For you as "Arctic Lovers" two tour operators of the very North of Russia "Intourist-Arkhangelsk Plc" from Arkhangelsk region and "Kola Travel Plc" from Murmansk region have developed this two week expedition on the waters of the Arctic Ocean in a common project. The tour is named "Arctic Expedition" and was made in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation, the Murmansk Shipping Company (MSCO) and the Russian Arctic National Park. We are proud to introduce you this unique Arctic Expedition which starts in mid July 2015 and combines three the most gripping attractions; Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean and the World known Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea. It starts from Murmansk – the capital of Land Behind the Polar Circle and finishes in Arkhangelsk – the cradle of Russian Navigation.
 

Franz Josef Land is the very special archipelago of uninhabited islands washed by the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea and Kara Sea. It is severe and amazing beautiful world of glaciers, mosses and lichens. The islands are abound in Arctic flowers as the Arctic poppy, saxifrage, sulphur buttercup and other ones emerge in the summer. About 5 million sea birds nest on the archipelago every year, with the thick-billed guillemots accounting for 1 million. Franz Josef Land is home to two Arctic giants – the Polar bear and walrus – whereas its waters are visited by whales, including the humpback, the bowhead, the narwhal and the white whale.

Novaya Zemlya is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the North of Russia and consists of two large islands along with numerous smaller islands. The mountains and glaciers of Novaya Zemlya are very impressible and worth to see. Only the southern island is partly inhabited — by a small number of local dwellers (Nenets) who subsisted mainly on fishing, trapping, reindeer herding, polar bear hunting and seal hunting. Wildlife in the region includes polar fox, polar bear, and lemming as well as a great variety of birds.

The Solovetsky Islands, the biggest archipelago of the White sea, is situated 160 kilometers far from the Polar Circle. Despite of so northern location, the nature here is wonderfully generous and pictorial with its taiga forest, clear lakes and bright meadow full of flowers. The Solovetsky Islands has attracted people since olden days. On the archipelago have been kept interesting memorials of Northern late Stone Age: labyrinths, dolmens, stone barrow, sites of ancient tribes. Solovetsky Island is one of several places on the planet where white whales (Belugas) comes for reproduction of posterity. Cape Beluzhy is known as a spot to observe white whales from June until half of August.

All these places of interests are collected in the Arctic Expedition. More details see tabs on top of this webpage.