Here you get quick travel tips on a trip to Svalbard! If in doubt, do not think, just run and buy your ticket now!
Experience the summer and autumn on Svalbard based in Longyearbyen in a few days. Svalbard is a very good alternative if you have a few days left over where you have not booked your holidays.
Even in summer and autumn, Svalbard is both exotics, exciting, and very pleasant, so I recommend a trip. How long you will be a little up to activities you want, but in 4-6 days you can have a great experience-rich trip.
Facts:
Svalbard is a common name for the Arctic islands located between approximately 74 ° and 81 ° north latitude and 10 ° and 35 ° east longitude.
The islands form part of the Kingdom of Norway, covering 61,022 square kilometers, and have 2940 inhabitants (2021). The administration center is Longyearbyen. The largest and most important island is Spitsbergen (37,814 square kilometers); then follows (by size) Northeast Norway (14,467 square kilometers), Edgeøya (5073 square kilometers), and Barentsøya (1291 square kilometers) as well as a number of smaller islands. More isolated are Kvitøya, Kong Karls Land, the and Hopen, and furthest south is Bjørnøya. The name Svalbard is derived from 'cool', and bard, 'edge,'. For more info see the link below!
You fly with either Norwegian or SAS, via Tromsø. A total of about 4 hours with a stopover, prices from 2000, - and up. Remember that you stop in Tromsø and have to get off the plane and show your passport down in the transit department. The stay in Tromsø is around 20-30 minutes. Then just sit back and look forward to the trip to Longyearbyen.
My first impression when I saw the tip of Svalbard was, wow how big it is. Even though I had put Svalbard on the map and looked at a lot of photos, it has never struck me that Svalbard is the size of Denmark. The sun shone during the approach and thus we got a great overview of the areas around Longyearbyen. Yes, we were looking forward to this.
Fast and efficient handling of luggage and then straight into the bus. Tip: You pay for the return trip, remember to take care of the ticket. Take a picture with your mobile.
Our hotel was Svalbard Hotell, Polfareren, which we experienced as a very good hotel with nice staff and good service! This can definitely be recommended.
What expectations do you have governs how you will experience the arrival in Longyearbyen, but we were really surprised. When we arrived the hotel sat at the outdoor restaurant by the hotel in T-shirts and shorts and enjoyed their beer. The atmosphere was very good - but they complied with the infection control limit!
Do not be surprised when you are told to take off your shoes, so make sure you have socks without holes when you travel arrive!
It is important to remember that summer and winter are more different than you might first think, but you can NOT travel in the open in summer. It is forbidden to drive off the road due to injuries that are not major for many years, so my recommendation is to choose a maximum trip that is land-based if you are interested in mining or visiting a dog farm. That means choosing boat-related trips in the summer.
Had I shown what I know now, I would have chosen a trip to Isfjorden Radio, which also includes accommodation and a gourmet dinner.
We chose to go by boat on our first trip to Svalbard. Today's Catch and the Pyramid,
Recommendation: Today's Catch / Better Moments When choosing trips on the sea, Dagens Fangst is definitely a good alternative. Here you get the opportunity to experience both the sea's wildlife up close. They offer tours in the afternoon/evening and since the sun shines around the clock, it is a pleasant experience. With a closed boat (RIB) that can withstand both weather and wind, you can go out on the fjord in dry, warm, and not least safe surroundings.
They say that they travel comfortably and quickly where it is most "action", but at the same time, they can not guarantee that you will experience the king of the sea, the blue whale. They make very good arrangements for good nature experiences in the Icefjord and included you will be served good food, so here you just have to enjoy yourself.
​This they write themselves: The wildlife in Isfjorden has increased significantly in recent years. The chance of seeing a polar bear mother on a trip with her little ones, a blue whale showing the tail fin of a humpback whale playing by the boat is great, as we know where to start looking.
On the days when the large mammals shine in their absence, we will still give you a fantastic nature experience. We will then go to the most spectacular glaciers the Icefjord has to offer. These enormous ice masses are constantly changing and will constantly drop their "calves" into the fjord.
Here we have great opportunities to see walruses sunbathing on the ice and thousands of birds that use the nutrient-rich water in front of the glacier for their food bowl. This is exactly how we experienced the trip, although polar bears and blue whales did not show up, but the sea lions did. A large herd lay on land and relaxed in the midnight sun, while two smaller groups enjoyed themselves in the sea around our boat.
