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Worldwide Photography Tours since 1980

Svalbard: Wildlife and the Midnight Sun

Svalbard is about as far north as a photographer can practically get, and it is the finest place in the world to photograph the polar bear. Glaciated coastlines, seabird colonies in the tens of thousands, and a summer sun that never sets. This small-ship photo tour is built to cover the full range of what the archipelago offers a camera. We sail from Longyearbyen aboard the M/S Sjøveien with twelve guests and work the coast, the fjords and the drifting ice for the length of the voyage.

230701 Z1013691 Edit 1 edited

The strength of this trip is range. There is something to photograph almost every hour of the working day, and the itinerary is built to reach as much of it as conditions allow. The Zodiacs are our safari vehicle on the water, and most of our shooting is done from them. Walrus haul out on gravel spits and ice in heaps of a hundred or more, and we come in low by Zodiac to shoot them at eye level from the water. The bird cliffs are one of the great spectacles of the North Atlantic: Brünnich’s guillemots, little auks, kittiwakes and fulmars off the rock by the thousand, with Arctic foxes working the scree below for anything that falls. Bearded and ringed seals rest on the floes. Beluga slip along the shorelines. Reindeer graze the tundra, and the coast is lined with glacier fronts that calve into water thick with brash ice.

When the ice allows, we push north to the drifting pack and the floe edge, where the ice loosens into open water. We read the daily ice charts and work the open drift ice, with navigable water between the floes, rather than the consolidated fast ice that needs an icebreaker. It is some of the best shooting on the trip: ice, open water and low Arctic light in the same frame. Like everything at this latitude, it comes down to the wind, the current and the ice on the day.

Svalbard Spitsbergen Ultimate Pack Ice Voyage 2023 Trip Report

The polar bear is what most people come to Svalbard to photograph, and it is the animal we work hardest to find. Polar bears range across the coast and the drifting ice, and our guides know where to look and how to put you in the right place when one appears. A polar bear on the ice, seen low and at eye level from the water, is one of the great sights in wildlife photography, and it is the image this trip is built around.

With the whole ship chartered for just twelve guests, we set our own course. There is no fixed day-by-day plan, and there shouldn’t be. Ice, weather and wildlife decide where we go, and with 24 hours of daylight we can follow a sighting or a change in the light whenever it comes. This is a photo tour rather than a workshop: the pace is built around being in the field, not around classroom instruction, and it suits photographers of every level, from first-timers to people who have shot Svalbard many times. Much of the best work is done from the Zodiacs, and on a strong day we are out for six hours or more across two sessions. Wildlife is wild and sightings are never guaranteed, which is exactly why the good ones stay with you.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Arrive at Longyearbyen, Svalbard's largest community, and transfer to our hotel. We gather in the evening for group introductions and to review plans for embarking the following day. (D)

Day 2
Explore Longyearbyen on your own in the morning. We board the M/S Sjøveien at 3 PM and sail out through Isfjorden as the voyage begins. (B at hotel, D on board)

Svalbard Spitsbergen Ultimate Pack Ice Voyage 2023 Trip Report Days 3 - 11
These are our full days aboard, working the coast, the fjords and the floe edge for the widest possible range of wildlife and landscape photography. The day-to-day plan stays flexible and is set by ice, weather and wildlife. The Zodiacs are our main way of getting close to walrus, seals, bird cliffs and glacier fronts, and we keep a constant watch for polar bears throughout. (BLD daily)

Day 12
We disembark at Longyearbyen at 9 AM and transfer into town. Fly to Oslo and continue home. (B)

M/S Sjøveien

The M/S Sjøveien accommodates a maximum of 12 passengers in eight outside cabins, all equipped with private facilities. On the lower deck, there are four twin cabins with portholes. The main deck features two larger twin cabins with windows and one superior cabin with a double bed and windows. Additionally, there is a large superior cabin with windows on the upper deck. Meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the dining area located on the main deck. The ship also has a lounge area where you can relax with a cup of tea or coffee and attend talks given by the guides. The ship is equipped with two Zodiacs.

