Polar City Break

Are you one of those who associate the concept of city breaks with skyscrapers, traffic noise and chaos? If so, we challenge you to try something completely different – a polar city break. In the small Arctic metropolis of Longyearbyen, you will find the best of both worlds: a wide selection of good restaurants, hotels and shopping – and magnificent nature-based experiences just a stone’s throw from the main street.

Longyearbyen, the main settlement in the Svalbard archipelago, has a population of around 2,400 who come from more than 50 different countries. These nature-loving people have tight bonds in harsh climatic conditions, with the Arctic wilderness right on their doorstep. The wilderness begins in the town centre – and it’s virtually endless!

However, the Polar Night is not the time to hike the length or breadth of Svalbard. The Polar Night, the time of the year when the sun is well below the horizon and it’s dark around the clock, is the time to enjoy, taste and see. You will be surprised by the excellent opportunities Longyearbyen offers for exploring and challenging your senses. Seal carpaccio at Huset? A vintage champagne from Funken’s wine cellar from the year you were born? Reindeer pizza at Barentz Gastropub? With some of Norway’s best restaurants, its own brewery and chocolaterie, you have many wonderful culinary experiences to look forward to in the far north.

  1. Learn more about Longyearbyen here
  2. Get a taste of what Longyearbyen has to offer

Want a city break with a difference? Head to Svalbard

Under the Polar City Break tab, you will find a range of experiences and activities that are perfect for those wanting to experience and get to know Longyearbyen during their visit to Svalbard. You will have plenty of time for socializing, excellent dinners and pleasant experiences in a place that is extremely different from other destinations. Although Svalbard is part of Norway, there is a lot about life in Longyearbyen that is different from the towns and cities in mainland Norway and other parts of Europe.

We encourage you to explore the distinctive features of Svalbard. Talk to the bartender, waiter or waitress about life in Longyearbyen, spend time in our wonderful library and read up on polar literature and everyday life in the Arctic or cheer on the local children on the ski slope (but please don’t photograph people without asking!). We encourage you to explore the distinctive features of Svalbard. Talk to the bartender, waiter or waitress about life in Longyearbyen, spend time in our wonderful library and read up on polar literature and everyday life in the Arctic or cheer on the local children on the ski slope (but please don’t photograph people without asking!).

  1. Christmas spirit in the Polar Night
  2. Meet the Svalbardian Guro who brought her family and moved to the Polar Night

Gain inspiration for your polar city break

Although the Polar Night has arrived and it’s dark in Longyearbyen, a wide range of activities awaits visitors, albeit just a bit more urban than during the spring and summer. We recommend visiting the Svalbard Museum! This is the place to immerse yourself in the history, wildlife and industry of Longyearbyen and the exciting exhibitions make it a fun place for children too! The gallery Nordover is also well worth a visit. After a visit at the gallery, why not head up up to Nybyen for a scenic walk with a delicious lunch waiting at Coal Miners’ Cabins

You can experience the beautiful Northern Lights here until around mid-March. However, they are perhaps most spectacular from November to January when it’s dark around the clock and it’s possible to experience the Northern Lights during the daytime as well. Join a Northern Lights excursion involving dog sledding, a wilderness evening, a snowmobile safari or snowcat. You don’t need to venture far before the artificial light disappears and you can experience the magnificent natural light in the sky.

Regardless of whether the aim of your holiday is delicious food, wonderful nature-based experiences or simply recharging your batteries, you will find the answer in Longyearbyen – the small town with the big city feel, just a stone’s throw from the North Pole.

“Kosen is Norway’s most important and representative contribution to world culture." – Author Knut Faldbakken.

