North East Passage
Destination: Arctic
This tour is not available and is archived.
Easy - nothing more than normal walking while sight-seeing
Moderately Easy - 1-3 hours of physical activity daily
Moderate - 3-5 hours of physical activity daily
Challenging - 5-7 hours of challenging physical activity daily
Extreme - 7+ hours of challenging/extreme physical activity daily
Difficulty
Basic — most of nights in tents or rooms with shared WC, some nights in comfortable rooms.
Standard — most of nights in comfortable rooms, some nights in tents or rooms with shared WC.
Upgraded — all nights in comfortable rooms.
Comfort
Minimum age of the participant of this trip
28 Days
Highlights
- Acquaintance with culture of Chukchi and Eskimos
- Visit of Whale Bone Alley
- Visit of different islands
- Observation of animals
- The shortest seaway between the western part of Russia and Far east
Tour Overview
Russia controls one of the major sea routes in the world, widely known as the Northeast Passage. Until recently only a few expedition vessels could have ever gone this way through. Though recent changes in sea ice conditions turned this route accessible for common tourists. Considering this, apparently it`s the right time for us to invite you to be part of our history making expeditions through the Northern Sea Route.
During this cruise you can discover how diverse is the nature of the Arctic: unique geological formations, fascinating culture of indigenous people, bears, walruses, musk-oxen and birds. The programme covers the visits to the Wrangle Island, Cape Dezhnev, the Novosibirsk Islands, Severnaya Zemlya (the North Land), Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen. A journey to these breathtaking places awaits you!
Tour programme
- Day 1Departure from AnadyrAnandyr
- Day 2One day at seaAnadyr — Preobrazheniye Bay
- Day 3Whale alley and hot springsYttygran Island
- Day 4Aboriginal peoples in the ArcticYttygran Island — Cape Dezhnev
- Day 5Kolyuchin islandCape Dezhnev — Kolyuchin Island
- Day 6Wrangel islandKolyuchin Island — Wrangel Island
- Day 7Flora and fauna of the islandWrangel Island
- Day 8Bird-watchingWrangel Island
- Day 9East-siberian seaWrangel Island — East Siberian sea
- Day 10Reindeer herders of ChukotkaEast Siberian sea — Ayon island
- Day 11Medvezhyi islandsAyon island — Medvejyi islands
- Day 12Sea navigationEast Siberian sea
- Day 13Novossibirsk islandsNovossibirsk islands
- Day 14Continuation of the excursion to the islandsNovossibirsk islands
- Day 15De Long islandsDe Long island
- Day 16Laptev seaLaptev sea
- Day 17Further croosinf of the seaLaptev sea
- Day 18North landNorth land
- Day 19Northern fiords and glaciersNorth land
- Day 20Aquientence with the Arctic animalsNorth land
- Day 21Kara sea passageNorth land — Kara sea
- Day 22Continuation of the navigationKara sea
- Day 23Franz Josef landKara sea — Franz Josef land
- Day 24The Polar BearsFranz Josef land
- Day 25Bird watchingFranz Josef land
- Day 26Barents seaFranz Josef land — Barents sea
- Day 27Continuation of the navigationBarents sea
- Day 28Arrival to MurmanskBarents sea — Murmansk
- 10:00Arrival to Anadyr* The indicated time is approximate and can be changed according to the chosen flight.
- 11:00Transfer to the sea portEmbarkation on board and accommodation in the cabins.
- 13:00Lunch on board
- 15:00DepartureIn the afternoon we start our navigation. There will be introductions to the vessel and the crew on board.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Anandyr
- 09:00Breakfast
- 10:00Free time on boardDuring the crossing of the Gulf of Anadyr we will have opportunities to observe pelagic birds and marine mammals. Scenic cliffs tower over Achen Lake – a place where several valuable fish species spawn. Rocks, in their turn, serve as a place where bird colonies nest.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Preobrazhenia bay (Transfiguration)We will pass in front of the basaltic aiguilles of the bay.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Anadyr — Preobrazheniye Bay
- 09:00Breakfast
- 10:00Whale bone alleyWhile being on Yttygran Island we will visit Whale Bone Alley– one of the most significant and intriguing archaeological sites in the Arctic. It is a construction of two rows of the huge bones of Greenland whales, dug into the ground near the shore.
- 13:00Lunch on board
- 14:00Gil’mimyl Hot SpringsThis springs are the hottest and the most powerful in Chukotka. Also, the natural thermal pools are the biggest and very beautiful.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Yttygran Island
- 09:00Breakfast
- 10:00Arrival to Cape DezhnevThis cape is the eastern extremity of the Eurasian continent.
- 11:00Debarkation and walking around
- 15:00Visit of local villagesThis afternoon we visit the nearby village of Uelen (the most eastern village of Russia). Here we enjoy the hospitality of the local people who are predominantly Chukchi and enjoy a cultural performance and visit a bone-carving studio.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Yttygran Island — Cape Dezhnev
- 09:00Breakfast
- 09:00Wintering placeEarly this morning we will pass close by the place where the Swedish explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiold over-wintered in 1878.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Debarkation on the islandWe plan to land on Kolyuchin Island, where there are some abandoned Polar research and weather stations. There are some terrific bird cliffs where it is possible to get some great photos of puffins, guillemots and gulls.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Cape Dezhnev — Kolyuchin Island
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Arrival to the Wrangel island* Time and place of landings depends on the weather conditions.
- 13:00Lunch
- 14:00Landing on the islansDuring these days we will land on Wrangel Island that is classified to be one of the World Heritages thanks to its diverse flora and a large number of birds. There are a lot of musk ox. Here the mammoth bones were found. This animals lived in tundra more then 10 000 years ago. There are often drift ices near the island.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Kolyuchin Island — Wrangel Island
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Excursion on the islandA lot of Wrangel Island’s significance lies in the fact that it is a major Polar Bear denning area. It is one of the best places for observing these imperial animals. If we get a chance we will meet this animals.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Wrangel Island
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Landing on the islandIt is also the target piece of land for migratory birds flying north. Each summer thousands of birds migrate here to breed, including Snow Geese, Snowy Owls, skuas, Arctic Terns, Ross’s, Sabine’s and Ivory Gulls.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the cruise
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Wrangel Island
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Navigation in the East-siberian seaThis sea occupies the area between the Novosibirskie Islands and Wrangel Island. Three of Siberia’s major rivers flow into it – the Indigirka, Alazaya and the Kolyma.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Free time
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Wrangel Island — East Siberian sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Landing on the Ayon island
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Aquientence with localsThis island is home to a small group of Chukchi Reindeer herders. We enjoy their hospitality and learn about reindeer herding.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
East Siberian sea — Ayon island
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Visit of islandsThis group of islands is made by six island units: Krestovskiy, Leontieva, Four Pillars, Pushkarev, Lysova and Andreev. There is no permanent settlement on these little-known and seldom visited islands. However there are good conditions for observing Polar Bears.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the navigation
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Ayon island — Medvejyi islands
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Free time of boardIn the East Siberian Sea we make our way to Novosibirsk Islands.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the cruise
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
East Siberian sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Stop near the Novossibirsk islandsNovosibirsk Islands are situated on the border between the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Seas. They consist of three major groups: Southern, Central (Anzhu) and Northern (De Long) Group. The islands are virtually unexplored and are uninhabited apart from the researchers in a couple of weather stations. We will explore the islands by making several landings in search of Arctic flora and fauna.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Liakhovskie islandThese islands were doscovered in 1712. They became popular when in 2013 the researchers found there bones of a mammoth with non-freezing blood.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Novossibirsk islands
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Visit of the Anzhu islandsThe islands Anzhu is a central group of the Novossibirsk arсhipelago. They are within the Lena Delta Nature Reserve. They were called in honor of the great russian Arctic researcher - Petr Anzhu.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the excursion
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Novossibirsk islands
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Visit of the De Long islandsToday we will visit the northern part of teh Novossibirsk archipelago - De Long islands.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the cruise
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
De Long island
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Сommencement of sea passageThe Laptev sea is the peripheral sea of the Arctic Ocean. On the Laptev Sea we will go to the Severnaya Zemlya (North land).
