Hunt the northern lights on Spitsbergen

The main city of Spitsbergen, Longyearbyen, sets the scene of your arctic adventure. Experience the magical silence of the polar nights when the dark is illuminated by the moon, the stars and not least the northern lights at this fantastic destination between the northern pole and the Norwegian mainland. It is indeed an unforgettable sight to see the snowy peaks and sparkling snowscapes illuminated in green nuances, when the northern lights dance across the sky.

During your time on Spitsbergen, you can look forward to hearing about exciting and harsh stories about life in the arctic area, when we explore Longyearbyen accompanied by a local. Furthermore, you can also look forward to an atmospheric evening with northern lights in the middle of the wilderness, before the whole experience is rounded off with a fantastic dog sledding trip.

You will also get the opportunity to explore Longyearbyen on your own. We recommend either visiting the Spitsbergen Brewery, the rich mining history in a coal mine, or the two museums Spitsbergen Museum and the Polar Museum, where you will learn more about the geology, flora, and everyday life on the archipelago. If you have horsepower in your blood, you cannot miss exploring the arctic scenery on a beautiful trip on an electric powered snow scooter, where you will be able to experience parts of the wilderness that you can´t access on foot. Spitsbergen only has about 2.400 inhabitants, but it doesn´t lack in shopping opportunities with numerous clothing stores and small, cozy restaurants around the town. Other than that, the archipelago houses about 3.000 icebears.

Day 1-2 - Copenhagen (not included in the price, but possible as an add-on)
You arrive in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, where you are free to explore the city and its many attractions. For example, check out the Royal Palace, Amalienborg, which houses the Queen Margrethe the 2^nd. Follow your visit to Amalienborg up with a picnic in the Kings Garden and a stroll on Strøget, which is the biggest shopping street in Copenhagen. Most of the attractions in Copenhagen are accessible by foot, and if not, the public transportation system works well and can get you anywhere in Copenhagen within minutes. Therefore, the choice is truly yours as to what you want to experience in Copenhagen.

Day 3 – Departure day
You fly directly to Longyearbyen from Copenhagen, Aalborg or Billund. This is a comfortable and easy way to travel to Spitsbergen without connecting flights and unnecessary time waste. You will be served a light meal aboard the plane. Upon arrival on Spitsbergen, you will be driven from the airport to your hotel, after which you have the rest of the day off to explore the archipelago on your own.

At 19:00 it is time for dinner, where we will enjoy a delicious 3-course meal.

Day 4 – Sightseeing and opportunity for a snow scooter trip
Before noon we will experience the sightseeing trip, “Longyearbyen in a nutshell” with an English-speaking guide. This is the perfect way to get familiar with the city, and with the guides extensive knowledge about the history of the city, you will get an exciting insight into the origins and development of Longyearbyen. During the trip we will experience local mines, the research-center, the church as well as the global seedbank. We will be driven around by bus, and there will be opportunities to snap some pictures during various stops along the route.

You will have the afternoon at your own hand, but we highly recommend indulging in a snow scooter trip. The trip will take you through various sceneries, where you will experience the raw and wild nature on Spitsbergen up close. At the same time, you will get out into the open vastness, where the silence is almost magical. We will take a little break at the turning point of the trip where there will be a hot drink for everybody before we return to the starting point. The trip takes approximately 3 hours, and you will be accompanied by armed local guides. The snow scooter must be ordered at the same time as booking, and costs kr. 1895,- (chauffeur) and kr. 895,- (passenger). You need a valid license to drive a car if you intend on being the chauffeur.

Once again, we will finish the day off with a delicious 3-course meal including coffee at Restaurant Nansen.

Day 5 – Northern lights safari with dog sled
Today, we will hunt the Northern lights while also enjoying a fantastic trip by dog sled. The combination of the arctic silence and the eager huskies energetic sounds set the scene for a fantastic and authentic experience, which is entirely unique for Spitsbergen. You will experience snow covered scenery, which mirror the light of the moon, stars – and hopefully – the northern lights spectacularly. Apart from the setting, it is an absolute pleasure to be in the company of the polar dogs who are both eager and playful. The guide leads the way, and we will follow in pairs of two on each dog sled. We will take turns at driving and sitting on the sled, and therefore you only need a normal physique to participate. There will be an opportunity to loan extra clothes for the excursion.

We will enjoy a nice 3-course meal to end the day.

Day 6 – Opportunity to visit a coal mine and Northern lights evening
Today you will get the opportunity to explore the rich mining history of Longyearbyen on an exciting trip to Gruve 3 where you will get told stories about the mining on Spitsbergen. On the trip you will get a good idea as to how the ordinary day of a mining worker is, when we enter the mountains wearing work-clothes, hardhats, and headlamps.

We will be picked up at hotel the same way the miners used to be picked up back in the day. In the miners bus you will be exposed to several good stories about the miners culture before we reach Gruve 3 where the filthy adventure really begins. We make our way into the humid and cold air where tools and furniture from the past remain untouched. After changing into work clothes and necessary security equipment we enter the depths of the mountain where the only thing stopping the complete silence and total darkness are the lights from our headlamps. After the excursion is over, we make our way towards the light at the end of the tunnel and enter the present time once again. The trip costs kr. 690,- and must be ordered at the same time as booking (the trip takes about 3 hours)

We will spend the evening in the company of the Northern lights at Camp Barentz, where we will also eat our dinner. In the darkness of the polar night period there are chances of seeing the northern lights over Spitsbergen during all hours of the way. The interaction of particles which stream out of the sun, solar wind and the atmosphere of the earth makes the fantastic phenomenon, Aurora Borealis possible. The northern lights camp, Camp Barentz, is located about 10 kilometers east of Longyearbyen at the foot of the Gruve 7-mountains. The camp has a fantastic location where it is possible to see the northern lights without any light pollution from artificial lights. The bus stops a little walk away from the camp, where we will be welcomed by our hosts, who will lead the way towards the camp. The hosts are armed with rifles as to be able to protect us and them from icebears. Inside the camp the firewood is burning, and there will be served a hot meal while the hosts lecture us about the northern lights. We will be accompanied by English speaking guides.

Day 7 – Return day
It is time to say goodbye to the arctic and Spitsbergen. You will be driven to the airport, from where you will fly directly back to Denmark. There will be served a light meal on board the plane.

You will be accommodated at the 4-star Radisson Blu Polar Hotel in Longyearbyen, which is a centrally located hotel with views of the city, the inlet, and the big mountains.