Located halfway between Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard is an incredible destination that lets you experience the Arctic while still enjoying your creature comforts.
We took a family trip to Svalbard in early July, and experiencing the midnight sun was surreal - it shines continuously from late April to August!
Although Svalbard is extremely remote, you may be surprised to hear it has nice restaurants, bars, hotels, and even a big grocery store. It offers a variety of tours for all ages, making it more accessible than you might think. We certainly didn’t “rough it” in the Arctic.
Our 5 day Svalbard itinerary is designed for those planning to visit during the warmer, sunnier months. It takes you through extraordinary landscapes and includes fun experiences unique to this Arctic wonderland.
Overview: 5 Days in Svalbard
• Settle into your hotel • Walk Longyearbyen's main strip • Enjoy an aperitif outside • Dine on Nordic cuisine with a view • Take a boat to the most northern town in the world • Send postcards from the northernmost post office • Refuel with comfort food at a cozy gastropub • Relax at a husky cafe • Sauna on the Arctic Ocean • Visit a local brewery • Dine in a remote cabin and learn about Svalbard's history and polar bears • Go on a glacier and wildlife boat tour • Eat dinner at the northernmost sushi restaurant • Enjoy drinks at the local pub • Hike in the Arctic Tundra with a husky • Enjoy gourmet bites and cocktails in Svalbard's most glamorous bar |
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. We only recommend products or services we have used or that we believe will add value to our readers. Thank you for supporting us!
5 Day Svalbard Itinerary
Day 1: Settle in and explore Longyearbyen
As soon as you touch down in Svalbard, reaching Longyearbyen, the archipelago's capital, is a breeze. It’s just a quick 5-minute drive from the airport.
The airport shuttle bus is easy to use - just pay 100 NOK each way with a credit card on board, and you'll be dropped off right at your hotel. We recommend buying a round-trip ticket for a simple return to the airport.
✔️ Top Tip: After you collect your bags, head to the bus quickly to ensure you're one of the first in line to get a seat.
Settle into your hotel
Their included breakfast buffet is fantastic, with a variety of options. I loved making myself an English breakfast with bacon, eggs, toast and baked beans. Large windows frame views of the surrounding mountains, making it easy to soak in the scenery.
The hotel's on-site restaurant, Nansen, was our favourite dining experience in Svalbard, and its cozy pub had outdoor seating to take in the crisp Arctic air.
🛋️ Browse more hotels in SvalbardWalk the main strip of Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen
Originally a mining town founded in 1906, Longyearbyen has transformed into a hub for tourism and scientific research with a community of over 2,500 residents. As the capital of Svalbard, it has many restaurants, bars, boutique shops, and even a university and brewery.
After checking into your hotel walk through the main strip of the village.
☕ Grab a coffee and white polar bear chocolates from Freune Cafe and people watch at one of their outdoor tables.
🧣 Shop the cute boutiques - the best part about shopping in Svalbard is that it's tax-free! Don't miss stopping at Spitsbergen Sport, one of the best outdoor clothing stores we've ever been to. They carry excellent Norwegian and Swedish brands like Aclima and Hestra.
🎨 See the art exhibition at Nordover and catch the 25-minute film in their cinema about the history of arts and culture in Svalbard.
Enjoy an aperitif outside at Barentz Gastropub
After exploring town, enjoy a glass of wine or a pint of local pilsner outside at Barentz Gastropub. Bundle up to stay warm!
Enjoy dinner with a view at Restaurant Nansen
Restaurant Nansen
Don’t be fooled by Restaurant Nansen’s location inside the Radisson Blu - it’s far from a typical hotel restaurant. It quickly became our favourite dining spot in Longyearbyen.
Service was top-notch, and every course exceeded our expectations. While their menu is limited, each dish reflects a commitment to high-quality ingredients. You can’t go wrong with their Arctic char confit, beef tartare, or the catch of the day.
Day 2: Take a boat to the northernmost town in the world
Today's tour to the world’s northernmost town, Ny-Ålesund, will be the longest of the trip. We find that starting with the most taxing tour is the best strategy since we have the most energy. This approach made the rest of our tours feel like a breeze.
⚠️ A heads-up: While the boat tour to Ny-Ålesund is one of the most unique experiences you can have, it’s also one of Svalbard's pricier tours. The long hours on a speedboat might not be ideal for those easily prone to seasickness, even with nausea pills. If that sounds like you, consider the Walrus Safari instead. It’s a 5-hour tour that takes you to a walrus colony with a possible landing on the beach.
Exploring Ny-Alesund
You may be on a speed boat for 10 hours of this 12-hour tour, but the dramatic scenery, multitude of glaciers, wildlife spotting, and the rewarding feeling of walking through the world's most northern town make it an experience you can't replicate.
Once a coal mining town in the early 1900s, Ny-Ålesund is now an Arctic research station where you'll see scientists out and about. It also served as the launch point for the airship that completed the first successful flight over the North Pole.
