Few can resist the exhilarating sight of polar bears romping in the ice or the elusive blue whale.

Observe polar bears and their cubs hunting for seals on the ice floes. Watch with trepidation when you spot these magnificent predators. With their powerful sense of smell, these patient bears wait for hours for the seal, full of fat blubber, to resurface in the breathing holes of the thick ice. Using their explosive speed to pounce, the bear kills the seal before it can escape back into the sea.

Now you can reignite your spirit for adventure, with Hurtigruten’s Arctic Awakening expeditions, https://www.hurtigruten.com.au/au/arctic-awakening/  a collection of diverse and remote destinations, sharing one unique feature – the beauty of the rugged wilderness, unmatched by anywhere else on the planet.

As pioneers of expedition travel, Hurtigruten will take you to the wonders of Iceland, Greenland, Norway and Svalbard in 2022 and 2023 where you will be mesmerised by the splendid isolation of icebergs and fjords. With years of experience manoeuvring the Arctic waters, Hurtigruten will show you the incredible Greenland under the Midnight Sun.

Greenland

Hurtigruten has a 13-day itinerary to Greenland departing on 24 August 2022 onboard MS Fridtjof Nansen with prices starting from $8985 pp. From Reykjavik, you will sail across the Denmark Strait to the spectacular east coast of Greenland. With few people living in Greenland, wildlife abounds where you can spot whales, seals, snowy owls, falcons and even polar bears.

Hornbjarg, Iceland

There’s also Iceland, the land of fire and ice. With soaring volcanoes, spouting geysers, peaceful fjords and spectacular waterfalls, you can book a nine-day itinerary circumnavigating Iceland on board MS Fridtjof Nansen departing 1 June 2022 from $5978 pp. Here you will learn about fascinating Iceland, its tight-knit communities and awe-inspiring wildlife. It is a paradise for bird and whale watching including the elusive blue whale, humpback, minke, white-beaked dolphin and porpoise.

You can also explore Norway’s dramatic coastline with its magnificent fjords and the amazing the Midnight Sun and Northern Lights. Hurtigruten has a 11-day itinerary exploring the Norwegian coastline before heading for the Arctic Circle to hunt for the once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Northern Lights onboard MS Maud departing on 17 November 2022 with prices starting from $4836pp.

Polar bears in Svalbard

Hurtigruten will also cruise to the mysterious and extreme, Svalbard archipelago and visit the largest of the Svalbard’s islands, Spitsbergen, surrounded by ice, wind and sea. Here the King of the Arctic – the magnificent polar bear reigns supreme. You can book an amazing six-day itinerary onboard MS Nordstjernen with prices as little as $2385pp departing 18 May 2022. This unique adventure starts in Longyearbyen, on the edge of the Arctic wilderness and visits Spitsbergen. Look out for the polar bears as they trek along the coast’s drifting ice on the hunt for seals. If you are lucky, you may even see a polar bear searching for bird eggs in Spitsbergen National Park. Make sure you spot whales and seals.

Brepollen, Svalbard

During all the cruises, guests will be able to learn more about their destination and how to travel sustainably at the Science Center onboard its fleet which is manned by expert expedition teams.

For more information, visit https://www.hurtigruten.com.au/au/arctic-awakening/