PROGRAM IN DETAIL

DAY 1     Arrival, sightseeing, northern-light-excursion 

Welcome to Longyearbyen!
On arrival, I (Marcel Schütz) welcome you at the airport and accompany you to your accommodation, the private Polar Bear Lodge, in the centre of Longyearbyen.

After lunch, you will get to know the diversity of the northernmost city in the world on a detailed sightseeing-tour. Feel the special atmosphere of this extraordinary settlement and enjoy a guided tour in the local museum. In the evening, after a good dinner, I will be ready with a van to spontaneously take you out of the settlement as soon as there are any signs for northern lights. Outside the lights of town, you get a better view of the dancing lights in the sky. Overnight in the Polar Bear Lodge in Longyearbyen.

DAY 2     Snowshoe hike to a beautiful ice-cave

Our highlight today is a snowshoe hike up on a glacier. I decide on a daily basis, depending on snow and weather conditions, which route to take. If the conditions allow, we visit an ice cave along the way and go deep down into a bizarre world of ice and sparkling crystals in the heart of the glacier. Back on the surface, we enjoy the view on Longyearbyen with hot drinks and a small lunch before slowly heading back to town. Dinner and overnight in Longyearbyen.

DAY 3     Dogsledding through the polar night

We spend the day with our four-legged friends, the huskies. We get to know the life of the mushers and go out into Adventdalen on dog sleds. Dog feeding and petting included for all who want to. Lunch in the field, dinner in Longyearbyen and overnight in the Polar Bear Lodge.

DAY 4     Snowscooter-expedition Longyearbyen – Barentsburg

We start after a good breakfast, equipped with Arctic thermo-suits, boots, mittens and all other gear to stay warm and comfortable, on to our first trip into the nature. We pack our bags and our photo equipment and after a detailed instruction on how drive your snowmobile, we head out. Depending on the weather and snow conditions, we drive far out into the wilderness, always on the lookout for the best photo stops, wildlife and sceneries. After lunch and some hot drinks, we arrive in Barentsburg, the still active Russian mining town. After arrival, we check in to our hotel and enjoy the great Russian hospitality. Before dinner, we have time to explore Barentsburg on an interesting sightseeing tour through the settlement. Overnight stay in the hotel in Barentsburg.

DAY 5     Barentsburg – west coast – Longyearbyen

After a rich Russian breakfast, we head out again with our snowscooters and photo equipment. We spend another full day on the beautiful west coast of Svalbard and focus on landscape photography, exposure time settings and amazing light conditions. After lunch and hot drinks, we slowly return to Longyearbyen. Dinner and overnight in Longyearbyen.

DAY 6     Snowscooter-safari to the east coast of Spitsbergen

Another day, many more highlights! Today we head east to a very big glacier system in central Spitsbergen. We drive trough valleys, blue ice formations, moraine landscapes and then over the snow-covered glacier plateau to „Mohnbukta“ on the east coast of Svalbard. We are greeted by one of the most impressive glacier fronts and lots of pack-ice as far as the eye can see. Who knows? Maybe the king of the arctic- the polar bear awaits us. Lunch in the field and back to Longyearbyen in the evening. Farewell – gala dinner in the Roald Amundsen restaurant in Longyearbyen and overnight in the Polar Bear Lodge.

DAY 7     Travel-day back home

After breakfast there will be time for your own leisure in Longyearbyen. Depending on your flight schedule, I will offer a private transfer to the airport and wave goodbye. Flight back home.