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Pointed iceberg in soft grey light at Skillebugt, Scoresby Sund, East Greenland, seen from SH Vega on a Swan Hellenic Greenland expedition cruise

Aurora Expeditions · Sylvia Earle and Douglas Mawson · 15 days

Jewels of the Arctic: Svalbard and East Greenland

Oslo to Reykjavík, or the reverse, with the charter flight to Longyearbyen included. Sailings in 2027 and 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$28,414 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

Aerial view of an iceberg in the deep blue fjord off Ittoqqortoormiit, Scoresby Sund, East Greenland, on a Swan Hellenic Greenland expedition cruise

15 days, Oslo to Reykjavík

Two Arctics in one voyage

Svalbard and East Greenland sit a two-day crossing apart and could hardly be more different, which is the point of this voyage. The journey starts with a night in Oslo and the charter flight to Longyearbyen, then three days in Svalbard: pack ice, bird cliffs, walrus and the glacier fronts of the north-west. Across the Greenland Sea, where whales feed in late summer, the ship enters Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system in the world, and spends five days among its striped mountains, icebergs the size of buildings and the tundra of Liverpool Land, with the town of Ittoqqortoormiit at its mouth. The voyage ends in Reykjavík after the Denmark Strait. Aurora sails it in both directions; the expedition team sets each day around the ice and the weather, and ten solo cabins on every sailing carry no single supplement.

Three Arctic coasts in a fortnight is the voyage we suggest to guests who want to do the Arctic once and do it fully. We shape the rest around you, the cabin, flights from Australia, Oslo and Reykjavík either side, and the offers we hold for Arctic Cruise guests. One Australian specialist, from the first conversation until you are home.

  • 3 countries
  • 2 Arctic regions
  • 15 days

Signature sites

Seven places across two Arctics

Svalbard first, then East Greenland, with the Greenland Sea between them. All reached by Zodiac or on foot with the expedition team, weather and ice permitting.

Panoramic view of snowy mountain peaks in Svalbard

Longyearbyen

The northernmost town of its size, reached by charter flight from Oslo; a town tour before boarding, time permitting.

Day by day

Fifteen days, in outline

The outline below follows the Oslo to Reykjavík direction; the August 2027 and August 2028 sailings run in reverse. The expedition team decides each day in the morning. The full programme comes with the proposal we write for you.

Arrive in Oslo and settle into the included hotel.

Aboard Sylvia Earle and Douglas Mawson

Aurora Expeditions is Australian owned and sails the Arctic with Sylvia Earle and Douglas Mawson: purpose-built expedition ships of around 130 guests, with the X-Bow hull for a steadier crossing, a fleet of Zodiacs and an expedition team that leads every landing. Dining is one open seating, with wine and beer at dinner, and ten solo cabins on every sailing carry no single supplement.

Sylvia Earle
Aerial view of the crevassed glacier front at Burgerbukta, Hornsund, Svalbard, Norway, photographed from SH Vega on a Swan Hellenic Arctic expedition cruise

Zodiacs at the bird cliffs

Glacier fronts and sea ice in Hamiltonbukta, Svalbard, on a Swan Hellenic expedition cruise

Kayaking, for those who book it

Drone view of a mosaic of pack ice floes off the East Greenland coast, navigated by SH Vega on a Swan Hellenic Greenland expedition cruise

The bow deck in the ice

High aerial view of a polar bear, tiny against vast bands of blue sea ice off East Greenland, photographed on a Swan Hellenic Greenland expedition cruise

Tundra walks with the team

Expedition guide giving an expert-led presentation to passengers in the lounge aboard a Swan Hellenic cruise

Lectures between landings

We want to make your journey as easy as possible

One hotel night in Oslo or Reykjavík with breakfast, the charter flight between Oslo and Longyearbyen, thirteen nights on board, all meals, snacks, soft drinks and juices, beer and house wine with dinner, the Captain’s farewell dinner, all Zodiac outings and shore excursions, lectures and guiding by the expedition team, a 3-in-1 polar jacket to keep and the use of boots on board, port fees, permits and landing fees, Wi-Fi where available

