At 78 degrees north, Svalbard is a place like no other. Polar bears roam, glaciers calve thunderously into the sea, and the midnight sun casts a surreal glow across vast, frozen landscapes. My husband Mark and I had been planning this journey for some time – an Arctic adventure to celebrate our twins’ 21st birthdays.
Travelling as a group of four, we needed a trip that would give us a taste of the region while remaining mindful of our budget and the fragile polar environment. After plenty of research, we found our balance, and it exceeded expectations.
Getting There: Into the Great White North
Despite its isolation, Svalbard is remarkably accessible. We flew via Oslo, a quick two-hour hop from London Heathrow, and continued with SAS to Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost commercial airport – a flight of around three hours from Oslo over increasingly stark terrain. Oslo is rich with forests and lakes while Svalbard from the air is everything you would expect.
Immigration at Oslo airport proved a curious interlude. My daughter and I were waved through with stamped passports, while my husband and son were held back and taken through a different door. Moments later, we were recalled with our stamps cancelled. This is because Svalbard, although a part of Norway, is not part of the Schengen Area and has a different visa and entry/exit requirement than mainland Norway. It was one of those odd moments of travel. Surely hundreds of people transit through Oslo to Longyearbyen? When we did eventually arrive in Longyearbyen, there is no immigration, just a large stuffed polar bear at baggage reclaim!
Outside the small terminal, the wind was icy and guides in heavy-duty expedition gear milled around, meeting incoming guests. A polar bear warning sign just outside the airport reminded us that this wasn’t an ordinary travel destination.
Longyearbyen: Life on the Edge
Longyearbyen is home to just 2,500 people and around 300 of those are children. Snowmobiles seemed to outnumber the population, and even in summer the streets were remarkably quiet. We stayed just one night before our cruise, but I’d recommend two nights if you’re planning any additional excursions.
The journey into town takes about 15 minutes by bus from the airport. Look out for the big grey building buried into Platåberget mountain a couple of kilometres after leaving the airport on the right-hand side – the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. On the left, as you approach town through the old port area, you’ll spot a big blue and grey industrial building – Svalbard Bryggeri – the world’s most northerly brewery.
There are several hotels in town including the centrally located Radisson Blu, near the waterfront and museum, and the boutique Funken Lodge, perched a little above town. We were lucky to receive a complimentary upgrade to Funken, and it may well be the loveliest small hotel we’ve ever stayed in (I’ll write more on that in another blog).
On our first evening, after supper at the hotel, we ventured out into the soft light of the midnight sun. We encountered several reindeer, nonchalantly grazing beside the road, and continued down to the shoreline for our first real taste of the Arctic.
The following day, we took a trip to Camp Barentz. One of the cabins is a faithful replica of the shelter built by Willem Barentsz in 1596 during his Arctic expedition. Here we learned more about polar bears, as well as research going on in Svalbard, and met 16-year-old Storm and his huskies. We enjoyed berry tea and pancakes in a replica Sami hut, a welcome opportunity to warm up by the fire! We also visited the excellent Svalbard Museum, which offers a thoughtful overview of the island’s mining history, exploration heritage, and fragile ecology. At 4pm we boarded our ship, the MS Serenissima.
Cruising to 80 Degrees North: Ship Size, Budget & Impact
From May through late summer, most travellers explore the archipelago by ship. Ships vary significantly in size, price, and environmental impact.
Vessels range from small expedition ships (12–16 guests) to larger ships accommodating up to 200 passengers (the upper limit for Svalbard). Smaller vessels allow greater flexibility and less environmental disturbance but come at a premium.
If budget were no constraint, my dream cruise would be to the east coast of Svalbard, a rugged region where the pack ice lingers and few ships venture. The small expedition ships which go to this area carry just 12–14 guests, with a low-impact, sustainability-led ethos. These ships also offer mini cruises to the north-west area and would be ideal for serious photographers.
We opted for Hurtigruten Svalbard’s Mini Cruise aboard the MS Serenissima, a characterful 1960s-built vessel. While it isn’t flashy, it is quirky, has charm and proved pretty comfortable. There are around 50 cabins. Since we weren’t planning to spend too much time in the cabins, we opted for the lead-in option on Deck 3. These were small twin and double cabins, each with two portholes and compact en-suite bathrooms. Storage was tight, but manageable. We stashed our bags under the bed.
With 87 guests onboard, our four-night cruise travelled north, exploring fjords along the northwest coast, crossing the 80°N line and visiting a large walrus colony at Moffen Island before returning via Ny-Ålesund. At around £1,500 per person for a five-night package, including all accommodation, food, tea & coffee, guiding and excursions, and remembering that this is not a cheap part of the world to travel (a basic meal deal at Oslo airport, or a glass of wine on the ship will set you back about £10-12) we thought it offered decent value and made this area accessible.
Guests came from all over the world and ranged from families with children to solo travellers. The youngest guest was about 6 or 7 years old and the oldest around 80.
