Arrival to Longyearbyen

Northern lights evening at Camp Barentz (3 hours)

Today after arriving from the airport, you’ll be picked up and taken to your hotel.

After checking in, we recommend having a short walk in town. Then you end your day with our popular Camp Barentz tour, have a cozy dinner, and look for the northern lights.

Northern lights evening at Camp Barentz (3 hours)

THE DISCOVERER OF SVALBARD

Camp Barentz boasts an amazing location at the foot of the mountain, Breinosa, right below Mine 7. One of the buildings at the camp, Barentz Hus, is a copy of the cabin that the discoverer of Svalbard, Willem Barentz, overwintered in on Novaya Zemlya in 1596. Here, far from town, you have the perfect conditions for hunting the northern lights. What’s more, at Camp Barentz we often see Svalbard reindeer, and even grouse and foxes if you are lucky. Our knowledgeable hosts are also on watch in case a polar bear should appear.

As we arrive at the cozy wooden cabins we will be met by the evening’s host. Good drinks and a delicious homemade reindeer bidos will be served, together with campfire coffee and dessert. Welcome to a real Svalbard meal!

LEARN ABOUT THE AURORA

After a delicious dinner, it is time to learn more about the green veil in the sky. We will sit around the fire, while our host shares information and photographs explaining this incredible phenomenon. If lady aurora appears, we will round off the evening by watching the display with our own eyes outside the cabin. During the polar night (from mid-November to late January), the northern lights can appear at any time of day - a spectacular experience, unique to the polar regions.

Ice Cave Day - Hike with a visit to an ice cave (5.5 hours)

Under the glaciers at Svalbard you will find another world, a world filled with ice that has been made in the summertime at Svalbard by melting ice and snow through the water melting channels.

We start from the top of town in Nybyen and walk up to the glacier.  After hiking uphill for ca 2 hours and covering 350 high meters we reach the entrance to the cave. Here we will dress us with safety equipment like helmet, spikes and head light before we continue down to the cave.

Inside the cave we spend time to experience the underworld with halls, tight passages and thick layers of ice crystals.

The trip is moderately difficult, some mountain hiking and some crawling in the cave can be expected. The trip does not fit for guests with back problems, claustrophobia or poor physical shape.

In the ice cave we serve something warm to drink and biscuits, and you are welcome to bring your extra food if needed.

We recommend bringing a backpack with something to drink during the hike, extra warm clothes, extra space for gear (spikes, helmet and a headlamp) and solid hiking boots for winter conditions.

Photography tour around Longyearbyen (4.5 hours)

Do you have a passion for photography? Then you should join in on some of the exciting Photo Safari Tours, that will take you on a scenic discovery journey were photography is in the focus!

Longyearbyen is surrounded by majestic mountains. You can combine a photographic expedition with a hiking trip and reach the surrounding summits and explore the valleys. In addition to landscape photography, some tours offer an introduction to Longyearbyen’s history behind the different sites and sightseeing. Are you interested in geology? Join a tour that includes fossil hunting in the loose moraine sediments of the Longyear glacier.

There are endless possibilities for amazing motives, both summer and winter. Depending on the season you chose to visit us, you can experience Arctic light conditions, Arctic nature, flora and fauna. Or what about catching the Aurora Borealis during the Northern Lights Winter!

Dog sledding in Bolterdalen (4 hours)

The coolest Svalbard experience

This tour starts at the dog yard, where nearly 300 eager huskies are waiting for their next tour. Which will be the lucky ones on your team? Electro, Ginger, Duma or Briz? You will be equipped with an exposure suit, boots and mittens, before you hop in and help the guide to harness and prepare the dogs. The barking and howling can seem a bit chaotic, but suddenly, it all changes. As soon as the dogs start to run, they become completely silent. The huskies are completely focused on pulling the sled through the snow, and you can enjoy the magical landscape around you.

The guide will drive first with two guests, and the following sleds will be driven by two guests, who swap between driving and sitting in the sled. We will follow the riverbed that heads into Bolterdalen, surrounded by mighty mountains. As we approach the glacier, we will enjoy a little more up and down between the moraine formations.

