Flight Expedition to Spitzbergen
On our previous, very successful expedition flights to the North Pole, one comment often heard from passengers was: „Oh, how we would like to leave the aircraft here and go for a walk!“. In particular so when we were overflying Spitzbergen and its spectacular arctic landscapes.
After four stunning flights to the North Pole, where we were „only“ able to admire everything from above, Deutsche Polarflug is very happy to take you to Spitzbergen . And yes, you will touch ground there! Come along on an expedition trip to one of the remotest and without exaggeration most magic and beautiful places on Earth.
Spitzbergen!
We will depart on Saturday, 5 September 2009, at 07:00h for our expedition flight from Dusseldorf directly to Spitzbergen . We will overfly Denmark and Norway as our modern Airbus A320, operated by Air Berlin, flies us forther North. During the flight, you can enjoy a big breakfast with a Nordic touch which will give you strength for a long and interesting day. The flight crew´s names may already sound familiar to some of you: the proven team around Flight Captain Wilhelm Heinz and Chief Purser Antje Kopp, who have accompanied our last two flights to the Pole, are looking forward to flying you to Spitzbergen. Already during the flight, Manuel Kliese (Deutsche Polarflug), who has spent three years on Spitzbergen, will get you prepared for your day there with his detailed narrations. And of course, Alexander Soucek of the European Space Agency esa, who has always delighted the audience with his lectures on our previous flights to the Arctic, will further enliven the flight with one of his exciting lectures.
After just under four hours we will start our descent. Already now, from the airplane window, you will see the snow-covered, pointed mountains that gave Spitzbergen its name. At this time of the year, the landscape is wrapped in a beautiful, blue light. The first fresh snow is covering the landscape like sugar powder. At approximately 11:25h we will land at the airport of Longyearbyen, the main settlement on the Svalbard archipelago. A modern bus will take you on a tour through the small town. We will stop on several occasions, including some viewpoints that offer a great panorama of the town and (weather permitting) unlimited views of the mountain scenery surrounding it. We continue our tour to the Adventdalen, a long, almost completely untouched valley which begins at the Longyearbyen town limits and cuts right through the mountains. At the end of this uninhabited valley we will drive up to a nearby mountain, where the EISCAT Satellite Station is located. From up here, you can see for miles and miles. And if you are lucky, there may be the one or other Svalbard-reindeer saying hello. Our bus tour ends after appr. Three hours and we are back in Longyearbyen. You will now have some time for yourself and can go on an expedition through the city. Time to visit the excellent Svalbard Museum, which displays the history of the archipelago. Or to buy some local souvenirs. Or grab a bite?.
At 16:30h, one could almost presume the days was soon over, we will hit the road again. Well road, the Ocean to be precise. The M/S Polargirl is already waiting for us at a nearby pier, the ship we will continue our expedition on. We will cruise from Longyearbyen on the waters of Spitzbergen´s largest fiord, the Isfjorden.
From the ship´s two outside decks you can see the unreal landscapes gliding by. The ship´s Salon is open for relaxation, you can warm yourself in here or enjoy a hot drink. Our route takes us from Longyearbyen to the town of Barentsburg, the Russian settlement on Spitzbergen. 
A trip to Barentsburg is also a voyage back in time. The Soviet Union is still very alive here and time seems to be standing still.
We will go ashore here and Russian guides will take us for a walk through their home town.
Back on the ship, we will cross the vast Isfjord and continue our journey in a northerly direction towards the pointed mountains („spitze Berge“ in German, hence the name of Spitzbergen) in the Ymer-Bay and the up to 30 meter high scarp of the Esmark Glacier. And here, the culinary highlight of the day will start – a Barbecue on Arctic waters. A delicious dinner buffet waits for you, featuring different meats (also fish) from the region. Of course, vegetarians won´t go hungry, and we will have a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for you. You can still enjoy the fabulous views, but isn´t it much more enjoyable with a full stomach and a glass of Whiskey in your hand, chilled by 12,000 year old glacier ice? Now, it is already late evening, it is still not dark. We will make our way back to Longyearbyen and you will be transferred back to the airport. From there, our flight back to Dusseldorf will depart at appr. 01:50h in the morning. Around four hours later, just after 06:00h we will touch down in Dusseldorf, back from a unique day in one of the remotest regions on Earth!
Expedition flight to Spitzbergen – here are the details:
Departure Dusseldorf: 5 September 2009 at 07:00h, flight AB 1010
Arrival Spitzbergen: 5 September 2009 at 11:25h
Return flight from Spitzbergen: 6 September 2009 at 01:50h, flight AB 1011
Landing in Dusseldorf: 6 September 2009 at 06:00h
Price per person:
EUR 1.345,- (including seat of your choice reservation subject to availability and incl. all taxes and fees) FULLY BOOKED
EUR 1.099,- (Air Berlin Newsletter Special for Air Berlin customers, limited availability, AISLE SEAT ONLY)
For all excursions on the ground (guided bus tour, ship excursion to Barentsburg and the Esmark Glacier, barbecue dinner, all transfers) you will receive a voucher on board the flight for 20 EUR for organisational reasons. There are enough seats in busses and ships for all participants in any case, so no need to worry about that!
Apart from that, there will be no additional costs (except for personal costs like souvenirs, museum entrance, lunch snacks)!
Flights are operated by a modern Airbus A320 of Air Berlin. The aircraft is operating in a 3-3 seating arrangement with a single aisle. Unless you travel in a group of three and want to sit next to each other, only two seats will be occupied in each section of three, with a free middle seat. During the flight, we will provide an upscale catering with a nordic touch and free-of-charge bar service.
Important Information:
Our expedition takes us to icebear territory. Even when such an encounter with the „King of the Arctic“ is extremely rare, we will be accompanied by experienced and armed guides whenever leaving the settlements - so even if a bear does appear, we are always on the safe side.
As on all our Polar Flights, a medical doctor is onboard and accompanying our excursions as well.
A national identity card or passport is sufficient for joining this flight. No visa, entry permit or similar is needed for entering the Russian settlement of Barentsburg.
It is vital to bring along warm and windproof clothes, a hat and gloves in order to enjoy the expedition. It may be late summer in Europe - in Spitzbergen may already have started!
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