Where to stay in the Arctic
The right base for each gateway, and a short list of hotels worth booking early.
Accommodation is the tightest constraint on any Arctic trip. Longyearbyen has a few hundred hotel rooms, Ilulissat fewer, Tasiilaq one hotel of any size; even Tromsø sells out in February. Prices are high everywhere and there is little at the budget end. The upside is that most hotels are small, central and used to guests who come back from an aurora chase at two in the morning.
Below is a short selection for each destination, chosen for location and guest feedback rather than luxury. For the North Pole we list Longyearbyen, where expeditions begin; for the Russian Arctic we list hotels on the Norwegian side of the border, in line with our decision not to promote bookings in Russia.
Svalbard
Almost every bed in Svalbard is in Longyearbyen, and there are not many of them: reserve well ahead for March–April and July–August. All of these are within walking distance of the centre or served by the airport bus.
Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, Spitsbergen
The largest full-service hotel in town, in the centre, with a restaurant and a bar looking across the fjord.
See rates on Trip.comFunken Lodge
A characterful lodge in the former mining company’s staff quarters above the centre, known for its restaurant and wine cellar.
See rates on Trip.comSvalbard Hotell | The Vault
A modern, mid-priced hotel on the main street, named after the Seed Vault and close to shops and tour pick-ups.
See rates on Trip.comBasecamp Hotel
A small, trapper-style hotel built with driftwood and slate in the pedestrian street; cosy and central.
See rates on Trip.comTromsø
Stay in the centre if you can: tours start from the harbour area and you will be coming back late from aurora chases. Rooms are scarce and expensive from December to March, so book early.
Clarion Hotel The Edge
A large, modern conference hotel on the waterfront with a top-floor sky bar and views to the Arctic Cathedral.
See rates on Trip.comRadisson Blu Hotel, Tromsø
A long-established quayside hotel a few steps from the coastal-ship terminal and the main tour meeting points.
See rates on Trip.comScandic Ishavshotel
Built out over the harbour like a ship’s bow, with fjord views from many rooms and a good breakfast.
See rates on Trip.comThon Hotel Polar
A straightforward, well-priced hotel on the main street, right in the middle of town.
See rates on Trip.comNorth Cape
Honningsvåg has only a handful of hotels and they fill when ships are in port, so book ahead for June and July. Staying in a fishing village nearer the Cape is a quieter alternative if you have a car.
Scandic Bryggen
A harbour-front hotel in the middle of Honningsvåg, a short walk from the coastal-ship quay.
See rates on Trip.comThe View
A modern hotel on the hillside above the harbour, with wide views over the town and the sea.
See rates on Trip.comScandic Nordkapp
A large summer hotel on the tundra at Skipsfjorden, between Honningsvåg and the Cape; check its opening season.
See rates on Trip.comArran Nordkapp
A family-run guesthouse with Sami roots in the fishing village of Kamøyvær, 11 km from Honningsvåg.
See rates on Trip.comAlta & Hammerfest
Alta’s main hotels stand in the modern centre near the cathedral; for aurora from the doorstep, look at lodges in the river valley. In Hammerfest, stay by the harbour.
Scandic Alta
A large hotel in Alta’s centre, close to the Northern Lights Cathedral and the shops.
See rates on Trip.comThon Hotel Alta
A well-rated modern hotel on Alta’s pedestrian street, with breakfast included.
See rates on Trip.comSorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge
The riverside lodge beside the Igloo Hotel, 20 km from town, with a noted restaurant and dark skies.
See rates on Trip.comThon Hotel Hammerfest
A harbour-front hotel in Hammerfest, a short walk from the coastal-ship quay.
See rates on Trip.comKirkenes
Kirkenes has two main hotels in the centre and the Snowhotel complex outside town; rooms are limited, so reserve early in February and March. Vadsø is a useful stop on the way to Vardø.
Thon Hotel Kirkenes
A modern hotel on the waterfront in the centre, with fjord views and a restaurant.
See rates on Trip.comScandic Kirkenes
The town’s large central hotel, a short walk from the square and the Borderland Museum bus.
See rates on Trip.comSnowhotel Kirkenes (Snow Resort Kirkenes)
The Snowhotel complex by the fjord: frozen snow rooms and warm glass-roofed cabins, with huskies on site.
See rates on Trip.comScandic Vadsø
A harbour-side hotel in Vadsø, halfway along Varangerfjorden on the road to Vardø.
See rates on Trip.comNorth Iceland
Akureyri has the most rooms and makes the best single base. In summer, a night in Húsavík and one at Mývatn save a lot of driving; reserve early, as both are small.
Hotel Kea
Akureyri’s classic central hotel, directly below the church steps on the main street.
See rates on Trip.comAkureyri – Berjaya Iceland Hotels
A comfortable hotel by Akureyri’s geothermal pool, with a garden terrace and easy parking.
See rates on Trip.comFosshotel Húsavík
Húsavík’s main hotel, a short walk uphill from the whale-watching harbour.
See rates on Trip.comFosshótel Mývatn
A low, turf-roofed modern hotel overlooking Lake Mývatn, near Reykjahlíð.
See rates on Trip.comWest Greenland
Ilulissat has only a few hundred hotel rooms and fills in July and August; reserve as early as you can. Nuuk has more choice and is useful for a night between flights.
