Svalbard

Norway's Arctic archipelago between 74°N and 81°N, with Longyearbyen as its gateway, offers glaciers, polar bears, polar night and aurora, and a visit to the northernmost settlement on Earth.

This region includes Norway's overseas territory of Svalbard (main island Spitsbergen), the remote North Atlantic island of Jan Mayen, and the uninhabited Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic; the latter two have no tourist facilities, Jan Mayen having only a weather and military station and Bouvet Island being a nature reserve, so the map area here covers only Svalbard and Jan Mayen. For mainland Norway, see the Northern Norway and other entries in the same scheme. Highlights: the capital Longyearbyen, with the Svalbard Museum, the exterior of the Global Seed Vault and the world's northernmost church; the former Soviet mining town of Pyramiden and the Russian settlement of Barentsburg; the Ny-Ålesund research station; glacier fronts such as Isfjorden and Nordenskiöld Glacier; and in summer, cruises around the islands can spot polar bears, walruses, Arctic foxes and reindeer. Direct flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen take about 3 hours, or you can connect via Tromsø. We suggest 3–5 days: join a glacier boat trip, snowmobile tour or dog-sledding; for in-depth wildlife viewing, plan 7–10 days on an expedition cruise. Because of the polar bear risk, leaving the settlement area of Longyearbyen requires joining a group with an armed guide. From 2025, stricter environmental rules apply to outdoor activities and boat landings, so choose a compliant operator.

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