Being immersed in Svalbard’s wilderness is a very special experience. The weather can be wild or wonderful, and is something that we can’t control, and we may adjust the tour to suit the conditions. We may drive through deep snow, or slippery ice, but it doesn’t make much difference to the dogs, who love to be out on tour, and the experienced guides who will tell you all about the polar dogs and their lives, whether it is minus degrees or plus two!

Svalbard reindeer are often seen on this tour, and sometimes even Svalbard grouse or polar foxes. At the moraine we will turn our sleds back towards the dog yard. Once back you will be invited in for something warm to drink and a biscuit or two, before returning to Longyearbyen.

Dog sledding in the polar night

Between November and January, it is polar night in Svalbard. This means that the sun is always 6 degrees below the horizon, and it is dark 24/7. The polar night is an especially atmospheric time of the year, and dog sledding under the star-filled skies with dancing northern lights or glittering moonlight is an experience you should not miss. The tour heads into Bolterdalen, and once we are completely under the polar night, we can turn off our headlamps. If the skies are clear, the contours of the beautiful Svalbard mountains will appear. If we look to the south, we might see it is a little lighter towards the horizon. The snow-covered landscape reflects light from the moon and stars, and if we are lucky, the northern lights. It is incredible just how much you can see of the landscape when you leave the lights of town behind you.

Dog sledding during the sunny winter

From March to May is the season we call sunny winter. After many months of darkness, the sun returns to Svalbard at the end of February and throughout the season the days become brighter and longer. In mid-April we get the midnight sun, and you can enjoy the sunlight around the clock. Driving a dog sled in this season is a magical experience. The mountains in Bolterdalen are lit up by the sun and while the dogs pull you into the valley you are surrounded by a unique and beautiful landscape in all directions.

Included

Transport to and from accommodation in Longyearbyen

Hot drinks and biscuits

Exposure suit, boots and mittens for the duration of the tour

Northern lights hunt with electric snowmobile (3 hours)

All day Aurora

Between mid-November and late January, it is polar night on Svalbard. This gives you the opportunity to see the northern lights - even in the middle of the day! The daytime Aurora is slightly weaker than what occurs at night, but with its more reddish tint it is a fascinating sight!

Northern Lights safaris with electric snowmobiles are exotic, and at the same time convenient because we are close to Longyearbyen. The journey goes in to Adventdalen, in search of northern lights. Away from the city and light pollution, chances are good to get a glimpse of it.

An easier tour

This is a perfect trip if you want to "get a taste" of scooter riding, without driving a full day. The trip is relatively short (40 km) and we drive in easy, mostly flat terrain. The electric snowmobile is easy to maneuver and comfortable to drive. In downhill slopes, the batteries will be regenerated.

The snowmobile is built with good quality components that will keep the battery in perfect temperature under harsh conditions. The absence of motor noise provides comfort and at the same time the opportunity to get closer to nature experiences and wildlife without disturbing.

So, do not only look for northern lights! Remember to look around you for animals. The Svalbard reindeer, ptarmigans and polar foxes are something we often see out on tour.

Included

Transfer from hotel/accommodation place in Longyearbyen.

Warm drinks and biscuits.

Snowmobile suit, shoes, gloves and helmet to use during the tour.

Tour leader with weapons and safety sled.

Rescue insurance.

Visit to coal mine number 3 (3 hours)

Step into the history of Longyearbyen and its extensive coal mining industry. During this tour you will experience the life of a miner and explore equipment and machinery from Gruve 3’s days of production.

The coal mining industry laid the foundations for settling at such high latitudes and eventually allowed Longyearbyen grow into the colorful town it is today.

Sharpen your ears and prepare for a historical and exciting tour into one of Longyearbyen’s coal mines.

Blomsterdalen: Hike to the hill above the global seed vault (4 hours)

An exciting historical hike from the days of coal mining to The Global Seed Vault on Svalbard. On this adventure, we'll start with hiking to the summit of Blomsterdalshøgda at 320 meters above sea level. We're rewarded with a great view of the local area and Adventfjorden. Mine 3 can be seen from the summit, and the remains of the coal mining period. The days of coal mining are over at Mine 3, and today the entrance to The Global Seed Vault is in the mountain side. We'll pass by this exciting place on our way down from the mountain hike. 

Included

transport to/from accommodation, snowshoe if needed, hot drink, biscuits.

