Arrive at Tromsø Airport and transfer to our Embarkation Suite (conditions apply below). After completing check-in and storing your luggage, enjoy time to explore this lively Arctic city before returning at the designated time for the group transfer to Sylvia Earle.
Important information
· Complimentary airport arrival transfers are available as group transfers for passengers arriving at Tromsø Airport before 12.00 pm on Day 1 only.
· If you arrive after the airport-transfer cut-off, please make your own way to the Embarkation Suite before 2.00 pm to complete mandatory check-in.
· If you are already in Tromsø, please bring all your luggage to our centrally located Embarkation Suite and complete mandatory check-in between 9.00 am and 2.00 pm.
· At the Embarkation Suite, luggage storage, Wi-Fi, tea, coffee and light refreshments are available, along with assistance from AE Expeditions staff regarding your voyage and time in the city.
· Embarkation Suite location: To be advised approximately six months before departure.
· Your main luggage will be transferred to the ship at 2.30 pm. Please keep passports, medication, money, cards and anything else you may need during the day in your hand luggage.
In the late afternoon, join the group transfer to Sylvia Earle. Once onboard, settle into your cabin and attend the mandatory safety briefings as we prepare to sail south-west through the channels and islands of Norway’s dramatic northern coast.
This evening, meet your Expedition Team and fellow travellers over a welcome dinner and raise a toast to the Arctic journey ahead.
We navigate towards the Lofoten Islands, an extraordinary chain of mountains, sheltered bays and fishing communities rising from the Norwegian Sea. The archipelago’s name is believed to derive from an Old Norse word meaning ‘lynx’s foot’, reflecting the shape of one of its islands. Arriving in Svolvær, Lofoten’s compact capital, choose an included experience that reveals the region through its landscapes, flavours or centuries-old fishing traditions.
Personalise your expedition with an included ‘Your Choice’ experience suited to your interests and level of fitness.
Option 1: Guided hike towards Tjeldbergtind
Duration: 3 hours
Level of difficulty: Active
Terrain: Approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) over uneven ground and loose gravel, with sustained steep sections. The highest point is 367 metres (1,204 feet). Layered clothing and sturdy hiking boots are essential. Participants should be in good physical condition.
Climb through Lofoten’s pristine mountain landscape towards Tjeldbergtind. The steady ascent is rewarded with sweeping views across jagged peaks, lakes and sheltered waterways, with Svolvær, Kabelvåg and the Norwegian mainland visible when conditions are clear.
Option 2: Taste of Lofoten
Duration: 2 hours, including tastings
Level of difficulty: Leisurely (Limited seats available)
Note: Eight small tastings are included and do not constitute a full meal. Drinks are not included; a selection is available for purchase.
Discover why Lofoten is sometimes described as sitting within ‘the world’s largest pantry’. For generations, the sea, mountains and short Arctic growing season have shaped what islanders catch, raise and preserve.
See traditional fish-drying racks before continuing to a local venue for stories and tastings. Sample regional flavours that may include dried Arctic cod, salmon, Lofoten lamb, cloudberries, locally produced yoghurt and cod roe—an edible introduction to life on the northern coast.
Option 3: Lofoten fishing village
Duration: 2 hours
Level of difficulty: Moderately paced
Terrain: Approximately 3–5 km (up to 3.1 mi) return on mostly level urban paths.
Explore Svolvær on foot with a local guide and trace the development of an urban fishing community. Learn how fisheries, landowning fish buyers and the stockfish trade shaped the town, stopping at significant historic and present-day sites. The walk concludes with a taste of stockfish, one of Lofoten’s most enduring culinary traditions.
Today we explore the landscapes and stories of western Lofoten. Reine’s red rorbuer cabins, sheltered harbour and sharply rising mountains form one of Norway’s most recognisable coastal scenes, while nearby communities retain strong connections to fishing, craft and seafaring life.
Travel through a succession of narrow valleys, white-sand beaches and fishing villages to Sund, where the local fisheries museum preserves traditional skills associated with life at sea. Meet a blacksmith whose hand-forged seabirds have become a distinctive symbol of the village.
Continue across the island to the beaches of Uttakleiv and Haukland. Weather permitting, walk the coastal route between them, following a gentle trail beneath steep mountains to one of Lofoten’s celebrated white-sand bays. The clear turquoise water and dramatic Arctic setting offer wonderful photographic opportunities.
