Current as of: May 20, 2025 - 22:05

Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

Svalbard Arctic Adventure - Sunny Winter Trip Notes

  • Ways to Travel: Guided Group
  • Destination: Norway
  • Programmes: Winter
  • Activity Level:

    3 out of 7 - Moderate

  • 5 Days: Land Only
  • Ages: 16+
  • Trip Code: CSV

Trip Overview

Dogsled, snowmobile and spot wildlife in the remote, snowy wilderness of Svalbard as it sparkles in the winter sun

Free your inner adventurer in the Arctic tundra of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, as it glistens during the sunny winter season. Led by expert local guides, we enjoy the greatest experiences in the land of snow, exploring by husky dogsled, snowmobile and even going underground into an ice cave. We also spend one night in a remote wooden cabin, where we can gaze over mountains from the sauna – just one of many incredible experiences on this exceptional winter trip.

At a Glance

  • Accommodation: 3 Superior nights (Radisson Blu Polar Svalbard), 1 Simple night (Juva Cabin)
  • Group normally 4 to 10, plus leader. Minimum age: 16

Highlights

  • Explore Svalbard during its sunny winter, when it is light during the day and dark at night
  • Discover hidden corners of the island by snowmobile and spot Arctic wildlife
  • Spend one night in a remote wooden cabin with a mountain-view sauna
  • Enjoy the thrill of dogsledding across the snowy landscape
  • Jump on a snowcat to go on an underground ice cave exploration

Is This Trip for You?

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.

Activities: This is a mixed-activity trip with an excellent balance of guided activities and free time for independent exploration or relaxation. None of the activities require previous experience; however, a good level of fitness is needed to make the most of this adventure.

Suitability: Though the included activities are relatively easy, the exposure to cold temperatures (even when properly equipped) is more challenging.

Group

There is no set tour leader for this trip. Instead, each activity has an expert guide who picks the group up from the hotel and drops you back.

When not on an activity, the front desk staff at the hotel are your main point of contact, which is the standard process in Svalbard.

Adult min age: 16

Min group size: 4

Max group size: 10

Itinerary

Land Only

  • Start City: Longyearbyen
  • End City: Longyearbyen

Land Only Itinerary

Day 1
Adventure starts in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen

Begin your adventure in Longyearbyen, the capital of the Svalbard archipelago, which lies on the island of Spitsbergen.

Around 6pm, say hei to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Then enjoy a big Svalbard welcome with a group dinner at the stylish hotel restaurant, Nansen, which serves classic Nordic cuisine.

Want more time in Longyearbyen? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Polar Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Dinner

Day 2
Join friendly huskies for a dog-sled adventure • Arctic wilderness evening
Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

Immerse yourself in the endless Arctic wilderness on one of the coolest tours in Svalbard. After a transfer (6mi/10km) out of town, we meet hundreds of friendly huskies all eager to join you on the adventure.

Dressed in an exposure suit, boots and mittens, we’re pulled across the snow, following a riverbed that heads into Bolterdalen, a beautiful valley surrounded by mighty mountains. Keep an eye out for reindeer, ptarmigans and polar foxes!

Returning to the kennels, where you’re invited in for waffles and a warm drink (plus a cuddle with the puppies), we head back to our hotel.

Enjoy a free afternoon to relax, wander around town or join optional activities. Also use this time to pack for our cabin stay on Day 3.

This evening, we head even deeper into the Arctic, spending a wilderness evening at Camp Barentz at the foot of Breinosa mountain. Arriving at the welcoming wooden cabins, we are met by our host, enjoying good drinks and a delicious homemade reindeer bidos (stew), together with a coffee and dessert around the open fire inside the cabin.

After dinner, we learn all about the highly protected polar bear population of Svalbard – the true kings of the Arctic.

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Polar Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3
Snowmobile adventure to the remote Juva Cabin
Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

Embrace your inner Arctic explorer today, heading into the untouched wilderness on a snowmobile adventure and eating expedition-style dehydrated food for lunch!

Travelling east, we ride for approximately 19mi (30km) out of town, heading to Juva Cabin, our home for tonight.

Here, we leave our luggage before heading further north to mountainous areas between Adventfjorden and Tempelfjorden. Today’s destination is Fredheim, at the shoreline of Tempelfjorden, where we find the cabin of legendary trapper Hilmar Nøis – who we learn all about.

Returning to Juva Cabin, we enjoy great local food and drinks, plus the outdoor sauna, in which we can gaze over the dark-blue night through the window.

Accommodation: Juva Cabin (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4
Continue our snowmobile adventure
Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

After a traditional cabin breakfast, we’re back on the snowmobiles to head east, onto the glacier plateaus and down towards the sea ice at the east coast of Spitsbergen. Here, we stop to enjoy an expedition lunch, and to keep an eye out for polar bears through our binoculars.

On our return, we stop at the cabin to pick up our luggage, before driving back to our hotel, arriving before the end of the afternoon.

