Arctic Expedition Itinerary
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 Inselnago – 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 Inselnago. 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 Archangelsk.
Breakfast from 07:30 to 9:00 AM. At 11.30 AM Briefing. Arrival in Archangelsk
harbor at 6:00 PM. Transfer to a hotel and check-in. Dinner on your own.
Day 14, Archangelsk.
Breakfast. Day on your own or departure to airport. You can make optional
excursions in the city and suburbs.