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Svalbard

An Arctic archipelago halfway between northern Norway and the North Pole, with the midnight sun for months and polar bears outside the towns.

Houses of Longyearbyen lit at night below snowy hills
Houses of Longyearbyen lit at night below snowy hills. Photo by Himmel S on Unsplash.

Svalbard spans roughly 74 to 81 degrees north, about midway between northern mainland Norway and the North Pole. Longyearbyen, at about 78 degrees 13 minutes north, is the administrative centre and the seat of the Governor, with about 2,500 people. Wikipedia describes it as the second-northernmost town in the world. The Global Seed Vault is near Longyearbyen.

Highlights

What to see and do

Longyearbyen

Named after the American John Munro Longyear, with coal mining from 1906. The last Norwegian coal mine, Mine 7, closed on 30 June 2025. Svalbard Airport is about 5 km from town.

Polar bear safety

The Governor of Svalbard says anyone travelling outside the settlements must have a means of scaring off polar bears, and recommends carrying a firearm. Loaded firearms are forbidden in the Longyearbyen settlement area.

The Svalbard Treaty

Signed on 9 February 1920.

When to go

Wikipedia gives Longyearbyen's midnight sun as 18 April to 24 August and its polar night as 27 October to 15 February, with the sun not visible in town until about 8 March. Visit Norway's table gives the midnight sun as 20 April to 22 August. The dates differ slightly between sources, so treat them as approximate.

Getting there

Wikipedia says SAS flies daily to Svalbard Airport from Oslo and from Tromsø.

Good to know

A few facts

Keep planning

Nearby and related

Questions

Quick answers

Do I need a guide in Svalbard?

The Governor of Svalbard says anyone travelling outside the settlements must have a means of scaring off polar bears, and recommends carrying a firearm. Read the Governor's rules before you go.

When is the midnight sun in Svalbard?

About 20 April to 22 August according to Visit Norway.

How do I get to Svalbard?

SAS flies from Oslo and Tromsø to Svalbard Airport, according to Wikipedia.

Sources

Facts on this site come from Visit Norway, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, UNESCO, gov.uk and the operators named, each listed at the foot of the page. Check dates, prices and entry rules with the provider before you book.