Whether you visit in summer or winter, your trip to Svalbard will be magical. This trip will take you the arctic in the summer for hiking, kayaking, a cruise on the Arctic Ocean, horseback riding, and dog sledding. We recommend you combine this with another trip to Scandinavia; we started in Svalbard and then followed the Essential Scandinavia itinerary. You could also consider a trip to Iceland.
Day 1 – Arrive Longyearbyen
- Arrive at Svalbard Airport, Longyear in the morning
- Flybuss to your lodgings and check in
- Walk around Longyearbyen
- Recover from your journey and jet lag
- Dinner anywhere in town
Day 2 – Horses & Dogs
- Horseback riding in the morning
- Dog sledding in the afternoon
- Dinner at Svalbar
Day 3 – Kayaking & Hiking
- If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Hiortfjellet Arctic Challenge
- Otherwise, try a glacier hike or kayak trip
- Dinner at Kroa
Day 4 – Boat Trip
- Boat cruise to Barentsburg or Pyramiden (or both)
Day 5 – Depart Svalbard
- Return home or continue your journey to your next destination
Detailed Itinerary
Arrive in Svalbard at Longyearbyen. You can take a cab from the airport to your lodgings, but we recommend the Flybuss. It’ll save you some money and take you directly to your accommodations; just tell the driver where you’re staying. There are some hotels in downtown Longyearbyen, but they tend to be expensive. We stayed at some of the old miners’ cabins in the Nyben area south of town. The cabins are warm and clean, the rooms are small and the bathrooms are shared, but they cost about half as much as the hotels. If you’re on a very tight budget, Longyearbyen Camping is cheap and walking distance from the airport. Be aware, though, that most guided tours and day trips will not pick you from the campsite.
Spend your first day in Svalbard wandering around Longyearbyen. Visit the Svalbard Museum and Svalbard Kirke (until recently the northernmost church in the world). If you have more time, visit the North Pole Expedition Museum near the Svalbard Museum. Check out the shops in town. Recover from your travel and jet lag, grab dinner anywhere you like, and get some sleep.
The next day, spend the morning riding an Icelandic horse. The horses are friendly, and if you’ve not met an Icelandic horse before, it’ll be a neat experience. The ride itself may be a little disappointing, though; we just went in a big loop around the airport. But the views across the fjords over the Arctic Ocean and the outlying islands will be incredible. When you return to the stable, you’ll groom the horses and say goodbye.
Grab lunch in town and get ready for your dog sledding experience. In the summer, you’ll go “sledding” on wheels. Your guide will pick you up and drive you to the kennels, where you’ll meet the dogs—they’re very friendly—and assemble a team. If you’re up for an adventure, take the training trip up the beautiful Adventdalen, one of Svalbards beautiful glacier-carved valleys. Your guide will give you an opportunity to drive the sled yourself. If you’d prefer something a little tamer, you can ride a wagon along the coast. Get dinner at Svalbar Pub and get ready for an active day tomorrow.
Day three is your hiking day. We highly recommend the Hiortfjellet Arctic Challenge. Hiortfjellet is the massive mountain that looms over Longyearbyen from across the fjord. Your guide will pick you up and outfit you with a dry suit. You’ll kayak across the fjord to the base of Hiortfjellet, where you’ll begin your ascent. If you’re lucky, you’ll see wildlife, like reindeer, arctic fox, and maybe a polar bear, along the way. You’ll have lunch at the summit, and on the way down you’ll stop an old mine on the mountainside. Once you’ve completed the descent, you’ll kayak back to Longyearbyen. If you don’t feel up to the “Arctic Challenge,” try something mellower, like a glacier walk or kayak trip. It’s been a long day, so reward yourself with a delicious dinner at Restaurant Kroa.
The next day you’ll venture out onto the Arctic Ocean. We liked the Esmark Glacier and Barentsburg Cruise, but the trip to Pyramiden is supposed to be good, too. On the Barentsburg Cruise, you’ll sail out to a massive glacier and admire the ice. You might catch some seals sunning themselves on the icebergs, and, if you’re very lucky, you might see a polar bear. After that, you’ll push on to Barentsburg, a Russian settlement on Spitsbergen. Barentsburg is fascinating; it looks a relic from the Soviet Union. A local guide will take you around the town and show you the church and some government buildings. Be sure to stop by the Red Bear Pub & Brewery, which, apart from serving good beer, is much less expensive than anything you’ll be able to find in Longyearbyen.