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Polar Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5
Fun snowcat ride • Head underground to explore a sparkling ice cave
Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

It’s our final day of the adventure, but that doesn’t mean the fun ends. Today, we head onto the Longyearbreen (Longyear Glacier). Stepping out onto the glacier, we don crampons and a powerful headlamp, before our guide takes us to a small opening in the ground and down into an ice cave. The lights illuminate icicles and ice crystals, while also highlighting the layering of the ice walls.

Returning to daylight, we enjoy a blackcurrant toddy and a biscuit or two – a magical end to our adventure – before retuning to our hotel, where the trip ends. If you would like additional time in Longyearbyen speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation

Radisson Blu Polar Svalbard and Juva Cabin

Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

On this Svalbard adventure, we spend three nights at Radisson Blu Polar Svalbard and one night in Juva Cabin – both magical experiences, but in different ways.

Svalbard: Radisson Blu Polar Svalbard (nights 1-2 and 4)

Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

Unwind at the world’s northernmost full-service hotel, surrounded by snowy peaks and glistening glaciers. Each room has a stylish Nordic design, plus there are two excellent restaurants: the Nordic-inspired Nansen and the laidback Barentz Gastropub. If you really want to treat yourself, there’s also a wellness area with an outdoor whirlpool and sauna.

Arctic wilderness: Juva Cabin (night 3)

Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

Sure to be a trip highlight, we spend one night in the remote Arctic wilderness. Nicknamed the Jewel of Svalbard, Juva is a welcoming wooden cabin – well-equipped for a night in the tundra. It’s wrapped by mountains and far from light pollution. Head to the lounge room to relax with views over the mountains or unwind in the sauna for more magnificent views.

Worth knowing

  • In Juva Cabin, there are two four-bed rooms (each with two bunk beds) and one room with a queen bed. The queen bed room is allocated on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis.

Food & Drink

All breakfasts, two packed lunches (expedition-style freeze-dried meals) and three dinners are included.

There are many restaurants in Longyearbyen for lunch and dinner. The local food depends on the season, but may include reindeer, wild mushrooms, fish and ptarmigan.

Vegetarians are easily catered for on this trip, but please inform us of any dietary requirements at least two weeks before travel.

Weather & Seasonality

The sunny winter season runs from the beginning of March to mid-May and marks the transition between the dark of winter and light of summer.

The snowy landscapes are particularly beautiful between early March and mid-April, a period known as the pastel winter, named for the beautiful lighting cast over the island. Come in early March and you may even be lucky enough to spot the Northern Lights!

Expect temperatures between -10C (14F) and -30C (-22F) – make sure to check the Essential Equipment section of the Trip Notes carefully to ensure you’re properly protected against the cold.

Joining Instructions

Key information

Start hotel: Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, Vei 229-3, 9171, Svalbard & Jan Mayen
Phone: +47 79 02 34 50
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time on Day 1. There is a welcome briefing around 6pm.
Airport: Svalbard Airport (LYR)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately five minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide one group transfer from the airport to the hotel, which you can join at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

Catching your return flight

There’s one group transfer to the airport, which you can join at no extra cost. Your airport departure on the last day is coordinated by front desk. Please speak to your sales representative for the time of the transfer. If the group transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Longyearbyen
Location end: Longyearbyen

What To Take

Essential Equipment

What’s provided

  • Days 2-4: Arctic clothing/exposure suits for the dogsledding and snowmobile activities. However, we also  recommend you wear thick, warm woollen base layers, warm trousers (pants) and a warm woollen jumper/jacket underneath.
  • Day 5: No technical clothing is provided. We strongly advise you dress warmly for the ice cave activity.

Other items to bring

  • Warm, sturdy winter boots
  • Thick, warm, tight-fitting woollen base layer (top and bottom)
  • Warm, windproof outerwear (such as ski clothing or down jacket) and a thick woollen jumper
  • Several pairs of thick socks
  • Warm, windproof mittens (or gloves)
  • Warm, windproof hat
  • Thick tube scarf/buff or balaclava
  • Swimwear and sandals (for sauna)
  • Sunglasses/ski mask
  • Sunscreen
  • Insulated flask/water bottle
  • Backpack for the days

Optional Equipment

  • We recommend you pack a duffle bag or have sturdy/weatherproof luggage for the overnight at Juva Cabin, as normal luggage will be exposed to weather conditions and could get wet during transport in snowmobile (bags are tied and pulled on an open sledge). Svalbard is tax- and duty-free. You can always shop for quality equipment in Longyearbyen.

Practical Information

Visa

Norway

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Norway. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Vaccinations and Health

Norway

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Local Time

Norway's time zone: Europe/Oslo (UTC +02:00)

Electricity

Norway's electricity: Plug types C (two round pins) and F (two round pins) – 230V, 50Hz

Svalbard Arctic Adventure – Sunny Winter

Money

Norway's currency: Norwegian krone (NOK)

ATM Availability

Svalbard is cash-free, so there are no ATMs. However, all businesses accept credit/debit cards.

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

Prices vary in Svalbard. As a rough indication, you might pay around 250 Norwegian krone (US$24) for a pizza and 850 krone (US$82) for a three-course dinner.

Tipping

Tipping is not expected on Svalbard, nor is it part of Norwegian culture.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.