from $204 Northern lights photography tour with a local expert
A small-group evening out of town in the dark season, with help setting up your camera and a guide who knows where the sky is clearest.
Svalbard: tours & tickets
Small-group trips out of Longyearbyen with armed, local guides — the only safe way to leave town.
Our picks
Svalbard: top tours & tickets
GetYourGuide lists a modest but genuine range of Longyearbyen day trips, mostly run by small local operators: wildlife drives, visits to the Seed Vault entrance, glacier hikes, snowmobile trips to ice caves and northern-lights outings in the dark season. Review counts are low because groups are tiny. Large boat cruises to Pyramiden and the glaciers, multi-day snowmobile expeditions and expedition cruises are mostly sold directly by local operators, so use the live list below and check dates carefully — every trip here is seasonal.
from $204 
from $173 Arctic wildlife scouting by van
A guided drive along Longyearbyen’s short road network looking for Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes, seabirds and, on the shore, the occasional walrus or beluga.
from $187 Global Seed Vault and Longyearbyen landmarks
A guided drive to the entrance of the Seed Vault and the town’s main viewpoints and historic mining sites. The vault itself is not open to visitors.
from $141 Seed Vault and Arctic viewpoint by car
A short, good-value orientation tour to the Seed Vault entrance and a viewpoint over Adventfjorden — a sensible first-day outing.
from $298 Snowshoe hike to a Svalbard glacier
A guided walk on snowshoes up to one of the glaciers above town, with wide views over Longyearbyen and the fjord. Moderate fitness needed.
from $137 Northern lights adventure by car
A polar-night drive away from the town lights to look for aurora, with warm drinks and a small group.
from $340 Ice cave adventure by snowmobile
Drive a snowmobile up a glacier valley and climb down into a meltwater cave under the ice. Spring season only; driving licence required.
from $1188 Pyramiden private photo tour with transfer
A private, full-day trip to the abandoned Soviet mining town at the head of Billefjorden. Expensive, and only possible when sea or snow conditions allow.
Prices are indicative “from” prices in US dollars and ratings are as shown on GetYourGuide when we last checked; both change often.
GetYourGuide
Live availability in Longyearbyen
Real-time tours and tickets from GetYourGuide for Svalbard and its gateways.
Booking tips
- Check the season in the listing before you book: snowmobile and ice-cave trips need snow (roughly February to mid-May), northern-lights trips need darkness (October to February), boat trips need open water.
- Thermal suits, boots and helmets are normally provided on snowmobile trips; bring your own base layers, balaclava and thin liner gloves.
- You need a full driving licence, carried with you, to drive a snowmobile. Passengers do not.
- Leave a free day at the end of your stay. Wind and sea ice cancel trips at short notice and the best ones are worth rebooking.
- Never plan a walk beyond the polar bear warning signs on your own; book a guided hike instead.
Destinations
Combine it with
Norway & Svalbard Tromsø
The lively capital of Arctic Norway: northern lights and whales in winter, midnight sun and fjords in summer, and flights onward to Svalbard.
The Pole & Russia North Pole
90° north: a point on drifting sea ice above four kilometres of ocean, reached only by icebreaker or by ski-plane and helicopter — the most exclusive journey in the Arctic.
Norway & Svalbard North Cape
A 307-metre cliff at 71° north where Europe’s road network ends and the Barents Sea begins — reached from the fishing port of Honningsvåg.
Plan your trip
Book tours in Svalbard
Compare real-time prices and availability on GetYourGuide. Most tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead.