What's new

News from Visit Svalbard

• Information about Barentsburg and Pyramiden on visitsvalbard.com
  The war that Russia is waging in Ukraine is also affecting life in Svalbard through our proximity to the Russian settlements of Barentsburg and Pyramiden. The Russian tourism company Arctic Travel Company Grumant in Barentsburg is wholly owned by the state-owned mining company Trust Arcticugol and is hence an extended arm of the Russian state in Svalbard. Consequently, most of Longyearbyen’s tourism companies have decided that further cooperation and trade with the state-owned company is incompatible with the ethical and moral norms and standards our industry represents.

  The decision to end this cooperation has not been an easy one. Although there are no winners in such a situation, the local tourism industry believes that this is the right thing to do. Consequently, we no longer offer ordinary tours to either Barentsburg or Pyramiden during winter or summer through the joint body Visit Svalbard. It’s uncertain how long this will last as it’s dependent on many factors, not least the situation in Ukraine. The Svalbard Tourism Council will continuously assess the situation.

  In the meantime, we kindly ask for your understanding of our position and the fact that Visit Svalbard is not currently marketing trips to Barentsburg and Pyramiden through our channels. Nevertheless, we would like to emphasise that Svalbard’s attractiveness lies primarily in the wonderful nature-based experiences available here, which are not affected by the war. Fortunately, we remain confident that you will find alternative, unique and memorable experiences during your time in Svalbard – on the snow and ice during winter or the bare land and at sea during summer. We can assure you that there are still many wonderful  experiences to choose between here in the High Arctic. Feel free to navigate your way around our comprehensive website to find inspiration and specific offers.
  For more information about the exclution of Trust Arcticugol from the Svalbard Toursism Council, please see the media release from Svalbard Tourism Council and Visit Svalbard.

• Svalbard as a MICE destination
  We've now created a separate version of visitsvalbard.com for the MICE market, featuring local venues for meetings and events to better communicate the possibilities for MICE in Svalbard. The MICE pages are in a startup phase and will be continually updated with new content moving forwards.
  For more information, see our MICE pages on visitsvalbard.com.

Activity providers and activities
 

New activity providers:

• Longyearbyen Guiding is now a part of Visit Svalbard!
  An activity provider organising daily sightseeing trips around Longyearbyen and its vicinity by minibus, both in the morning and afternoon. Their local guide who grew up in Longyearbyen tells guests stories and facts throughout the sightseeing trips about life in Longyearbyen from the 60's up to present time, as well as covering historical events in town. Longyearbyen Guiding also offers northern lights trips by minibus starting in October until the end of the northern lights season.
  Read more about Longyearbyen Guiding and their trips here.

• Svalbard Photography is now a part of Visit Svalbard!
  An activity provider focused on sightseeing trips in Longyearbyen, private guiding and organising photography expeditions in Svalbard.
  Read more about Svalbard Photography and their trips here.

New activity offers:

• Svalbard Adventures now offers a new snowmobile safari to Grønfjorden, read more here.

• Spitzbergen Adventures and Better Moments have both started offering new snowmobile trips along Isfjorden and Spitsbergen's western coast.
  Read more about Spitzbergen Adventure's "Snowmobile tour to the west coast" here.
  Read more about Better Moments' "A historical travel along the west coast of Spitsbergen" here.

• Hurtigruten Svalbard has launched two new boat trips with the hybrid-electric catamaran MS Bard:
  Read more about "Wildlife and Glacier Cruise" here.
  Read more about "Captain's Favourites" here.

• Poli Arctici now offers a new boat trip by RIB to Billefjorden and Nordenskiöldbreen, read more here.

• Backyard Svalbard  have updated their programme with a range of new organised guided trips. These include tailor made ski touring and hiking trips to summits, as well as glacier walks, "Ski & Sail" in Svalbard and easy overnight skiing trips with tents. 
  Read more about their updated overview of products here.

• The floating sauna SvalBad in Longyearbyen is back in business in a new location in the port of Longyearbyen after having been out of service for repairs for some time. SvalBad is once more open for guests in private groups who'd like to enjoy a warm stay in the sauna before they take a polar plunge into Adventfjorden, all year round!
  Read more about Svalbard here.

Accommodation

• Coal Miners’ Cabins in Longyearbyen re-opened fully in February 2023.
  Read more about Coal Miners' Cabins here.

Food and drink

• Stationen is now a part of Visit Svalbard!
  Their menu is based on traditional Norwegian food, and there is always a whale dish or two on the menu! The name "Stationen" was taken from an important part of the archipelago's history, the whale hunting period from the early 17th- to the late 18th-century. All eyes in Europe were on Svalbard and the values marine mammals could offer then. Whale hunting stations were established in large parts of Svalbard, and that's from where they've taken the name Stationen. Read more here.

• Together with the re-opening of Coal Miners' Cabins as accommodation in Longyearbyen, Coal Miners' Bar & Grill also re-opened!
  Read more about Coal Miners' Bar & Grill here.

Attractions

• The world's northernmost art centre, Nordover, opened in november 2022 in the centre of Longyearbyen!
  Nordover puts on temporary art exhibitions and programmed events by Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum, and is also the permanent home of the Kåre Tveter Collection. In addition to art exhibitions and high-quality events, Nordover will also house a state-of-the-art cinema with 32 seats, a shop with work by artists and craftspeople from Svalbard and the polar regions, as well as a café. 
  Read more about Nordover here!