She is a true beauty, featuring wooden decks and timeless details. The spacious main deck offers plenty of room to photograph, while the elevated area above the bridge provides breathtaking panoramic views of Svalbard’s magnificent scenery. Access to the bridge is welcomed for an up-close look at the vessel’s command center. Additionally, guests can unwind in the wood-fired hot tub on deck, immersing themselves in both warmth and wilderness.

Tour Details

Jun 22 2027 – Jul 03 2027
Register Now
Fee: *
Deposit: 25% of cabin fee
Limit: 12
Activity Level: Moderate
*Fee notes: Twin Cabin Lower Deck: $15,000
Twin Cabin Main Deck: $15,450
Superior Cabin Upper Deck: $16,150
Single Cabin: $19,000
» Terms and Conditions

Special Terms and Conditions Apply

Tour Highlights

  • Photograph polar bears, the icon of the Arctic
  • Nine full photography days
  • Immense glaciers, drift ice and serrated maritime mountain landscapes
  • Seabird colonies, walrus haul-outs, seals and Arctic fox await our cameras
  • Extensive Zodiac work, in close on the water
  • Totally refurbished expedition ship, only 12 passengers

Testimonials

The wildlife was spectacular. Our guides were uncanny in their ability to spot them, and the captain was able to ease and turn the ship to just the right spot for the perfect shot. The landscape was ethereal.
—Marsha L.

As with all Van Os Photo Safaris, the Svalbard Pack Ice Voyage was planned and carried out with a very high degree of professionalism. The wildlife and scenic images I captured, especially of the polar bears, made this Arctic adventure an experience of a lifetime.
—Dave W.

Van Os Photo Safaris are, in my opinion, the best—I have been on six (and also on other companies tours) but none of which compare to the Van Os tours. Everything is always done to help the photographer obtain the best images and the support given by the tour leaders is unsurpassable.
—Mike G.

Tour Highlights

  • Photograph polar bears, the icon of the Arctic
  • Nine full photography days
  • Immense glaciers, drift ice and serrated maritime mountain landscapes
  • Seabird colonies, walrus haul-outs, seals and Arctic fox await our cameras
  • Extensive Zodiac work, in close on the water
  • Totally refurbished expedition ship, only 12 passengers

Tour Details

Jun 22 2027 – Jul 03 2027
Register Now
Fee: *
Deposit: 25% of cabin fee
Limit: 12
Activity Level: Moderate
*Fee notes: Twin Cabin Lower Deck: $15,000
Twin Cabin Main Deck: $15,450
Superior Cabin Upper Deck: $16,150
Single Cabin: $19,000
» Terms and Conditions

Special Terms and Conditions Apply

  • Tour Description

    Tour Description

    Svalbard is about as far north as a photographer can practically get, and it is the finest place in the world to photograph the polar bear. Glaciated coastlines, seabird colonies in the tens of thousands, and a summer sun that never sets. This small-ship photo tour is built to cover the full range of what the archipelago offers a camera. We sail from Longyearbyen aboard the M/S Sjøveien with twelve guests and work the coast, the fjords and the drifting ice for the length of the voyage.

    230701 Z1013691 Edit 1 edited

    The strength of this trip is range. There is something to photograph almost every hour of the working day, and the itinerary is built to reach as much of it as conditions allow. The Zodiacs are our safari vehicle on the water, and most of our shooting is done from them. Walrus haul out on gravel spits and ice in heaps of a hundred or more, and we come in low by Zodiac to shoot them at eye level from the water. The bird cliffs are one of the great spectacles of the North Atlantic: Brünnich’s guillemots, little auks, kittiwakes and fulmars off the rock by the thousand, with Arctic foxes working the scree below for anything that falls. Bearded and ringed seals rest on the floes. Beluga slip along the shorelines. Reindeer graze the tundra, and the coast is lined with glacier fronts that calve into water thick with brash ice.