  1. Check out what's on in our Polar city!
  2. A city break is not complete without some sightseeing!

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  1. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 14 reviews14 reviews

    All in one - Sightseeing, Husky Visit & Scenery - Discover Svalbard

    Longyearbyen

    This is a tailor-made trip for those who would like to have it all in one package. When the summer is over and the flowers and birds are gone, we will get to enjoy other things instead, such as the beautiful displays of the Aurora Borealis if we are…

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    Grading

    • 1 - Suitable for all

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    Symbols

    • Sightseeing and lectures

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 14 reviews14 reviews
  2. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 146 reviews146 reviews

    Coal Mine 3

    Longyearbyen

    Have you ever been in a coalmine before? Join us today and dig deep in the history of Longyearbyen, the miners, all the coal dust and their life in the mountains.

    The Mining history is important for the existence of Longyearbyen, where this…

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 146 reviews146 reviews
  3. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 450 reviews450 reviews

    Kayak to Hiorthhamn with beach visit & bonfire - Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions

    Longyearbyen

    Do you want to try an exiting and traditionell way of travelling in the Arctic? Join us for a kayak trip over the Advent Bay.

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    Grading

    • 3 - 3 - Average physical fitness

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    • Environmentally-friendly company
    • Food
    • Kayak

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 450 reviews450 reviews
  4. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 450 reviews450 reviews

    Kayak 4 hours: Explore the fjord - Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions

    Longyearbyen

    We will use the kayaks as transport to get closer to the nature and birdlife in the fjord. There are qualified kayak guides joining so everything the tour fits for almost everyone that want to experience this adventure. 

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    Grading

    • 3 - 3 - Average physical fitness

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    Symbols

    • Environmentally-friendly company
    • Kayak

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 450 reviews450 reviews
  5. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews

    Sightseeing winter with electric bike - Hurtigruten Svalbard

    Longyearbyen

    A round trip with electric bikes enables you to experience a lot of Longyearbyen’s sights in a comfortable and efficient way, while getting close to nature. It is not uncommon to have to stop for reindeer and polar fox when you travel silently and…

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 3 - Average physical fitness

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    • Biking
    • Environmentally-friendly company

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews
  6. Capture your adventure! – Professional Arctic photoshoot - Snowfox Travel

    Longyearbyen

    Want to make your amazing journey to Svalbard even more special?!
    Let us capture you during a professional photoshoot in our amazing Arctic nature and get memories for a lifetime!

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    • 2 - Suitable for most

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    Symbols

    • Photo safari
  7. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 13 reviews13 reviews

    Guided morning tour around Longyearbyen and surroundings - Longyearbyen Guiding

    Longyearbyen

    Start your stay in Svalbard with a pleasant and comfortable trip by minibus around Longyearbyen and in the surrounding areas with a local guide. This way you will quickly get to know all the wonderful places and attractions in the area and get the…

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 1 - Suitable for all

    Facilities

    Symbols

    • Sightseeing and lectures

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 13 reviews13 reviews
  8. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 374 reviews374 reviews

    Dogsledding on wheels - Arctic Husky Travellers

    Longyearbyen

    Explore the gorgeous tundra landscape in Adventdalen from a special-made wagon pulled by a husky team!

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    Grading

    • 2 - Suitable for most

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    Symbols

    • Dog sledding
    • Toilet

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 374 reviews374 reviews
  9. Longyearbyen Sightseeing - Svalbard Photography

    Longyearbyen

    This three-hour sightseeing tour takes us comfortably leads us almost over the entire road network of Longyearbyen and the surrounding area with many photo-stops along the way

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    • 1 - Suitable for all

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    • Handicap-friendly
    • Photo safari
    • Sightseeing and lectures
  10. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 374 reviews374 reviews

    Dog Sledding in the Polar Night - Arctic Husky Travellers

    Longyearbyen

    Hopefully, we'll see the magical Northern Lights dancing across the sky while dog sledding through the Polar Night. The dogs are eager and looking forward to the winter!

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    Grading

    • 2 - Suitable for most

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    Symbols

    • Dog sledding

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 374 reviews374 reviews
  11. Longyearbyen City Walk with Arctic Meal - Rana Itinerans

    Longyearbyen

    Longyearbyen from fundation to nowadays: How to live in a remote and inhospitable place. A 2h30 entertaining stroll around Longyearbyen with arctic meal.

