Day 1 Flight to Tromsø, explore Tromsø

Our Norwegian tour leader Thomas, who lives in Finland, welcomes us at Helsinki Airport. Our flight to Tromsø departs at 06.35. We arrive in Tromsø at. 07.25. We will take a bus from the airport to the hotel. We leave our bags and have breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we will explore Tromsø on foot. Welcome dinner together. (B+D)

Day 2 The journey continues to the Svalbard

After breakfast, take the bus to the airport. The journey continues to the Svalbard from Tromsø airport at 12.15 and we arrive in Longyearbyen at 13.55. Transfer to the Radisson Hotel. We then check in to our comfortable hotel and then have some time to explore the village and eat on your own. (B)

Day 3

at. 10.00 we take a guided tour of Longyearbyn by bus. Would it be true if dying was forbidden in your home town? The law banning death has been in force since 1950. The background is rational. The permafrost in the soil of the Svalbard prevents the buried bodies from decomposing, which can mean the spread of diseases even after death.
At the foot of the Longyeardalen mountain is a cemetery where people who died from the devastating Spanish flu, among other things, are buried. We hear other exciting stories about the opening of the graves, for research into Spanish measles in 1996, whaling graves that are still well preserved in permafrost after 400 years, and learn why you can no longer be buried in Longyearbyn.
We visit the Museum of the Svalbard Mountains, centrally located in the Svalbard Research Park. Here we will see the wonderful exhibition “Life in Light and Ice”, which has been awarded the “Museum of the Year” prize by the Council of Europe. The Svalbard Museum’s collection consists of 45 000 archaeological and cultural-historical artefacts from the discovery of Svalbard in 1596 to the present day, geological material and a photographic collection including a piece of André’s balloon cloth and clothing from whalers’ graves from the early 17th century. (B)

Day 4 Free time or extra charge and optional excursions

There are many great and interesting hiking opportunities in the Svalbard. Today we have the possibility to book excursions that match our individual interests and physical abilities exactly. Of course, in Longyearby it is possible to stay and relax and enjoy the local cafés, shops, galleries or even visit the North Pole Expedition Museum.

Note! Below is an example of optional excursions. More excursions are available and will be sent to you before the start of the trip.

1) Hike to Sarkofag, 9.oo-14.30, incl. lunch and hot drinks.
A unique sight that you will encounter when you first arrive in town, Longyearbyen, are the distinctive mountains that characterise large parts of the Svalbard. The clear layers, landslides and smooth peaks give the feeling of entering an exciting fairytale landscape, surrounded on all sides by ancient medieval castles. You are in the Arctic. What could be better than experiencing a unique Arctic landscape from the top of a mountain! Surrounded by fantastic nature on all sides, this mountain trip is well worth the effort. Crossing the glacier with an armed polar bear patrol
The trip starts from Nybyen, at the top of Longyearbyen. The route goes through the valley, over the Longyear glacier and to Sarkofag. Crossing the glacier is easy, the snowfield is stable and there is no need to use ropes. A guide walks ahead and leads the way, and – in the very unlikely event that we meet a polar bear – the guide carries a gun. Nothing to worry about!
60 million-year-old fossils The journey takes you through a moraine landscape that is more like a lunar landscape than the Norwegian mountains you are used to on the mainland. And if the landscape isn’t alien enough, you can quickly stumble across 60 million-year-old fossils. The mountains surrounding Longyearbyen and their ancient river and bog deposits can be read as ancient books if you start to study them closely. And glaciers have been eroding the bedrock for thousands of years, shifting rocks and gravel into the moraine – making the fossils visible to us.
Traffic without a trace. One of the beautiful and exciting things about Svalbard is trying to travel as untracked as possible without leaving a trail for us to follow. It’s steep and rugged terrain in parts, but we keep a leisurely pace on the way up so everyone can keep up. Remember to look out for wildlife on our way. There is a good chance of seeing the famous Svalbard raven, which is a slightly stronger variety than the mainland raven. With no significant natural enemies, the Svalbard ptarmigan is a somewhat shy bird.
Practical information:
The trip is partly over steep and rugged terrain and is relatively demanding. You need to be in generally good physical condition to participate, and it is an advantage if you are used to hiking in the mountains. Mountain boots are essential and gaiters can be an advantage as there can often be both snow and slush on the glacier. If necessary, snowshoes will be used.

