SVALBARD STORIES

Follow the origins of Svalbard at perfect pace!

Combine the joy of freedom while snowmobiling across the island with the stories of Arctic discovers.

During 5 days you will not only visit all 3 settlements: Barentsburg, Longyearbyen and Pyramiden but also have a trip dedicated to Svalbard pioneers and see the trappers settling place of the XVIII century and radio station from the 1930s. Flip through the book of Svalbard stories!

It is a worry-free adventure through the beauty of the North.

Starts every Wednesday

5 days on snowmobile

1 glacier

No experience required

Not available for children

Comfortable hotel accommodation

TRAVEL DATES IN 2021:

____ - ____

TOUR PRICE PER PERSON:

Driver on the snowmobile

--------- NOK / person

Passenger on the snowmobile

--------- NOK / person

Extra charge for accommodation in SINGLE rooms in Barentsburg and Pyramiden:

--------- NOK / person

THE PRICE INCLUDES:

Transfer:

From/to the airport or your place of accommodation in Longyearbyen
Snowmobile trips between the settlements

Accommodation:

2 nights in the hotel Barentsburg (TWIN/DBL accommodation)
1 night in the guesthouse Russkiy Dom (Longyearbyen, 2-person accommodation)
1 night in the hotel Pyramiden (TWIN/DBL accommodation)

Meals:

4 Breakfasts
5 Set Lunches (set meal in the restaurant or field lunch during the snowmobile trip)
2 Set Dinners in the restaurant
Beer tasting

Activities:

3 guided tours around the settlements
Snowmobile trip to Isfjord Radio Station and Starostin hut

Snowmobile & equipment rental

Ski-doo Expedition 600 E-TEC/ Lynx Commander 600 E-TEC, fuel 
Rental of winter overalls, boots, gloves, and a helmet

Safety

Guide services
Insurance covering search and rescue, evacuation costs in case of emergency

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

Flight to/from Longyearbyen
1 a-la carte dinner in Barentsburg
2 a-la carte dinners in Longyearbyen
Bar drinks or a-la carte orders beyond the tour program
Souvenirs
Individual travel insurance

ADDITIONAL SERVICES:

Optional short trips & offers:

Other additional services

Tour to the Mine

450 NOK / Person

Visit to the Husky Center

100 NOK / Person

Dog Sledding

690 NOK / Person

Sauna

500 NOK / 2 hours

TOUR PRICE

WHAT IS INCLUDED

TRAVEL DATES

ITINERARY

DAY 1

Arrival in Longyearbyen by one of the day flights from Oslo or Tromsø within SAS or Norwegian airlines

The guides will meet you at the airport and then you will be transferred to Russkiy Dom (eng. Russian House, our expedition center and guesthouse).

Lunch, tour briefing, safety and snowmobile instructions, equipment fitting and packing
Departure by snowmobile to Barentsburg by route: Longyearbyen – Todalen – Skiferdalen – Grøndalen – Barentsburg

Snowmobiling: 75 km, 3-4 hours

Arrival in Barentsburg, check-in, unpacking
Dinner in the hotel restaurant Rijpsburg
Overnight in the hotel Barentsburg

Longyearbyen is the capital of Svalbard. It is the northernmost populated area with approximately 2400 inhabitants, 50 nationalities. Longyearbyen was founded in 1906 by John Longyear and named after him further on. This is a town with a particular temper that has been loved by adventurers, explorers, fans of the North and wilderness.

Barentsburg is the Russian «capital» of Svalbard. It is a town of Arctic stories written by Dutch explorers, Russian and Norwegian trappers, American and German merchants, adventurers, Soviet builders of communism and Russian miners. Barentsburg was founded in 1921 by the Dutch as a coal-mining settlement. Since 1931 it has been under the State Trust «Arcticugol» administration. The population is approximately 500 people.

DAY 2

This day there is an option to visit the mine of Barentsburg (at extra cost)

It is the only operating coal mine in the world where you can get into with a tour. You can see cooperation between man and nature, mechanisms of getting into the ground depth and mine reinforcement. The tour is guided by a real miner so that you will get first-hand knowledge.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant

Snowmobile day trip by route: Barentsburg – Linnevatnet – Isfjord Radio – Russekeila – Festningsodden – Barentsburg

Snowmobiling: 80 - 110 km, 6 hours

It is time to follow the trails of the real pioneers and explorers of the Arctic. You will go around Grønfjorden, and through frozen glacial lakes you will get to Isfjord Radio Station. Then you will go to the Starostin hut – a place with a special atmosphere that was named after a legendary Russian trapper Ivan Starostin.

Lunch in warm and cozy interiors

Arrival in Barentsburg

Guided tour around the settlement

Barentsburg is the warmest place in the Arctic as you feel at home as soon as you arrive. You will follow the history from Willem Barents to present-day and live through traditions of the locals.

Tasting of the Red Bear beer

Red Bear is the first brewery on Svalbard where you will taste beer brewed locally on the water from the glacier lake Stemme located across the fjord. You will find out what sorts are there and define which one is your favorite.