    When the ice allows, we push north to the drifting pack and the floe edge, where the ice loosens into open water. We read the daily ice charts and work the open drift ice, with navigable water between the floes, rather than the consolidated fast ice that needs an icebreaker. It is some of the best shooting on the trip: ice, open water and low Arctic light in the same frame. Like everything at this latitude, it comes down to the wind, the current and the ice on the day.

    Svalbard Spitsbergen Ultimate Pack Ice Voyage 2023 Trip Report

    The polar bear is what most people come to Svalbard to photograph, and it is the animal we work hardest to find. Polar bears range across the coast and the drifting ice, and our guides know where to look and how to put you in the right place when one appears. A polar bear on the ice, seen low and at eye level from the water, is one of the great sights in wildlife photography, and it is the image this trip is built around.

    With the whole ship chartered for just twelve guests, we set our own course. There is no fixed day-by-day plan, and there shouldn’t be. Ice, weather and wildlife decide where we go, and with 24 hours of daylight we can follow a sighting or a change in the light whenever it comes. This is a photo tour rather than a workshop: the pace is built around being in the field, not around classroom instruction, and it suits photographers of every level, from first-timers to people who have shot Svalbard many times. Much of the best work is done from the Zodiacs, and on a strong day we are out for six hours or more across two sessions. Wildlife is wild and sightings are never guaranteed, which is exactly why the good ones stay with you.

    M/S Sjøveien

    The M/S Sjøveien accommodates a maximum of 12 passengers in eight outside cabins, all equipped with private facilities. On the lower deck, there are four twin cabins with portholes. The main deck features two larger twin cabins with windows and one superior cabin with a double bed and windows. Additionally, there is a large superior cabin with windows on the upper deck. Meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the dining area located on the main deck. The ship also has a lounge area where you can relax with a cup of tea or coffee and attend talks given by the guides. The ship is equipped with two Zodiacs.

    She is a true beauty, featuring wooden decks and timeless details. The spacious main deck offers plenty of room to photograph, while the elevated area above the bridge provides breathtaking panoramic views of Svalbard’s magnificent scenery. Access to the bridge is welcomed for an up-close look at the vessel’s command center. Additionally, guests can unwind in the wood-fired hot tub on deck, immersing themselves in both warmth and wilderness.

    Click to view larger image

  • Itinerary

    Tour Itinerary

    Day 1
    Arrive at Longyearbyen, Svalbard's largest community, and transfer to our hotel. We gather in the evening for group introductions and to review plans for embarking the following day. (D)

    Day 2
    Explore Longyearbyen on your own in the morning. We board the M/S Sjøveien at 3 PM and sail out through Isfjorden as the voyage begins. (B at hotel, D on board)

    Svalbard Spitsbergen Ultimate Pack Ice Voyage 2023 Trip Report Days 3 - 11
    These are our full days aboard, working the coast, the fjords and the floe edge for the widest possible range of wildlife and landscape photography. The day-to-day plan stays flexible and is set by ice, weather and wildlife. The Zodiacs are our main way of getting close to walrus, seals, bird cliffs and glacier fronts, and we keep a constant watch for polar bears throughout. (BLD daily)

    Day 12
    We disembark at Longyearbyen at 9 AM and transfer into town. Fly to Oslo and continue home. (B)

  • Tour Leaders

  • Testimonials

    Testimonials

    The wildlife was spectacular. Our guides were uncanny in their ability to spot them, and the captain was able to ease and turn the ship to just the right spot for the perfect shot. The landscape was ethereal.
    —Marsha L.

    As with all Van Os Photo Safaris, the Svalbard Pack Ice Voyage was planned and carried out with a very high degree of professionalism. The wildlife and scenic images I captured, especially of the polar bears, made this Arctic adventure an experience of a lifetime.
    —Dave W.

    Van Os Photo Safaris are, in my opinion, the best—I have been on six (and also on other companies tours) but none of which compare to the Van Os tours. Everything is always done to help the photographer obtain the best images and the support given by the tour leaders is unsurpassable.
    —Mike G.

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Van Os Photo Safaris uses the information you provide to contact you about our upcoming tours, special offers, and trip reports. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time.
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