Begin your journey in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. Wander the cobblestone streets of the Old Town and discover its rich, ancient history. Before beginning your journey to the Arctic, flying to Longyearbyen.

The islands of Svalbard are visually stunning. With no forest cover, their geological bones loom bare under the sky. Snow-dusted peaks resembling layered stone wedding cakes soar above deeply carved fjords and sparkling bays. In summer, tundra vegetation thrives under the Midnight Sun. Migratory birds in their millions crowd the skies, to nest, breed and nurture their young on steep, striated cliffs, shingle beaches and tundra meadows. Elaborately antlered reindeer graze the slopes. Arctic foxes and predatory gulls haunt the nursery edges. Seals and walruses haul out to join the breeding season, and polar bears patrol the rocky shorelines and floating ice, while whales roll, breach and feed off shore.

Testaments to past human endeavours include whalebones and weather trypots from medieval whaling stations; the wind-sanded timbers of an expedition's landing site; a hut where someone whiled away a long-ago dark winter. Riding in Zodiacs and paddling kayals, observing from the decks and trekking on the islands themselves, you will experience and explore this isolated, unspoiled and breathtakingly beautiful place, as it revels in the endless days of its short, exuberant summer. The precise daily itinerary will be planned by your Expedition Leader and Captain based on sea and ice conditions and willdife concentrations.

After your days of energetic exploration, luxuriate in the many pleasures of Seabourn Venture during leisurely cruising. Your Expedition Team members answer questions, recount tales and point out highlights on deck and in lounges, and also share fascinating presentations in the Discovery Centre, in anticipation of your further adventures in Iceland.

Isolated in the Arctic Ocean, seldom-visited Jan Mayen island is volcanic in origin, consisting of two peaks. Its large end, Beerenberg peak, is covered with an ice cap and multiple glaciers. Landing is by Zodiacs only and requires permission. There is a small scientific and military presence, but the island is and important Bird Area Reserve with huge breeding populations of northern fulmars, little auks, and both thick-bellied and black guillemots.

After your days of energetic exploration, luxuriate in the many pleasures of Seabourn Venture during leisurely cruising. Your Expedition Team members answer questions, recount tales and point out highlights on deck and in lounges, and also share fascinating presentations in the Discovery Centre, in anticipation of your further adventures in Iceland

The second-largest urban area in Iceland with a population, is situated at the head of Eyjafjörður, the longest fjord in Iceland, only 62 miles from the Arctic Circle. Marvel at the snow-streaked mountains, and in the height of summer, the profusion of arctic wildflowers. Often cloudy, with a mild climate, Akureyri has much less rain than Reykjavik. It is a cultured city, with a university, many galleries & museums.

Nearby Hrísey Island is a spectacularly beautiful and peaceful island often called ‘The Pearl of Eyjafjörður,’ with an atmosphere of calm and settled tranquility. Numerous Atlantic puffins fly overhead, and the occasional whale is seen traversing the fjord.

Only a handful of people call Flatey home, the largest of the 40 or so Westman Islands scattered about northwestern Iceland. The island is just over a mile long and half a mile wide — and quite flat, hence its name. A former monastery, established here in 1172, became a centre of learning during the Middle Ages.

Follow the only road from the ferry dock to its collection of cheerfully coloured houses, many of which date from the 19th century. It's also a haven for birders, who flock here each summer to observe its large population of breeding puffins, along with arctic tern, eider duck, and dozens of other migrating bird species.

Small, isolated Ittoqqortoormiit is a cluster of buildings painted in bright colours, amid an impsing landscape at the entry to vast Scoresby Sound. True to traditional Greenlandic culture, skins of seals, muskoxen and polar bears hang on racks outside homes. Sled dogs idle in the yards, their wooden sledges propped up against the house. Buy Greenlandic stamps in the post office to send postcards from an unexpected postmark. Or visit the quaint church, its gabled interior painted in white and sky-blue.

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