What's new

Accommodation

• Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen has reopened after being renovated. The new design combines various elements from the lifestyle in Svalbard, and aims to be a meeting place for guests from around the globe. The renovation includes newly renovated rooms, conference rooms with great views, lobby with a fireplace, restaurant and pub. The hotel offers 95 rooms, meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 140 delegates, sauna and outdoor jacuzzi.

• Newly renovated Svalbard Lodge is a comfortable alternative in the centre of Longyearbyen. You will reside well in the bright and modern apartments.

• Arctic Husky Travellers are now offering trips to their wilderness cabin Reinheim, where travellers will be accompanied by their lovely sled dogs. They organise 2- to 3-day overnight trips to Reinheim by foot along with pack-dogs in the summer, and by dog sled in the winter.

Food and drink

• Huset Restaurant is refurbished! Huset is regarded as one of Norway’s best restaurants, with its focus on Nordic techniques, local raw materials and critically acclaimed wine cellar.

• Restaurant Nansen is renovated, and it's new menu is based on the Asian fusion concept. Here, they use the best Arctic produce and combine it with delicious Asian flavours. It’s an amazing taste combination that’s well worth the visit! The concept is unique to Svalbard, served in an informal setting and with beautiful views to the surrounding wilderness.

• Barentz Gastropub has reopened with a new menu, new interior and name, and is one of the few places where you can wear your outdoor shoes indoors.  They’ve thrown themself into the competition for Svalbard's best pizza, and the menu is full of delicious hotpots that will warm any adventurer after a long day out and about.

• Longyearbyen’s local cafe and chocolatery “Fruene” has reopened after having been refurbished! Their locally produced Svalbard chocolate is a great gift to bring home after visiting to share the taste of Svalbard.

• Come by Taste Svalbard next year! This is the world’s northernmost food and drink festival which is held annually in Longyearbyen around early October. Here you’ll be able to learn more about Svalbard’s exciting history and cuisine.

New activity providers and activities

• Svalbard booking rebrands as Svalbard Adventures! New name, but the same good range of activities and adventures.

• Hurtigruten Svalbard can now offer wilderness safaris and northern lights hunting with electrical snowmobiles in the winter season!
  And for the coming summer season in 2021 they will start offering boat trips with the hybrid-driven speedboat MS Bard, which will be sailing out of Longyearbyen on evening cruises in Isfjorden as well as day trips to Barentsburg and Pyramiden.

• It’s now easier to visit the unique Isfjord Radio Adventure Hotel in the summer thanks to Isfjord-Ekspressen! Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen can offer daily sailings to and from Isfjord Radio out of Longyearbyen throughout the summer season. In the winter season it’s possible to reach Isfjord Radio by joining an organised snowmobile trip starting in Longyearbyen.

Shopping

• 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.

• Svalbardbutikken, Longyearbyen’s main grocery store, is expanding! Construction is scheduled to be finished in February 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

• We wish to make it easier for the customer to choose the right activity, therefore we have put symbols on all our activities. Have a look at the activities 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.