All Travel Offers - Overview

This page provides you with a brief overview over all tour programs offered via terra polaris, sorted by destinations and then type of travel. 
Useful for both a quick glance, or if you have already background knowledge about your intended region and type of travel.
Not all tours we offer are available in an English version, yet (see remarks in the list).

Transparency in prices and tour operator:

Prices in original currency:
Depending on the seat of the tour operator who is organising the respective program locally, the prices are stated in the original currency (NOK - norwegian crowns, EURO). As a principle, terra polaris always uses the original prices in the original currency of the tour operator. By this, we do not have to add surcharges for the risk of changing exchange rates, and you can possibly make use of an advantageous exchange rate by doing payments earlier when the rate is good.
If you should find the same tour (possibly under a different name) offered by other companies in another currency, it is worth checking possible pricing differences. 
As an orientation: Against the EURO, the NOK has been typically fluctuating between 7.8 to 8.4 NOK for 1 € - with a short-lived drop to almost 10 NOK for an EURO only in winter 2008/09 in the course of the financial crisis. So usually, a division of NOK prices by 8 leads to an approximate equivalent in €.

Original tour operator names:
As we stick to the original prices and as most of our customers like to make use of our special local competence also for questions after a booking, we sell all programs under the name of the company which is in fact running the tour, because we have no reason to fear such transparency.

And now: the travel programs:

Settlement-based (polar night/New Years Eve, late winter/spring, summer)

+ Polar night for a week (over New Year's Eve)
based in Longyearbyen, polar night experience with hikes, dog sledge tour. Also possible as special arrangement.
» Program for 2010/11 not available, yet.

+ Arctic Late Winter Week
April, 2 departures: based in Longyearbyen, day hikes, doge sledge/snowmobile tour. Also possible as special arrangement.
» Program for 2011 not available, yet.

+ Arctic Week - summer. 
Mid-June to late August, weekly departures, from NOK 8600: base in Longyearbyen, day hikes and boat trips. Also possible as special arrangement.
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 500 kB - joint file for Arctic Week, Combined Arctic Week, Arctic Weekend)

+ Combined Arctic Week - summer
July/August, weekly departures, from NOK 10600: based in Longyearbyen and Pyramiden, day hikes and boat trips. Also possible as special arrangement.
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 500 kB - joint file for Arctic Week, Combined Arctic Week, Arctic Weekend)

+ Arctic Weekend - summer. 
Late June to late August, weekly departures, from NOK 3950: based in Longyearbyen, day hike and boat trip, town guidance.
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 500 kB - joint file for Arctic Week, Combined Arctic Week, Arctic Weekend)

Expedition Cruises (summer - Spitsbergen)

We offer only cruises with clear focus on the experience of the country, not social events, and maximally ca. 110 passengers. Usually daily landings and, for cruises more than 6 days, a variety of geographic and regional lectures are included.

Strong demand and limited capacity - specific dates/classes maybe booked out a year in advance. However, some remaining/returned places may be still available. Therefore, we advise you to send us a list of possible departures and cabin categories in the order of your preferences.
The first preliminary programs for 2011 will be available from approximately Mai 2010.
All cruises after June 20th can be combined with the following supplementary program on shore, based in Longyearbyen, to be optimally prepared for the following cruise.

Add-on program for Spitsbergen Cruises
Being based in Spitsbergen, it is easy for us to provide you with supplementary land-based programs in Spitsbergen before or after your cruise. While the cruise gives the grand overview and the best chances for the big mammals, a land program in a much smaller group offers a much more direct contact to the country in a small group (or even just for you as a special arrangement), with more time for studying and photographing the details or for emphasizing certain special aspects. By this, cruise and land programm are an ideal combination.
See the following offers:
Arctic Week (Longyearbyen-based, 7 days/nights, adaptable to cruise dates)
Combined Arctic Week (based in Longyearbyen and Pyramiden, 7 days/nights)
Glacier Base (wilderness cabin and camp next to spectacular glacier front)
Longyearbyen and Glacier Base (7 days/nights)
» Pre-program for cruises (3 days, excursions from Longyearbyen, PDF file, ca. 800 kB)

+ Spitsbergen Adventure Cruise NORDSTJERNEN
Northwest Spitsbergen, 3 days on bord of former Hurtigruten ship, 5 days in total.
Not offered anymore in 2011.

+ Aberdeen - North Rona - Faroys - Jan Mayen - Spitsbergen on MV PLANCIUS
Rare opportunity for North Rona and especially Jan Mayen, good chances for whales, the gradual change of nature from central Europe to high Arctic. In 2010, we managed a record of 4 landings on Jan Mayen ! June 12th - June 22nd 2011. Can be supplemented with start from Hansweert (Holland, June 10th). From € 2450.
Direct charter flight Spitsbergen-Brussels for return available June 22nd and June 29th. This cruise is intended to have Andreas Umbreit (25 years Spitsbergen experience and guide author, owner of terra polaris) as lecturer in the staff.
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 1.9 MB - joint document for all arctic cruises of ANTARCTIC DREAM, PLANCIUS and NOORDERLICHT)
Preliminary dates & prices 2012 available from about June onwards 
» Ship description PLANCIUS download (PDF file, ca. 1.9 MB)

