The participants will meet on the first day of the tour at the Naryan-Mar airport. If you arrive in the morning, you’ll be able to take part in a sightseeing tour of the city and have lunch. Then you’ll go to the port, where the Amazone expedition sailboat, your home for the next 9 days, will be waiting for you.
Before the ship goes to sea, you’ll be given a safety briefing and will get to know the crew. Each member of the expedition will be assigned a ship watch. That means you won’t be an ordinary tourist, but also a sailor.
You are heading towards the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The harsh beauty of these places is especially impressive: it seems that you are all alone in this world surrounded by powerful nature. All day will be spent on the boat, but it won’t be boring for even a minute: you will communicate with the team, take part in some practical exercises and participate in ship work.
Today you’ll have your first landing of the trip — on Dolgy Island. The island is uninhabited, but since ancient times, the Nenets considered it sacred and regularly visited this land to perform rites of worship. Until now, the remains of Nenets sanctuaries have been preserved here. And in the northern part of the island, the remains of an old cemetery were found. It is considered to be a burial of pilgrims, who in the 18th century boldly traveled on a boat along the Ob River across the seas of the Arctic Ocean to the Solovetsky Monastery.
You’ll dedicate the day to the walks around Matveev Island. This is a small uninhabited island with low steep banks hosting big walrus rookeries and numerous bird colonies. Also, here you can meet arctic foxes and even polar bears. However, there are also traces of human presence on this small piece of land: you will see an old lighthouse and several abandoned houses.
In the Middle Ages, Matveev Island was actively used by Russian Pomors for fishing and hunting. Their presence is marked by a few wooden crosses preserved from those times.
Today you will approach the rocky shores of Vaygach Island. The landscapes of the island are fantastic — there are plenty of glistening lakes and shallow canyons with crystal clear streams descending into the sea. The island was considered sacred by the Nenets for a long time; here they asked the gods for a successful hunt and created places of worship. More than 200 objects of historical and cultural heritage were found on Vaygach, including stone and wooden idols, crosses, and burials.
Now there is only one settlement here with about 100 inhabitants, still living off hunting and fishing. Walking along the tundra, you can meet arctic foxes and reindeer, while on the coast numerous walruses, seals and large colonies of geese, swans, and waders are settled. Sometimes polar bears also stop by Vaygach Island.
Today you’ll reach the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and land on its southern part, which is a cluster of small islands. You’ll visit the islands of Maly and Bolshoi Loginov, Kusova Zemlya, Pukhovy, and enjoy pristine Arctic nature. In these distant places where there are no people, you can meet reindeer and multiple bird colonies. Though, it is important to always watch your step to avoid crushing one of multiple clutches of bird eggs laying on the ground.
It's time to say goodbye to the endless expanses of the Arctic tundra and return to the mainland. A 2-day sea trip is ahead of you. The crew will not let you get bored: they will conduct interesting classes on using maps and navigation at sea, and you will also have time to share your impressions of the expedition.
You will spend another day at sea, enjoying breathtaking views of the Arctic, taking part in ship watches, and helping the team. By the evening, the sailboat will arrive at the port of Naryan-Mar. You’ll celebrate the end of the expedition with a farewell dinner.
After breakfast, you’ll say goodbye to the crew and go to the airport (transfer is included in the price of the tour).
The final price depends on the type of accommodation. See the details in the “Accommodation” section.
***
On the first day of the tour you will be met at the airport of Naryan-Mar (NNM). You can choose any convenient flight. Then you’ll be transferred to the port.
The ship arrives at the port of Naryan-Mar in the evening of the 8th day. You can take any convenient flight on the 9th day of the tour. Transfer to the airport is included in the price.
The meeting of the group will take place at Naryan-Mar Airport (NNM) before 16:30.
You can choose any convenient flight arriving before 16:30. A transfer will be arranged for the time of your arrival.
The ship arrives at the port of Naryan-Mar in the evening of the 8th day. In the morning of the 9th day you’ll have breakfast and go to the airport. Transfer to the airport is included in the price of the tour. You can choose any convenient flight on the 9th day of the tour.
Note: We kindly ask you not to purchase the tickets until the manager sends you a confirmation and guarantees that the tour will take place.
The expedition will take place on board Amazone — the two-masted polar schooner.
You will be accommodated on board in the cabin of the chosen type. Each cabin is equipped with a sink with cold and hot water. In common use there are toilets and showers, as well as a spacious lounge for meetings and events.
Accommodation options and prices:
Note: We can accommodate you with other tourists of the same sex. If you need another option, let the manager know.
In summer the weather in Naryan-Mar can be quite warm — up to +15...+20 °C, but at sea it is usually much colder, about +5...+8 °C.
This tour doesn’t require any special skills. During the first two days of the expedition the instructors will conduct introductory lectures and practical training that will help you interact with the crew.
Children are allowed to participate from the age of 12 and only if accompanied by their parents.
Clothes:
Shoes:
Luggage:
Devices:
Don’t bring drones with you — the use of drones in the Arctic is strictly prohibited.
Other equipment:
This is an educational expedition. All participants work with crew members and have their own responsibilities.
For the comfortable coexistence of all participants on board, it is forbidden to drink alcohol and discuss politics or religion.
On the first day of the expedition, the captain and the crew will conduct a safety briefing, teach you how to put on a life jacket and a harness, and tell you how to act in case of fire and flooding of the ship. Your safety is always a priority.
Please note that this is an expedition to a remote, hard-to-reach area. The itinerary and order of landings may change depending on weather conditions and other circumstances.
Three meals a day on board are included in the price of the tour. The cook will prepare the meals.
Note: Since this is a group tour, the food is the same for all participants. Unfortunately, we cannot prepare an individual meal for you. If you have an intolerance or allergy to any of the products, please notify the manager in advance. We will pass this information on to the instructors. However, we kindly ask you to follow up on this matter during the trip. If you have strict dietary restrictions, we recommend bringing suitable food with you.
Ask the manager for up-to-date information on the required documents related to COVID-19.
This is an expedition in which you will become a fully-fledged member of the team: the crew will teach you the basics of navigation, you’ll learn how to use maps and keep watch aboard.
On a sailboat specially prepared for the polar latitudes, you’ll go to the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, to the places where you’ll find yourself face to face with the wildlife of the Arctic. Reindeer, arctic foxes, polar bears live freely in these severe conditions, walruses and seals rest on the shores of the cold seas, and thousands of birds nest on coastal rocks.
There are almost no people here, but several centuries ago the islands of the Russian Arctic were considered sacred by the indigenous peoples of the North, and you can see traces of their presence that are preserved to this day: places of worship and sacrifices, wooden crosses and stone idols.
During this 9-day trip you will visit 7 Arctic islands, 6 of which are uninhabited. You’ll discover the pristine nature of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the heritage of the Nenets and Pomors on the islands of Matveev and Dolgy, and mysterious Vaygach island — a real treasure trove of natural and historical landmarks.