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    Grading

    • 1 - suitable for all

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    Symbols

    • Food
    • Sightseeing and lectures
    • Toilet
  12. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 461 reviews461 reviews

    ATV Safari - Svalbard Adventures

    Longyearbyen

    We drive our ATVs into a classic Svalbard landscape in Adventdalen, a valley shaped by glaciers and surrounded by mountains and interesting cultural monuments. We regularly see both Svalbard reindeers and Arctic foxes on this trip.

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    Grading

    • 2 - Suitable for most

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    Symbols

    • ATV safari
    • Environmentally-friendly company

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 461 reviews461 reviews
  13. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 847 reviews847 reviews

    Vicinity of Longyearbyen - Poli Arctici

    Longyearbyen

    Get a taste of Svalbard and explore Longyearbyen’s backyard on this half-day excursion with plenty of opportunities to take photos of some of the best scenery in the area.

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 2 - Suitable for most without any snowmobile experience. Very easy and flat terrain.

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    Symbols

    • Snowmobile

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 847 reviews847 reviews
  14. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews

    Follow the Trappers' Footsteps - Hurtigruten Svalbard

    Longyearbyen

    Imagine life as a trapper in Svalbard: the loneliness, the challenges of a beautiful but harsh landscape.

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 2 - Suitable for most

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    Symbols

    • Environmentally-friendly company
    • Hiking

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews
  15. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 461 reviews461 reviews

    ATV Safari in The Polar Night - Svalbard Adventures

    Longyearbyen

    Darkness and minimal light pollution are typically key to witnessing the Polar ‘fireworks’ -known as Northern Lights. Join us for an ATV-safari trip where we head into the darkness and the frozen Advent Valley.

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 2 - Suitable for most

    Facilities

    Symbols

    • ATV safari
    • Environmentally-friendly company

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 461 reviews461 reviews
  16. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 1335 reviews1335 reviews

    Dog sledding on wheels - Green Dog Svalbard

    Longyearbyen

    When the snow starts melting at the beginning of June,we start using dog carts instead of sledges. At this trip you drive a 3 person cart with 8 huskies in front.Our guide will help you harness the dogs and drive in front of you with his own team…

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 3 - Average physical fitness

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    Symbols

    • Dog sledding

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 1335 reviews1335 reviews
  17. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews

    Boat Trip to the Bird Cliffs - Hurtigruten Svalbard

    Longyearbyen

    Join us on an exciting rib boat tour, that combines birds and wildlife with Svalbard’s rich cultural history.

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    Grading

    • 3 - Average physical fitness

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    Symbols

    • Environmentally-friendly company
    • Open boat

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews
  18. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 391 reviews391 reviews

    North Pole Expedition Museum

    Longyearbyen

    The museum recounts the heroic efforts made by pioneers to reach the North Pole at the turn of the last century.

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 1 - Suitable for all

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 391 reviews391 reviews
  19. 4-day Northern lights adventure in Svalbard - Basecamp Spitsbergen

    Longyearbyen

    Longyearbyen is a perfect getaway for the Aurora season. A quiet small town surrounded by Arctic silence and northern lights.
    Package includes both accommodation and activities to give you the best chance to see the unique polar lights.

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 3 - Demands average physical fitness, not suitable if you have limited mobility (uneven and partly steep terrain)

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    Symbols

    • Bed accomodation
    • Dog sledding
    • Environmentally-friendly company
    • Hiking
    • Ice cave
    • Toilet
  20. TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews

    Sea Fishing in the Arctic - Hurtigruten Svalbard

    Longyearbyen

    There's plenty of fish in the Isfjord in Svalbard. The locals in Svalbard have been able to harvest these resources for a long time, and now it's finally your turn to go fishing in the Arctic!

    Facilities

    Grading

    • 3 - Average physical fitness

    Facilities

    Symbols

    • Environmentally-friendly company
    • Fishing
    • Open boat

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 726 reviews726 reviews
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