Spitsbergen Arctic Darkness

Longyearbyen is 2.50 hr flight from Oslo or 1.35 hr flight from Tromsø and a scenic one as it skirts the long coast of Norway. On arrival, there will be a local airport bus waiting to take you into Longyearbyen.

Check into the Basecamp Hotel and head off for stroll around the small township of Longyearbyen - enjoy the polar museum and church.

You will be picked up at your hotel by our guide. Together with the guide and rest of the group, you go through today’s route and equipment. After a short car ride, you arrive to Trapper’s Station situated in Bolterdalen, where 90 friendly Alaskan huskies are eager to meet you.

Our guide will introduce the principle of dogsledding and help you to harness your own team. On this trip, two persons share one dog team, and can take turns in driving. Head off mushing into Bolterdalen valley, and as you leave the Trapper’s station, enter the real wilderness of Spitsbergen. Take in the scenery around you and enjoy the arctic silence as your dog team does the work for you.

Once back at the station, you will help to take care of your team, unharness them and give them a few pats and hugs. Before heading back to town, you have chance to look around at authentic Trapper’s Station with many interesting items from trapping time, enjoy a warm drink and hear some stories from mushing at Spitsbergen. (4 hours in total).

Why not head down to the floating sauna along the fjord for some icey swimming and warming up.

Experience the darkness of the Polar night from a snowmobile, driving through valleys, getting out of town and into the arctic wilderness. The guide meets you at your hotel and as he/she escorts you to the snowmobiles, tells you more about the coming trip, safety rules and gives you a lesson in how to drive a snowmobile. You will get all the essential equipment you need to keep you warm for enjoying the day ahead. Snowmobiling into the darkness seems endless and the arctic silence is overpowering. The route is planned around the conditions. Experience the magic of the polar night, the excitement of snowmobile driving, hopefully see some wildlife, and find a nice spot with a view. You will stop during the trip to enjoy a hot drink and some biscuits.

Transfer by bus to the Longyearbyen airport.