Arctic Expedition Itinerary

This unique Arctic Expedition sails only ones per year and combines three the most gripping attractions: Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean and the World known Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea.
 

The program description.

 
Day 1, Day of arrival:

Arrival in Murmansk. Meeting at the airport and transfer to a hotel. Check-in. Dinner on your own.
 

Day 2, Murmansk. Start of the Arctic Expedition.

Breakfast. Murmansk is the capital of the Murmansk region and the largest city in the world north of the Arctic Circle, with a population of roughly 375,000. Murmansk Harbour is the largest seaport in the Russian Far North, and fully deserves its title as the "Gateway to the Arctic". More than a dozen merchant, fishing, icebreaking, research and military fleets make their base here. The Northern Fleet is one of the most crucial strategic components of the Russian Federation’s armed forces. And Murmansk is the only port in the world that can boast a fleet of powerful nuclear icebreakers, for use on the Arctic seas. It has a lot of places of interests to see. You can explore the city on your own following the route maps and descriptions from us or book one of guided excursions (Optional).
At 16:00 PM we start our expedition from Murmansk by motor vessel "Claudia Elanskaya" to the Franz Josef Land’s archipelago. Upon coming on board we are settled in two or four person cabins. A captain will welcome us on board. Briefing is at 7:00 PM. Dinner at 8:00 PM.

Day 3, Sailing day to Frans Jozef Land

Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. At 10:00 AM a leader of the expedition will tell us the short introduction of the trip. We will meet staff of the ship, naval depot and all participants of the expedition. The rules of stay on board will be told us as well as practical actions of behaviour in a case of a training alarm. They will also tell us the specialties of debarkation. At 13:30 PM lunch. The day we will stay on the ship. At 15:30 a lecture about the Northern region will be offered to us. There will be possibility to play different kinds of tabletop games as well as to see movies and listen to music. Dinner at 19:30 PM. At 9:00 PM we are invited to welcome Captain’s cocktail.


Day 4, Sea day to Frans Jozef Land

Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 PM. One more day we will stay on board watching the sea and the Northern sky above and looking forward for the severe but so mysteriously beautiful Islands of Franz Josef Land. Expeditionary lecturers will start to meet us the history of discovery of the archipelago as well as tell us what kind of animals and birds we can see during our Arctic Expedition. Lunch and dinner at usual time. At 9PM we will have briefing.

Day 5, Franz Josef Land, Cape Flora

Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00. At 11.30 a lecture about the Cape Flora. Lunch at 13:30 PM. At 4:00 PM we make a debarkation to the Cape Flora. It was discovered by Lee Smith expedition in 1880 year. They had to winter on this island after the steam yacht "Aira" had been crushed by ice and sunk near the coast. The island is a place of meeting expeditions of Nansen, Jackson, Sedov and Brusilov. There are several memorial steles erected on the island in different years to commemorate the daring Arctic explorers. A huge sea bird colony is located on the southern slopes. If we are lucky we can watch polar foxes and walruses. We can make bright photos of flowers and colorful mosses. At 7:00 PM we come back to the ship. At 9:00 PM – Recap.


Day 6, Franz Josef Land, Bay Tikhaya, Rock Rubini, Island Champa.

Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. In the morning we approach to the Bay Tikhaya where the huge separated rock is standing which has become home for thousands sea birds. We will try to come to the rock silently and watch The Little Auks, The Pigeon Guillemots, The Common Murre and other Arctic birds without disturbing them. One of strong points of the national park "Russian Arctic" is located on the island Guker close to the rock. When the weather is clear it is nice to see the majestic Glacier of Sedov. For lunch we come back on board. In the evening, after dinner, we will make a debarkation to the Island Champa which is called as a "pearl" of the archipelago. The Island is famous for its amazingly beautiful rocks, "moon" ice doms and ideal round stones of different sizes and mysterious origin. There is a big sea bird colony on the island and we have an opportunity to watch The Great Skuas.

Day 7, Franz Josef Land, Hall Island, Cape Tegetthoff
Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. In the morning we come to the Hall Island and go out of board to the sandy beach of Cape Tegetthoff. A "visit card" of Franz Josef Land is located here: the massive rocks like fins of gigantic shark. Hall Island is one of the most beautiful islands of the archipelago. In the evening we are leaving the Franz Josef Land for the next destination: Novaya Zemlya.

Day 8, Novaya Zemlya, Oranskye Islands (Nortnern Island), Cape Zhelaniya or Russian Harbour.

Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. The archipelago Novaya Zemlya up to this day stays one of the most closed Russian territories. The biggest part of islands is situated within the strictly protected military zone, and our way is to Northern part of the archipelago. If we will be allowed with weather, we shall make landings to Cape Zhelaniya and on Oranskye Islands. If the weather is not favourable we will go to the Russian Harbour. There we can see Glacier and the rests of a scientific station left in 1994. In the evening we leave the cold and severe shores of the archipelago for the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea.

Days 9 and 10, Sailing day to Solovetsky Islands
Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. The day will allow us to enjoy the clear cloudless sky, boundless see space and icebergs of whimsical shapes. If we are lucky we can see white whales or even whales. Lectures will be delivered to us to know more about the Northern part of Russia. Lunch and dinner at usual time. We are leaving the Arctic. Sharing impressions and photos, watching movies.

Day 11, Solovetsky Islands.
Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. In the afternoon time we will approach to the Solovetsky archipelago – the unique natural and museum reserve of world value and saint place for Russian people. We go out of board for a 3 hour excursion at the Monastery’s territory. The excursion acquaints us with history of the Monastery. We will see the central complex of the monastery, operating temples, the monuments entered into the list a worldwide heritages of UNESCO, objects of economic activities of a monastery. In the evening we have free time to walk in the Big Solovetsky Island enjoying the wonderful place. We will have late dinner at 9:00 PM.

Day 12, Zayatsky Island.
Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. In the morning the ship is leaving for the Big Zayatsky Island – another Island of Solovetsky archipelago. During the excursion on the Zayatsky Island we will see the biggest pagan sanctuary dated approx. two millennium B.C., stone labyrinths, a complex of the cult and funeral constructions, the first in Russia stone harbour, monuments of Andreevsky Monastery. After excursion we are leaving Solovetsky Islands and take course to Arkhangelsk.

Day 13, Sailing to Arkhangelsk.
Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. At 11.30 AM Briefing. Arrival in Arkhangelsk harbor at 6:00 PM. Transfer to a hotel and check-in. Dinner on your own.

Day 14, Arkhangelsk.
Breakfast. Day on your own or departure to airport. You can make optional excursions in the city and suburbs.