Hurtigruten Expeditions is set to explore Russia in 2022, and particularly the White Sea in Russia’s far north on the Spitsbergen. 

This itinerary follows the recent news of expedition cruises to the Galapagos Islands, the Bissagos Islands and Cape Verde in Western Africa, and the Canary Islands and Madeira Islands, which will all launch in 2022 for the brand.

“After a very challenging year for the entire travel industry, we are thrilled to finally return to cruising. 2022 is set to be our most exciting year ever, introducing a number of new exciting itineraries in three different continents. We see a huge pent-up demand for adventure travel, and much more to come still,” said Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen.

Hurtigruten Expeditions’ new 17-day itinerary to the White Sea – Norway and Russia Adventure itinerary will depart Bergen, Norway, on October 6, 2022, and sail north along the Norwegian coast first. Then follows seven days in Russia, traveling to one of the least visited parts of the country. The itinerary combines modern-day Russian cities and historic ports with expedition landings, coming ashore at rarely visited and isolated villages on the shores of the White Sea, according to a press release. The trip also includes visiting the fascinating Solovetsky Islands, one of Northern Russia’s iconic sights. 

“Russia’s White Sea is another dream destination our patrons have asked for when surveying our previous guests, just like the Galapagos and Western Africa. Finally, guests will now be able to go to Russia’s best-kept secret, the White Sea, which very few travelers ever get to experience. And considering we carried out our first expedition cruise to Russia more than 100 years ago, we’re extremely excited to have Russia as a destination again finally,” said Lassesen.

Besides the new itinerary for Russia’s White Sea, the Spitsbergen will also offer a 23-day Grand Expedition cruise from Tromsø, Norway, to Lisbon, Portugal. The journey can be cut to a smaller trip departing from Hamburg, Germany, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, or Dover, the United Kingdom, to Lisbon. The ship then continues to serve Western Africa’s waters from November of 2022 to March of 2023. It will operate sailings to the Canary Islands and Madeira Islands, and the Bissagos Islands and Cape Verde from Dakar, Senegal.