Svalbard is the Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. It was discovered by Willem Barentsz in 1596 and is approximately 600 miles (965 kilometres) from the North Pole and 400 miles (644 kilometres) north of Norway. With a land area of 24,721 mi² or 39,784 km² and with 60% of the land covered in ice, Svalbard is considered the largest wilderness area in Europe. Spread across four settlements (Longyearbyen being the largest), it has a population of 2,600.
 
Expedition mode begins as soon as we depart Longyearbyen – your Expedition Leader and Captain will determine the route based on wildlife, weather, and ice conditions. MS Villa is an excellent platform for photographing the stunning scenery as we sail towards the pack ice in search of seabirds, seals, whales, and, of course, the King of the Arctic… the polar bear.
 
Join your Expedition Guides on Zodiac cruises and on shore landings to explore, view wildlife and visit historic sites. With a maximum group size of 12 guests, we can mobilize quickly and easily take advantage of any wildlife-viewing opportunities that present themselves ashore or in the Zodiacs. This enables us to easily maximize your Svalbard experience!