Escorted Tours
Upon arrival at Svalbard Airport, your driver will meet you in the Arrivals Hall holding a sign with your name on it. After locating your driver, you will be transferred from the airport to the hotel in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver. Later, depart on a Longyearbyen in a Nutshell Guided Tour (Duration: 2 Hrs). Enjoy a Guided Taxi Tour around Longyearbyen, which offers a good dose of local knowledge, an overview of the various attractions and, most importantly, an introduction to the general history of Svalbard. The tour takes you past local Mines, Research areas, the Town Centre, the Church and near the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (150 metres away). Along the way, there will be stops for photography, allowing you to capture the unique surroundings. Wildlife varies with the seasons and during the Polar Night you might be lucky enough to witness the magical Northern Lights dancing across the sky. The driving route may be adjusted in case of closed roads or bad weather. This evening enjoy a 4 Course Gourmet Dinner with Wine pairing at Funktionærmessen Restaurant. Located in the Funken Lodge Hotel, this restaurant provides a fine dining experience that is unmatched in Longyearbyen. The kitchen presents intriguing flavour combinations inspired by international cuisine. Enjoy a culinary journey while admiring the stunning views over Longyearbyen. This is a historical dining place, which has always been connected with high quality. It was here that the Mining Company’s office workers enjoyed their meals and the panoramic outlook over Longyearbyen, Hiorthfjellet and Longyearbreen. The restaurant has returned with a new menu and furnishings, but the history, the views and the exceptional quality of the experience remain. Meals: Dinner
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This morning, enjoy breakfast at the hotel before departing on a Elveneset Snowmobile Safari (Duration: 5 Hrs). This is a great tour for those who haven’t driven a snowmobile before. The route takes you through untouched, Arctic winter landscapes. An unforgettable wilderness experience of comfortable length, where you get up close to the majestic Svalbard scenery. Your Guide will pick you up at the hotel and drive you to our expedition centre. Here, you get equipped with a scooter dress, boots, balaclava, helmet and mittens before we go to the scooters that are waiting for us outside. The Guide will show you how the scooter works and how to drive it, then it’s time to head out into the wild! This tour covers a total of about 70 kilometres. The goal is to reach Elveneset, a phenomenal viewpoint just at the Bank of Tempelfjorden, the 'Temple Fjord'. Here, spectacular views await, over the Fjord and Tempelfjellet. Tempelfjellet, the 'Temple Mountain' is 766 metres high and lies on the North Bank of the Sassen Fjord. The Mountain received its characteristic name from the intricate structures that the spring meltwater has carved in the Mountainside. From a distance, it reminds one of Temple ruins. The terrain of this tour is varied but easy, going through valleys with soaring mountains on all sides. With some luck, we will encounter some of the local wildlife such as the Svalbard Reindeer and maybe a Polar Fox. At our turning point, Elveneset, we will take a nice break with warm drinks and biscuits before setting course back to Town. A valid driver’s licence for a car or motorbike is required to drive a snowmobile. Remember to take it with you on the tour. The Guide will check each passenger's driver's license and will refuse participation if the driver's license is not valid in Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Please contact the responsible authorities in case of any questions regarding driver's licence. No refunds will be given due to an invalid driver's license. We advise wearing warm woollen underwear, warm outer pants and a solid woollen jumper under the snowmobile suit. We also recommend bringing extra clothes in a backpack such as an extra jacket, woollen hat and mittens. PLEASE NOTE: This Tour is part of a Group. Tonight, enjoy a 6 Course Dinner with Wine pairing at Willem's Cabin. Enjoy local produce with perfectly composed wines, while you get to learn more about the discovery of Svalbard. All this far away from Town, surrounded by the most beautiful Arctic wilderness. Willem’s Cabin is located at Camp Barentz, a unique Wilderness Camp at the end of Adventdalen. Surrounded by beautiful Mountains and Reindeer roaming freely, you will have an intimate experience with Svalbard's wild nature. At Willem’s Cabin, a private Chef prepares exclusive local ingredients for you. The menu features delicacies such as Seal and Cod from Isfjorden and Reindeer from Nordenskiöld Land. An authentic dining experience where the host takes you on the journey of the ingredients, from nature to plate. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast will be served at the hotel before departing on a Dog Sledding in Bolterdalen (Duration: 4 Hrs). Join us on one of the coolest tours on Svalbard, where incredible landscapes are combined with a great sense of achievement, as you steer your own dog sled through the endless wilderness. Being immersed in Svalbard’s majestic nature is a very special experience. Your Guide will pick you up at the hotel and take you to the kennel, which is located approx. 