Travel to Spitsbergen, Norway

In Spitsbergen, an archipelago in the Norwegian Sea, the human population of 2,500 is roughly the same as its polar bear population. Covered by glaciers, Svalbard, as it is known in Norwegian, means "cold coast" – an ideal habitat for polar bear, and the best place to see these threatened creatures free and wild.

Deep in this great Arctic wilderness, one sees only a vast expanse of white. There are no roads, trails or signs, except for the large paw prints of the polar bear. Travelling to Spitsbergen in search of the polar bear is truly not for everyone, as there are many environmental challenges. Although temperatures are bitterly cold and winds fierce, the reward of viewing the magnificent polar bear is immeasurable.

Abercrombie & Kent takes great care to prepare you for the adverse weather conditions, and you travel with an expedition guide with years of experience around polar bears and in extreme environments. A polar bear trek is much more than an amazing wildlife encounter – it is a chance to test yourself in one of nature's harshest climes, and to experience one of its most beautiful environments.