Spitsbergen Photographic Special with Paul Goldstein
- Best price guaranteed
- No booking fees
- COVID-19protected
- Polar expeditions and cruise
- Family
- duration 11 days
- tour type Group
- age requirement 16-95 yrs
- max group size 53
- guiding method Fully guided
- Tour Code BM-36548
- Footprint Carbonneutral CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
- Operated in English
- Starts/Ends Longyearbyen, Norway
- Explore the remarkable Svalbard Archipelago in 24 hour daylight
- Incredible wildlife viewing including seabirds, walrus, Arctic foxes and Polar bears
- Exodus Exclusive Photographic Charter with Paul Goldstein
- Accompanied by Boris Wise
- Travel on the Polar Pioneer with a maximum group size of 53Accompanied by a team of expedition staff
It's been too long hasn't it? The lure of shimmering ice pans, bounteous bird cliffs, cobalt-blue glaciers and Polar bears hasn't gone away and has certainly lost none of its lustre. Spitsbergen has never been a destination you arrive in by accident yet it is not only on the same time as the UK but also only two short flights away. It has many photogenic attractions but on this special departure bears will be the most important ingredient.
Trawling along ice edges in a small and comfortable 1A superior hulled (the highest specification in Svalbard) 50 berth expedition ice ship is more than just exciting. Finding a bear perhaps 30 nautical miles from shore in his or her own icy backyard is pretty close to the polar nirvana. With precision optics trained to determine a Polar bear family rather than just an ivory blob of dirty snow, the anticipation is both palpable and potent. There will be no stringent itinerary in this land of 24 hour daylight and all hours will be employed to maximise time and photo opportunities, particularly when it comes to Ursus maritimus.
It is not just Polar bears (well it almost is), there are the huge bird cliffs of Alkefillet, Arctic foxes and the remarkable glacier complexes of July 14th and Monaco, the mesmerising ice cliffs and sculpted pans of sea ice. Access to this is by the ice vessel itself, Zodiacs and indeed on foot but mostly from the mothership - a ship that because of its small size is permitted to access everywhere in Spitsbergen.
This is Paul's 13th Spitsbergen charter and he is thrilled to be back on a small adventurous ship, perfect for these waters. He is with a team who are very familiar with this intoxicating land of ice and tundra and he is delighted to partner with Boris Wise again for their sixth photographic journey together.
If you fancy a polar adventure which will leave you gasping in wonder and photo moments unlike any other ... welcome on board the Polar Pioneer.
Paul Goldstein
Exodus guide and award-winning photographer Paul Goldstein has often said that he is happiest on the plains of the Masai Mara or the decks of a ship in the Polar regions. Having completed over twenty expeditions, his choice for our summer months is Spitsbergen. Paul has a ridiculous amount of energy and is, as the Sunday Times described him, ‘a preposterously vivacious guide of almost psychotic gusto’.
Boris Wise
Boris is a passionate naturalist, wilderness guide, and an accomplished photographer. He lived and worked as a Naturalist in Southeast Alaska for 10 years before he first set foot on an expedition cruise ship in 2010. The wildlife and landscapes of both remote and familiar regions inspire him to keep exploring. Boris has been leading expeditions through the Arctic including the Northwest Passage and Baffin Island in Canada, along the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, and the Svalbard Archipelago. During the Austral summers, Boris leads trips to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands. In between the Polar regions he has led expeditions that have explored the fjords and glaciers of Chile, in the water as much as on the water through Central America including Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Honduras, and Belize. Off the ship Boris and his wife Eva travel the world with binoculars and camera in tow. Boris has teamed with Paul Goldstein on six photographic cruises and both push each other very hard to ensure passengers maximise their time in the ice.
'The night we spent five hours sixty metres from a mother and her cubs remains my favourite wildlife memory ever, Paul. The popping of the crackling sea ice and the raucous bird calls as they vied with the bears for some of the seal kill, the incredible light and the fact knowing it was just us, well beyond midnight, miles from land. I will never forget it. Ever.'  Megan and Phil Everley, Oxford. 'If I wanted a cut and dried cruise to the polar regions I would book elsewhere. I do not. I have 'completed' three' expeditions' with Paul and Exodus on special exclusive departures and having travelled to the regions with others there is no comparison. There are guides and then there is Paul. I do not know of anyone who works harder to deliver both results and frankly excitement. There are many things important when deciding on the poles: ship, size and the itinerary - or lack of one. My expeditions were always on hundred person ships and always maximised weather and daylight hours. I just cannot imagine doing it any other way.' C.K.  Berks. UK
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Day 1: Â Start Longyearbyen.
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Day 2-10: Exploring Spitsbergen and the Svalbard Archipelago.
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Day 11: Disembark and end in Longyearbyen.
- All accommodation
- All transport and listed activities
- All meals while on the ship
- Fantastic expedition staff and photographic tuition by Paul Goldstein
- Travel insurance
- Single accommodation (available on request)
- Visas or vaccinations
- Flights & Accommodation Package (please contact our Polar sales team for a quote)
- Earn US$ 350+ in travel credits.
- Best price guaranteed.
- No credit card or booking fees.
- 100% financial protection.
- Carbon neutral tours.
- 25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.
- Read more reasons to book with Bookmundiless
No additional cancellation fees apply for this Spitsbergen Photographic Special with Paul Goldstein tour. You can cancel the tour up to 93 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 92 days of departure.
PaymentFor any tour departures within 29 June 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 29 June 2024, a deposit of 25% is required to confirm this tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 92 days before trip departure.
Travel InsuranceSpitsbergen Photographic Special with Paul Goldstein tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.
VisaFor this Spitsbergen Photographic Special with Paul Goldstein tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.
COVID-19 Safety MeasuresThis trip incorporates the following COVID-19 measures:
- This tour has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that COVID-19 health and hygiene protocols have been adhered to.
- Group sizes are kept small to maintain a low risk ‘small group bubble’, with an average of 10 guests in each group.
- Hygiene safety measures and distancing will be followed in transportation, accommodation and meal venues.
- Several COVID-19 distancing measures have been adopted on this package tour to keep travellers safe.
- All travellers will be required to be fully vaccinated no less than two weeks prior to travel.