Ice Cap, Wildlife, and Zero Crowds: Nordaustlandet Delivered Raw

Nordaustlandet is Svalbard’s second-largest island and one of the most remote landmasses you’ll ever step onto from a cruise ship — roughly 75% covered by two massive ice caps, Austfonna and Vestfonna. Nearly every ship visiting here is a small expedition vessel, and your single most important planning tip is this: landings are never guaranteed — weather, ice conditions, and polar bear activity can cancel access with zero notice, so treat every zodiac ride ashore as the privilege it is.

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Port & Terminal Information

There is no cruise terminal on Nordaustlandet. Expedition ships anchor offshore at rotating locations — common landing sites include Murchisonfjorden, Rijpfjorden, Isispynten, and Lagøya — chosen based on ice charts, wildlife sightings, and wind direction on the day. You can orient yourself to the general region via Google Maps.

Zodiacs (inflatable expedition boats) ferry passengers from ship to shore in small groups, typically 10–12 people per craft. Boarding can take 30–60 minutes for a full ship complement, so listen carefully to your expedition team’s briefing on group order. There are no terminal facilities whatsoever — no ATMs, no Wi-Fi, no luggage storage, no tourist info desk. Everything you need comes from your ship.

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Getting to the “City”

There is no city, town, or village on Nordaustlandet. Transportation is entirely managed by your expedition ship and its staff.

On Foot — Once ashore, walking on tundra, gravel beaches, or glacial moraines is the primary activity. Distances vary by landing site; typical guided shore walks cover 1–5 km at a slow, wildlife-aware pace.
Zodiac Cruising — Many landings include a zodiac cruise along ice cliffs or glacier fronts before stepping ashore. This is often the best wildlife-viewing format and is included in your expedition fare.
Bus/Metro — Does not exist here.
Taxi — Does not exist here.
Hop-On Hop-Off — Does not exist here.
Rental Car/Scooter — No roads exist on Nordaustlandet.
Ship Shore Excursion — Your entire experience IS the ship’s shore excursion. This is one of the few places on earth where booking through your vessel isn’t just convenient — it’s the only option. Browse supplemental expedition add-ons on Viator or GetYourGuide to prepare before your voyage.

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Top Things to Do in Nordaustlandet, Svalbard Norway

This is raw Arctic wilderness — the activities here are encounters, not attractions. Every experience is about scale, silence, and animals that have never learned to fear humans.

Must-See

1. Austfonna Ice Cap (included via expedition) — The largest ice cap in the Eurasian Arctic covers 8,400 km² of Nordaustlandet and calves dramatically into the sea along its eastern edges. Zodiac cruises through floating brash ice and past vertical ice walls here are genuinely once-in-a-lifetime. Find guided polar expeditions on Viator. Allow 2–4 hours.

2. Polar Bear Watching (included via ship naturalists) — Nordaustlandet has one of the densest polar bear populations in Svalbard, concentrated around ringed seal habitat on sea ice. Your ship’s armed guides maintain safety perimeters while you observe — often from just 50–200 metres. Allow the entire landing duration.

3. Walrus Haul-Out Sites at Lagøya (included) — Lagøya (“Seal Island”) hosts some of Svalbard’s largest walrus colonies. Watching 100+ walrus hauled out on gravel beaches, bellowing and jostling, is prehistoric in feel. Approach is always on foot, slow and low. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Beaches & Nature

4. Rijpfjorden Fjord Cruise (included) — This deep, north-facing fjord stays ice-choked late into summer and rewards zodiac cruises with bearded seals on ice floes, little auks nesting on cliff faces, and occasional bowhead whale sightings. Allow 2–3 hours.

5. Tundra Flora at Murchisonfjorden (included) — In July and August, the narrow ice-free coastal strip erupts with Arctic poppies, Svalbard scurvy grass, and purple saxifrage — vivid against black gravel. Your naturalist will narrate what survives here and how. Allow 1–2 hours walking.

6. Birdlife at Nordaustlandet Cliffs (included) — Little auks (dovekies) nest in the hundreds of thousands on talus slopes — the chattering noise of a colony is audible from 500 metres away. Brünnich’s guillemots, ivory gulls, and Arctic terns are also regular sightings. Allow 1 hour.