Here, great forces are at work. We docked in a quiet area and were served homemade soup and good hot drinks. We thank Better Moments for doing their best to make the trip very comfortable and eventful, even though the crossing back was a bit bumpy.
Among high, mighty mountains and the huge Nordenskiöld ice glacier lies the abandoned Russian mining town of Pyramiden. The pyramid is a powerful, brutally isolated, and desolate city with empty buildings and a lot of history. It is beautifully situated in Billefjorden and is a popular place to go on excursions. The offer of boat trips is large - you can, for example, choose a two-day boat trip where you can even cycle and walk around the city. There are also day trips where you travel with a catamaran through the fjord towards the Pyramid. A wonderful alternative for those who want to experience mysterious glaciers, mining towns, and exotic wildlife.
Flight info from 2020: From Oslo 14:45 → From Tromsø 16:25 → 18:05 and the return from Svalbard is 18:55. Prices from about 2000, - per person with Norwegian You fly to Svalbard with SAS, and the flight time from Oslo is approx. 4 hours with a stopover in Tromsø. Daily in the summer season. The price of airline tickets depends on the time of year and booking time in advance of the trip. Now you can, for example, book a return flight in March for around 2000 kroner, but if you delay too long you have to go out with both the double and triple.
Svalbard may not be the first summer destination you think of, because what can you really do on Svalbard in the summer? North of Norway and only 100 km from the North Pole is the archipelago Svalbard - the world's northernmost inhabited area. Here you will find untouched arctic wilderness and unique wildlife, but also tasteful restaurants and museums. The seasonal variations are great on Svalbard - in the summer the dark winter months are replaced by the radiant sun that shines around the clock. Here we list some activities you must experience if you visit Svalbard during the summer months! In the summer between May and August, the sun does not actually set on Svalbard. That means 24 hours of daylight per day for 130 days. Sounds delicious? To experience the midnight sun in the best way, there are scooters, boats, and hiking trips on Svalbard. There are several alternatives, and one of these is the tour operator Better Moments. On their snowmobile excursion, you go on a trip with a local guide who finds the best route for that particular day. The thought of going on a snowmobile trip in the middle of the night in a sparkling snow landscape in full daylight entices many to book this trip. The trip starts from Longyearbyen and takes you around to Spitsbergen in a liberating and wonderful way.
To see the fantastic views Svalbard has to offer, we recommend a guided tour high up in the mountains to look at the magnificent landscape. Snow-capped peaks, glorious sunshine, and fresh air combined with dramatic glaciers will be a memory for a lifetime. You can choose the degree of difficulty and length of the trip yourself - this two-day trip starts from Longyearbyen and offers extremely nice views. If you are on Svalbard in May and June and are interested in experiencing Svalbard in the company of four-legged friends, there are several options for dog sledding trips. Poli Arctic takes you out into the snowmobile-free part outside Longyearbyen.
Choose the trip that suits you and experience Svalbard in the best way! If you like to paddle, the kayak option is a wonderful experience on Svalbard.
For example, Hurtigruten Svalbard offers various packages where you can paddle in the Adventsfjord - one of the most historic fjords on Svalbard. Here you paddle from the colorful Longyearbyen towards the ghost town Hiorthamn while enjoying the view of the beautiful and exotic wilderness.
During the summer, there are over 100 migratory birds on the islands, and it is not uncommon to encounter seals in the water. Kayaking is a great way to see Svalbard, and the skilled guides will help you maximize the experience. If it sounds good with state-of-the-art comfort in historic surroundings, we recommend staying at the Funken Lodge hotel.
With 88 premium rooms and suites, a world-class restaurant, Arctic, and a cocktail bar, you live in a unique environment with magnificent panoramic views of Longyearbyen. The hotel also offers large conference facilities with a capacity of 140 people - perfect for companies and organizations. Of course, you can relax in the lounge with the fireplace and library or visit the gym and relaxation area.
Here are some more pictures: The landscape on Svalbard is just beautiful and everyone who travels in the summer will be able to experience nature without snow. Then you can "read" changes and developments in the rock masses. Yes, it is actually quite adventurous.
News: The ice is making a "comeback" in Svalbard
Værstat wrote on 21 August about incorrect information from NTB about sea ice in the Arctic.
The news agency claimed that "The Arctic that is melting away faster than anyone has dared to predict", and Værstat could document that this is not the case.
Only the future will show the answer to this problem! But enjoy it as it´s here!
Travel tips from Svalbard, Norway - Explore the real wildlife, but April and early May are best for winter hollyday