Once you get to Ny-Ålesund, you’ll have a couple of hours to wander around. There is a museum, an awesome gift shop, and even a post office where you can send postcards. I picked up a sweater and some Christmas ornaments.
Sending postcards to my friends' kids was so much fun! I loved telling them I was in the town closest to Santa's workshop in the North Pole.
After exploring Ny-Ålesund, we ate a satisfying thermos of chilli on the boat.
On the way there and back, the views never stopped. We saw so many puffins and even a walrus colony.
✔️ Top Tips for your trip to Ny-Alesund:
- Bring Ginger Gravol or your preferred non-drowsy motion sickness pill - you don't want to do this tour without it.
- We recommend bringing some snacks in case you get hungry - you aren't fed until after visiting town (about 7 hours into your tour).
- Credit card is accepted at the gift shop/post office in Ny-Alesund.
- Make sure you have your family and friends' addresses on hand so you can easily send postcards. Bring a pen!
Book your boat tour to Ny-Alesund.
Refuel with comfort food at Svalbar
After your long tour, your stomach is going to be rumbling for some pub favourites.
Svalbar is a chill gastropub serving comfort foods like smash burgers, fried chicken sandwiches and loaded fries. They also have an excellent gin selection, including 8 gins from Norway.
We enjoyed the ambience, with its warm amber lighting and view of the main strip. We can see why it's a local favourite.
Day 3: Relax with huskies, sauna on the Arctic Ocean, and dine in a remote cabin
Sleep in and explore more of Longyearbyen's cozy spots before your dinner tour in an authentic cabin in the wilderness.
Hang out at a husky cafe
Start your day at Cafe Huskies - similar to a cat cafe, but with huskies! When we went, two white huskies hung out with us while we sipped our coffee and ate baked goods and toasties. Many of the huskies you see in town are retired sled dogs adopted by locals.
Check out our full list of fun things to do in Longyearbyen.
Have a sauna on the Arctic Sea
Sval Bad sauna in Longyearbyen
We were ecstatic when we found out Longyearbyen had a sauna on the sea! It's a fantastic way to warm up in Svalbard's chilly climate. We booked a shared drop-in time since it was a lot cheaper than a private session. It was easy to book online and we ended up having the place to ourselves.
🍻 After your sauna session, take a quick 3-minute walk to Svalbard Brewery, the world's northernmost brewery. They offer a variety of beers, including blonde, weissbier, pilsner, pale ale, IPA, dark ale, and even some barrel-aged in a coal mine. Ari is a big fan of their pilsner.
Svalbard Brewery hours: Brewery Bar & Tap Room open on Fridays from 4pm-10pm | Brewery visit & beer tastings on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays at 6PM
Dine in a remote cabin while learning about Svalbard's history and polar bears
Our evening wilderness tour at Camp Barentz
The evening wilderness dining tour at Camp Barentz was a riot. The authentic cabin is located a 15-minute drive outside of Longyearbyen in the Arctic tundra.
We started with a shot of aquavit, enjoyed homemade reindeer stew, and drank a lot of wine and beer beside an open fire, all while learning about Svalbard’s history and polar bears. The stories were unbelievable about its first explorers!
Book your evening wilderness tour.
Day 4: Take a fjord cruise to see massive glaciers and wildlife
On your fourth day, you'll board a way bigger boat for a trip up the northern coastline, cruising towards Billefjorden and the Nordenskiöld Glacier.
This route takes you past ancient mountains in a range of colours, floating icebergs and towering bird cliffs, with plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife. We saw a pod of beluga whales!
The calmer fjord waters and larger, spacious boat make the ride a lot easier for anyone prone to seasickness, but it’s still wise to bring some ginger Gravol just in case.
Sights from our fjord cruise with Henningsen
We booked our tour with Henningsen Transport & Guiding and were really impressed. The whole trip was well-organized, and we loved their classic ship - it had so much more character compared to the sleek modern catamarans other companies use. The boat was comfortable, with plenty of space outside at the front and back, plus a viewing platform on top. It's a tough Finnish icebreaking ship.
Inside, there were cozy tables and a cafe bar. Each group was assigned their own table, making it easy to leave your stuff while walking around the ship.
A tour guide will occasionally say a few words about the sights you pass and they are available for any questions you might have. Lunch was a delicious BBQ buffet with salmon, ribs, sausages and tasty sides.
✔️ Top Tip: If you want to pass some time on the way back, grab a drink at the bar, find a seat at the window-facing stools, and bring some cards for a relaxed end to the trip.
Eat the world's most northern sushi
NUGA Sushi
You might notice a theme with "world's northernmost" places, and yes, Longyearbyen has the world's northernmost sushi restaurant too. But it's not just a novelty - NUGA serves up some really good Japanese dishes.
NUGA's menu includes sushi rolls, sashimi, nigiri, tempura, gyoza, and ramen. Everything we tried tasted fresh and flavourful, and the sushi rice was well-seasoned and tender.