10 kilometres outside the Town. Here, close to 300 eager Huskies are waiting for their next tour. Who will be the lucky ones to get on your team? Electro, Ginger, Duma or Briz? You will be equipped with an exposure suit, boots and mittens before you help the guide to harness and prepare the dogs. The barking and howling can seem a bit chaotic but that will change after a short while. As soon as the dogs start to run, they become completely silent. They are completely focused on pulling the sled through the snow and you can enjoy the magical landscape around you. The Guide will drive first with two guests. The following sleds will be driven by two guests, who can swap between driving and sitting in the sled. We will follow the river bed that heads into Bolterdalen, a beautiful valley surrounded by mighty Mountains. The experience is like a natural roller coaster ride, going up and down between the moraine formations. We often see Svalbard Reindeer on this tour and sometimes even Ptarmigans or Polar Foxes. At the moraine, we will turn our sleds and head back towards the dog yard. Once back you will be invited in for waffles and something warm to drink, and last but not least some puppy cuddles! After finishing the coffee break, you will get driven back to Longyearbyen. PLEASE NOTE: This Tour is part of a Group. Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own at the hotel. Meals: Breakfast
This morning after breakfast, you will depart the Hotel and join an Ice Cave Exploration by Snowcat (Duration: 3 Hrs). Explore the sparkling underworld of ice, hidden deep inside one of the glaciers right behind Longyearbyen. You will get to the ice cave in a snowcat, a comfortable and fun vehicle that smoothly traverses its way up and down over the moraine. Included in the tour: Transfer from/to your accommodation in Longyearbyen Helmet with headlight, crampons Hot drinks and biscuits Guide with all necessary safety equipment You will be picked up by the snowcat and head directly up onto Longyearbreen, the ‘Longyear Glacier’. It is not a long drive, just a few kilometres South of Town. When you step out on the glacier, a seemingly flat plateau of snow and ice, it is difficult to imagine what frozen wonderland awaits under the surface. You will be equipped with crampons to put on your shoes and a powerful headlamp. Then, your Guide will show you the little opening in the ground, leading you down into the magical world of ice and snow. The headlight lights up the ice as you walk through the narrow passages. You can expect to see icicles, beautiful ice crystals and fascinating layering in the ice walls. A truly mesmerising scenery. Generally, we can walk a couple of hundred metres into the cave before the cave stops or becomes difficult to follow. Once we step back into daylight again, you will be served a hot blackcurrant toddy and a biscuit or two, the perfect end to a magical winter experience! Then, we head back down to Longyearbyen. PLEASE NOTE: This Tour is part of a Group. This evening, enjoy a Gourmet Dinner at Huset Restaurant. Welcome to a unique dining experience in one of the most iconic buildings in Longyearbyen, Huset. The building has served many purposes throughout the years, such as a Church, School and even as a temporary Hospital. Today, it is home to Huset Restaurant. The kitchen prepares an exquisite 14 Course tasting menu featuring Nordic flavours with nearly all ingredients sourced locally from Svalbard and the Arctic region. In collaboration with trappers and hunters at Farmhamna, Bellsund and Akseløya, the restaurant receives local Svalbard produce such as bearded Seal, Reindeer and Ptarmigan. The Chefs at Huset Restaurant are renowned for their romantic creativity. This is not only a unique dining experience for Svalbard but also the rest of the world. You have the option to pair the set 14 Course tasting menu with a Wine or Juice package, carefully curated by the knowledgeable Sommelier. Alternatively, you can choose from the extensive Wine list, Huset is home to Scandinavia's largest Wine Cellar with over 6,000 bottles within its walls. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning. Afterwards, depart on a Visit to a Coal Mine (Duration: 3 Hrs). Longyearbyen has a long and rich history as a Mining Town and one of the most exciting parts of this history can be experienced in Coal Mine 3. Here, you can explore the past and learn more about the history of mining. The history of mining in Longyearbyen goes back to the beginning of the 20th Century, when the first miners came here to extract coal. Mining was the cornerstone of the Town's existence and it helped shape society and the economy for many decades. The mining work was hard and dangerous, but it also created a strong community and a unique culture among the inhabitants. Mine 3 is one of the most iconic Mines in Longyearbyen and it is open to visitors who want to learn more about the history of mining. Here are some good reasons why you should make the trip: A trip to Coal Mine 3 gives you a unique opportunity to delve into the history of mining in Longyearbyen. You will learn about the challenges the miners faced, the harsh conditions they worked under and how they helped build society. The trip into the Coal Mine gives you an exciting experience of moving through the