A short flight from Norway's main land, takes you to the mighty and arctic landscape at the Svalbard Islands. Explore raw wilderness adventures, the unique animal life, and eat and live well in the lively city of Longyearbyen.
The polar climate, rich wildlife, wild nature and old mining towns of Svalbard have fascinated travellers for a long time. Longyearbyen is an international city with many cultural events, such as concerts, festivals and exhibitions. Dine on arctic food traditions like seal, whale, reindeer, grouse and Arctic char at one of the many restaurants. Svalbard also has a local beer brewery and one of Norway’s greatest selections of Champagne.
From the city of Longyearbyen you can go on exciting trips by boat, kayak, snowmobiles or dog sledding. You can go hiking or skiing, just don’t venture anywhere outside the city border without a professional guide, because in addition to the 3,000 people living there, Svalbard is also home of the mighty polar bear.
«Svalbard is as close as most mortals can get to the North Pole and still capture its spirit.»
— Lonely Planet
“Svalbard” means “cold coasts”, however, the archipelago has a relatively mild climate compared to other areas at the same latitude. The constant midnight sun in the summer and the dark period during winter make for two entirely different experiences. The polar night is special to Svalbard – it’s the darkest time of the dark period from mid November to the end of January. It gets dark enough that you can see the striking northern lights during the day.
Historically, both whaling and mining have been major industries at the archipelago, but now polar exploration and tourism are the main focus. Svalbard’s nature is unforgiving, but fragile. Nearly two thirds of the surface of Svalbard is protected, and it’s crucial to show caution for the wild animals living there.
Longyearbyen has achieved the certification Sustainable Destination. Although this does not mean that the destination is sustainable, it does mean that it has made a commitment to work systematically to reduce the negative effects of tourism, while strengthening its positive ripple effects
The most common way to travel to Svalbard is by plane. Find more inspiration on Svalbard’s official website.
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Things to do| Where to stay| Food and drink| Getting here and around
Where to stay
From comfy hotels to cosy cabins. Find your home away from home at Svalbard.
Getting here and around
Remember that Svalbard is not part of the Schengen area, so passports must be brought by all non-Norwegian visitors. Get in-depth travel information on Svalbard’s official website.
Svalbard’s official websiteSearch for trips with Entur and receive suggestions based on the entire Norwegian public transport system.
Seasons and climate
Due to the temperate waters of the Gulf Stream, Alta has a much milder climate than other parts of the world at the same latitude, such as Alaska and Greenland.
Alta has good climatic conditions – little precipitation, pleasant winters and relatively warm summers.
January and February are the coldest months, with an average temperature of -8°C.
July and August are warmest with an average temperature of 13°C.
April and May are the driest months, with an average 19 mm of rainfall. July is the wettest month.
Strong winds can occur.
Get the latest weather forecast on yr.no. Read more about the northern lights.
Svalbard also offers …
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