Unfold The North

Welcome to beautiful Svalbard!

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be greeted by one of our guides and transferred on a short 10-minute drive to Basecamp Hotel in Longyearbyen. This charming and authentic boutique hotel is located right in the city center, within walking distance of shops, cafés, restaurants, museums, and attractions. Built from reclaimed materials and decorated in the style of historic trapper cabins, the hotel is a small museum in itself, a true gateway to the Arctic.

In the afternoon, your adventure continues. You will be picked up at the hotel by our dog guide and taken to Trapper’s Station, our cozy dog yard in Adventdalen, 10 kilometers outside Longyearbyen. Here, 80 affectionate and enthusiastic Alaskan huskies are waiting. They greet each guest with great excitement, because they know what’s coming: the joy of pulling a sled.

After a thorough introduction to dog sledding and the equipment, you’ll harness the dogs together with the guide and prepare the teams. Then it’s time to set off into the Arctic wilderness. In summer, sleds must follow the road to protect the fragile tundra, but the surrounding landscapes are no less breathtaking. This is a wonderful experience for both two- and four-legged adventurers.

Back at the dog yard, you’ll help settle the huskies in their houses before gathering around the fire pit, or inside the rustic hunting cabin, to warm up with hot drinks and stories.

In the evening, dinner awaits at one of Longyearbyen’s excellent restaurants. We are happy to recommend and reserve a table for you, ensuring the perfect end to your first day in the Arctic.

The adventure begins bright and early, when your guide picks you up from your hotel in Longyearbyen at 08:00.

After a briefing on the program for the coming days, you’ll pack the essentials into a smaller (preferably waterproof) bag, leaving the rest of your luggage safely stored at Basecamp Hotel. Don’t forget sturdy hiking boots, they’ll be your best friends out here. When everyone is ready, we head down to the harbor and board Nordvest, our comfortable closed expedition boat.

Crossing the mighty Isfjorden, we journey towards Billefjorden and Adolfbukta. This stretch of Arctic water is alive with wildlife: seabirds circling overhead, walruses lazing on the ice, belugas surfacing in pods, and with luck, even the King of the Arctic himself, the polar bear.

Upon arrival at Nordenskiöld Lodge, we enjoy lunch outdoors before settling into the rhythm of this extraordinary wilderness. Afterwards, your guide takes you out to explore the raw and captivating surroundings, a first, close encounter with the beauty that will define your days here. If the weather allows you explore the glacier from the sea in kayaks.

Back at the lodge, you can relax in the wood-fired sauna perched by the glacier, or, for the brave, plunge into the Arctic waters for an invigorating sea bath. As evening falls, gather in the lodge’s cozy living room to share a delicious dinner with fellow adventurers.

Finally, drift into sleep accompanied by the deep Arctic silence, broken only by the distant rumble of the Nordenskiöld Glacier.

Today is glacier day, one of the true highlights of Svalbard!

Did you know that over 60% of the archipelago is covered by ice? After a hearty breakfast, we prepare equipment and review safety routines before heading out. A short walk across the moraine brings us to the mighty Nordenskiöld Glacier, just 300 meters from the lodge.

The entire day is spent on this shimmering blue-white world of ice. We climb across ridges, descend into formations, learn to use glacier gear, and carefully cross crevasses under the guidance of your expert. At midday, we pause for an expedition lunch with breathtaking views across Billefjorden, a setting few ever experience.

Every step reveals new wonders of the glacier and the secrets of its blue ice. By evening, you return to the warmth of the lodge, where a wood-fired sauna, a delicious dinner, and good company await.

Savor your final breakfast at Nordenskiöld Lodge.

Take that extra cup of coffee while gazing out at the endless blue of the glacier, it’s a view worth lingering over. At 10:00, the boat arrives to take you back to civilization.

The journey to Longyearbyen is no ordinary transfer; it’s a true sea safari. Your guide and boatman are experts at spotting wildlife, and Billefjorden is teeming with life at this time of year. Arctic birds wheel overhead, seals bask on the ice, and if luck is on our side, some of the world’s largest mammals may swim alongside us, curious and playful in the wake of our boat.

As the hours pass, the jagged mountains of Svalbard unfold in all their grandeur, a parting gift from the High Arctic. We return to Longyearbyen around lunchtime, carrying with us memories as vast and vivid as the landscapes themselves.

Start your final day in Svalbard with a delicious breakfast at the hotel.

If time allows before your flight, we recommend exploring a few of Longyearbyen’s highlights. The Svalbard Museumbrings the story of the northernmost archipelago to life in an engaging way, while a guided visit to Mine 3 (booked in advance) takes you deep underground for a powerful glimpse into the island’s demanding mining history.

Perhaps you’d like to bring a piece of Svalbard home with you? Longyearbyen offers a variety of unique shops, many with local crafts and Arctic-inspired products.

When it’s time to depart, your guide will drive you to the airport. We are confident you’ll leave richer than when you arrived, because the Arctic leaves its mark. The raw wilderness, the stories you’ve heard, and the rare experience of living at an outpost far from civilization are memories that last a lifetime.

And who knows? Perhaps this was just your first chapter. Each season on Svalbard carries its own magic, waiting to be discovered.