Winter Adventure on Top of the World

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Oslo 

Spend overnight at the Oslo Airport before your connection flight to Longyearbyen in the morning.

Day 2: Arrival in Longyearbyen

Welcome to Svalbard! Arrival in Longyearbyen airport and a shuttle bus to your hotel. This is the starting point of your adventure. Afternoon at leisure and stroll around the Longyearbyen.

Day 3: Longyearbyen City Tour and Northern Lights

Breakfast at the hotel. Join a city tour of Longyearbyen in the morning with a local guide. You will start the tour from Longyear Valley exploring the town before heading out to Adventdalen and Mine 7. The drive will take you through magnificent scenery often including the local Svalbard reindeer or thousands of travelling birds in the summer months. You will reach the local coal mines in Adventdalen and learn about these from your guide before continuing towards the area around Longyearbyen Airport ad Hotellneset. The tour will conclude at the intriguing Global Seed Vault. Throughout the tour you will learn about the local fauna, flora, attractions and landscape as well as have numerous opportunities for photo stops.

In the evening you will get to join a thrilling northern lights hunt by a Snow Cat! Northern Lights hunts by a snowcat is a fun and easy way to leave the bright city lights behind and go searching for the aurora with the whole family. You will drive into the magical polar night from Longyearbyen city lights. The journey takes you to the frozen Adventdalen with stops along the way to look for the northern lights. 

Day 4: Dog Sledding

Breakfast at the hotel. Meet nearly 300 eager huskies waiting for you at the dog yard. Your tour guide will assign your dogs to you before you help him to harness and prepare the dogs for the exciting sledge journey. Your guide will lead the group with two guests in his sledge, while the following sledges will be driven by two guests swapping driver halfway. You will follow the river to Bolterdalen which is surrounded by majestic mountains. The terrain gets slightly hillier as you approach the glacier and moraine formations.

Day 5: Snowmobile Safari (starts from 22 Nov)

Breakfast at the hotel. Snowmobiling is one of the most thrilling ways to explore the wilderness of Svalbard. Hop on an electric snowmobile which allows you to hear nothing more but the crunch of the snow and “the Arctic silence”. The motors of the snowmobiles are completely quiet, being less disruptive to the wildlife, which is why you also have great chances to see some Svalbard reindeer, ptarmigans and arctic foxes on the tour! You will start the journey from Longyearbyen and drive into the Advent Valley towards "Jernsenga" (the ‘Iron bed’).  You will also drive past Mine 7 which is the only still active coal mine in Svalbard. 

Day 6: Departure from Longyearbyen

Breakfast at the hotel. The airport shuttle bus stops outside your hotel approximately two hours before your flight departure. 

This map uses Google Maps, so you can zoom and interact with it as we hope it is familiar to you.

For a larger version of this map which opens in a new window, click here

The lines shown give you an indication of our destinations and are not the exact route used.

You'll see...

• Northern Lights »
• Svalbard – Attractions And Activities »
• Svalbard – History »
• Svalbard – Polar Bears And Other Wildlife »

Will I see the Northern Lights?

Please scroll down to see the specifics for the country you wish to visit:

Iceland:
The Northern Lights are in the Northern sky from September through April but are only visible when the sky is clear and free of clouds. Like many of natures wonders, it’s ephemeral – they may be visible, they may appear for a bit and then be gone. But it’s worth it to be patient. Because they’re a winter event, you need to be prepared to wait outside, while looking for them. It’s best to dress very warmly, in layers, with good footwear, gloves, hats and whatever else will make you comfortable while you await this truly amazing event. The Northern Lights can be pretty spectacular, and for the best photos we recommend using a tripod. Much of Iceland offers a very a good chance to see the Northern Lights when conditions are right. Remember – the Northern Lights are natural phenomena, not guaranteed, but appreciated all the more for their elusive qualities.

Norway:
Northern Norway is one of the world's best places to experience the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). In Northern Norway, Northern Lights occur in up to 90% of every clear night in the period from late September to late March. Most Northern Lights occur in the time span from 6pm to slightly after midnight, with an absolute peak at around 10-11pm. 

In Norway, the area north of the Arctic Circle is prime aurora territory. The various destinations in the High North have a distinct personality, and are well worth exploring. Major places in Northern Norway are Tromsø, Kirkenes, Alta, Bodø, Lofoten and Vesterålen Islands and Svalbard.

Finland:
The best place to see the Northern Lights in Finland is in the Northern Lapland region, which is almost entirely located within the realm of the Arctic Circle. During the dark winter months here, when the sun rarely peaks its head over the horizon, you can expect to see the Finland Northern Lights with regularity, and other peak seasons include February through March and September through October. The most common colours of the Northern Lights are greenish-yellow and red.

The Finnish term for the Northern Lights, Revontulet, meaning fox fire, comes from an old tale where the fox was believed to swish its bushy tail on the snowy fell landscapes, throwing sparks into the air.

As mentioned, Lapland is the best place to see the Finland Aurora Borealis, with the Kilpisjarvi area offering the most abundant opportunities. The best time of the day to see the Finland Northern Lights is between 9 pm and 11:30 pm, though they are certainly not restricted to this time frame.

Sweden:
In Northern Sweden, the Northern Lights usually occur during the winter months through late March or early April, but they can be spotted as early as September in the Northernmost parts. Your best chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights is on cold winter nights when the sky is clear and cloudless. You need to be away from city lights, which dilute the effects of these natural phenomena, so head out into the countryside. On clear nights, the Northern Lights can be visible from most locations in Swedish Lapland, occurring between 6 pm to and 2 am, with the strongest shows happening between 10 pm and 11 pm. For those willing to brave the cold on winter nights, here are some of the best locations in Swedish Lapland for viewing these phenomena:

Abisko National Park
Abisko National Park, a couple of kilometers north of Kiruna, is a prime location for viewing the Northen Lights. The scientifically proven “blue hole” — a patch of sky over the Torneträsk lake that usually remains clear despite overcast weather in surrounding areas — gives Abisko its own micro-climate, which is suitable for catching the lights.

Jukkasjärvi and the Torne Valley
Not only does the village of Jukkasjärvi (population roughly 541) boast the world’s first ice hotel (rebuilt ever year from Torne River ice), it’s also one of the best regions to view the Northern Lights. ICEHOTEL organizes guided tours for guests which takes the to the Esrange Space Center located 30 minutes from Kiruna. You can dine at a wilderness camp and get the chance to scan the Arctic winter sky for aurora borealis.

Other regions in Swedish Lapland
As mentioned earlier, if weather conditions are just right (clear, dark, cold, and cloudless), you might catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights from any location within subarctic and arctic Sweden — even close to larger towns such as Luleå, Jokkmokk, Arvidsjaur, and Gällivare.

Greenland:
The northern lights - or Aurora Borealis as it is officially known - actually occur all year round, but cannot be seen during the summer months in Greenland due to the midnight sun. The phenomenon is often seen around midnight and is best experienced on a dark, clear night in the period from September to the beginning of April. If you are travelling during this period, you can see the Northern Lights from anywhere in the country, whilst in South Greenland the northern lights can be seen from as early as the end of August.