Day Trips

7. Vestfonna Glacier Front (expedition-planned) — Nordaustlandet’s second major ice cap offers dramatic calving fronts on its western edge. Zodiac cruises here sometimes pass through newly calved icebergs the size of office buildings. Check GetYourGuide for Svalbard expedition context. Allow 3–4 hours.

8. Isispynten Landing (expedition-planned) — A gravel spit at the mouth of Wahlenbergfjorden offering panoramic views across to the Nordaustlandet interior ice and excellent bearded seal spotting. Allow 1.5 hours.

Family Picks

9. Zodiac Boarding and Briefing Experience (included) — Children on expedition voyages are typically captivated by the zodiac process itself — donning life jackets, boarding over the ship’s gangway platform, riding through open Arctic water. The expedition team usually includes junior naturalist programming. Allow 45 minutes.

10. Ptarmigan and Arctic Fox Spotting on Shore Walks (included) — Svalbard ptarmigan are remarkably tame and approachable; Arctic foxes are curious and will often trot within metres of a quiet group. Brilliant for kids with cameras. Allow 1–2 hours.

Off the Beaten Track

11. Soviet-Era Hunting Cabin Ruins (free) — Scattered across Nordaustlandet’s coast are the remnants of Norwegian and Soviet-era trapper cabins from the early 20th century, some with rusted stoves and seal-skin debris still inside. Protected by Norwegian law — look but don’t touch. Allow 30 minutes.

12. Midnight Sun Photography at Sea (free) — Between mid-April and late August the sun never sets over Nordaustlandet. Shooting glaciers and wildlife at midnight in golden light from your ship’s deck costs nothing and rivals anything you’ll do ashore. Allow as long as you can stay awake.

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What to Eat & Drink

There are no restaurants, cafes, or food vendors on Nordaustlandet — your ship is your only dining option. Expedition vessels serving this region typically reflect Scandinavian culinary sensibility: clean, protein-focused meals with strong Nordic ingredients.

Expedition ship buffet lunches — Typically smoked salmon, rye bread, pickled herring, and hearty soups served between landings; included in fare
Arctic char — A recurring dinner feature on Svalbard expedition menus; mild, pink-fleshed, often served simply grilled; approx. included in ship fare
Reindeer stew — A Svalbard specialty that appears on many expedition dinner menus in cold months; rich and warming after a day in the wind
Hot drinks on deck — Most expedition ships bring thermos flasks of hot chocolate or bouillon broth to zodiac landings; simple but essential at 80°N
Ship bar: aquavit — Norwegian aquavit (caraway-spiced spirit) is the culturally correct post-landing drink; expect 80–120 NOK per glass aboard
Longyearbyen pre/post cruise dining — If you overnight in Svalbard before or after, Huset Restaurant is Svalbard’s most serious dining room; book well ahead

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Shopping

There is nothing to buy on Nordaustlandet itself. Your ship’s onboard shop is your only retail access during the voyage — most expedition ships carry a curated selection of Svalbard-branded gear, field guides to Arctic wildlife, and expedition photography books.

For genuine Svalbard souvenirs, Longyearbyen (the main town, reached by flight, not from Nordaustlandet directly) has a handful of quality shops selling polar bear and walrus motif jewellery, hand-knitted wool items, and locally produced cloudberry jams. Skip the cheap plastic Viking merchandise that drifts in from mainland Norway — it has nothing to do with Svalbard’s culture.

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How to Plan Your Day

4 hours ashore: One zodiac landing at a walrus haul-out or glacier front, guided tundra walk with naturalist, zodiac cruise back along the ice face before re-boarding. Tight but deeply satisfying.
6–7 hours ashore: Two separate landings — morning at a wildlife site (walrus/polar bear habitat), afternoon at a glacier or bird cliff — with zodiac cruising between sites. This is the standard expedition day.
Full day (8+ hours): Three-landing

📍 Getting to Nordaustlandet Island, Svalbard Norway

Use the interactive map below to explore the port area and plan your route from the terminal.