Snowmobile safari to the East Coast (10 hours)

SNOWMOBILE TOUR TO THE REALM OF THE POLAR BEAR

The east coast of Spitsbergen is generally colder than the west, due to the distance from the Gulf Stream, and this means more sea ice, and better conditions for polar bears. It also provides opportunities to observe these powerful animals at a safe distance, so be sure to take your binoculars and a zoom lens for your camera.

The tour takes us east from Longyearbyen, through the Esker valley and out through the Sassen valley. From here we will continue eastwards, through the glacier systems that stretch from north to south on Spitsbergen, before we reach the bay Mohn Bay on the east coast. We will explore the area and enjoy an expedition lunch in front of the mighty glacier face.

Popular adventure

The snowmobile tour to the east coast is amongst our most popular tours but be aware that it is a very long day on snowmobile. We will drive over long plains and gain a real feeling of being tiny in the imposing Svalbard landscape. We will make several stops underway, and take our time, and if you don’t see a polar bear yourself, the chances are good that reindeer, Svalbard grouse or a polar fox may cross our path. If we have time, we will drive up to a viewpoint or two, to get a better overview of the beautiful scenery.

ENJOY THE SMALL MOMENTS

Even if many visitors hope and dream about seeing polar bears - and the chances on the east coast are reasonably good - it is important to enjoy the tour from start to end, even if the King of the Arctic doesn’t appear. Enjoy being out in the never-ending wilderness, hear the Arctic silence, and let the stark scenery sink in - with or without bears. Maybe you will find polar bear tracks? Don’t forget to compare their size with your own hand.

If the conditions allow, we will choose a different route home, offering new amazing impressions from jagged glaciers and snow-covered valleys - all in all, an unforgettable day on Svalbard.

Included

Transfer from hotel/accommodation place in Longyearbyen

Warm drinks and biscuits

Expedition lunch

Snowmobile suit, shoes, gloves and helmet to use during the tour. 

Tour leader with weapons and safety sled

Rescue insurance

Longyearbyen Panorama in the sunset (3 hours)

About

Bring the family along on a fantastic snowcat tour to enjoy the view of Longyearbyen as the sun sets over the pointy mountains on the other side of Isfjorden. The snowcat is impossible to miss when it picks you up, but as soon as you have exchanged the town for the wilderness, the vehicle will seem very small, and the wilderness very big. The trip is not physically demanding and is also suitable for children.

Sunset over the mountains

Our aim for the tour is the excellent viewpoint, ‘Linken’ two thirds up the side of the mountain ‘Hiorthfjellet’ on the other side of Adventdalen. Our first stop will be at the polar bear sign at the edge of town, where the striking sign reminds us that we are visitors in the realm of the polar bear.

From here we cross the Adventdalen, heading towards Hiorthhamn. This was the first Norwegian mining town on Svalbard, and in the early 1900s there were barracks, a blacksmith, stores, kitchens, a sawmill, hospital, housing, offices and a series of mine constructions here. You will need to use a bit of fantasy to imagine the bustling outpost of days gone by. Just before we reach the old town, which is now a popular spot for local cabins, we will turn north, and the guide will navigate the snowcat up through Telegrafdalen.

Satellites and giant golf balls

As we arrive at the amazing viewpoint, ‘Linken’, we will take a break and enjoy the fabulous views towards Longyearbyen while our guide serves hot drinks. As we stand on the mountainside the sun will sink closer and closer to the mountains on the other side of the Isfjord, and the sky will change colour from blue to red, then lilac and orange. You can also look across to the Svalbard satellite station on Platåberget - the Plateau Mountain. This station is used by NASA amongst others, to download information from satellites in polar orbit, and it is the northernmost satellite station in the world. From Linken it looks a bit like a group of giants have left their golf balls behind but is in any case it is an impressive sight.

Please note that participants should dress warmly, with winter outerwear and solid winter shoes. This tour may be adjusted due to weather conditions, and the route and destination may be changed if required.

Included

- Transport to and from Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen

- Hot drinks and biscuits

- Tour leader with all necessary safety equipment.

Departure from Longyearbyen

Every good thing must come to an end, but we hope it is not your last time visiting Svalbard. Today, you’ll be picked up from your hotel to the airport and start your journey back home.