Plan a Svalbard trip

78°N, the far Arctic

Polar bears outnumber people 3:1. A direct 3-hour flight from Oslo lands you in Longyearbyen, the world's northernmost town with a permanent population. Four months of polar night, four of midnight sun.

Latitude: 78°N
Polar night: Nov – Feb
Polar bears: ~3,000
Population: ~2,400

Nothing saved yet

Your trip basics

When, how many, and what you came for. Saved on this device, ready for the route and day plan that come next.

Where

Places in Svalbard

The towns, villages and fjords that anchor a trip here. Each opens its own guide.

Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen is where every Svalbard trip begins and ends. The town sits in Adventdalen valley at 78°N with 2,400 residents, a university (UNIS), the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (not open to visitors), and Svalbard Bryggeri, the world’s northernmost brewery. The main street runs 2 km. Restaurants, gear shops, and tour operators line it. The polar bear warning signs at the town perimeter are not decorative. Outside Longyearbyen, you need an armed guide or your own rifle.

Population: 2,400, world’s northernmost permanent town
Airport: Longyearbyen (LYR), direct flights from Oslo (3 hours)

Read the guide

Ny-Ålesund

Ny-Ålesund at 79°N is the world’s northernmost permanently inhabited research station. It is not a town, it is a scientific community of 30–150 researchers depending on season. Access is by chartered flight from Longyearbyen only. Day visits are possible through select tour operators, with walking tours of the historic mining settlement (active 1916–1963) and the Amundsen mast from which Roald Amundsen departed for the North Pole in 1926.

79°N, world’s northernmost research station
Access by chartered flight from Longyearbyen only

Read the guide

Barentsburg

Barentsburg is a Russian mining settlement 60 km west of Longyearbyen by boat (no road connection). Population: under 500, mostly Russian and Ukrainian miners. The Soviet-era architecture, Lenin bust, and working coal mine give it a time-capsule quality. Boat tours from Longyearbyen run in summer (6–8 hours round trip). The brewery (Barentsburg Pomor) and a small hotel are the visitor facilities. Winter access is by snowmobile.

Russian mining settlement, population under 500
No road connection, boat (summer) or snowmobile (winter)

Read the guide

Activities and tours

Featured and best-rated first. Add what you want, then book from the card.

🐻‍❄️SvalbardLuxuryFeatured

Northern Lights Dog Sledding

Longyearbyen, Svalbard

Dog sledding under the aurora at 78°N — the most extreme aurora experience on earth. A team of Alaskan huskies pulls you across the frozen Adventdalen valley while the sky shifts green and violet overhead. Peak season runs November through February, when the polar night guarantees total darkness and KP3+ activity is…

Plan a Svalbard trip

Your trip basics

Places in Svalbard

Longyearbyen

Ny-Ålesund

Barentsburg

Activities and tours

Northern Lights Dog Sledding

Polar Bear Safari by Snowmobile

Glacier Hiking Expedition

Snowmobile to Pyramiden Ghost Town

Sail & Hike the Svalbard Archipelago

Arctic Wildlife Photography Tour

Northern Lights Photography Chase

Midnight Sun Fjord Kayaking

Events and festivals

Dark Season Blues

Svalbard Ski Marathon (Svalbard Skimaraton)

Places to stay

Longyearbyen Apartment

Nordenskiöld Lodge

Haugen Pensjonat Svalbard

Funken Lodge

Longyearbyen Camping

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svalbard Hotell | Polfareren

Svalbard Hotell | Lodge

Hotel Barentsburg

Guides and trip reports

What to pack for Arctic Norge, month by month

Hiorthfjellet: The 925m Peak Across Adventfjorden (Boat Required)

Trollsteinen: The 850m Full-Day From Longyearbyen

Sarkofagen: The 500m Glacier Summit Above Longyearbreen

Platåberget: The 450m Plateau Above Longyearbyen (and Why You Still Need a Rifle)

Best time to see the Northern Lights in Norge