At the Lofotr Viking Museum in Borg, step inside a reconstructed longhouse built near the site of an important chieftain’s farm. Archaeological finds, traditional crafts and recreated interiors reveal how people lived, traded and travelled here a thousand years ago. Complete the visit with a simple soup inspired by historic North Norwegian ingredients and prepared over an open fire.
Set against the steep mountains and deep fjords of western Senja, Torsken is a small fishing community with immediate access to some of northern Norway’s most compelling landscapes. Choose a relaxed village discovery or take to the trails for elevated views across this rugged island.
Personalise your expedition with an included ‘Your Choice’ experience suited to your interests and level of fitness.
Option 1: Torsken village walk
Duration: 3 hours
Level of difficulty: Easy
Stroll through Torsken’s quiet lanes with a local guide and discover how fishing has shaped the village over many generations. Colourful homes sit between the waterfront and the mountains, creating a vivid sense of life on Senja’s exposed western coast. Visit the 18th-century Torsken Church and conclude with a taste of local delicacies that reflect the region’s coastal heritage.
Option 2: Trek to Ravnfløy
Duration: 3 hours
Level of difficulty: Moderate
Hike into the rugged terrain above Torsken towards Ravnfløy. As the trail gains height, the view opens across Senja’s indented coastline, mountain ridges and surrounding fjords. Pause beside a fire pit to enjoy local tastes before continuing towards the high point, where expansive panoramas reward the climb.
Note: Approximately 4 km return with an elevation gain of 548 metres, over gravel, loose rock and boulders. The route includes sustained steep sections and a short exposed passage. Layered clothing and sturdy hiking boots are essential; participants should be in good physical condition.
Option 3: Hike to Midtertinden
Duration: 4.5 hours
Level of difficulty: Strenuous
Take on a demanding ascent through the wild landscapes above Torsken. The trail climbs towards Midtertinden, revealing ever-wider views across the Norwegian Sea, offshore islands, fjords and Senja’s serrated mountains. Reaching the 623-metre summit is a rewarding achievement, with a striking 360-degree Arctic panorama.
Note: Approximately 4.4 km return with an elevation gain of 623 metres, over gravel, loose rock and boulders. The route includes sustained steep sections and a short exposed passage. Layered clothing and sturdy hiking boots are essential; participants should be in excellent physical condition.
Leaving the Norwegian coast behind, we cross the Norwegian Sea towards Svalbard. Spend time on deck scanning for whale blows and seabirds riding the air currents around the ship, or join the Expedition Team for presentations that introduce the wildlife, sea ice, history and geology of the High Arctic. It is also a welcome opportunity to relax and share stories after our active days in northern Norway.
Over the next five days, Spitsbergen offers a thrilling introduction to true Arctic expedition travel. There is no fixed schedule: the Expedition Team will shape each day around weather, sea ice, wildlife and the latest local information, choosing the strongest available opportunities for Zodiac cruising, shore landings and guided walks.
Early in the season, lingering snow and sea ice transform the fjords into striking polar landscapes. We may explore the glacier-filled west coast or sail north towards the pack-ice edge, always guided by conditions. Zodiac cruises can take us beneath sculpted glacier fronts and among drifting ice, while landings may reveal snow-fringed beaches, historic remains and the first tundra emerging from winter.
This is an important time for returning birdlife. Guillemots, kittiwakes, puffins and little auks gather around cliffs and scree slopes to breed, while walrus and seals may be encountered near coastal haul-outs or ice. Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes leave tracks across the thawing ground. Polar bears can occur anywhere in the archipelago and, if encountered, are observed from a safe distance without influencing their behaviour.
If you have selected an optional activity such as kayaking, we will aim to offer it whenever conditions allow. Guided walks, Zodiac excursions, time on deck and the possibility of a polar plunge create an active and varied introduction to the High Arctic.
During the early morning, we cruise into Longyearbyen. After saying farewell to your Expedition Team and disembarking, enjoy some free time in the world’s northernmost town before transferring to the airport for our charter flight to Oslo, where your voyage concludes on arrival.
Note: the arrival time in Oslo is contingent on the approved allocated slot for our charter flight to and from Longyearbyen, which we expect to receive in March 2028. We recommend allowing flexibility when arranging onward travel.
