The Most Epic Arctic Adventure. Svalbard During the Midnight sun.

After meeting at the airport we will meet the rest of the group and board our indirect flight to Svalbard.

Upon arrival we will take our private transfer to our hotel, Mary-Ann’s PolarRigg where we will be staying for the next 5 nights on a twin share  basis. An unprecedented cosy hotel experience. Located 78° North, on the island of Spitsbergen, comfortable rooms and exceptional local cuisine await our visit.

Created in 1999 by Mary-Ann Dahle (1948-2020), the hotel was transformed from its previous life as miners barracks carefully and lovingly into what we have today. Over the past 20 years, Mary-Ann has been growing and updating each building with new ideas to make sure guests have a special experience while visiting Svalbard. Many items throughout the hotel are from the old coal mines in the area including the red miner’s bus which stands outside the bar area.

Set in the Skjæringa area of Longyearbyen, ( the world’s northernmost town) Mary-Ann’s Polarrigg is built with old rigs. Central Longyearbyen is between 6-8 minutes walk away.

The on-site restaurant Vinterhagen Restaurant serves Arctic-inspired dishes. Drinks can be enjoyed at Peisen Bar. Breakfast is served each morning at the Shang Po-lar dining room.

Relaxation options include a common dining area and TV room. WiFi access is available throughout the property. We also have The Game Room, complete with a pool table, table football, darts and a bar, a laid-back space to enjoy music and games in a great atmosphere.

There is a supplement of £180 for the 5 nights if you would like a room to yourself. Please let us know if you would when you RSVP. Please note that all of the rooms have shared bathroom facilities and the single rooms have a single bed.

The Travel Buddies trips work on the basis that as long as you are having a good time then that is what matters, if you don’t feel like coming on one of the excursions or joining the rest of the group for dinner one evening then that is absolutely fine. This is an adventure for everyone and there is nothing worse than having to go somewhere/do something that you don’t really fancy!

Feel free to do as much or as little research as you like, some members will know what they would like to visit as soon as they book the trip, Others will just turn up at the airport and have not researched at all. Either is absolutely fine. We all have different ideas as to what constitutes a great time away!  

After a little time to settle in and perhaps a walk into the town of Longyearbyen to start exploring we will  take the short walk to town to a local restaurant for dinner.

09.00 -13.00 Husky Sledding Experience and Meet the Huskies

In pairs, We will take turns mushing (driving a dog sledge team) a team of 5-6 dogs. Two guests will be sitting in the guide sledge, riding with 10-12 dogs. We will be picked up at our accommodation and taken to the kennels, right next to the snowmobile-free area in Bolterdalen, 12 kilometres outside Longyearbyen. Here we’ll be dressed up with a suit, boots, hat and mittens.

Then you will meet the dogs and our guide will give you a thorough briefing about dogsledding, before we start putting harnesses on the dogs. At this point there will be plenty of activity in the kennel as all of the dogs will want to come on the trip. You may take part in the harnessing of the dogs if you want to.

Throughout the day we will begin to be able to tell the difference between the dogs in our team and to get to know their personalities. We will experience the dynamics of the dog-sledge team and will most likely be surprised to see that dogs as tough as these can be so kind and adoring. This trip does not require any previous experience with dogsledding.

The trip goes through beautiful Bolterdalen, which offers unique arctic scenery and good chances of observing arctic wildlife, such as reindeer and ptarmigan. Back at the kennel we’ll serve some coffee, tea, and even some cognac if someone wants that – together with some waffles, and we’ll show you our latest generation of small puppies.

We sled for around 1,5 hours, depending on conditions. We normally go in small groups with maximum 6 guests and always with the guides own dogs, to give you the best and more personal experience.

Our tours are run with small groups of maximum 6 guests per tour, and always with the guides’ own dogs.

Included:

• Pick up/drop off at our hotel in Longyearbyen.
• Suits, boots, gloves, hats, neck gaiters, goggles.You need to wear a warm inner layer and extra socks.
• Coffee, tea, brandy, biscuits are served in our heated log cabin after the trip and you get to meet the youngest puppy generation.

Afternoon Tour. 3 Hours Longyearbyen Panorama Snowcat Safari into the Mountains.

On this afternoon tour, we head out into the wilderness with a snowcat. The tour is not physically demanding.

The snowcat will be impossible to miss when it arrives to pick us up. However, as soon as we have exchanged the town for the wilderness, the vehicle will seem very small and the wilderness very big.

The goal of the tour is the excellent viewpoint “Linken”, on the mountain side of Hiorthfjellet (the ‘Hiorth Mountain’). That is the big mountain you can see if you look over the fjord from Longyearbyen.

Our first stop will however be at the famous polar bear sign, at the town limit. Here we take some photos, as well as getting reminded that we are visitors in the realm of the polar bear.

From here we cross Adventdalen (the ‘Advent Valley’), heading towards Hiorthhamn. This was one of the first Norwegian mining towns on Svalbard. Just as we reach the remains of this old town, we will turn north, and our guide will start navigating the snowcat up the mountain.