+ Northern Spitsbergen Cruise - ANTARCTIC DREAM, PLANCIUS
June - early July: Northwest coast of Spitsbergen with many landings, 6,5 days on board, from € 2700.
Departure for especially active travellers: PLA07 (June 29 - July 08) with kayaking, snowshoe included. Extra option: 3 days trekking in the high north of Spitsbergen. Charter flights Brussels - Longyearbyen - Brussels included ! This cruise is intended to have Andreas Umbreit (25 years Spitsbergen experience and guide author, owner of terra polaris) as lecturer in the staff.
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 1.9 MB - joint document for all arctic cruises of ANTARCTIC DREAM, PLANCIUS and NOORDERLICHT)
Preliminary dates & prices 2012 available from about June onwards. 
» Ship description ANTARCTIC DREAM download (PDF file, ca. 1.5 MB)
» Ship description PLANCIUS download (PDF file, ca. 1.9 MB)

+ Around Spitsbergen - ANTARCTIC DREAM, PLANCIUS
July/August: Attempt to circumnavigate Spitsbergen with many landings, ca. 10 days on board, from € 3850. 
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 1.9 MB - joint document for all arctic cruises of ANTARCTIC DREAM, PLANCIUS and NOORDERLICHT)
Preliminary dates & prices 2012 available from about June onwards.
» Ship description ANTARCTIC DREAM download (PDF file, ca. 1.5 MB)
» Ship description PLANCIUS download (PDF file, ca. 1.5 MB)

+ Spitsbergen Expedition Cruise - MS POLAR STAR
July/August: focus on the high arctic part of the archipelago in the Northeast , 6,5 days on board.
All cruises for summer 2011 are cancelled !

+ NOORDERLICHT sailship Spitsbergen cruises
Various routes from May until October, very strong demand resulting in large parts of bookings more than 1 year in advance, some remaining/return places may be available also later. Duration 8-16 days, € 1700-3700.
Departure with longer hiking excursions: NOO11 (August 27 - September 11). Andreas Umbreit (25 years Spitsbergen experience and guide author, owner of terra polaris) is intended to be expedition leader on this voyage. 
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 1.9 MB - joint document for all arctic cruises of ANTARCTIC DREAM, PLANCIUS and NOORDERLICHT)
Preliminary dates & prices 2012 available from about June onwards.
» Ship description NOORDERLICHT download (PDF file, ca. 1.5 MB)
Very high demand for NOORDERLICHT - some departures sold out a year in advance.

Combination of Jan Mayen und Spitsbergen - cruise in early summer

Cruise from Scottland via St. Kilda (!), Farøy Islands, Jan Mayen to Spitsbergen, with landings on all mentioned islands and including in Spitsbergen the Northwest coast - all influenced by local natural conditions (wind, swell, ice). This cruise is one of the few opportunities for hopefully going ashore in Jan Mayen (during the last years usually 2 different landings there per visit). Among the lecturers will be Andreas Umbreit (author of the Bradt guide book to Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen and Franz Josef Land).

+ Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen - PLANCIUS
04.-14. 06. 2010, from € 2450, start in Oban (West Scotland), end in Longyearbyen.
» Detail information download (PDF file, ca. 600 kB - joint document for all arctic cruises of ANTARCTIC DREAM, PLANCIUS and NOORDERLICHT)
» Ship description PLANCIUS download (PDF file, ca. 1.5 MB)

Franz Josef Land (Russian Arctic) 

Apart from the North Pole cruises on the Russian nuclear icebreaker 50 LET POBEDY ("50th Anniversary of Victory"), which touch Franz Josef Land only briefly, at least 3 cruises are offered to this northernmost archipelago of both Europe and Eurasia in 2011 - on the diesel-electric Russian icebreaker KAPITAN DRANITSYN (possibly 2 departures), on the ice-classed AKADEMIK SHOKALSKIY (combination with Novaya Zemlya) and on the ice-classed NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER (in combination with Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen):

+ Franz Josef Land - KAPITAN DRANITSYN
16. 07. - 28. 07. 2011, from € 7900, start/end: Murmansk (with transfer from/to Kirkenes).
» Detail information download 2010 (PDF file, ca. 100 kB)
» Ship description KAPITAN DRANITSYN download (PDF file, ca. 1.5 MB)

+ Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya - AKADEMIK SHOKALSKIY
26. 07. - 07. 08. 2011, from US-$ 8080, start Murmansk, end Murmansk
This voyage is intended to have Andreas Umbreit (owner of terra polaris, guide book author) in the staff team as guide and lecturer with his expertise for Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya from several earlier cruises to these areas. 
» Detail information download 2011 (PDF file, ca. 500 kB).
Please observe: this tour has been rescheduled, now starting from Murmansk, instead of Arkhangelsk

+ Spitsbergen, White Sea, Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
23. 07. - 14. 8. 2011, from USD 22560, start/end: Longyearbyen/Spitsbergen.
Detail information and ship description not finished, yet.

Rare opportunities: Tourism to the high Russian Arctic is still adventurous and there is no continuity of programs, yet, from year to year, compared to most other polar destinations. A program offered in one year is not necessarily available also in the following years. For instance, there were two exciting longer cruises to Franz Josef Land in 2008 (led by Andreas Umbreit) - in 2009, there was none, and there was none in 2007. The islands around the Kara Sea (Novaya Zemlya, Vise, Severnaya Zemlya, Taimyr) were offered in 2005, but not again, since. Therefore, polar travellers keen on visiting these remote places should take advantage of the opportunities as they come and keep an eye in between on this section of our webside.