Hang out at the local pub
When we asked our tour guide where locals like to gather, he pointed us to Karlsberger Pub.
It wasn't the typical rundown locals' pub we were expecting. Instead, it was thoughtfully designed with stylish industrial elements inspired by Svalbard’s mining heritage. Its dim lighting, 1,200 bottles lining the bar, and friendly bartenders serving up well-crafted cocktails added to the unique atmosphere.
After emerging from the dark space, it's surreal stepping out into the brightness of the midnight sun.
Day 5: Explore Svalbard's rugged interior on a scenic hike
Beautiful Foxfonna hike
On your last day, trade the sea for a deeper exploration of Svalbard's rugged interior. Hiking here is unique, as you're required to go with a certified guide who carries a rifle in case of polar bear encounters, though sightings are rare in summer when they hunt further north.
We recommend the Foxfonna hike for its diverse scenery. You'll trek over a glacier with provided crampons, see meltwater streams wind across the ice, traverse a moraine, and enjoy sweeping views as you descend toward the tundra's flat expanse. We hiked on quite a rainy day and it was still gorgeous.
Along the way, we spotted wildflowers and reindeer and stopped at a trapper's cabin for a heartwarming lunch and coffee. A sweet retired sled dog also joined us for the journey.
The hike is about 11 km and we recommend using trekking poles (our tour company offered them to us). Be sure to dress for Arctic weather with warm, waterproof gear, including hiking boots.
Book your Foxfonna hiking tour.
Drink expert cocktails and dine at the glamorous Funken Bar
Head up the hill from the main strip to Funken Bar in the Funken Lodge. This may be Svalbard's most glamorous hotel, with its moody lighting, plush seating, elegant brass and marble accents, and champagne cellar. We would have considered staying here if it were closer to the main strip.
It's definitely worth the trip to try Funken Bar's expert cocktails and gourmet bites. Don't miss the crab lollipops.
Their cocktails are named after Svalbard's mines. Our favourite was Gruve-6, a rum-based cocktail with milk-washed Earl Grey tea, vermouth, peach and lime.
Check out our list of 5 unique bars in Svalbard.
Getting to Svalbard
SAS Airlines and Norwegian Airlines fly to Longyearbyen Airport in Svalbard. Most flights stop in Oslo or Tromsø before heading to Svalbard. From the airport, it's just a 5 minute drive into town.
Top Tip: since there are limited flights each day, make sure to book far ahead.
✈️ Compare flights with SkyscannerCopenhagen is an easy destination to combine with Svalbard since the flights work out nicely. See our 4 Day Copenhagen itinerary.
Our Top 10 Svalbard Tips
🧳 1. Book your tours, flights and hotels far ahead. We heard that popular tours can book up a year in advance!
☀️ 2. When planning a trip to Svalbard, choose your travel month carefully based on what you want to experience. Do you want to see the midnight sun or northern lights, do boat tours, go hiking, snowmobiling or dog sledding? The time of year influences the availability of tours and activities since many are seasonal.
🌊 3. Bring Ginger Gravol or your preferred non-drowsy nausea pill. You're typically on boats for long hours if you do a tour. It saved us!
🎵 4. Bring headphones and download your playlists offline for long boat tours.
💵 5. There is no ATM on Svalbard. Tipping is not expected, but we recommend picking up cash beforehand at Oslo Airport in case you want to tip your guides. Our guides really appreciated it.
🧣 6. Dress smart for the weather. Don't forget a base layer, mid layer (like a down jacket), waterproof shell jacket, hat that covers your ears, mitts, glove liners, warm socks, waterproof hiking boots, waterproof pants, a buff, sunglasses and sunscreen. See what to wear in Svalbard with our packing list.
💬 7. Don't be afraid to ask your guide what the latest gossip is on the island - we learned some interesting things about Svalbard from this!
🚫 8. Lots of shops close on Sunday, so plan accordingly if you want to buy something before you leave.
🛍️ 9. Shopping is tax-free in Svalbard - this is a great opportunity to pick up some high quality outdoor gear from Scandinavian brands like Aclima.
🗓️ 10. Most tours run on specific days of the week - make sure you map out each tour's schedule to effectively align them all before booking.
Get started on booking your trip to Svalbard
- 🛌 Book your accommodation: Booking.com is our go-to for finding places to stay. Sort by top reviewed.
- 🚤 Book your tours: Visit Svalbard is a great resource that lists tours.
- ✈️ Compare flights: with Skyscanner
Don't forget about travel insurance
👩⚕️ For affordable travel insurance: go with SafetyWing - it's budget-friendly and you can even buy it while abroad, but note the max medical coverage is $250,000 USD. 🏥 For comprehensive travel insurance: go with World Nomads - it's more expensive, but the max emergency medical coverage is $5-10 million, depending on the plan.Save and pin this Svalbard itinerary for later:
