Longyearbyen is the biggest settlement in Svalbard. Seat of the Norwegian administration it also has the best services and infrastructure in the archipelago. Located deep in the Adventfjord a sidearm of the Isfjorden (Icefjord) Longyearbyen’s airport can be used all-year round but its harbor is blocked by ice in winter. Most shops hotels restaurants and a hospital are within easy walking distance of the port. One of the most prominent buildings in town is the UNIS center where several Norwegian universities have joined forces to operate and offer the northernmost higher education to both Norwegian and international students. Adjacent to UNIS and well worth a visit is the Svalbard Museum covering the natural history and exploitation of Svalbard. Remnants of the former mining activity can be seen all around Longyearbyen and even in town.

Svalbard’s northern region is less influenced by the Norwegian Current coming through the Greenland Sea than the southern region and shows more ice. The northern part of the island of Spitsbergen shows quite a number of impressive fjords, bays and glaciers. The Nordaust Svalbard Nature Reserve includes Spitsbergen’s east coast, the Hinlopen Strait, Nordaustlandet and some islands further east like Kvitoya and Storoya. Several walrus haul-outs, spectacular glaciers, bird cliffs and bird islands, as well as surprising flora in Arctic deserts and the possibility to see polar bears and to visit historically important sites make this an area prone for exploration. Ice conditions will dictate which sites can be seen.

Svalbard’s northern region is less influenced by the Norwegian Current coming through the Greenland Sea than the southern region and shows more ice. The northern part of the island of Spitsbergen shows quite a number of impressive fjords, bays and glaciers. The Nordaust Svalbard Nature Reserve includes Spitsbergen’s east coast, the Hinlopen Strait, Nordaustlandet and some islands further east like Kvitoya and Storoya. Several walrus haul-outs, spectacular glaciers, bird cliffs and bird islands, as well as surprising flora in Arctic deserts and the possibility to see polar bears and to visit historically important sites make this an area prone for exploration. Ice conditions will dictate which sites can be seen.

Svalbard’s northern region is less influenced by the Norwegian Current coming through the Greenland Sea than the southern region and shows more ice. The northern part of the island of Spitsbergen shows quite a number of impressive fjords, bays and glaciers. The Nordaust Svalbard Nature Reserve includes Spitsbergen’s east coast, the Hinlopen Strait, Nordaustlandet and some islands further east like Kvitoya and Storoya. Several walrus haul-outs, spectacular glaciers, bird cliffs and bird islands, as well as surprising flora in Arctic deserts and the possibility to see polar bears and to visit historically important sites make this an area prone for exploration. Ice conditions will dictate which sites can be seen.

Svalbard’s northern region is less influenced by the Norwegian Current coming through the Greenland Sea than the southern region and shows more ice. The northern part of the island of Spitsbergen shows quite a number of impressive fjords, bays and glaciers. The Nordaust Svalbard Nature Reserve includes Spitsbergen’s east coast, the Hinlopen Strait, Nordaustlandet and some islands further east like Kvitoya and Storoya. Several walrus haul-outs, spectacular glaciers, bird cliffs and bird islands, as well as surprising flora in Arctic deserts and the possibility to see polar bears and to visit historically important sites make this an area prone for exploration. Ice conditions will dictate which sites can be seen.

Svalbard’s northern region is less influenced by the Norwegian Current coming through the Greenland Sea than the southern region and shows more ice. The northern part of the island of Spitsbergen shows quite a number of impressive fjords, bays and glaciers. The Nordaust Svalbard Nature Reserve includes Spitsbergen’s east coast, the Hinlopen Strait, Nordaustlandet and some islands further east like Kvitoya and Storoya. Several walrus haul-outs, spectacular glaciers, bird cliffs and bird islands, as well as surprising flora in Arctic deserts and the possibility to see polar bears and to visit historically important sites make this an area prone for exploration. Ice conditions will dictate which sites can be seen.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

In the 1920s the sparsely settled coast of East Greenland had too many families living in Ammassalik (today’s Tasiilaq) for the hunting grounds available and in 1925 Scoresbysund was chosen to start a new settlement with some 70 Inuit from Ammassalik and four families from West Greenland. Less than 10 kilometers from the entrance to the Scoresbysund system, Ittoqqortoormiit (“Big House Dwellers”) lies on the southern tip of Liverpool Land, a low and rounded area compared to the steeper mountains further south or into the fjord system. Some 460 inhabitants call Ittoqqortoormiit, one of Greenland’s most isolated settlements, their home. Not counting the military and civilian researchers at Daneborg, Northeast Greenland, their closest neighbors actually live in Iceland. Although Greenland’s hottest hot springs are located some 8 kilometers south of Ittoqqortoormiit, the village is frozen in some nine months of the year and access to other parts of the country can only be done via the Nerlerit Inaat Airport at Constable Point some 38 km to the north with flights to Iceland and West Greenland. The former village’s shop serves as a small museum and features historic photographs and costumes and shows what a typical hunter’s home from the 1960s looked like. Today hunting narwhals, seals, polar bears and muskoxen is still an important part of the life, but tourism is gaining importance.

Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world, and exhibits all the natural wonders Greenland has to offer. This labyrinth of islands, fjords and ice boggles the mind at every turn. Named in honour of William Scoresby, the English explorer who mapped the area in 1822, Scoresby Sund today hosts only the small town of Ittoqqortoormiit, although it has been inhabited by many Paleo-Eskimo cultures in the past. The area is incredibly rich in Arctic wildlife, hosting musk oxen, arctic foxes and a wealth of marine life including whales, belugas, narwhals, walrus and seals, as well as several species of sea birds, including King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins and several species of geese which migrate to the area during the fleeting Arctic Summer. It is also one of the best places in the world to see polar bears in their natural habitat, an experience that can never be forgotten. But the scenery is the true highlight of Scoresby Sund. The area is very sheltered, and the waters of the fjords are often glassy and calm, save the vast icebergs which calve off the vast glaciers which drain from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the fjord. Staggering geological variation means no two mountain views are the same, some black, layers and covered with permanent ice, while some are jagged, pinnacled cliffs sweeping out to the fjord to eye-watering heights, crowned with ice that never melts.

Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world, and exhibits all the natural wonders Greenland has to offer. This labyrinth of islands, fjords and ice boggles the mind at every turn. Named in honour of William Scoresby, the English explorer who mapped the area in 1822, Scoresby Sund today hosts only the small town of Ittoqqortoormiit, although it has been inhabited by many Paleo-Eskimo cultures in the past. The area is incredibly rich in Arctic wildlife, hosting musk oxen, arctic foxes and a wealth of marine life including whales, belugas, narwhals, walrus and seals, as well as several species of sea birds, including King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins and several species of geese which migrate to the area during the fleeting Arctic Summer. It is also one of the best places in the world to see polar bears in their natural habitat, an experience that can never be forgotten. But the scenery is the true highlight of Scoresby Sund. The area is very sheltered, and the waters of the fjords are often glassy and calm, save the vast icebergs which calve off the vast glaciers which drain from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the fjord. Staggering geological variation means no two mountain views are the same, some black, layers and covered with permanent ice, while some are jagged, pinnacled cliffs sweeping out to the fjord to eye-watering heights, crowned with ice that never melts.

Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world, and exhibits all the natural wonders Greenland has to offer. This labyrinth of islands, fjords and ice boggles the mind at every turn. Named in honour of William Scoresby, the English explorer who mapped the area in 1822, Scoresby Sund today hosts only the small town of Ittoqqortoormiit, although it has been inhabited by many Paleo-Eskimo cultures in the past. The area is incredibly rich in Arctic wildlife, hosting musk oxen, arctic foxes and a wealth of marine life including whales, belugas, narwhals, walrus and seals, as well as several species of sea birds, including King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins and several species of geese which migrate to the area during the fleeting Arctic Summer. It is also one of the best places in the world to see polar bears in their natural habitat, an experience that can never be forgotten. But the scenery is the true highlight of Scoresby Sund. The area is very sheltered, and the waters of the fjords are often glassy and calm, save the vast icebergs which calve off the vast glaciers which drain from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the fjord. Staggering geological variation means no two mountain views are the same, some black, layers and covered with permanent ice, while some are jagged, pinnacled cliffs sweeping out to the fjord to eye-watering heights, crowned with ice that never melts.

Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world, and exhibits all the natural wonders Greenland has to offer. This labyrinth of islands, fjords and ice boggles the mind at every turn. Named in honour of William Scoresby, the English explorer who mapped the area in 1822, Scoresby Sund today hosts only the small town of Ittoqqortoormiit, although it has been inhabited by many Paleo-Eskimo cultures in the past. The area is incredibly rich in Arctic wildlife, hosting musk oxen, arctic foxes and a wealth of marine life including whales, belugas, narwhals, walrus and seals, as well as several species of sea birds, including King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins and several species of geese which migrate to the area during the fleeting Arctic Summer. It is also one of the best places in the world to see polar bears in their natural habitat, an experience that can never be forgotten. But the scenery is the true highlight of Scoresby Sund. The area is very sheltered, and the waters of the fjords are often glassy and calm, save the vast icebergs which calve off the vast glaciers which drain from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the fjord. Staggering geological variation means no two mountain views are the same, some black, layers and covered with permanent ice, while some are jagged, pinnacled cliffs sweeping out to the fjord to eye-watering heights, crowned with ice that never melts.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

