Sarkofagen Trekking - Poli Arctici

Explore Longyearbyen's backyard by hiking to the top of Sarkofagen, a high point overlooking town. Then, descend from Sarkofagen by hiking across the Longyear Glacier.

This is one of our most popular hiking trips that explores the spectacular backyard of Longyearbyen and offers a stunning view of the city and surrounding mountains.

Our hike starts from Nybyen where we will immediately cross the braided stream flowing from the glaciers farther up the valley.

After crossing the stream, we will traverse the moraine of Lars Glacier along a maze-like path of rocks and permafrost. This is a classic type of Svalbard landscape with varied views of Longyearbyen, historic mining infrastructure, and the surrounding mountains.

While the climb is challenging at times, you are rewarded by stunning views from the summit of Sarkofagen (513 meters above sea level). At the summit, we will enjoy a snack and a warm drink while admiring the fantastic views all around us.

On our way back, we’ll walk through several small canyons before crossing onto the Longyear Glacier. As we walk down the glacier, it's possible to search for plant fossils preserved in sedimentary rocks from the early Paleogene period.

The route continues down along the meltwater river from Longyear Glacier towards the old road from Longyearbyen, where our trip ends.

On this hike, we will experience wonderful scenery, discover cultural heritage, and learn about Svalbard’s natural history.

We also have multi-day trekking tours. One of them is this 4-day hike where we visit Barentsburg: https://www.poliarctici.com/activities/west-coast-trek-with-visit-to-barentsburg

Age limits: Minimum 6 years, maximum 75 years
Minimum number of participants: 4 persons