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the navigationWe will have an opportunity to see rare walruses found only in the Laptev Sea.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Laptev sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Free timeAlthough this sea is considered to be the severest on the North, you can admire the picturesque views of this cold region - the qverqge temprerature is about 0 °C durnig almost 9 months of the year.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Free time
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Laptev sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Visit of the archipelago North landToday we will land on Severnaya Zemlya (North land). The islands were not discovered until the expedition of 1913-15 taken by the Russian explorer Vilkitski. The Severnaya Zemlya Islands are situated on the border of the Kara and Laptev Seas and are an extension of the Taimyr Peninsula.
- 13:00Lunch
- 16:00Continuation of the excursion
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
North land
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Stop near the glaciersThe shores are heavily glaciated with deep fiords and majestic glaciers which make them magnificent for cruising.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Free time on board
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
North land
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Arctic faunaThere is also a great selection and abundance of Arctic wildlife including Polar Bears, Arctic Foxes, Arctic Hares and walruses.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the cruise
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
North land
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Sea passageThe Kara Sea is one of the coldest seas in Russia. It lies between Franz Josef Land and Severnaya Zemlya (North Land) Archipelago.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Continuation of the navigation
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
North land — Kara sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Free time on the board
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Free time
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Kara sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Stop neat the archipelagoThe Franz Josef archipelago is the biggest group of islands in the north of Eurasia. They are situated near the North Pole.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00LandingOn our zodiacs, we will reach the coast for immersing in the beauty of the northern wild nature. Although 83% of the territory is covered by the eternal ice, the views really fascinate.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Kara sea — Franz Josef land
- 09:00Breakfast
- 10:00Debarkation on the coastIn the morning we will land on the coast. We can do trekking and stretch our legs !
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Bear observationExcept the one weather station there is no other people on the archipelago that's wgi the animals fell free here. Moving along the shore we will meet polar bears which examine new guests and allow to us a lot of good shorts. Moreover there are a lot of walruses for observing.
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Franz Josef land
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Visit of rookeriesAccording to the ice situation, we will land on the islands or sail along the shore for observing the rookeries of sea birds:
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Landing on the shore
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Franz Josef land
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Day in seaWe will cross the Barents sea. This sea is named in honour of Dutch seafarer and navigator Willem Barents who explored the region in two separate expeditions of 1594 and 1596. We will keep a look at marine mammals and of course seabirds.
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Free time on board
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Franz Josef land — Barents sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Sea crossing
- 13:00Lunch
- 15:00Free time on board
- 19:00Dinner
- Overnight on board
Photo of the day
Route
Barents sea
- 09:00Breakfast
- 11:00Arrival to Mourmansk and debarkation
- 12:00Transfer port - airport/hotelEnd of the programme
Photo of the day
Route
Barents sea — Murmansk
Discount system
| > 6 months | > 8 months | > 10 months |
| Amount of discount (total payment) | ||
| 5% | 10% | 20% |
| Amount of discount (deposit payment) | ||
| 0 | 5% | 10% |
Travel smart with our discount system!
| New departures available soon |
Price includes
- English-speaking guide
- Accommodation as per itinerary
- Transport as per itinerary
- Meals
- Transfer from airport / railway station on first day
- Transfer to airport / railway station on last day
- Letter of invitation
Price does not include
- Personal expenses and tips
- Visa fees and travel insurance
- Beverages
- Airline tickets
For more info, please download the detailed description of the trip.
Note
The price is given for the Standard Twin Deck with Simple comfort accommodation, toilet and shower outdoors. Port charges - 500 $. To book the others categories, the following supplement is applied: + 1 600 $ for the Superior Deck + 4 400 $ for the Superior Plus Deck + 5 400 $ for the Mini Luxe Deck + 7 400 $ for the Capitan Luxe Deck
Question about this trip
Sign up for our emails!
Why subscribe? First, our newsletters are captivating! We are one of the few tour operators specializing in Russian and Georgian nature, who invests a lot of resources into photo and video-shooting. That’s why even sitting in the office, you’ll feel like you are making your way among arctic ices, walking along taiga valleys, admiring volcanos or looking in the mirror of crystal Baikal waters.
Second, there is lots of useful stuff in our letters. The information about outstanding places, new routes’ descriptions, stories from expeditions and trips. And don’t worry, we write in an easy and entertaining manner.
And finally, we’re not pushy. You will get all this beauty
not often than once a month or two.
So you’re gonna miss us!