Bird Cliffs Fjord Safari
with Hurtigruten Svalbard
About the tour
This is an exciting boat tour that combines bird watching, spectacular nature, and interesting local history. The boat is an open RIB-boat, which makes this an extra thrilling experience!
Your guide will pick you up at the hotel and drive you to our expedition centre. Here you will get equipped with a flotation suit, life jacket and goggles, before we set course down to the harbour. Here, a sturdy open Polarcirkel speedboat awaits.
Read the full description
We start the trip by heading west on Isfjorden, to Fuglefjella (the ‘Bird Mountain’). This bird cliff is situated just between Longyearbyen and Barentsburg. Above a narrow stone beach, the cliffs rise from the sea. They reach 500 metres up, and are home to thousands of migratory birds each summer. One of the most populous is the Brünnich’s Guillemot. They nest around the archipelago in several colonies of over 100,000 pairs.
Next stop is the abandoned Russian mining town Grumant. This has been abandoned since 1961. It is almost inconceivable to think that the few remaining houses on the steep mountainside were once part of the largest settlement on Svalbard. After the break at Grumant, we continue to Hiorthhamn, situated across the fjord from Longyearbyen.
Hiorthhamn is another abandoned mining town. Once upon a time, it boasted barracks, a blacksmith, stores, a kitchen, a sawmill, a hospital, housing, offices and a range of mining installations. If you use your imagination a little, you can imagine the bustling settlement which once was here. Depending on the time and weather, we may go ashore here before heading back to Longyearbyen again.
Practical information
Included in the trip
Dress in layers – it’s the best way to stay warm. Remember: it is better to be too warm than to be too cold. And also – there is no bad weather, just bad clothing!
- Transfer to/from the harbour in Longyearbyen
- Boat tour with guides and all necessary safety equipment on board
Important Information
- Difficulty level 3 – Suitable for those with average fitness
- The tour is subject to weather conditions, and the route may be adjusted.
- From the end of August, most birds leave the islands, as they are migratory birds who search for warmer latitudes. The focus of this tour will then shift to other wildlife, landscape and history.
- Even though it is summer, it can be cold on Svalbard. Especially when you are on a boat trip in an open polar circle boat. You will get to borrow a full-body floatation suit, life jacket and goggles, but we recommend that you dress well underneath. We recommend wool underwear, a thick wool sweater or thin down jacket, warm shoes, mittens, buff and a warm hat.
- You can experience some sea spray, so we recommend packing camera equipment well, preferably in a waterproof packing bag. Hurtigruten Svalbard is not responsible for any damage that may occur to your personal equipment.
- The tour is not suitable if you have back pain or are pregnant.
- Safety is our highest priority, and the guide needs to be able to give instructions that you understand. To participate in this tour, it is therefore required that you speak and understand English or one of the Scandinavian languages.
- Please note that there are no toilet facilities on board this boat.
Cancellation Policy
- 22+ days beforeFull refund, minus a cancellation fee of NOK 350
- 21–8 days before50% cancellation fee
- 7–0 days before or no-showNo refund
Read the full terms
Individual Activity Bookings & Cancellations:
The full price of your activity is payable at the time of booking.
Based on the start date of the earliest product in your booking, the following cancellation charges apply:
22 days or more before: full refund, minus a cancellation fee of NOK 350
21 – 8 days before: 50% cancellation fee
7 – 0 days before or no-show: no refund; if unpaid, the outstanding amount will still be due.
Transfer of Booking:
If you or any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else, with the exception of flight tickets, subject to the following conditions:
That person is introduced by you and satisfies all the conditions applicable to the Arrangements.
We are notified not less than 22 days before departure.
You pay any outstanding balance payment, an administration fee of NOK 350 per person, as well as any additional fees, charges or other costs arising from the transfer, and
The transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other requirements applicable to the holiday booking. You and the transferee remain jointly and severally liable for payment of all sums.
If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges will apply as set out in ‘Cancellation by customer’. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.
Cancellation / Changes to programme
Hurtigruten Svalbard reserves the right to cancel any travel service due to a force majeure event or other unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances outside of our control. We may also make alterations in the travel services, for example, due to local weather conditions, temperature conditions, ice conditions, risk of avalanche, polar bear sight, pandemics, illness and mechanical or equipment difficulties. We reserve the right to adjust a tour programme with the safety and comfort of participants in mind. Changes may also be made to assist other ships, groups or stranded persons. Reciprocal assistance is common practice in Polar Regions and must be seen as a part of the experience, as long as the main content of the tour is not substantially reduced due to the incident.
We also reserve the right to cancel travel services where the minimum number of participants for the travel service has not been reached.
The payment made for the cancelled travel service will be refunded. You are not entitled to any further compensation (for example, we will not cover costs for flight tickets or other travel services booked via other agents or organisers).
