Upon arrival in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, you will be met at the airport by a member of the Quark Expeditions® team. After settling in to your hotel, there will be a briefing about Barneo Ice Camp. You will be updated on current camp conditions, expedition details, and your departure the following day to 89° north. This evening the group will get together for a welcome dinner.

Accompanied by a member of the Quark Expeditions® team, we’ll transfer to the airport and board the special Antonov AN-74 aircraft for the approx. 2.5 hour flight to Barneo. One of the unique thrills of this expedition is landing on the ice runway at Barneo, a seasonal air strip constructed on the polar ice cap each year, and the only facility that allows external access to the base. Shortly after arriving at camp, lunch will be served and an introductory briefing will be conducted. Barneo is a functioning research base for scientists and adventurers from around the world, and it’s always a hive of activity. After lunch, it’s destination – North Pole! The excitement mounts as you prepare for your Mi8 helicopter flight to the northernmost point on earth. Here there is only ice, and the Arctic Ocean is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) deep at this point. Weather conditions are closely monitored, and the flight will be scheduled accordingly. We’ll aim to land at 90° north. Once there, savor the moment – pose for pictures, walk around the world together, take it all in. You’ll spend about an hour here – walking, celebrating, and capturing those moments on camera – before the approx. 30-minute helicopter flight back to camp. Tonight, following dinner, you’ll rest up in your heated tent. Each co-ed tent houses 10-12 guests and is equipped with camp beds.

After breakfast, you’ll have some time to wander around the camp and take in the last moments of your pristine surroundings before you bid farewell to Barneo Ice Camp and return to Longyearbyen.