ITINERARY

 

DAY 1 ~ WELCOME TO THE ARCTIC

Arrive at Longyear Airport in Svalbard followed by a shuttle transfer to your accommodation for the night. After check-in, the rest of the day is free time to explore Longyearbyen as you wish, perhaps with a visit to the Svalbard Museum to learn more about Svalbard‘s history as a hunting and mining outpost. For a fantastic dining experience this evening, we recommend the charming Restaurant Kroa or the lovely Huset Restaurant. Spend the night in Longyearbyen.

 

DAY 2 ~ HUSKIES & ICE CAVES 

Enjoy a good breakfast at the hotel before you are picked up by your guides and taken to the husky kennel in Bolterdalen, where 90 Alaskan huskies eagerly await to take you on a thrilling sled ride! After a brief lesson on how to handle your sled and team of huskies, it’s time to mush into the snowy wilderness towards the Scott Turner glacier. Along the way, there is a good chance of seeing reindeer, ptarmigan, and Polar foxes. Upon arrival to the glacier, you are equipped with a headlamp and helmet for a guided ice cave tour through frozen melt-water channels surrounded by bizarre shapes of ice and stone and amazing ice crystals. Lunch is served outside the ice cave before heading back to Bolterdalen. Back at the kennel, un-harness your hard-working dogs and enjoy a hot beverage and light snack before returning to Longyearbyen in the afternoon. Spend the night in Longyearbyen.

 

DAY 3 ~ JOURNEY TO ISFJORD RADIO (departs Mon & Fri only)

After an energizing breakfast at your hotel, meet with your tour leader to go over the details of the snowmobile safari and receive your loan of additional outerwear and equipment. Then, after a basic lesson on how to drive a snowmobile, the journey begins! Today’s route takes us to the outermost reaches of the Isfjord, past Barentsburg, the Russian Settlement, and through wide valleys surrounded by steep mountains and majestic glaciers. End the day at the cosy Isfjord Radio, a former radio station in a remote setting, where you can relax in the soothing sauna before enjoying a well-deserved three-course dinner with the group. Spend the night at Isfjord Radio.

 

DAY 4 ~ DAY OF EXPLORATION

Enjoy your breakfast with great views of the arctic landscape. After a hearty breakfast, it´s time to explore the beautiful landscape of Spitsbergen. The guide selects the day’s route depending on the weather and snow conditions. If the weather is favourable, we will head south to Fritjof glacier. If we are lucky we might even see the King of the Arctic, the polar bear, hunt for seals on the ice. Lunch will be served in the afternoon and we will return to the radio station and have some time to relax before dinner. Spend another night at Isfjord Radio

 

DAY 5 ~ RETURN TO CIVILIZATION DAY 4: RETURN TO CIVILIZATION

Spend your second morning at Isfjord Radio, getting ready for the day´s adventures by enjoying a wonderful breakfast. After breakfast, the guide will pick the day’s route depending on the weather and snow conditions. If the weather is good, you can visit the Russian mining town Barentsburg, which is a home to about 300 people. You will have the chance to explore the life of an isolated arctic town and visit some Russian buildings to feel the history of Spitsbergen. The tour will arrive in Longyearbyen during the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure in Longyearbyen, where you will spend the night. Barentsburg - Longyearbyen

 

DAY 6 ~ LONGYEARBYEN

Day at leisure in Longyearbyen.

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Optional activites:  Visit a brewery (only open on Mon, Wed & Sat)

 

DAY 7 ~ SNOWMOBILE SAFARI TO THE EAST COAST 

Enjoy a hearty breakfast in preparation for a full day of snowmobiling! After being picked up at the hotel, you are provided with additional warm outerwear and safety equipment followed by a brief introduction by the tour leader on how to safely drive a snowmobile. The east coast is not impacted by the Gulf Stream to the same extent as the west coast, meaning temperatures are lower and there is a lot more ice. Polar bears live on the ice in search of seals and there is a good chance to see one at a safe distance. The east coast is also known for its majestic glaciers and its unique landscape. We will eat an expedition lunch out on the sea ice, in front of the towering glacier fronts of Heuglinbreen and Hayesbreen, before crossing the bay to explore the land on the other side. We will drive through huge valleys, over snow-covered glaciers, and on the frozen sea in order to experience a world unchanged in thousands of years. We can see wildlife such as Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes and seals. Late in the afternoon you will return to Longyearbyen, where you will have the evening at your leisure.

 

DAY 8 ~ DEPARTURE

Before departing this amazing place, the early part of your day is free for a stroll around Longyearbyen, a visit to the Svalbard Gallery, some last-minute souvenir shopping, or an optional dog-sledding tour. In the afternoon, take the shuttle bus to Longyear Airport for your return flight to Oslo, from where you will continue to your final destination.

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End of Trip

 

(Code: B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)

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