2) ATV safari, 08.00 – 11.30 or 13.00 – 16.30.
We drive to Adventdalen on four-wheel drive ATVs in the classic Svalbard landscape of deep valley bottoms and high mountains. In summer it is not uncommon to see both Svalbard reindeer and mountain fox on this trip.We drive from Longyearbyn to the valley and along the way the guide will tell you about the interesting cultural and historical sites and the beautiful nature around us. The tour continues at Breinosa Mountain and the active coal mine at Mine 7. Here we stop to enjoy the spectacular views from the Advent Valley towards the mighty Icefjord. If we have time, we can stop at one of the valley’s traditional dog farms.

3) Dogs and the sea – along the Arctic coast with a dog team and a cart, from 09.30 or 15.30.
We pick you up from the hotel and drive to the kennel where the dogs are waiting for us. Here the dogs will be put in the dog carts. You will have the opportunity to assist the guide in harnessing 12-14 dogs and pulling the trolley on a leash. Once all the dogs are excited, we start our journey along the Arctic coast towards Bjørndalen.Keep your eyes open, there is a lot of life and movement here! On the way there is a chance to see reindeer, ice foxes, rays, seals and maybe walruses and whales. The birdlife is well represented with species such as the alkeking, red-necked duck and crow.
On the way we will get out of town. After about an hour and a half of dog sledding, we drive to our dog farm. Here we can greet the pups, enjoy tea and coffee in a cosy log cabin. The whole trip takes about 3 hours, including transfers to and from hotels. Please dress in good, warm clothes for outdoor activities, but let us know in advance if you need to borrow a jumpsuit!
We run our outings in small groups of up to 8 people and always with the guide’s own dogs.
Duration. The actual car trip takes about 1 hour depending on weather and wind. Our guides are all highly professional and passionate about their work with dogs. They are certified and participate in the annual SGO (Svalbard Guide Training) course.

Important information:
– Please note that the guide will START picking up guests from the hotels at 9.30 / 15.30.
– Number of participants: minimum 1 person, maximum 6
– Remember: windproof clothing is not included on this trip, but please let us know at least the day before the trip if you need to borrow a jumpsuit!
– On all trips, at all times, an experienced, armed guide will protect you from polar bears. For Green Dog, safety is a top priority. (B)

Day 5 Boat trip to the Pyramids, Nordenskiöldbreen Glacier

At 08.30. we depart MS Polargirl from Adventfjorden towards Pyramiden. The town was evacuated in 1998, but a small group of people are working to maintain and secure the town, once the pride of the Russians in the Arctic. The people who lived here thought it was like paradise, and everything was arranged for people to prosper. With a guide, we will take a tour. After the tour, we return to the boat where a delicious lunch on the boat’s stern deck, prepared by the ship’s chef, awaits. From there we continue our journey to Nordenskiöldbreen, an ice shelf with its beautiful colours. We get to see Skansbukta and Diabase bird mountain before returning back to Longyearbyen.
Before the boat trip. We arrive at the harbour at about 18.30 where we walk together to the hotel. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner together. (B+L+D)

Day 6

Breakfast and check-out from the hotel at 11.00 am. There is still time in the morning to do some last minute shopping before departure.
At 11.30 a.m. transfer from the hotel to the airport. Our flight departs at 12.55 and arrives in Tromsø at 14.30 (Norwegian). From Tromsø we have a Finnar direct flight to Helsinki at. 18.50 – 22.40. (B)

Note ! We reserve the right to make changes to the itineraries/prices !