Feel free to arrive in Longyearbyen a day before the expedition starts and enjoy your first day together with Sisse Brimberg.

Embark on our expedition ship in the afternoon and sail out through the spectacular Isfjorden.

In the evening, a welcome dinner, and after dinner, National Geographic Photographer Sisse Brimberg will give an introduction to the workshop and brief you on what to expect in the coming days.

We sail out through the beautiful fjord between snow-capped mountains, heading towards some of the most remote landscapes in the world.

Throughout the journey, we will attempt to make daily stops on the coast using our Zodiac boats, bringing you as close as possible to wildlife and points of interest.

Our primary mission is to photograph polar bears as they make their way across the drifting ice. Polar bears are quite plentiful in Svalbard and together with our two local guides, we will set the course to where they are most likely to be.

After dinner, National Geographic Photographer Sisse Brimberg will host a lecture about her life and work with National Geographic.

We are in a part of the world that’s completely dependent on the ice and weather conditions. Our exact itinerary depends on these factors as well as the wildlife we encounter. Our ambition is to make landings or cruises with our Zodiacs every day. Here are some examples of places we may visit:

Northwest Spitsbergen

The scientific village of Ny-Ålesund is situated in Kongsfjorden. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole. Two other courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started on the island of Danskøya. Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon, and American journalist Wellman started with an airship. There are still interesting remnants from these expeditions left on this site.

Magnificent fjords

Svalbard offers visitors countless spectacular fjords. During our journey, we will explore a few of them, such as Liefdefjorden, meaning “The fjord of love”, lined with snow-covered mountain peaks. Here, we hope to cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pinkfooted geese nest in the area. In Krossfjorden, we revel in the beautifully sculptured front of the 14th of July Glacier to the raucous greeting of the large number of kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots nesting on the nearby cliffs. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty, dominated by beautiful glaciers. It is also a favourite spot for seals, and the bird cliffs are bursting with activity.

Hinlopen Strait and Alkefjellet

If the ice allows, we enter Hinlopen Strait. Here is Alkefjellet, an impressive basalt cliff, home to an estimated 200.000 Brünnich’s guillemots. We may also continue into the beautiful bay Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet.

Eastern Svalbard

The island of Nordaustlandet is covered by an enormous ice cap and fascinates naturalists as well as historians. There are huge glacier fronts here, intersected by hundreds of waterfalls. Barentsøya and Edgeøya offer magnificent landscapes and vast tundra. Chances to encounter walrus, Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer are good here.

Southwest Spitsbergen

The grand fjords of Hornsund offer spectacular glaciers and a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain peaks, often reaching above the clouds. On a clear day, we can see the summit of the highest mountain Hornsundtind, measuring 1431 meters. Hornsund is a favourite haunt for some of Svalbard’s polar bears, and bearded seals are often seen resting on the fjord ice.

Workshops and hands-on workshops during the day and evening by Sisse Brimberg.

In the evenings, Sisse Brimberg will conduct workshops and share some fascinating knowledge about Svalbard, accumulated over the years of photographing landscapes and wildlife for National Geographic.

Cruising down the Hindlopen Strait, we pass spectacular basalt cliffs, home to an estimated 200.000 Brünnich’s guillemots, also known as the thick-billed murre. Making our way along the island of Nordaustlandet, we will witness a magnificent landscape covered with hundreds of waterfalls. An incredible sight to behold!

Here, we have the best chances of encountering some of Svalbard’s most photogenic wildlife, including walruses, the much-admired Svalbard reindeer and the elusive Arctic fox. Hugging the coast using our Zodiac boats, we will have excellent opportunities for landscape photography, and chances are good that we will also encounter polar bears along this stretch.

Sisse Brimberg will offer individual feedback on the photos taken so far, with one-on-ones as well as group sessions.

Arriving back in Longyearbyen, we will enjoy a early farewell breakfast before we disembark our ship and begin our journey back home.