Northwest Svalbard Sailing Explorer

Svalbard, Norway

High in the Arctic Circle sits the world’s most northernmost town, sitting halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Svalbard is one of Europe’s last great wildernesses, often referred to as the “land of the midnight sun,” as the archipelago experiences 24-hour daylight from mid-May to late September.

Svalbard is a beautiful but rugged terrain with more polar bears than people. It’s perfect for adventure travellers who want to explore the ice-covered fjords, colossal glaciers, and soaring mountains. The best and most sustainable way to see the Arctic archipelago is by sailing. However, travel to Svalbard is strictly regulated, and visitors are not allowed to leave the main town of Longyearbyen without a registered guide. Goxsheim has special permission to sail and explore this magical landscape with a registered guide onboard. Guests can rest assured that they are in safe hands at all times.

Mountains, ice and fjords

The area we visit on this expedition sailing holiday is where the Svalbard archipelago got its first name from the Dutch explorers, Spitsbergen – the land of pointy peaks! Sail around the coastline, hike in the fjords, and explore magnificent glaciers with crampons, axes and ropes. We will learn about the formation of the fjords, the movements of the glaciers, and the lifecycle of the ice.

Sailing here is immersive and varied. Goxsheim will thread through fjords such as Kongsfjorden, Krossfjorden, and Magdalenafjorden, passing close to glacier fronts such as Kongsbreen, Lillehöökbreen, and Monacobreen. The light at this time of year never fades, allowing for long days on the water and more flexible use of time. Conditions can shift between calm, reflective waters inside the fjords and more exposed stretches along the coast, with ice, swell and wind all influencing the day’s sailing.

History, culture and wildlife

In Northwest Svalbard, explorers from east and west have tried their hand at hunting, trapping and mineral extraction over the centuries since the archipelago was discovered in 1596. Discover the fjords of Kongsfjorden, Krossfjorden and Magdalenafjorden, along with the countless glaciers we pass, such as Kongsbreen, Lillehöökbreen and Monacobreen.

Whalers and trappers have had ample access to game in the past and there are still today good chances of seeing whales, seals and a bustling birdlife, perhaps even polar bears. Although the populations of most of the wildlife here have been dramatically reduced in the last couple of hundred years, as in the rest of the world.

Day One –  Meet Goxsheim in Longyearbyen, where the midnight sun is this time of year. We’ll set sail straight away towards the mountain Alkehornet on the opposite side of the Isfjorden. Throughout the night, we continue our voyage on the inside of the island Prins Karls Forland, and through the narrow passage by Forlandsrevet.

Day 2: Krossfjorden and glaciers – Explore Krossfjorden and Lilliehöökfjorden, where we will visit the 14th of July bay and Lilliehöökbreen with its eight-kilometre-long glacier front. After an eventful day, we sail out of the fjord again and continue north towards Magdalenafjorden.

Day 3: Magdalenafjorden – This beautiful fjord with its icebergs and high peaks is named after the guardian angel of early Basque whalers, Maria Magdalena. Magdalenafjorden was an important base for whaling since the 16th century. As we sail further north, we reach more protected waters amongst the north-western Islands in the Smeerenburg fjord. We will visit islands with a history dating from the 17th century, when whale hunters dominated this area. At the peak in the 1630s, there were about 250 boats here hunting 750 whales per summer. Thus, the whale population sank quickly, and so did the number of whalers. Then, 250 years later, the islands became relevant again, this time as a base for several polar expeditions in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Day 4-6: Fjord-sailing on the north shore – The next few days, we will sail into the fjords at the north coast of Svalbard: Raudfjorden, Liefdefjorden and Bockfjorden. These fjords are home to rich wildlife, and we can expect to see reindeer, seals and maybe polar bears. The glaciers in the area are fascinating; we collect fresh ice at Monacobreen for our drinks at the world’s northernmost bar; Texas Bar. The night before turning around, we will spend the night in Mushamna, a very special and well-protected bay. It also has a long history as a trapper station all up until today.

Day 6-7: Sailing south via Ny-Ålesund – Today, we’ll set sail back towards Longyearbyen, where we’ll pass the northwest islands and stop by Ny-Ålesund, the world’s northernmost all-year community and a research town for researchers from all over the world. Continue south on the inside of Prins Karls Forland to the mouth of Isfjorden, which leads us to the largest settlements on Svalbard, with Longyearbyen being the largest. Hopefully, we have time to stop at the Russian mining town of Barentsburg, a special place with its own rhythm and atmosphere.

Day 8: Return to Longyearbyen – On the last morning, we sail into Longyearbyen, we clean and wash the boat, pack our things, and check out at 14:00. We encourage everyone to stick around at least until the next day, with accommodation on land if possible. So we could meet for a farewell dinner on land in Longyearbyen last night.

Read our blog about everything you need to know before you visit Svalbard.