A tiny town in the scenic north of Iceland cosseted away by a jagged wall of mountain peaks Siglufjordur is an isolated gem. Iceland's northernmost town only a single-lane road tunnel bored through the snow-capped mountains provides a land link with the rest of the country. This evocative remoteness appealed to dark Nordic Noir writers - and the town has found recent fame as the star of the TV show Trapped. A much warmer welcome awaits you in real life than in fiction - fortunately. Siglufjordur is a historic Atlantic capital of herring fishing and you can learn of the industry that gave the town its raison d'etre and powered Iceland's economy at the award-winning Herring Era Museum. The biggest maritime-themed museum in Iceland it spreads across three buildings and covers every element of the town's relationship with its fishing waters - from expedition to preparation and preservation. While the industry has dried up since its heyday wander to the harbour for views of the pretty town's cherry and lemon coloured former warehouses. Take a boat out around the scenic fjord or embark on lengthy hikes out and above this romantically isolated outpost. The sounds of beautiful duo vocal harmonies and accordions are often heard echoing along the streets and the Folk Music Museum is an enchanting look into quaint rural Icelandic culture. The Folk Music Festival causes the town's population to swell dramatically as visitors make for these picturesque shores to play and perform each year.

Dwarfed by the gargantuan terraces of sloping mountains around it, Isafjordur hangs on to a spit that rolls out into the scenic fjord waters of the Skutulsfjörður. A population of 2,600 calls this remote, beautiful location in the Westfjords Peninsula home. The setting is colossal and otherworldly, with plunging mountains and gouged fjords jutting inland, but there's a lively feel in town, with an abundance of cafes and restaurants dotted between pretty, half-timber houses. Built on the waters of a deep natural harbour, sea-faring and fishing is written into the DNA here. Delve into these central traditions at the Maritime Museum, before getting a taste for Icelandic specialities like the divisive delicacy of fermented shark meat. Rich, troll-inspired folklore and feisty festivals add even more colour and intrigue throughout the year – from mud football mayhem to cross country skiing exhibitions. A place to get active and involved, hook fish from the frozen depths while ice fishing, strap on skis in powder-coated mountains, or crack golf balls along rolling courses while soaking in the gorgeous scenery. The wedding-veil falls of Tungudalur Valey Waterfall are close by, splashing down the blackened rocks. Further afield, Hornstrandir Nature Reserve's emerald marshes and wildflower sprinkled cliffs make for a refreshing shock of colour amid Iceland's moody, brooding monochrome palette. Excellent birdlife is waiting offshore on Vigur Island, where puffins and arctic terns chatter, and traditional farming traditions are kept alive.

Iceland is well-known for its spectacular waterfalls. The iconic Dynjandi waterfall, located in the Westfjords region, is regarded as one of Iceland’s most impressive and majestic waterfalls. At the top, the cascading water is roughly 100 feet wide and tumbles down about 330 feet into the fjord. Its name Dynjandi means, “the thundering one” and its vast size, enormous sound, and sheer force is overwhelming. It has also been nicknamed, ‘The Bridal Veil’ because of the way the water sprays and spreads over the rocks.

Stykkishólmur, located in western Iceland at the northern end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, is the commerce center for the area. Its natural harbor allowed this town to become an important trading center early in Iceland’s history. The first trading post was established in the 1550s, and still today fishing is the major industry. The town center boasts beautiful and well-preserved old houses from earlier times. Stykkisholmur is very environmentally conscious – it was the first community in Europe to get the EarthCheck environmental certification, was the first municipality in Iceland to start fully sorting its waste, and was the first town in Iceland to receive the prestigious Blue flag eco-label for its harbor. It has also been a European Destination of Excellence (EDEN), since 2011.

The capital of Iceland’s land of ice, fire and natural wonder, Reykjavik is a city like no other - blossoming among some of the world’s most vibrant and violent scenery. Home to two-thirds of Iceland’s population, Reykjavik is the island’s only real city, and a welcoming and walkable place - full of bicycles gliding along boulevards or battling the wind when it rears up. Fresh licks of paint brighten the streets, and an artistic and creative atmosphere embraces studios and galleries - as well as the kitchens where an exciting culinary scene is burgeoning. Plot your adventures in the city's hip bars and cosy cafes, or waste no time in venturing out to Iceland’s outdoor adventures. Reykjavik’s buildings stand together - below the whip of winter’s winds - together with the magnificent Hallgrímskirkja church, with its bell tower rising resolutely over the city. Iceland’s largest church's design echoes the lava flows that have shaped this remote land and boasts a clean and elegant interior. The Harpa Concert Hall’s sheer glass facade helps it to assimilate into the landscape, mirroring back the city and harbour. Its LED lights shimmer in honour of Iceland’s greatest illuminated performance – the northern lights. Walk in the crusts between continents, feel the spray from bursts of geysers and witness the enduring power of Iceland’s massive waterfalls. Whether you want to sizzle away in the earth-heated geothermal pools, or hike to your heart’s content, you can do it all from Reykjavik - the colourful capital of this astonishing outdoor country.