A-la carte dinner in the bar, restaurant and brewery Red Bear (at extra cost)

With juicy burgers, soups, pasta, and dishes with local ingredients, the Red Bear menu can fit every taste.

Overnight in the hotel Barentsburg

Isfjord Radio is a former shore radio and weather station on the cape Linné. A century ago it turned into a connection chain between the archipelago and the mainland, serving as a navigation system and collecting weather data. Nowadays, the station is completely automatically controlled and includes nice accommodation and restaurant facilities.

Starostin hut got its name after a legendary pomor trapper, Ivan Starostin, who spent 39 winters on Svalbard never leaving the island during the last 15 years. He lived at the Russekeila river mouth located not so far from Grønfjorden. There you will see the reconstruction of Starostin overwintering camp and Russian trappers funeral cross.

DAY 3

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant

Then you are welcome to visit Barentsburg Husky Center (at extra cost)

The Husky Center is unique because we have almost all the Arctic sled dog breeds. This is a place where images of the pole exploration by Amundsen and Peary take on life right in front of you. You can try yourself as a real musher and go for dog sledding along the shore of Grønfjorden to see one of the most breathtaking views around. (5-7 km, at extra cost).

Lunch in the restaurant

Departure to Longyearbyen by route: Barentsburg – Colesdalen – Fardalen – Longyearbyen

Snowmobiling: 65 km, 3-3,5 hours

Arrival in Longyearbyen. Accommodation in the guesthouse Russkiy Dom or alternative guesthouse or hostel in Longyearbyen

Guided tour around Longyearbyen

You will get acquainted with the Norwegian capital of Svalbard. You will see University Centre of Svalbard, Lutheran Church, coal miner’s monument in the town center and plenty of other fascinating sights.

A-la carte dinner in one of the restaurants in Longyearbyen (at extra cost)

Overnight in the guesthouse Russkiy Dom

Barentsburg Husky Center would probably be the cutest and fluffiest location in Barentsburg. 80 doghouses on the Grønfjorden shore stand against the background of the magnificent Esmark glacier (Esmarkbreen). When we started the project, we soon realized that there is plenty of various North sled dog breeds and at different times they all were actively involved in the exploration of the Arctic and dog sledding sport. Thus we had an idea to create a project of the kennel with all the Arctic sled dog breeds. Nowadays, there is no kennel of the sort. Our task is ambitious but so far, we've been doing pretty well.

DAY 4

Breakfast

Departure to Pyramiden by route: Longyearbyen – Sassendalen – Lomonosovfonna - Nordenskiöld glacier – Pyramiden

Snowmobiling: 115-160 km, 5 – 6 hours

You will a have an opportunity to witness breath-taking views of the Arctic snowy kingdom and magnificent natural landscapes with mountains, valleys and of course, one of the most massive glaciers of the archipelago - Nordenskiöldbreen (Nordenskiöld glacier).

Lunch in the field

Arrival in Pyramiden, check-in, unpacking

Guided tour around Pyramiden including visit to the buildings

With fascinating historical background and after being preserved in 1998, Pyramiden is now the Arctic time-machine so that you can get back to the USSR, a piece of land surrounded by breathtaking Arctic nature. You will visit canteen, swimming pool and the very heart of the settlement – Sport & Culture House.

Dinner in the hotel restaurant

You can warm yourself up in the hotel restaurant where the interior has been kept in original decorations from the Soviet period and then watch documentaries about Pyramiden and the Arctic in the cozy lounge zone.

Overnight in the hotel Pyramiden

Pyramiden is a settlement located at the bottom of the mountain and named after it. It was founded in 1911. It's a town located in between mountains, huge glacier and moraine. In 1956 the settlement started coal production and in the 1970s-1980s a perfect socialism model system was built. In 1998 Pyramiden was preserved but its infrastructure arranged in the Soviet period has come down to us. Anyone who has spent at least a couple of hours in Pyramiden makes a point in this place's uniqueness. Today the town is open and it grows as a tourist location. A boiler house, hotel, restaurant and film stock cinema have been renovated. Pyramiden attracts not only tourists but also film directors, journalists, free riders and bloggers from all over the world.

DAY 5

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant

If the weather permits, after the breakfast, our guides will offer one of the snowmobile short trips in the surroundings of Pyramiden so that you could enjoy its specific natural wilderness and incredible beauty.

Departure to Longyearbyen by route: Pyramiden – Nordenskiöld glacier – Lomonosovfonna – Sassendalen – Longyearbyen

Snowmobiling: 115-160 km, 5 - 6 hours

Lunch

Arrival in Longyearbyen (approx. 19:00)

A-la carte dinner in one of the restaurants in Longyearbyen (at extra cost)

MAP OF THE TOUR

*On Svalbard, weather conditions change quickly so that is why for the safety and comfort of our guests, the tour program might be changed regarding the itineraries and destinations.