Five incredible things to do in Svalbard
The pristine Svalbard archipelago is situated between Norway and the North Pole. A land of midnight sun with more polar bears than people, this is a wild, and irresistibly magical, corner of the earth. Incorporated by Norway in 1925, the region’s first settlers arrived with the whaling trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. Later the coal mining industry boomed. Nowadays tourism is Svalbard's most lucrative source of income.
On a Svalbard cruise with Swan Hellenic, you’ll explore this unspoiled wilderness up close on our expedition landings. Much more than just an icy wilderness, you’ll spot rare Arctic wildlife and wonder at impossibly remote settlements on our expert lead excursions. Follow in the footsteps of polar explorers of the past as you discover that Svalbard is more than meets the eye.
Attended a midnight sun concert
For a uniquely Arctic experience, be sure to attend a midnight concert in the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø. Listen to beautiful Norwegian folk songs as the soft glow of the midnight sun shines through the cathedral’s exquisite glass mosaic windows. This incredible event is enhanced further by the cathedral’s wonderful acoustics. A moving and must-do experience.
Visit the thousands of breeding seabirds
Our Svalbard Encompassed cruise takes us through Bellsund, a 20km long sound on the west coast of Spitsbergen. Here Brünnich’s guillemots, black-legged kittiwakes, little auks and northern fulmars make their breeding homes on the surrounding cliffs while pink-footed, barnacle and brent geese nest below.
Or travel to Bear Island on our Arctic Discovery cruise to visit the greatest bird cliff in the Barents Sea. Here you’ll meet thousands of breeding seabirds including Atlantic puffin, northern gannet, glaucous gull, great skua, black-legged kittiwake, little auk, common guillemot and more.
