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You Can Take a Vacation to a Glacier in Svalbard This Summer

Alyssa Cerchiai
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Alyssa Cerchiai rounds up the top travel stories each week and covers news on the weekends. If you catch her at the airport, she’d happily guest you into the lounge as a proud authorized user of her dad’s Platinum Card by American Express.
Jan. 13, 2019
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3 min read
@HollyParkOTMT
You Can Take a Vacation to a Glacier in Svalbard This Summer
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Instead of heading to the beach this summer, you might want to consider a trip north instead. Very far north.

With travel company Off the Map Travel's new vacation package, you can spend the night on a glacier in Norway and enjoy an adventure-packed itinerary this summer. Plus, you'll get to experience the amazing fauna of the area — and yes, that does include polar bears.

Book the trip, called "Night on a Glacier," and you'll venture to the remote archipelago of Svalbard. There, you'll stay at the Nordenskiöld Lodge, which sits at the edge of a stunning glacier. In fact, the location is so isolated, it's said that you can actually hear the sound of glaciers moving.

Photo by Kirsti Ikonen courtesy of Off the Map Travel.
Photo by Kirsti Ikonen courtesy of Off the Map Travel.

Throughout the trip, travelers can participate in amazing excursions, including dog sledding in Svalbard, kayaking along the rugged fjords and a guided climb to the top of the glacier. And, on the Zodiac boat ride to the glacier, visitors may even be able to see wildlife like walruses and beluga whales in their natural habitat. Explorers also get to indulge in the rejuvenating offerings of the Nordenskiöld Lodge, such as its traditional wood sauna.

The lodge itself has five bedrooms and a total of 10 beds, so you can bring your best (most intrepid) friends and family members along for the trip.

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“This is a spectacular opportunity for adventure lovers,” Jonny Cooper, adventure travel expert and founder of Off the Map Travel, said in a statement. “Svalbard is one of the world’s best spots for seeing wildlife, with May to September [being] the optimal months as the snow has melted. And at the expedition lodge, you’ll enjoy all manner of amenities and comforts with the chance to see polar bears.”

Photo by Sandra Hallsten courtesy of Off the Map Travel.
Photo by Sandra Hallsten courtesy of Off the Map Travel.

The itinerary is available from May through September 2019, and can be customized, so costs will vary. But the recommended five-day trip starts at $8,353 per person (or $1,671 per night) and actually includes two nights at Nordenskiöld. With a splurge like that, just be sure to charge the trip to a card that will give you a serious return on your spend, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3x points.

Remote northern expeditions may not sound like a popular way to spend summer vacation, but the trend is growing at a notable clip. Last month, Hotels.com offered a coupon for the Ittoqqortoormiit Guest House — located in the Arctic town of Ittoqqortoormiit on an island off the coast of East Greenland — that made one-night stays available for less than $1. Also in Greenland, Off the Map recently announced a vacation package that includes a stay in an Instagram-worthy igloo.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.