Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.

The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.

Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.

Defined by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the Earth’s rotational axis, at the intersection of all meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site, permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated generations of explorers. So far, only a very few people have ever reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard the Commandant-Charcot.

Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.

Enjoy exceptional moments sailing onboard Le Commandant Charcot,  the world's first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans where the frozen conditions render it inaccessible for ordinary ships. Participate in scientific research, take part in onboard lectures and opportunities for discussion with specialists plus much more.

The northeast of Greenland is renowned for being home to one of the oldest and thickest layers of ice on the planet. On board Le Commandant Charcot you will have the unique opportunity of sailing into the heart of this icy wilderness and will travel along one of the world's most isolated coasts, between drifting ice and icebergs.

Day 13 - Scoresby Sound

Scoresby Sound is the largest and deepest fjord system in the world. Named after the explorer and whale hunter William Scoresby, who mapped the region in 1822, it opens onto the Greenland Sea to the north of the Blosseville Coast. This wild and desert region offers untouched panoramas of infinite beauty, with high snow-capped peaks rising tall alongside icebergs immersed in clear, blue-tinged waters. Rode Fjord and its cliffs coloured red by iron ore provide a fascinating setting you will not want to miss. Discovering these stunning places in the wake of great explorers like Captain Charcot, who was deeply attached to the land of the Inuit, inspires a profound reverence.

Day 14 - Ittoqqortoormiit region

On the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region, you will have the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of isolated scenery and exploring the beauty of its landscapes. The region is home to the longest fjord system in the world, Scoresby Sound. On the edge of the fjord, the eponymous village is considered one of the most remote inhabited places in the world. The colourful houses, so typical of Greenland, dot the landscape with small red, yellow and blue patches that stand out against the surrounding arid landscape. Immersing yourself in this region will allow you to discover the ancestral way of life of the last hunters of the polar region. This will be a veritable deep dive into the lives of the Arctic’s inhabitants.

Day 15 - At sea

Enjoy exceptional moments sailing onboard Le Commandant Charcot,  the world's first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans where the frozen conditions render it inaccessible for ordinary ships. Participate in scientific research, take part in onboard lectures and opportunities for discussion with specialists plus much more.

Day 16 - Sailing through the Denmark Strait

Lying between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait is home to extremely dense pack ice in the wintertime, along the Greenland coast, although generally clear of ice in the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world's largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in temperature between the Greenland Sea and the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea.

Day 17 - Reykjavik

Disembark Le Commandant Charcot in Reykjavik, Iceland for your return journey home.

Secure your space today by calling one of our Travel Specialists on 0203 196 1000 or enquire here