Svalbard: Travel Guide

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

This is a frozen land of calving glaciers, iceberg-flecked fjords, and polar-adapted 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.

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. 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. 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.

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 blankets 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 such as hiking, e-biking, and boat safaris much more comfortable.

It’s easier to reach this remote Arctic outpost that you might expect. Most visitors fly into Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s main settlement, from Oslo or Tromsø, but there is a more scenic way to get here too. The Svalbard Express sails from Bergen to Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund and back again via several carefully chosen Norwegian ports, or you can 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. The Spitsbergen Adventurer hugs the coast as it travels towards Moffen, grazing 80° North. Like The Spitsbergen Adventurer, The Svalbard Express sails along some of the most spectacular fjords in the world, and you can explore further into these storied islands on guided landings and excursions.