The island of Spitsbergen is the archipelago’s largest – and is home to its only town. The frontier-like Longyearbyen is doubly cut off: firstly in its remoteness, and secondly because it is surrounded by polar bears, meaning anyone venturing beyond its boundaries must bring with them a rifle – or an armed guide. But the best way to explore Spitsbergen is not on land, but from the sea. Most travelers explore the inlets, fjords and islets onboard a sailboat or ice-strengthened survey vessel, with schedules dictated not by written itineraries, but by the wind and waves, the dispersing ice floes and the snowmelt. A breaching whale merits a detour, as do Arctic foxes, bounding along the tundra. Zodiac trips and kayaks take voyagers up close to the wildlife – you could be paddling within metres of an orca – or a 3-metre-long walrus. Disembark for a day of snowshoeing, glacier hiking or husky sledding – a Spitsbergen vacation will transport you entirely from the trappings of the modern world.
Read more in our Spitsbergen travel guide.

Spitsbergen is the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago – a cluster of islands sitting just over halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Longer expedition cruises may sail to Spitsbergen over several days via the remote Bear Island, though it’s more common to fly into Longyearbyen and embark there. There are few alternatives to cruising; roads only exist in the few scattered towns, with miles of (often snow-clad) tundra in between. Circumnavigation of Spitsbergen is only possible during the height of summer, when the pack ice has dispersed around the northern reaches, though most trips do away with itineraries altogether, leaving the route to be governed by the waves, the weather and the wildlife.