Flights from Australia and between Reykjavík and home, meals beyond those listed, kayaking and other optional activities, drinks outside dinner, travel insurance, visa fees and personal expenses, the onboard crew gratuity added to your account

Aurora includes one hotel night at the start and the charter flight between Oslo and Longyearbyen. We arrange your flights from Australia and home from Reykjavík, with any extra nights, so the whole journey is one booking.


Further Exploration

Other Arctic itineraries

Svalbard and Greenland can also be joined aboard Le Commandant Charcot in June, when the ice is at its thickest. Each voyage shows its from price in Australian dollars; our specialists help you choose the one that suits the way you like to travel.

All expeditions
16 Nights
Ponant
From A$53,550

In the Ice of the Arctic: Svalbard and Greenland

Reykjavík to Longyearbyen in June, or Longyearbyen to Reykjavík. Sailings in 2027, with 2028 to follow. Paris charter flight included. From A$53,550 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

10 Nights
Aurora Expeditions
From A$29,205

Svalbard Odyssey

Oslo to Oslo, with the charter flight to Longyearbyen and a hotel night in Oslo included. Three sailings in 2027, three in 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$29,205 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

10 Nights
Aurora Expeditions
From A$19,812

Iceland and East Greenland, Under the Northern Lights

Reykjavík to Reykjavík in September, with a hotel night in Reykjavík included. Sailings in 2027 and 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$19,812 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

7 Nights
Swan Hellenic
From A$16,975

Greenland, Land of Northern Lights

Kangerlussuaq to Kangerlussuaq. Sailings in September 2027 and 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$16,975 per person, charter flights from Reykjavík included, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

15 Nights
Quark Expeditions
From US$19,281

West Greenland and the Far North: Ilulissat to Qaanaaq

Reykjavík to Reykjavík via Nuuk, flights across the Denmark Strait included. One sailing in September 2027, one in September 2028, with 2029 to follow. From US$19,281 per person in US dollars, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

15 Nights
Aurora Expeditions
From A$30,601

Northwest Passage

Between Toronto or Reykjavík and Calgary, with charter flights to and from the ship included. Two sailings in 2027, two in 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$30,601 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

Towering iceberg off Ittoqqortoormiit in soft golden evening light, Scoresby Sund, East Greenland, seen from SH Vega on a Swan Hellenic Greenland cruise

Dates & prices

Departures, 2027 to 2029

Fifteen days between Oslo and Reykjavík. Fares are Aurora Expeditions’ published Australian fares per person, twin share, with the current early-booking offers applied. Ask us before you compare: our offers for Arctic Cruise guests come on top, and we tell you which sailing is the best value for the way you want to travel.

Sold as The Arctic Women’s Expedition: the same route, led by an all-female expedition team and open to all. Oslo night and charter flight included.

Reverse direction: Greenland first, then Svalbard, with the first dusk returning over the fjords. Reykjavík night and charter flight included.

The early 2028 sailing, with sea ice usually still close to Svalbard’s northern fjords.

Late July 2028, at the same fare.

Aboard Aurora’s newest ship, with 2028’s lowest fare on this route.

Two late-season sailings, the first Reykjavík to Oslo and the second Oslo to Reykjavík, with the northern lights possible on the Greenland nights.

Tell us the direction and the cabin you have in mind and we hold your place on our list, then come back to you with dates and Australian fares the day they open.

Made to measure

Tell us your Arctic, we build the rest

Every guest sails differently. Tell us what you are hoping for, the ice, the wildlife, the light, who you are travelling with, and we match it to the right sailing, the right cabin and the right year, with flights from Australia and our own offers included. One Arctic Cruise specialist stays with you from the first call until you are home.