Svalbard: Travel Guide

Svalbard balances at the very top of the world. Spanning the 74th and 81st parallels north, the archipelago in the High Arctic is closer to the North Pole than it is to Norway.

This is a frozen land of calving glaciers, iceberg-flecked fjords, and hardy animals, such as walruses, blue whales, and polar bears. It’s also a place where sunlight dances on the ocean’s ripples and wildflowers transform the tundra in mere days. In summer, the sun doesn’t set for four months. In winter, the longest night lasts for nearly three months, creating an uninterrupted canvas for the Northern Lights.

If it weren’t for the Gulf Stream, Svalbard’s nine main islands – of which Spitsbergen is the largest – would be locked in ice all year round. Thanks to those warming waters, the best way to visit Svalbard is on a cruise.

“There is nowhere that compares to Svalbard,” says Alberto Lozano, the Head Chef of Huset, a fine-dining restaurant in Longyearbyen. “It’s so isolated but you find a lot of good friends and a lot of things that you would never otherwise experience, such as the animals, the sea life, and expeditions. Things just happen here!”

We’ve spoken to the people who live here to find out everything there is to know about life on Svalbard. Read on to find out when and how to travel to Svalbard, what to do when you get there, and learn more about its history and wildlife.

In Svalbard, the seasons swing between summer and winter far more rapidly than most of us are used to.

Average seasonal temperatures range from -20°C in January to 7°C in July, although variations can be extreme. The coldest Svalbard temperature on record is -43°C (March 1986). In July 2020, the temperature peaked at 23°C.

Locals refer to three distinct seasons: Polar summer, from mid-May to the end of September; Northern Lights winter, from October to February; and sunny winter, from March to mid-May.

Alberto finds it hard to choose a favourite season in Svalbard. “There is real beauty in all of them. I truly appreciate the pure darkness of the dark season. It’s a cosy time but it can be hard for a lot of people. Summer is also very nice and when we’re in it, I'm very happy. I enjoy the present, so I live every season with happiness!”

The length and depth of the Polar Night here makes Svalbard one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. The sun doesn’t peep above the horizon from 26 October to 16 February. The very darkest night covers the islands from 14 November to 29 January, when the sun is more than 6 degrees below the horizon. You’re as likely to see the Northern Lights at lunchtime as you are at bedtime.

Svalbard’s summer months, lit by the Midnight Sun from 20 April to 22 August, are the best time to spot wildlife and take in the archipelago’s incredible scenery. This is also when the milder Svalbard weather conditions make outdoor activities much more comfortable.

“I really love the summer, because you get to travel by boat and you can hike for 24 hours a day. You can hike at two in the morning if you feel like it,” says Caroline Sund, a Travel Designer for Hurtigruten Svalbard who has lived here since 2021. “We are lucky to have mountains right next to Longyearbyen town centre. Within two hours you can be on top of a mountain with an amazing view of the town and the mountains beyond.”

It's worth being aware how quickly conditions can change on Svalbard, though. “If you're snowmobiling in the colder months, for example, on the glacier to the east coast, it can be so windy that you get complete whiteout. It makes me feel like I'm on the moon; it's like a different planet, a completely unique experience. It might be a little scary, but you have the guide taking care of you, so it's not dangerous.”

It’s easier to reach this remote Arctic outpost that you might think. Most visitors fly into Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s main settlement, from Oslo or Tromsø, but there is a more scenic way to get here too.

Between May and September, The Svalbard Line sails from Bergen to Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund and back again via several carefully chosen Norwegian ports. You can also choose the northbound voyage and disembark in Longyearbyen.

Once you’re here, public transport is virtually non-existent. It’s dangerous to explore beyond the boundaries of Longyearbyen without a professional guide, due to the threats posed by polar bears. The edge of safety is marked by a series of road signs depicting polar bears.

A cruise is the best way to visit Svalbard beyond Longyearbyen in summer. The Spitsbergen Adventurer hugs the coast as it travels towards Moffen, grazing 80° North. Like the Svalbard Line, the Spitsbergen Adventurer sails along some of the most spectacular fjords in the world, and you can explore further into these storied islands on guided landings.