What's new

Several new wilderness cabins have been added to our overview on visitsvalbard.com. Wilderness cabins in Svalbard are cabins that guests can visit and stay in as part of multi-day acitivites or tours with our local activity providers.

New in 2021 is that there's now a sauna available to guests in Pyramiden at Pyramiden Hotel.

In Barentsburg, the restaurant and bar inside of Barentsburg Hotel has now been renovated! Arctic Travel Company Grumant can therefore now welcome you to a lovely food- and drinks experience in Restaurant Rijpsburg and the Icebreaker Bar Krasin.
Restaurant Rijpsburg puts an emphasis on dishes with fish caught in local fjords and in the North-Atlantic, and the Icebreaker Bar Krasin which is inspired by the interior of the legendary icebreakers Krasin (Красин) and Lening (Ленин), can as their specialty offer a range of 25 different aquavits. 

In Pyramiden, Arctic Travel Company Grumant can also offer culinary news. The restaurant in Pyramiden Hotel has been refurbished and offers now a brand new menu and a wide selection of drinks in their bar. Just up the street inside the old culture centre in Pyramiden you can now also find a newly-refurbished cafe.

Backyard Svalbard: A specialist in ski touring, with passionate and certified guides that will show you the untouched wilderness in Svalbard.

Svalbardguidene: A small, local company specialised in activites such as ski touring, sea kayaking, hiking, glacier hiking, and snowmobiling with ceritifed guides. Svalbardguidene aim to create the best possible tailor-made experience for their guests with a strong emphasis on safety in challenging and vulnerable nature.

True North Arctic Guide Service: Your friend in the Arctic that can help you organise tours in Longyearbyen and in Svalbard. With Anna Lena Ekeblad and her extensive experience in Svalbard, True North will gladly take you along on expedition cruises, overnight trips by snowmobile or dog sled, photo trips and more. 

Vega Expeditions: A tour operator offering expedition cruises and trips in Svalbard.

Down in the port of Longyearbyen one can now find the wood-burning floating sauna called SvalBad. The sauna is a result of circular economy in practice with the reuse of old materials from demolished buildings in Longyearbyen and Svea. This provides a combination of well-being in historical surroundings. When the sauna is fully opened for bookings it'll be available for both individual travellers and private groups to book a session in it.

Hurtigruten Svalbard signed in January 2021 an agreement with Marell who will deliver a new, advanced sightseeing boat for testing already in September of 2021. M15 Hurtigruten Svalbard will be able to take tourists on an experience closer to nature, glaciers and wildlife, without disturbing the surroundings. The new vessel will start its official trips around 1. May 2022 and has room for 12 passengers pluss two crew members.

In the summer of 2021, Hurtigruten Svalbard will be launching their trips with the hybrid-driven speedboat MS Bard in Svalbard. With MS Bard, guests can join evening cruises in Isfjorden or day cruises to Pyramiden and Barentsburg.

It’s now possible to pay by card in Pyramiden! It was only possible to pay cash in Pyramiden previously, but it is now possible to pay both by card or with Norwegian cash (NOK) when visiting.

A new member of Visit Svalbard is Svalbarði who produces possibly the world's most exclusive bottled water by using ice they've gathered from calving glaciers. The ice they use can be upwards of 4000 yeras old and requires no chemical treatment. Water from Svalbarði can be bought in several of the local shops in Svalbard.

Svalbardbutikken, Longyearbyen’s main grocery store, has been expanded! Already in March of 2021 the first section was finished, and the constructions of the remaining sections of their new store and building is estimated to be completed around July of 2021. With the expansion they will be able to offer an even wider selection of souvenirs, speciality items and cosmetics, among other things. (all with tax free pricing)

On visitsvalbard.com there's a regularly updated info page for travellers to Svalbard with relevant info about the Covid-19 situation locally and any measures or travel restrictions that travellers should be aware of. One can find the page via the red banner on the frontpage of visitsvalbard.com, or by clicking here. 

There's now a brand new overview of local rental services in Svalbard on our websites! Check out the overview yourself here. 

We’ve now made it easier for you to find the local activity providers that can offer the experiences you’re interested in! On our overview page for local activity providers in Svalbard you’ll now be able to select activity categories to find local companies that can offer the activities you’re looking for.