Altai Norway requires a minimum of three people per date to guarantee each departure. To redeem your voucher, simply reach out to Altai Norway as instructed in your confirmation email, and be sure to provide your order number.

Voucher valid only for travel dates that fall within start and end dates shown above. Generally departures are available multiple times per month starting on Mondays during the trekking season. Your desired date must be requested at least 30 days prior to departure in order to coordinate the logistics of your trip. Please wait for confirmation from Altai Norway before making your travel arrangements.

Please note there is a five person minimum for this trip to run. Please wait to make travel arrangements until you receive booking confirmation from Altai Svalbard.

Yes, we have private departures available on this trip! Private departures offer more flexibility to travel when it suits your group. Additional costs may apply depending on your group size. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and check on availability.

To get to Svalbard you need to fly to Longyearbyen Airport. Usually you'll need to first fly to Oslo and then catch a smaller airplane to Svalbard. Once you arrive, a tour representative will greet you at the airport and escort you to your accommodation in the city.

You'll be staying in comfortable guesthouse accommodations with double rooms or dormitories of 2, 3 or 4 beds. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared, and hot showers and heating are available. In Pyramiden accommodations are based on double occupancy and you'll stay two nights in a comfortable hotel complete with Wi-Fi and a lounge/bar area.

Single rooms are available on request and subject to availability. The single supplement fee starts at $440. Please contact our Travel Services Team for more information.

Each group has a maximum of 12 people.

All meals are included except for the final evening meal in Longyearbyen. Your group may eat all together in a local restaurant and there are shops and kitchen facilities available as well. Your guides are always available with lots of recommendations!

Despite the lack of available fresh fruits and vegetables in the Arctic regions, you can expect varied, fresh and delicious food. Meals are based on a selection of local products and you'll have the opportunity to try several local delicacies. Each day will start with a cold breakfast accompanied by plenty of tea and coffee or hot chocolate. Then you'll prepare your own picnic lunch for the day from a buffet-style array of options. Evening meals are bountiful and include three courses, soup, a hot dish and a dessert.

Your help in the kitchen is expected and much appreciated, particularly in the evenings. Normally the whole group works as a team to cook dinner and this creates a pleasant atmosphere as you reflect on the days adventures together.

Please let Altai Svalbard know about any dietary requirements when you book the trip and they will work with you to cater to your needs.

A note on alcohol:
Alcohol is heavily taxed and expensive in Scandinavia. If you wish to enjoy an aperitif with your group in the evenings, the operator recommends purchasing duty-free products at the airport.

You should budget for one meal (around 300 Norwegian Krone or $35 USD) plus entry fees for museums in Longyearbyen, as well as tips and souvenirs or other personal expenses.

The following is a suggested packing list:
- Quality hiking boots (with sturdy soles and ankle support)
- Slippers for the evenings
- Thick socks for hiking
- A waterproof jacket (the best jackets against Northern weather are windproof, waterproof and breathable with sealed seams)
- A warm jacket (a synthetic down jacket is ideal) for lunch breaks and evening Northern Lights outings
- A warm jumper (fast drying fleece or warm when wet wool is ideal)
- Thermal long johns and long-sleeved tops
- Waterproof pants
- Pajamas
- Gloves, a hat and buff, or suitable scarf
- A bathing suit and travel towel for saunas

You may also consider packing:
- Evening outfits
- Extra gloves/overgloves
- An extra jumper/fleece jacket
- Wet wipes
- Blister plasters
- A suitable camera
- Plastic bags for wet/dirty clothing
- Tissues

Advice for keeping warm:
Your guides highly recommend that you do not wear cotton clothing, including underwear, when participating in activities. When cotton gets wet from water or sweat it ceases to insulate and it does not dry fast. The best materials for outdoor activities are fast drying materials like polyester or materials which are warm when wet like wool. The most powerful materials against the wind and rain are breathable waterproof fabrics like Gore-Tex or Nikwax.

Please think carefully about what clothes you bring, as it can be cold and wet in Svalbard.
Altai Svalbard recommends:
- No cotton
- Bring dry spares of everything, even underwear and gloves
- Wear multiple layers including (a warm breathable base layer, a second thermal layer, a wind and waterproof protective outer layer). Altai Svalbard provides an additional quality jacket and over trousers.

There are more polar bears than people in Svalbard but Altai Svalbard does not guarantee sightings. In fact, local ethics are against actively seeking to find these majestic but dangerous animals. Trips in Svalbard focus on immersion in nature and enjoyment of this stunning location at the end of the world. You'll certainly hear tales of encounters with these white giants and perhaps even see their huge footsteps in the mud but you may not get to see an actual polar bear. Please be aware that your guide will carry flare guns and weapons to defend against polar bears should a dangerous situation arise and you'll be asked to follow certain safety procedures.

Your guides are very experienced. If you follow their example and respect their requests, you have no reason not to be safe in the Spitsbergen wilderness. When you arrive, your guide will explain safety rules which must be followed here in the land of polar bears. You'll be asked not to stray out of sight of the group and to organize camp in a particular way. For each group the guide will carry a VHF radio, a sarsat beacon and a large caliber weapon.

Ringed seals, bearded seals, Arctic foxes, Svalbard reindeer, ptarmigan, thick-billed guillemot, black guillemot, puffins, dovekies (little Auks), fulmarine petrels, Arctic jaeger, large skua, Arctic tern, broad-billed phalarope, purple sandpipers, eider, barnacle geese, brant geese, black-legged kittiwake, glaucous gulls, seagulls and beluga whales. You may also see polar bears, walrus, minke whales and ivory gulls, particularly if you are in the north of Spitsbergen.

We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance for all trips. Travel insurance allows you to seek reimbursement if you are forced to cancel your trip for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to cover medical help, emergency transport, and/or theft or accidental damage while traveling. For travel insurance, we recommend VisitorsCoverage as a provider.

We recommend you visit the local government websites where you plan to travel and review the required documentation for entry, current restrictions, and general recommendations for travel within the area. We encourage you to also visit your home country's embassy website if you are traveling to a foreign country. Requirements can change rapidly. Please be sure you stay abreast of the requirements and restrictions for anywhere you plan to visit. You can also enroll in the U.S. government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and you will be sent updates if the situation in your destination changes. You can find the program link at https://step.state.gov/.

Book confidently with Free Cancellations within 72 hours of booking. After 72 hours, cancellation fees will apply. For more information on our Travel Cancellation Policy please Click Here.