Snowmobile Safari to East Coast - Three days

© Giancarlo Gallinoro, Martin Fiala

Difficulty level 4 out of 5

Minimum 3 (out of 6) participants

• February to April
• At 08:30am
• 3 days
• 18 years

Important: Driver requires a valid driver's license or driving permit (car, motorcycle or snowmobile).

No experience of snowmobiling is required - the guide will provide the individual with training and guidance.

We have insurance on the scooter with a deductible of NOK 6,000. 

If other insurance is preferred, the individual must arrange this with their insurance company before arrival.

Extra information: Wit only 2 participants, there will be an additional fare of NOK3000 per person. 

Price includes:

• Transport round trip
• Food and drink
• Snowmobile with petrol
• Snowmobile clothing: Suit, shoes, gloves, helmet, snow goggles and face mask, headlamp
• Experienced guide with necessary safety equipment
• Search and rescue insurance
• Accommodation in the field

Recommended/required to bring:

• Good and warm woolen base layers, or equivalent wool
• Valid driver's license for car, motorcycle or snowmobile
• A pair of thin mittens/mitts to wear under big mittens
• Our snowmobiles do not have storage rooms/boxes, so we recommend a small backpack for camera, extra clothes etc.
• Extra packed lunch if needed
• Sleeping bag*

*NOK 600 sleeping bag rental

After booking confirmation, you will receive our complete recommended packing list for this expedition.

Larger luggage can be stored in our warehouse or in your accommodation's luggage room.

Extra clothing and equipment: Arctica

The arctic winter landscape and wildlife have always had a magical attraction for humans. With its 61,000 square kilometers, Svalbard offers enormous areas of untouched arctic nature.

Here it is the arctic fox, the Svalbard reindeer, the seals and the polar bear that rule. If we as humans are to get a taste of this arctic wilderness, snowmobiles and sufficient time will be of great help.

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During the three days our Wildlife Safari lasts, we will have enough time to get the feeling of being part of this magnificent arctic nature. We will also have good opportunities to experience polar bear country on the East coast of the island of Spitsbergen.

Our experienced and locally known guides will arrange for this to be an experience of a lifetime. Both through the dissemination of local history, nature experiences and not least the Arctic wildlife.

Accommodation is done in the trapper's way - cramped but pleasant, in our cabin (11m2) in the heart of Fulmardalen, 25 km from the East Coast.

The Fulmar Cabin

The overnight stays will be in a “trapper-style” cabin, the type you may find dotted around Spitsbergen and which have ben used by hunters and trappers in generations. Our Trapper's Cabin is a newer mobile version, however it is built in the very same style as an authentic Trapper's Cabin.

The cabin is located far off the beaten track, away from mobile coverage, but still strategically very close to the East Coast of Svalbard where you can visit glacier fronts and there are most chances of seeing wildlife.

This is a unique experience, and you will also be awarded with a deeper understanding of the Arctic silence we’re talking about. The only other way to experience this is by sleeping in a tent as there are no other commercial cabins in this area.

In the cabin you will live closely with each other, but you will have all amendments. The cabin has a stove that will keep you warm during the day and night; you will sleep tucked into you sleeping bags on comfortable mattresses covered with warming sheep-skin. The guide will prepare hearty breakfasts and dinners in the inside kitchen, which you will be served sitting around the table while watching the great, open landscape of untouched wilderness just outside the window.

Day 1:

After breakfast time, at 09:30 am, you will be picked up by the guide at your choice of accommodation and brought to our storage for a briefing. This gives you the opportunity to get to know the other participants as we prepare and pack for our trip.

We will brief you on the planned route and give you an update on the weather forecast. Equipment and luggage are strapped to the sledges, and we will equip you with solid and warm snowmobile suits. We estimate to start our journey from Longyearbyen at 11 am.

Today’s journey will bring us through Adventdalen and Sassendalen. In a smaller valley parallell to Sassendalen, we will find our «trappers’ cabin”. After a short stop at the cabin, we will head towards the East Coast.

Day 2:

We will drive North-East along the shoreline of Storfjorden. This is a landscape the polar bear appreciates, and occasionally we will stop to scout into the distance for polar bears and seals.

We estimate spending the whole day outside, allowing time to let the impressions sink in. We will return to the cabin on the same track we drove on in the morning, looking towards the magnificent glaciers further North. Distance of driving is about 100 – 140 km.

Day 3:

Our last day in the Arctic wilderness will offer yet another chance to visit the East Coast along a different route than the previous days. On the return back to Longyearbyen, we can choose to travel by the former mining settlement of Svea or the West Coast. Estimated arrival in Longyearbyen is 17:00(pm). Distance: approx. 90-140 km.

The day-to-day schedule of the trip may vary somewhat based on the tour description above. Weather and wind can mean that you choose to drive longer or shorter daily stages than what is outlined for the individual days. There are good opportunities to see polar bears on the trip, but we cannot make any guarantees. The guide will at any time consider adapting the route to the conditions.