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Svalbard holidays

4.8/5

Average Customer Score
Based On 1280 Reviews

Best time to visit All year-round
Capital Longyearbyen
Population 2,596
Area 62,045km²
4.8/5

Average Customer Score
Based On 1280 Reviews

Overview

Norway’s scenery reaches a crescendo of snowy peaks and glacier-fringed fjords in Spitsbergen – largest of the Svalbard islands, located halfway between Norway and the North Pole. As polar specialists, we can arrange holidays to this spectacular Arctic realm in both summer and winter. Each season holds its own special appeal. Winter heralds the surreal blue glow of the polar night – a mesmerising 24hr twilight that constantly tingles with the possibility of the northern lights. Summer, meanwhile, is midnight sun season, when endless daylight and rising temperatures free the fjords of ice and stimulate an explosion of life – from wildflowers on the tundra to nesting seabirds and prowling polar bears.

Our holidays to Svalbard are as diverse as its seasons. You’ll fly to Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost town. Based in a choice of comfortable hotels, you can fill your days with anything from snowmobiling, husky sledding, ice caving and snowcat tours in winter, to boat trips, hiking, mountain biking and birdwatching in summer. For aspiring polar explorers, we offer winter snowmobiling adventures  to the remote wilderness lodges of Isfjord Radio and Nordenskiold. It’s also possible to combine Svalbard with the city of Tromso on the Norwegian mainland – or you can embark on one of our small-ship polar voyages around Spitsbergen and beyond.

Stay alert wildlife lovers. Wildlife is everywhere, but not always obvious or close by. Binoculars are a must, and should be easy to grab at any opportunity.
Plan Your Trip
  • arctic admiring svalbard scenery from ship bow qe

    Highlights

    Explore this Arctic archipelago full of untouched beauty and compelling wildlife on a small-ship voyage

  • Highlights

    Experience the atmospheric light of polar night and the chance to see the northern lights 24/7

  • Highlights

    From bird cliffs teeming with guillemots and kittiwakes to soaring fulmars and playful penguins, discover an avian paradise

Svalbard holiday ideas

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Best time to visit Svalbard

Located high in the Arctic, Svalbard’s seasons are marked by extremes. Whether you visit in summer or winter depends on the kind of experience you’re looking for. Go in summer if you want to witness the midnight sun, see lots of wildlife (including polar bears) and go hiking, kayaking or join a polar voyage. Choose winter if you want to experience the polar night, try your luck with the northern lights and take part in activities like dog sledding and snowmobiling.

View Travel Guide

Planning a trip to Svalbard

Clinging to the top of a world map, riven by deep fjords and rucked up into an Arctic wilderness of  snow-capped peaks and giant glaciers, Svalbard is the realm of polar bear, walrus, reindeer, Arctic fox and prolific birdlife.

A year round destination, Longyearbyen is both the embarkation point for summer polar voyages and an excellent centre for land-based holidays (winter or summer). Its colourful houses resemble Lego blocks scattered along the shores of Adventfjorden. As well as several hotels, restaurants, cafes, shops and a university, the town has an excellent museum with displays on everything from climate change to coal mining. A tour of Mine 7 on the town’s outskirts offers an authentic glimpse into the region’s heritage. You can also visit the world’s most northerly brewery and chocolatier!

Discover Svalbard

Things to do in Svalbard

Longyearbyen is the starting point for a wide range of guided activities. In summer, hiking, mountain biking and summer dog sledding are available in Advent Valley. You can also join a boat trip or sea kayaking excursion, or venture further afield to the fascinating Russian mining settlement of Barentsburg.

In winter, activities include snowcat expeditions to the Longyear Glacier and snowmobiling or husky sledding tours in Advent Valley. An evening excursion to Camp Barentz – a replica of the wooden hut built by Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz in the late 16th century – is a great opportunity to learn about Svalbard’s history, enjoy a traditional dinner and hopefully witness the aurora borealis.

Svalbard small-ship voyages

Venture into the realm of the polar bear. Set sail on a voyage around Spitsbergen – the archipelago’s largest island – and you enter a dazzling Arctic world of dragon-back peaks, glittering fjords and jewel-like glaciers.

Kingdom of the ice bear, Svalbard is also home to walrus, Arctic fox and a unique subspecies of reindeer. Several whale species, from beluga to bowhead, feed in its krill-rich seas, while seabirds crowd cliff-edge nesting colonies in their millions.

Small ship cruising – under 200 passengers – aboard environmentally friendly expedition vessels is the best way to explore this diverse and remote part of the world.

Small Ship Cruises