Add this activity to your itinerary for a subterranean contrast to the outdoor Spitsbergen environment, taking you into the island's mining past.

A guide in a bus will collect you from your hotel, just as miners were picked up from stops many years ago. Reaching the Gruve 3 shaft, you will don typical working clothes and a helmet before stamping yourself in for a shift. You will then be led through part of the mine by your guide, where equipment can still be seen in position, illuminated by the light of your head-torches.

Hear stories about the people who worked here and admire their endurance and dedication. On finishing the mine tour, you will sign out and return to your normal clothes, going back to the world on the surface. It is worth wearing warm clothes for the visit.

Take a guided hike in the Advent Valley and follow in the footsteps of a trapper on the island. Learn about their lives, the loneliness and challenges they faced, as well as the great affection they had for the wilderness. Observe the incredible landscape along the way and enjoy hot drinks mid-way while you listen to tales of Svalbard, as told by your local guide.

Duration: 3 hours

Enjoy a two-hour tour of this small mining town in this remotest of destinations. Your local guide will provide a real insight into life this close to the North Pole and will give you a great introduction to this island, where polar bears outnumber people.

(Please note: There are strict protocols when out and about here as you must not venture away from town without a guide due to proximity of polar bears on this island)

Duration: 2 hours

Situated outside of town and at the base of the Breinosa mountain, Camp Barentz is the perfect spot for admiring the dramatic landscape of the Advent Valley. Your knowledgeable host will immerse you in the history and culture of the island and the story behind Camp Barentz. Try delicious homemade reindeer bidos, together with campfire coffee and dessert, a traditional Svalbard meal perfect for those Arctic winter nights.  

Duration: 3 hours

Head out into the Arctic night on an electric snowmobile and enjoy the wilderness with all of the excitement of a standard fuel powered snowmobile, but without the noisiness. Travel along the Advent Valley with just the sound of the wind whizzing past. With the right conditions and luck on your side, you could see the Northern Lights on your way.

Please note, to drive a snowmobile you must be over 18 and have a full driving licence, which must be carried with you during the tour.

Duration: 3 hours

The snowcat is impossible to miss when it parks outside your hotel, but as soon as you have exchanged the town for the wilderness, the vehicle will seem very small, and the wilderness very big. An aurora hunt by snowcat is a great way to explore the wilderness from the comfort of a warm and sturdy vehicle. Your guide will take you out of town, away from the lights of Longyearbyen, and into the magical tundra. You will drive out over the frozen Adventdalen, with several stops along the way to look for the Northern Lights. Hot drinks and light snacks are included.

Duration: 2.5 hours

At the husky farm, you'll receive full instruction before heading out under the star filled sky with your team of dogs. As you set off into the night, your dogs will fall silent, intent only on running. Lean back into the sled as you take off into the wilderness and keep a look out for the Aurora appearing. You'll travel two or three per sled and everyone will have the opportunity to try mushing. Once you return to the farm, you can help to take your dog team to their kennels, if you wish, and you'll have the opportunity to meet all of the huskies.

Duration: 4 hours

Inside the Svalbard glaciers there is an underground world of grottos carved out by the summer melting water. In this magical world of ice, you will walk in the narrow passages and study the ice formations and crystals. The hike starts in Nybyen and up to Larsbreen, a two-hour trip, covering 350 high metres.

Please note that this trip requires a good level of fitness and is not suitable for guest with back problems or claustrophobia - some mountain hiking and some crawling in the cave can be expected.

Duration: 3 hours

Enjoy an unforgettable wilderness experience in the Arctic winter landscape and get up close to stark Svalbard scenery as you travel by snowmobile to Elveneset, a phenomenal outlook point with views over the Tempelfjord and Tempelfjellet. Along the way, witness varied landscape through valleys with soaring mountains on all sides. Hot drinks will be had before setting a course back to town.

Please note, to drive a snowmobile you must be over 18 and have a full driving licence, which must be carried with you during the tour.

Duration: 5 hours

This is the perfect tour for those who do not have a lot of snowmobile experience but would like to experience a full day in the saddle and head far from Longyearbyen and into the wilderness.

Drive through long valleys to the bank of the Sassenfjord, and the trapper Hilmar N&oslas's house, Villa Fredheim. Around midday, you will enjoy an expedition lunch, with hot drinks and snacks.

Please note, to drive a snowmobile you must be over 18 and have a full driving licence, which must be carried with you during the tour.

Duration: 8 hours

You will be picked up by snowcat, an impressive, tracked vehicle with an enclosed cab for warmth and comfort, and take a short drive up onto the Longyear Glacier.

The entrance to the ice cave is difficult to find, but your guide knows exactly where it is. In the middle of the white landscape, you will suddenly see a little opening and a stair leading you down into the magical world of ice and snow.

A frozen world appears as you make your way down into the ice cave. Stuck in the ice you can see 1000-year-old remnants of frozen plants, fantastic ice formations, narrow passages and big caverns. 

The ice cave changes from year to year, and you never know what type of formations the glacier may have created this time around. 

Duration: 3 hours

This tour starts at the dog yard, where approximately 300 eager huskies are waiting to run! You'll hear them long before you see them. As soon as the dogs begin running, they become focused and fall completely silent. 

You'll head from the dog yard to the ice cave at the Scott Turner Glacier where you will experience a world of ice. As you travel across the seemingly flat plateau of snow and ice, it is difficult to imagine that the frozen wonderland that can be found under the surface.

The dogs will have a well-deserved rest while you explore the mystical underground world, and after a light wilderness lunch, you will return to the dog yard, mushing at an even tempo, allowing you to digest the impressions from the day, and enjoy the beautiful, untouched landscape.

Duration: 7 hours

Try one of the coolest experiences on Svalbard, where incredible views are combined with a deep sense of achievement, as you steer your own dog sled through the wilderness.

Today is another opportunity to enjoy the varied and exciting landscape of Spitsbergen via husky sled. 

You will be transferred to the nearby husky farm where you will meet your eager dog team, who will no doubt be barking enthusiastically and more than ready to leave for their adventure.

The guide will lead the way in their sled as you travel two per sled, following the trail of the meandering riverbed with the towering mountain as your backdrop. As you journey on you will hopefully see some of the archipelago’s wildlife including wandering reindeer, Svalbard grouse and Polar foxes.  There will be plenty of opportunities on your journey to take photos of the landscape and make a fuss of your dedicated dog team.

Once you have reached the impressively beautiful Scott Turner Glacier you will turn the sleds and set back towards the husky farm where you will enjoy some warm drinks and can get to know your dog team.

Duration: 4 hours

Visit the brewery at the top of the world, situated on the outskirts of Longyearbyen. Visionaries and founders, Robert and Anne, made their concept a reality and opened the doors of Svalbard Brewery in 2012. Ever since, their beer has been enjoyed by explorers from all over the world.

During the tour you will learn about the brewing process and of course enjoy tasters of the world’s only Arctic beer. 

Duration: 1.5 hours

Sample champagne or wine in the cellar of Funken Lodge, each drink chosen by your specialist sommelier and expertly paired with complementary canapés.

The atmosphere is intimate and you have the opportunity to ask questions and get recommendations from the sommelier, who also will be happy to share some unique stories about life on Svalbard.

Duration: 1 hour