14-night Svalbard, Arctic Circle & Scottish Isles Expedition

Known for its stark mountain peaks and spectacular glaciers, Longyearbyen was named for the American John Monroe Longyear, who established a mining operation here in 1906. In the summer season, many species of birds can be found nesting in the steep cliffs while the seaside harbors a number of marine animals from white whales, seals and walruses. In the small town, are museums, local shops and restaurants to explore at a leisurely pace.

Bear Island, also known as Bjørnøya, is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The island and surrounding waters are a natural reserve. The island is basically uninhabited by humans, except for personnel working at the meteorological station. However, visitors can see wildlife such as, arctic foxes, ringed seal, bearded seal, puffin and other seabirds and some polar bears.

Skarsvag is situated in the northern point in Norway, and belongs to the municipality of Nordkapp. Skarsvag is inhabited by a population of 60 friendly locals. It is a charming little village that is said to be the northernmost fishing village in the world.

Enjoy the appealing frontier atmosphere at this ancient whaling capital and base for expeditions to the North Pole.

Destination Guide

Beautiful Bronnoysund is situated in central Norway. Popular with travellers is a visit to the marvelous Torghatten, a mountain with a distinctive hole running straight through the hillside. Also of interest  is the Skarsasen fortress from WWII. Trenches and tunnels lead underground from the four large cannon sites. Fjord Seafood originated here, as well as the largest limestone mine in Northern Europe.

Smola is a quaint island/nature preserve off the coast of Norway.

The region is famous for its beautiful scenery with high mountains and blue fjords, of which the Geiranger fjord is one of the most attractive tourist places in Norway. The climate is less severe than might be expected from its geographical location, with mild winters and cool summers. Ålesund, with its unique architecture, is the center of business and industry in Møre and Romsdal. As the sea, the woods and the mountains are easy accessible, the possibilities for outdoor and sports activities are excellent, both in the summer and winter season.

Destination Guide

Excursions

Ålesund Walking Tour – 3 Hours — Optional Private Excursions


Ålesund differs from most other Norwegian cities with its large concentration of buildings in the Jugend style of architecture. The explanation for this is simple; the town burned to the ground during the Great Fire of 1904. Rebuilding the city took a full three years, aided by numerous local contributions and large donations from the German Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The city planners agreed on consistently using the contemporary style of architecture, Jugend style (also known as Art Nouveau). It is a style characterized by artistic playfulness, fetching inspiration from organic forms and shapes in nature.
This combination of fjords, mountains and a town centre built in so-called art nouveau-style are some of the factors that resulted in Ålesund pinching first place in a survey by the Norwegian daily newspaper Dagbladet. Larger cities like Bergen (second place) and Trondheim (fourth place) – perhaps more famous for their beauty – were not considered to be as scenic as Ålesund when the Norwegians themselves cast their votes.
Walking tour through the winding old city streets, you will learn about the town's historic past. The tour takes in the Art Nouveau houses in the town itself, taking a stroll in the magnificent central district that displays beautiful houses with numerous and elaborate towers, spears and ornaments.
 

Ålesund City Tour – 4 Hours — Optional Private Excursions

Experience the splendid beauty and history of Ålesund during this picturesque 4 hour excursion through the city and its surroundings, via private vehicle, driver and local English Speaking Guide. Ålesund, a city built in an Art Nouveau style following a catastrophic fire in 1904. One of a few Art Nouveau towns in the world (Jugend style), Ålesund is home to an atmospheric distinct character that is warmly embraced by the locals.
Drive towards the Art Nouveau center of the town, marvel at the amazing decorations and colourful facades. A brief walking tour through the winding old city streets follows where you will learn about the town's historic past. A stop is made on route to the Art Nouveau Centre for a fascinating insight into Art Nouveau through authentic interiors and objects, as well as a captivating multimedia program called “From Ashes to Art Nouveau”. Here you can experience the devastating 1904 fire via film together with photographs and impressive sound and light effects.
Board your vehicle for the journey out of town towards Borgund, the largest trading centre in Sunnmøre during the Viking Era. Here you will view the picturesque Borgund Church followed by a visit to the inviting Sunnmøre Open Air Folk Museum, focusing on Norwegian coastal culture. Enjoy a stroll between the picturesque houses and the indoor exhibitions and get an insight into the cultural and architectural history of Sunnmøre and the Norwegian coastal culture. Heading back towards the city center, we detour with a drive up Mount Aksla. From this location, a panoramic view of the archipelago, the beautiful town center of Ålesund lying quietly below and the spectacular Sunnmøre Alps opens up in front of you. Return journey back to the city center.
 

Callanish is a village on the west side of the Isle of Lewis, in Scotland. Callanish is best know to be the home of the Callanish stones, one of the oldest and most mysterious megalithic monuments in the country. Visiting the stones allows visitors to take in the surrounding beauty of the Scottish countryside, and also visit other prehistoric sites, and museums.  

St. Kilda is a volcanic archipelago belonging to western Scotland, and it is now one of the country’s World Heritage Sites. The island is home to some of the biggest sea cliffs in Britain, and is known for the abundance of wild life including birds. St. Kilda now is an isolated island, however for thousands of years it was inhabited by locals that were forced to move out due to bad conditions, ruins of such villages are still standing today.

Staffa is an island located in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. This is an island that commonly provides its visitors with sightings of wild life such as puffins, black-legged kittiwakes common shags, numerous seabirds, dolphins and pilot whales. Staffa also features many sea caves to be discovered by taking one of their speed boat tours along the island. 

Iona is a remote, low-lying, and treeless green island with high cliffs and rolling meadows. It lies off the southwestern coast of Mull across the Sound of Iona. It's only 1 mile by 3 1/2 miles. Staffa, with its famous musical cave, is a 75 acre island in the Inner Hebrides, lying to the west of Mull.

Glasgow is Scotland's biggest city and major tourist destination, possessing some of Britain's finest architecture and hosting a variety of cultural events and attractions. Glasgow has been described as the finest surviving example of a great Victorian city. Of particular interest is George Square - lined by several buildings constructed in the Italian Renaissance style. Few buildings pre-date 18th century. The most prominent of these are Glasgow Cathedral, and Provand's Lordship, which is the city's oldest house (c. 1471) and now a museum. The cathedral, situated on high ground to the east of the city and dating in parts from 12th century, is an outstanding example of Gothic architecture. The city has numerous parks and ornamental open spaces, including the Botanic Garden and zoological gardens. Glasgow grew around a church built in the 6th century by St Kentigern, who converted Scots to Christianity. The commercial growth of the community dates from the union of Scotland and England in 1707 and the opening up of trade in the 18th century when Glasgow became a major port and shipbuilder.

Destination Guide