Arctic Circumnavigation Sailing: Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Sailing Around Spitsbergen – a True Arctic Expedition

Longyearbyen → Ny-Ålesund → Smeerenburg → Nordaustlandet → Hinlopen Strait → Storfjorden → Hornsund → Longyearbyen

Leaving Longyearbyen, you set a course clockwise around the entire island of Spitsbergen, one of the most compelling arctic circumnavigation routes on earth. Over 12 days, Goxsheim carries you through 850 nautical miles of shifting ice, open fjords and remote coastline that few people ever reach. You’ll go ashore to hike wild terrain, fish from the boat, explore glaciers and gather around bonfires on empty Arctic beaches. There is midnight sun until mid-August, so the days stretch long, and the light is extraordinary.

The route takes in some of Svalbard’s most celebrated places from the research settlement of Ny-Ålesund to the historically rich waters of Smeerenburg Fjord, and the milestone of 80 degrees north. Moving south through the Hinlopen Strait, with its constant stream of icebergs and rich marine life, then along the dramatic east coast of Spitsbergen, the landscapes shift and expand at every turn.

Wildlife, Ice and the Rhythm of the Arctic

The Arctic has its own pace where nature sets the agenda. Ice conditions shape the route; wildlife appears on its own terms. Polar bears are often spotted along the coast and on ice floes, while whales surface in the nutrient-rich waters of the Hinlopen Strait. Seals bask on shorelines, and birdlife fills the sky in the breeding season. The chance to see all of these on a single expedition is one of the quiet privileges of svalbard sailing by small boat.

Because Goxsheim carries a small group, you go where larger vessels cannot. Sail into sheltered lagoons, remote harbours and places that still carry the atmosphere of the early polar explorers. Highlights along the way include:

• Walrus colonies in Forlandssundet
• Cultural remains at Smeerenburg and Virgohamna
• Hiking and a bonfire at the Mushamna trapper station
• Four glaciers meeting at Hornsund fjord
• Sailing past the former Russian settlement of Barentsburg

A Voyage Through Svalbard’s Protected Wilderness

Much of the coastline you’ll sail through on this arctic circumnavigation falls within Svalbard’s national parks with vast, protected landscapes where the silence is as striking as the scenery. On the East Coast, dramatic mountain ranges rise directly from the sea, best admired from the deck with a warm drink in hand. Further south, Hornsund offers both shelter and spectacle. On clear days, four glaciers converge at the head of the fjord, and the sound of calving ice carries across the water. The west coast of southern Spitsbergen carries its own quieter history: Russian and Norwegian overwintering sites, whaling remnants, and a deep connection to the people who survived here long before the age of tourism.

As you approach Longyearbyen on the final day, you pass Isfjord Radio and the Russian settlement of Barentsburg before making your way back to port. 

Life Aboard Goxsheim 

Built in 1940 in Hatlestrand, Hardanger, she began life as a fishing and freight vessel on the Norwegian coast. Rigged later as a sailing boat, she has spent years leading expeditions to the high Arctic with northern lights, whale safaris, ski and sail voyages. Stepping aboard is its own experience: the smell of wood, the creak of the hull, the weight of real seafaring history beneath your feet.

Goxsheim is a traditional two-mast wooden galea. She has recently undergone some improvements, including a new deck house lounge with more space and better visibility. On board, everyone is part of the crew:

• Bunks and shared cabins for the group
• Shared heads and facilities on board
• Meals cooked together as part of the crew experience
• Hands-on sailing – take the helm, hoist the sails, share the watches
• Relaxed and sociable atmosphere; small group only

Things to note

Sailing vs Shore time

Night-watches?

Travel insurance notes

As this is an active adventure holiday, we advise that everyone has the appropriate personal accident travel insurance whilst onboard in addition to standard travel insurance which would cover you in the time between making your booking and departing for your adventure. These policies can sometimes be combined so please check with your travel insurance provider.

Please read more information on our Insurance guidelines page.

This voyage will be no more than 12 miles offshore.