Although we plan this legendary passage with care, the actual itinerary depends on the weather and ice. This approach will be richly rewarded with natural experiences in the untamed wilderness and traces of historic expeditions. From Alaska, the volcanic chain of the Aleutian Islands extends into the Pacific in a wide arc – the starting point for thrilling weeks of expeditions. Perhaps you will hear the cry “Whale spotted!” in the waters off Unga Island. You will be able to observe these giants of the ocean particularly well from the deck, before landing for a hike. Feel the wonder of creation when, with a little luck, stunning bald eagles soar over Unalaska Island, the capital of the Aleutian Islands.

Saint Matthew Island is famous for its barren yet exceptionally beautiful landscape. Arctic foxes are common in this sparsely populated world.

The adventure of the Northeast Passage begins as you cross the International Date Line. Write your own story of discovery on thrilling expedition days. On the Chukchi Peninsula, for example, home to whales, seabirds and seals. In seldom-visited Provideniya, you will learn what life is like for people here in the far east of Russia when you go ashore with the experts and visit the small museum. At Cape Dezhnev, the most north-easterly point of the Eurasian landmass, Russian history speaks for itself. It may be possible to walk to a monument to the pioneer Semyon Dezhnev, the first to round the cape in 1648.

Feel a deep connection to pioneers such as Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld and Willem Barents as your cruise continues through the Chukchi Sea. The rocky coast and steep cliffs of Kolyuchin Island rise from the icy Arctic Ocean. The excitement on board will grow when Wrangel Island appears on the horizon. Will the ship manage to traverse the often thick belt of drifting ice around this UNESCO World Heritage Site? The HANSEATIC inspiration will spend three days showing you the most spectacular aspects of these magnificent natural surroundings. On rides and landings with the Zodiacs, you can really experience this raw natural beauty. You might spot walruses on the coasts, and walks on the tundra will give you the chance to take in the fantastic mountain massifs and spot reindeer in the vast, silent landscape. You will probably also be able to watch polar bears from a respectful distance in a Zodiac or on deck.

In the East Siberian Sea, you will join the small group of seafarers who have made it to this region. Vitus Bering is said to have discovered the Medvezhy Islands on his second Kamchatka expedition in 1740. Land with the Zodiacs and enjoy impressive sights here – and also on the New Siberian Islands, where exciting insights into the early years of polar exploration await you. In 1893, researcher Fridtjof Nansen allowed his ship to freeze here in order to reach the geographic North Pole by using the natural ice drifts of the Arctic Ocean. You may be able to observe rock ptarmigans and reindeer on these little-researched islands. After cruising through the Laptev Sea, the HANSEATIC inspiration can take full advantage of its status as a small expedition ship with the highest ice class.

This is the only way to reach Severnaya Zemlya. Until now, few people have seen the coasts of the almost semi-glacial islands, home to polar bears and walruses. What nautical challenges will the HANSEATIC inspiration take on next?

The answer will ignite your pioneering spirit: new terrain! On Isachenko Island, an abandoned station tells of the lonely life of researchers at the end of the earth – with luck, you’ll also see some polar bears here.

Vast tundra welcomes visitors to Uyedineniya Island. It is said that, upon discovering the island in 1878, Norway’s Edvard Holm Johannesen dubbed it “Solitude Island”. Does it live up to its name? Find out for yourself if Neptune allows us to land.

The HANSEATIC inspiration follows in the footsteps of Willem Barents as it heads for the deep bays of rugged, elemental Novaya Zemlya. As Barents circumnavigated the island in 1596 on his search for the Northeast Passage, his ship became trapped in the pack ice and the crew was forced to spend the winter there. In geological terms, it is almost identical to the Urals, as it is a northern continuation of the mountain range, which was formed when Europe and Siberia collided. You can now experience that pure expedition feeling when you land here with the Zodiacs.

Icy and isolated, surreal and remote – your thrilling expedition continues in the Arctic Ocean around Franz Josef Land. The captain and crew will react flexibly, allowing you to observe enthralling natural spectacles. For example, Apollonov Island is known for the walruses that rest on its beach. The animals weigh around 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) and make an impressive sight from a respectful distance. The Zodiacs will take you to a popular magnet for geologists on Champ Island: massive, perfectly spherical stones of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in diameter. Can you solve the puzzle of the geodes? Bell Island takes its name from a bell-shaped mountain. Few people would expect to find the oldest building in the archipelago here. A wooden house built in 1881 in the vast wilderness of stone and snow is a small sign of civilisation. Your impressions of Russia will make you feel even closer to Julius Payer and Karl Weyprecht – the pioneers of the Austro-Hungarian Polar Expedition. Whilst exploring the Arctic Ocean in 1873, they happened upon the land, which they named after their emperor. They also discovered what is now Cape Tegetthoff on Hall Island. Follow in their footsteps and continue your expedition with spectacular natural sightings.

After cruising through the Barents Sea, you will reach Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic Circle – and a military exclusion zone until 1991. Here, you can go ashore and explore Murmansk* or uncover the history of the Russian Northern Fleet during a visit to a nuclear-powered icebreaker*.

People once believed that North Cape marked the end of the world – today, your expedition with the HANSEATIC inspiration will slowly draw to a close here as your many experiences come together to form a whole. The Northeast Passage will no longer be a white dot on your personal explorer’s map – its wealth of experiences will stay with you forever.