This wasn’t about luxury in the traditional sense of the word, and we were realistic that it wasn’t about capturing National Geographic-worthy images either! It was about ‘the experience’ and being immersed in the landscape, learning from the guides (many were studying at the university in Longyearbyen) and hopefully having an opportunity to glimpse some of the Arctic’s iconic wildlife. The trip delivered on all fronts.
In Longyearbyen, we saw vessels moored in the harbour from Quark, Silversea, and others – all larger ships than ours.
We never encountered another vessel when moored up, although we saw some from a distance while cruising. Ships book their routes and landing plans to avoid crossover, so throughout, the voyage felt exclusive.
New Wildlife Protocols: Polar Bear Protection
This year, new wildlife protocols were introduced, requiring all vessels to stay at least 500 metres from polar bears until 30 June. This reduces to 300m from 1 July. The aim? To avoid disturbing mothers with cubs – most cubs are born in December.
While it can limit close sightings, the welfare of wildlife must come first. Even from a distance, watching a bear lumber across the ice, or swim silently past the bow, was spine-tingling.
Arctic Highlights: Reflections from the Ice
While we were fortunate to spot wildlife, what moved me most was the scale and sound of the Arctic. Entering an icefield, you hear it crackling like Rice Krispies, the sound of air bubbles escaping ancient ice. Then come the groans and cracks as glaciers calve, huge, thunderous sounds echoing across the fjords. And always, the wind. Yes, it really is very cold especially when you are underway (and to think – we had largely good weather!)
The sights were equally mesmerising. Icebergs like sculptures, glowing blue in the sunlight. Guillemots with red legs dipping beneath the waves. Fulmars gliding along the bow, kittiwakes shrieking from the cliffs, and minke whales slicing through the ocean.
And yes, we saw polar bears. All three sightings occurred within 24 hours. The first sighting, in beautiful Magdalenefjorden during breakfast, saw the dining room empty in seconds as a mother and cub explored our intended landing site.
The second sighting was of the same pair of bears but this time they popped up unexpectedly right in front of our zodiac. It felt completly different seeing these huge animals in the water from a small boat compared to watching thrm through binoculars from the deck of the ship. This was the most thrilling sighting.
The third sighting was the closest encounter. Just before midnight, on a calm, clear evening after cruising Raudfjorden, our son spotted a lone bear just off the port side. We alerted the bridge, and a few of the late-night crowd joined us up on deck to watch the bear glide silently away from us toward the cliffs. A moment of true magic under the Midnight Sun.
To my surprise, we saw very few seals, perhaps five or six across the whole trip and only one of these hauled up on the ice. It left me wondering how apex predators are surviving here. Walrus were more abundant, and a joy to watch, but reportedly too dangerous and blubbery for polar bears to tackle.
Zodiac Excursions and Shore Landings
We enjoyed two zodiac outings, in Magdalenefjorden and at the spectacular Smeerenburg Glacier. These offered a thrilling perspective of the Arctic from water level. Cruising past towering icebergs and Arctic skuas in a small zodiac, under the Arctic sun, was a real highlight of the trip.
As I’ve mentioned before we were very lucky with the calm conditions and blue sky. I expect such benign conditions are rather unusual. (We did have an uncomfortable rolling sea on the last day cruising back to Longyearbyen, which made some people seasick.)
We also made four shore landings:
- Texas Bar: enjoying a spectacular 3km trek across snowfields with panoramic views of Monaco Glacier. The snow was surprisingly deep in places. Beautiful flowers and birdlife. This was my favourite trek.
- Bockfjorden: described as a ‘technically challenging’ walk over rough terrain via Arctic hot springs – we saw (two) ptarmigan here. The trek is not very long but up and down with large boulders to negotiate. Walking sticks are provided if needed. A shorter route is also offered on the beach.
- Ny-London: an abandoned mining settlement where we enjoyed a guided trail from the landing site to a lake rich with birdlife. We learned about cultural heritage before braving the Polar Plunge (we loved the dip so much we did it twice!) Highly recommended.
- Ny-Ålesund: one of the world’s northernmost research stations, with a rich history of mining, exploration and science. The population varies from 35 in winter to 180 in summer. The ship is able to dock here for a guided walk with additional time to explore the settlement independently, visit the museum and we also sent postcards home.
You also see a lot from the deck of the ship. Some of the cruising was just spectacular. Highlights included sailing past the kittiwake colonies into Kongsfjorden, and waking up in serene Idabukta, Liefdefjorden, where the water looked like glass. Just magical.
Conclusion: A Call to the Wild
For conservationists and explorers alike, Svalbard is a potent reminder of why these wild spaces matter. It’s a place that offers more than wildlife and scenery, it offers perspective, and a renewed sense of urgency to protect what remains.
If you’re considering your own journey to the High Arctic, we’d be happy to share advice. I will also add further blogs about what to pack and more detailed reviews of different aspects of our journey in coming weeks.
In the meantime please do visit our travel pages here.
Sara travelled with Hurtigruten Svalbard on the 5 night Svalbard trip (starting on a Wednesday) and spending one night at Funken Lodge in Longyearbyen and 4 nights on board MS Serenissima – see A Taste of Svalbard for info.
