous knits
We
plan to stay the day on Fair Isle, an island in the Shetlands whose
seventy-odd inhabitants are known for their beautiful knitwear. This is
a fantastic location with accessible seabird breeding grounds, and you
may even spot grey seals.
Day 3 – 4: Jan Mayen marine life
You
sail north to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, 300 nautical miles
northeast of Iceland. Your two days at sea do not pass idly, however.
Keep a close lookout for any spouts of water from the surrounding seas,
heralding the arrival of a minke, fin, orca, or blue whale.
Day 5: Snow-capped seaside volcano
Jan
Mayen is a stark volcanic island crowned by the snow-capped summit of
Mt. Beerenberg. From the slopes of this imposing 2,300-meter-high
(7,545 feet) volcano, broken glaciers grasp out into the frigid sea.
With permission from the Norwegian authorities, you can now visit the
weather station. You can also walk to the remains of a 17th-century
Dutch whaling station amid the thick moss beds of this stark volcanic
landscape.
Day 6 – 8: Under the midnight sun & along the ice edge
Basking
in the midnight sun, you sail north along the edge of the sea ice in
search of bowhead whales, harp seals, polar bears, and a variety of
seabirds. You then change direction after about 79° north,
cutting west to the rocky edges of the continental shelf of west
Spitsbergen. Here you have a good chance of seeing fin whales and
– near the glacial mouths of the gaping Spitsbergen fjords
– surfacing minke whales.
Day 9: The Arctic island of Spitsbergen
Forlandsundet,
between the main island of Spitsbergen and the narrow Prins Karls
Forland, is a place of great beauty and fascinating wildlife. Walruses
sometimes haul out here. Alternatively, you might sail into
St. Johns Fjord or head south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at
Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for
fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.
Day 10: Journey’s end in Longyearbyen
Every
adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You
disembark in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen,
taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next
adventure lies. But if you’re still craving additional
chances to spot the Arctic’s most iconic apex predator, stay
on board for our seven-night north Spitsbergen voyage, “in
search of polar bears & pack ice.”
Plancius (Expedition, 108-guests)
MV Plancius offers a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3 and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) on deck 5 with large windows, offering full panorama view. The vessel has large open deck spaces (with full walk-around possibilities on deck 4), giving excellent opportunities to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. She is furthermore equipped with 10 Mark V zodiacs.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Voyage
aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary
- All
meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee
and tea.
- All
shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
- Program
of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced
expedition staff.
- Free
use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
- Luggage
transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in
Ushuaia.
- Pre-scheduled
group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly
after disembarkation).
- All
miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
- Comprehensive
pre-departure material.
- Free 1.5 GB of daily Wifi
Excluded
from this voyage
- Any
airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights.
- Pre-
and post- land arrangements.
- Passport
and visa expenses.
- Government
arrival and departure taxes.
- Meals
ashore.
- Baggage,
cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended).
- Excess
baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry,
bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
- The
customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other
service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Birding
- Shore-based Walking
- Zodiac
Cruising and Shore Programs
