Visiting Svalbard is a unique experience. I had the chance to go there for two weeks in January. It was dark 23 hours of the day and the temperatures were around -25 Celcius.
As most people will base themselves in Longyearbyen, and as that’s where I was, this post is specifically about the Longyearbyen area and the things to do there and the surrounding places.
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is where you will most likely end up as it’s the main settlement in Svalbard and where most people go.
Note: you need to carry a rifle if you leave the town itself due to polar bears but if you go on a tour to do an activity you won’t need one, as the guides will have them.
There aren’t so many things to do in Longyearbyen itself as the main fun stuff is out of the town, but there are a few things you can get up to, such as just walking around and heading to the abandoned mining buildings.
In the evening the few restaurants and bars in town are lively and fun with locals and tourists alike enjoying a drink, and there is often musical acts from mainland Norway flown in for gigs.
Midday in winter.
Snowmobiles are one of the main ways to get around for people living in Svalbard.
This is the furthest building in Longyearbyen you can walk to without having to carry a rifle. Photo was taken in January.
Take a walk up to the old mining buildings on the hill that overlooks the town of Longyearbyen and see what the equipment they used to use is like.
Ice Caving in Svalbard
Ice caving in Svalbard is very fun to do as it also involves hiking up to the cave in snowshoes from Longyearbyen.
Rifles are carried by the guides.
Inside the ice cave.
Dog Sledding in Svalbard
Dog sledding is one of the best Svalbard activities to do.
The best time to do this is in winter when there is a lot of snow around and easy for the dogs. In the summer they can put wheels on the sled as the snow will have melted but I’m sure it’s not as fun as being on the snow.
It gets very cold dogsledding!
The friend I first stayed at in Svalbard adopted a retired huskie sledding dog and it was great fun taking her out for many walks. Although I do feel it was more her taking me for the walk than the other way around!
Wildlife in Svalbard
If you are interested in wildlife in the Arctic then Svalbard is a good place to hopefully get a glimpse of some of that. In winter it will be very hard due to the long dark nights when visiting Svalbard in winter, but you will have much better opportunities in the summer.
Watching the Northern Lights in Svalbard
The northern lights are high on many peoples lists of things to see in the Arctic (or Antarctic) and are a wonder of nature.
In the winter in Svalbard is when you will most likely get to see it. I say ‘most likely’ as it’s nature after all and nothing is guaranteed. In the two weeks I spent there I saw it three times and the rest of the time was either cloudy or the lights weren’t showing.
Forget about seeing them in summer, it’s 24 hours of daylight!
Although you can see them from Longyearbyen the best sights will be away from the town where there is no light pollution whatsoever. You can organize to go on a tour to see the northern lights in Svalbard when there.
Living in Svalbard
Svalbard is a popular place in the thoughts of people thinking about living in the Arctic, especially as it doesn’t have any visa requirements. Any country’s national can live there!
The main problem with moving to Svalbard is the expense, finding a place to stay, and getting a job. Like I said it’s a popular option for many people and there will be competition for what’s available there.
I interviewed four friends in Longyearbyen about what it’s like living there and this is the article about that: What It’s Like Living in Svalbard
For more reading on Svalbard:
For the best guide for Svalbard get the Bradt Svalbard guide.
Find places to stay in Longyearbyen here.
I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.
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