RegionDetailed guide

Svalbard

Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean

Photo: Niels Elgaard Larsen - User: (WT-shared) Elgaard at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Svalbard (Russian: Шпицберген, Shpitsbergen or Грумант, Grumant) is a group of islands located between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and the Norwegian Sea. The area is sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the main island with all the settlements. The islands are directly north of Norway, and have been under Norwegian rule since 1920. Svalbard's settlements are the second most northerly permanently-inhabited spots on the planet, after the Canadian military base at Alert.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By plane
Longyearbyen has the largest airport on the islands (LYR), the only one suitable for passenger flights from outside Svalbard. SAS and Norwegian have scheduled flights from Oslo and Tromsø.
By boat
A number of operators offer cruises around Svalbard in the high season.

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Getting around

Most of Svalbard is protected as national park or nature reserves. There is no infrastructure outside Longyearbyen. Visitors can in general not go around on their own out of Longyearbyen, also for safety reasons.

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Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Svalbard Airport, Longyear

Longyearbyen · Regional · LYR

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Cities

Pyramiden

abandoned Russian settlement, now a tourist cruise destination with a solitary hotel

Forlandet National Park

a large bird sanctuary

Indre Wijdefjorden National Park

protects the inner part of Wijdefjorden, Svalbard's longest fjord

Sør-Spitsbergen National Park

Norway's largest national park

Read before you go to Svalbard

Articles and travel topics about Svalbard and Norway.

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

TownsAll settlements in Svalbard are on the main island of Spitsbergen (or Vest-Spitsbergen).

UnderstandSvalbard is the northernmost tip of Europe and, a few military bases aside, its settlements are the northernmost permanently-inhabited spots on the planet.

Get in, in Greenland and Canada.

Get aroundMost of Svalbard is protected as national park or nature reserves. There is no infrastructure outside Longyearbyen. Visitors can in general not go around on their own out of Longyearbyen, also for safety reasons.

TalkThe official language is Norwegian. However, nearly everyone speaks English. In Barentsburg, Russian and Ukrainian are spoken.

SeeSvalbard's visitors come mostly to experience Arctic nature at its rawest and most powerful.

BuyThe currency is the Norwegian krone (kr), and this is also accepted in the Russian settlements.

EatFood on Svalbard is expensive for most visitors, as it is anywhere in Norway. Local specialities include seal and reindeer, served at restaurants in Longyearbyen.

DrinkAlcohol is duty-free on Svalbard. If you've arrived from Norway, the bars will seem refreshingly cheap, but are still equivalent to London prices. In Barentsburg, Russian vodka can be cheap.

SleepA range of accommodation is available only in Longyearbyen, which offers camping, guesthouses and luxury hotels.

Learn

WorkCitizens of Svalbard Treaty signatory countries need no permits to work on Svalbard; you can even set up your own mine if so inclined.

Stay safeThe biggest threat on Svalbard is polar bears (isbjørn), some 500 of which inhabit the main islands at any one time.

Stay healthyTap water on Svalbard is drinkable, but surface water may contain tapeworm eggs from fox feces and should be boiled before consumption.

RespectIn most of Svalbard's buildings, including some hotels and shops, you are expected to take off your shoes before entering.

ConnectNormal 4G/LTE phones generally work in close proximity to Longyearbyen and have a good potential to work in big parts of Adventdalen and Isfjorden as well through the operator Telenor Svalbard.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Svalbard" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Svalbard", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Niels Elgaard Larsen - User: (WT-shared) Elgaard at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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