Once we arrive at the viewpoint, Linken, we will take a break and enjoy the gorgeous views over Longyearbyen.The guide will explain what we see, tell stories and answer questions while serving some hot drinks. Then, it is time to step into the snowcat again, and head back to civilization.

Included:

• Transfer to/from the hotel

For those amongst us that have any energy after all of that we can take dinner in town, or perhaps relax and eat at the hotel.

Day Tour – Wildlife and glacier with a catamaran boat (7 hours)

The conditions on Svalbard change a lot throughout the year, and a trip under the midnight sun in May is the perfect time for a completely unique experience in beautiful Svalbard nature. Early in the season, parts of the Billefjord may still be covered in ice. By the use of only the electric motor, we will silently follow the ice edge where the opportunity to see wildlife is great!

Here we will also enjoy the mesmerizing glacier front of Nordenskiöldbreen, the ghost town Pyramiden from a distance, and drive by the bay Skansbukta.

The catamaran’s hybrid-electric engine and specially designed propellers minimize the noise and vibration. This not only takes you closer to nature; More importantly, the surrounding wildlife is less disturbed by our presence.

A more sustainable boat tour

MS Bard is a new and groundbreaking catamaran for day cruises, specially built to leave the smallest footprint possible in the vulnerable Arctic nature. When we approach glaciers, wildlife or settlements, it will run silently on electric propulsion. At higher speeds we use a hybrid solution, where we run both an electric motor and diesel engine at the same time. In that way, we get the speed up whilst reducing the diesel consumption.

The boat has a contemporary, Norwegian design that contributes to the serene experience on board. You are free to move on several outdoor decks or enjoy the views from inside, through massive panoramic windows. Comfortable lounges are available outside as well as indoors. On board you will find a café and bar with a diverse selection of snacks and drinks.

Included:

• Transfer to/from the harbour in Longyearbyen

• Boat trip with guides on board
• A light dish: Vegetarian lentil soup
• All necessary safety equipment

Free afternoon to explore longyearbyen on foot (a few minutes walk from the hotel) , perhaps  visit the beautiful community church or enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in the “Husky Cafe”, there is a supermarket very locally in the town and lots of lovely souvenir shops to explore as well as 2 museums and a lovely art gallery.

Svalbard Museum: The museum presents cultural history and nature within a variety of themes related to Svalbard. The exhibitions are beautiful, atmospheric and consist of both photos, text, models and recreated environments. Entrance is approx £11

North Pole expedition Museum. The museum tells the stories about expeditions to the North Pole, mainly with airships but also with skis, dog sledges and boats.

The museum is on two floors and it exhibits old documents, newspapers, pictures, original expeditions, movies, historical artifacts, letters and more. The exhibition makes visible the explorers’ effort to reach the North Pole and mysterious frozen horizons, driven by curiosity, personal ambitions  and scientific research. Entrance is approx £10

Dinner locally.

This morning we will  join a guided tour of Mine 3 where machines and equipment still remain from when the first coal mine in Svalbard mine was shut down in 1996. This mine is located just outside of the town and had a low working height of no more than 60-90cm, which meant that old-fashioned methods had to be applied to extract the coal.

Venture into the mountains, experience the unique atmosphere as you shine your way through the mining tunnels, and get a first-hand feel for Svalbard’s industrial history!

Included:

• Transfer to/from the hotel.
• Torches.
• Helmets.
• Coal miners overall for protection if you would like to have the true experience of exactly how the coal miners had to work in such a small space.

Evening Tour 4 hours.  Walrus Sarari to Borebukta with Hybrid boat

We start the tour by crossing the majestic Ice Fjord with our brand-new closed hybrid boat «Kvitbjørn». This 14.9-meter-long boat is very comfortable, with a modern design and innovative hybrid engine. After approximately one hour we will  find ourselves in Borebukta. Here it is usually nice and quiet, and the sea is calm. In Borebukta, we will use the electric motor to get a completely silent propulsion. This gives us the unique opportunity to experience wildlife  with minimum disturbance.

Walruses can be seen all year round on Svalbard. They often rest on ice floes, but during the summer and autumn you can also see walrus colonies relaxing on beaches and small islets. They tend to stick to specific locations where access to food and resting places are conveniently combined. Walruses are extremely social animals and usually appear in groups. After hunting for food in the sea, they pull up on land or ice floes to rest together with the herd. Here they like to lie close together – or even on top of each other!

Today we have a free day with no planned activities.

You may like to take a snowmobile safari for the day for an additional cost of approx £175. We will be in touch nearer the time with information regarding this. You will need to bring your physical driving licence to be able to take part in this activity.

There are also a variety of other tours that you may wish to book such as taking a hike to the Ice cave, taking a visit to see the global seed vault or a variety of other nature tours.

We will take our private transfer to the airport early this morning for our flight home.