narrow tunnels and experiencing the miners' reality up close. It's a different experience that will give you a new perspective on life in a Mining Town. It is worth noting that the tunnels are spacious and it is optional if you want to try to crawl in the narrow passages where the coal itself was extracted. Mining has had a big impact on the culture and identity of Longyearbyen. Visiting Coal Mine 3 gives you the opportunity to understand how this history has shaped society today. PLEASE NOTE: This Tour is part of a Group. Tonight, enjoy a wilderness evening and dinner at Camp Barentz. This is the perfect evening activity to mix into your Svalbard program. You will leave Longyearbyen behind for a dinner and informal lecture in a cosy, authentic cabin. A bus will pick you up at the hotel. As we leave Town and drive into the large Adventdalen, the ‘Advent Valley’, the anticipation increases. After a 10–15 minute drive, we arrive at Camp Barentz. This is a small set of cabins, one of which is a copy of the cabin that the discoverer of Svalbard, Willem Barentz, overwintered in on Novaya Zemlya in 1596. We are met by our knowledgeable host for the evening, who also is equipped with Polar Bear protection, since the cabin is located outside Town. In front of a large campfire inside, we get served some drinks, a delicious homemade Reindeer Bidos and Coffee and Dessert. After dinner, it is time to learn more about the King of the Arctic. With everyone sitting around the open fire in the cabin, the host will share information and photos about our most famous residents. You are guaranteed to learn something new about Polar Bears and you may also hear a few personal stories. After the presentation there will be time to take some photos of the stunning, surrounding landscape. Here, far from Town, we often see Svalbard Reindeer and even Grouse and Foxes if you are lucky. Then, the bus comes to pick us up again and we return to Longyearbyen. Included in the tour: Transfer from/to chosen pick-up point. Reindeer soup, drinks (beer, wine, soft drinks), campfire coffee and homemade cake. Guide with all necessary safety equipment. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before spending your day free at leisure. Alternatively, why not join one of the Optional Excursions on offer. Optional Excursion: Wilderness Safari by Electric Snowmobile (Duration: 3 Hours) Your Guide will pick you up at the hotel and drive you to our expedition centre. You will get equipped with a scooter dress, boots, balaclava, helmet and mittens before we go to the scooters. The Guide will show you how the scooter works and how to drive it, then it’s time to head out into the wild! This is a perfect tour to experience scooter riding, without driving a full day. The route is relatively short (30 kms) and we drive in easy, mostly flat terrain. The journey goes into Adventdalen, the ‘Advent Valley’, towards 'Jernsenga, the ‘Iron Bed’. Here, you get to hear the story of this strange little mound and the iron bed on top of it, a famous landmark near Longyearbyen. We also drive by Mine 7, the only active coal mine in the area. The electric motors of these snowmobiles are tranquil. The absence of sound is less disruptive to wildlife than ordinary snowmobiles. So, remember to look around for wildlife! If lucky, we may meet some Svalbard Reindeer, Ptarmigans, Arctic Foxes and Snow Buntings. We make some stops along the way and the Guide will share interesting information and maybe a story or two. After a nice break with warm drinks and some biscuits, it’s time to head back to Longyearbyen again. PLEASE NOTE: This Tour is part of a Group. Optional Excursion: Longyearbyen Sunset Panorama Tour by Snowcat (Duration: 3 Hours) The snowcat is impossible to miss when it arrives to pick you up. However, as soon as you have exchanged the town for the wilderness, the vehicle will seem very small and the wilderness very big. The goal of the tour is the excellent viewpoint 'Linken', on the Mountainside of Hiorthfjellet, the ‘Hiorth Mountain’. That is the big Mountain you can see if you look over the Fjord from Longyearbyen. Our first stop will however be at the famous Polar Bear sign at the Town limit. Here, we take some photos, as well as a reminder that we are visitors in the realm of the Polar Bear. From here we cross Adventdalen, the ‘Advent Valley’, heading towards Hiorthhamn. This was one of the first Norwegian Mining Towns on Svalbard. Just as we reach the remains of this Old Town, we will turn North and the Guide will start navigating the Snowcat up the Mountain. Once we arrive at the viewpoint of Linken, we will take a break and enjoy the gorgeous views over Longyearbyen. Your Guide will explain what we see, tell stories and answer questions while serving some hot drinks. Then, it is time to step into the Snowcat again and head back to civilisation. PLEASE NOTE: This Tour is part of a Group. Tonight, dinner is on your own at the hotel. Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before check-out. You will be transferred to the airport in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver for your onward journey or return flight home. Meals: Breakfast
Tour Prices are per person twin share in Australian Dollars. Conditions apply and group tours are subject to change and availability. Prices are subject to currency fluctuations. (ns)