Hotel Arctic
Ilulissat’s best-known hotel, on a headland north of town with a restaurant and wide views across the iceberg-filled bay.
See rates on Trip.comHotel Icefiord
A waterfront hotel near the centre whose terrace looks straight on to passing ice and, in summer, whales.
See rates on Trip.comBest Western Plus Hotel Ilulissat
A newer, centrally located hotel in Ilulissat with modern rooms, close to the harbour and shops.
See rates on Trip.comHotel Hans Egede
The main business hotel in the centre of Nuuk, with a top-floor restaurant and bar.
See rates on Trip.comEast Greenland
Accommodation on this coast is extremely limited. Tasiilaq and Kulusuk each have one main hotel, and both sell out in July and August; elsewhere you sleep on your ship. Reserve early and confirm transfers.
Hotel Angmagssalik
The main hotel in Tasiilaq, on the hillside above the town with views over the bay and the mountains; arranges boat trips and hikes.
See rates on Trip.comHotel Kulusuk
A simple, modern hotel between Kulusuk’s airstrip and the village, with full board and local excursions.
See rates on Trip.comArctic Canada
Rooms in the north are scarce and costly, and usually booked as part of a package. These hotels in Iqaluit, Inuvik and the Yellowknife gateway can be reserved independently; our Trip.com link opens Yellowknife, where most western itineraries overnight.
The Frobisher Inn
Iqaluit’s largest hotel, on a hill above the town, with a restaurant, a café and a cinema in the same complex.
See rates on Trip.comNova Inn Inuvik
A straightforward roadside hotel in Inuvik, the usual overnight stop before the drive to Tuktoyaktuk.
See rates on Trip.comThe Explorer Hotel
Yellowknife’s landmark hotel on a rise above the centre, with a restaurant and aurora wake-up calls.
See rates on Trip.comChateau Nova Yellowknife
A modern hotel near Yellowknife’s Old Town with an airport shuttle, popular with aurora visitors.
See rates on Trip.comArctic Alaska
Fairbanks has the only real choice of hotels and is where every Arctic Alaska trip begins and ends. Rooms in Utqiaġvik, Coldfoot and Deadhorse are few and are usually reserved directly or through a tour operator.
Pike's Waterfront Lodge
A riverside lodge near Fairbanks airport with a deck on the Chena River and an aurora wake-up service.
See rates on Trip.comSpringHill Suites Fairbanks
A modern all-suite hotel in downtown Fairbanks, convenient for tour pick-ups.
See rates on Trip.comWedgewood Resort
Apartment-style suites beside a wildlife sanctuary on the edge of Fairbanks, good for longer stays.
See rates on Trip.comNorth Pole
There is nowhere to stay at the Pole. Book your own nights in Longyearbyen before and after the expedition unless your operator includes them — and book early, as the town is small.
Svalbard Hotell | Polfareren
A comfortable mid-range hotel in the centre of Longyearbyen, named after the polar explorers, close to the shops and the pier transfer.
See rates on Trip.comMary-Ann's Polarrigg
A quirky guesthouse in former miners’ barracks with a glass-roofed winter garden restaurant, a short walk from the centre.
See rates on Trip.comCoal Miners' Cabins
Simple rooms in old mining barracks at Nybyen, 2.5 km up the valley — the budget choice, with a popular grill bar.
See rates on Trip.comRussian Arctic
We do not link to accommodation in Russia. These hotels are on the Norwegian side of the Barents borderland, in Kirkenes and on the Varanger coast.
Scandic Kirkenes
The large central hotel in Kirkenes, 15 km from the border, where most border tours start.
See rates on Trip.comThon Hotel Kirkenes
A waterfront hotel in Kirkenes with views down the fjord towards the Barents Sea.
See rates on Trip.comScandic Vadsø
A harbour-side hotel in Vadsø on Varangerfjorden, on the way to Vardø.
See rates on Trip.comBooking tips
- Reserve as soon as your flights are fixed, and choose free-cancellation rates so that you can adjust if schedules change.
- Peak weeks differ by place: February–March in Tromsø and Alta, March–April and July–August in Svalbard, July–August in Greenland and Iceland.
- Stay central. Tours start from harbours and main squares, and winter walks are cold, dark and icy.
- Breakfast is usually included in Norway and is substantial; elsewhere, check.
- In very small places — Tasiilaq, Kulusuk, Coldfoot, Utqiaġvik — confirm airport transfers and meal arrangements directly with the hotel.
Accommodation FAQs
How far ahead should I book?
Six months or more for Svalbard and Greenland in their main seasons and for Tromsø in February and March; two to three months is usually enough elsewhere.
Are there alternatives to hotels?
Yes: guesthouses in former miners’ barracks in Longyearbyen, cabins and glass-roofed lodges in northern Norway, farm stays in Iceland and hostels in the larger towns. In the far north of Canada and Greenland, choice is limited to one or two small hotels.
Ice, whales, midnight sun and aurora — book the limited-seat days first
Boats, sleds and small-group minibuses in the Arctic carry few people, and the best weeks are short. Compare the best tours from Tromsø, Svalbard, North Cape, Iceland and beyond, and reserve in a couple of taps.