Last updated: 4 November 2026

You can reach Svalbard by sea on Hurtigruten’s Svalbard Line from Bergen, or join an expedition ship in Longyearbyen. The archipelago lies about 1,300 km from the North Pole, and most visitors fly in from Oslo or Tromsø. For travellers who want the voyage itself, a week-long sailing up the Norwegian coast and across the Barents Sea is the classic way, and since 2025 strict new rules decide where ships can go.

Option 1: the Svalbard Line from Bergen

Hurtigruten’s Svalbard Line turns the old coastal route into a one-way Arctic voyage. Northbound, it sails from Bergen through the fjords, calls at Tromsø and the North Cape, passes the cliffs of Bjørnøya (Bear Island) and ends in Longyearbyen. Southbound, it starts in Longyearbyen and visits the research settlement of Ny-Ålesund at 78°N before heading back down the coast.

The fare is all-inclusive for meals and selected drinks; excursions cost extra. Wi-Fi is limited on the Barents Sea crossing, and around Ny-Ålesund all radio and phone signals are switched off for the research station.

Watch: an expedition cruise around Svalbard

Option 2: an expedition cruise around the islands

Expedition ships use Longyearbyen as their base, and most guests fly in from Oslo. Voyages go in search of polar bears, walrus, reindeer and Arctic foxes, with Zodiac landings and kayak trips. HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) runs the MS Spitsbergen and MS Fram, with 9-day spring and summer trips from about US$7,200 and full circumnavigations of 11–16 days from roughly US$12,000 to over US$20,000.

The 2025 rules every ship must follow

Svalbard welcomed 506 cruise calls and about 67,000 cruise passengers to Longyearbyen in 2024, double the number of 15 years earlier. To protect wildlife, Norway amended the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act from 1 January 2025.

• Ships with more than 200 passengers may not enter protected areas, which cover 65% of the land
• Landings in protected areas only at 43 designated sites, down from around 240
• At some sites only 39 people may be ashore at once
• Boats must stay at least 300 metres from polar bears; drones are banned in protected areas
• Breaking fast ice is banned, except to keep Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund supplied
• Heavy fuel oil is banned, so big cruise ships stay near the settlements

In practice this means choosing a small expedition ship if you want landings in the wilderness.

Watch: circumnavigating Svalbard on MS Spitsbergen

Option 3: winter by land and sea

From December 2026 to March 2027, Hurtigruten sells a six-day winter trip combining two days in Longyearbyen with a flight to Tromsø and a three-day coastal voyage to Kirkenes, from £1,655 per person. It is the easiest way to pair Svalbard’s polar night with a ship journey and the northern lights.

Before or after your voyage: Longyearbyen

Most Svalbard trips begin or end in Longyearbyen, home to around 2,500 people and the world’s northernmost town of its size. Plan at least a day there.

• Svalbard Museum: whaling, trapping and mining history
• Global Seed Vault: you can see the entrance from the road, though the vault is closed to visitors
• Mine 3: guided tours of a former coal mine
• Dog sledding and glacier hikes: always with an armed guide outside town
• North Pole Expedition Museum: the story of Arctic airship flights

Best time to go

Tips before you go

1. Choose a small ship if landings matter to you: 200 guests or fewer.
2. Pack layers and waterproofs: summer averages are only around 5°C.
3. Don’t walk outside Longyearbyen alone: polar bear rules require an armed guide.
4. Book a year ahead for July and August.
5. Check your insurance covers polar regions and evacuation; see our insurance guide.

Preguntas frecuentes

Sources: Hurtigruten Svalbard Line and HX expedition prices, 2026–27; Svalbard Environmental Protection Act amendments in force 1 January 2025 (reported by Travel Weekly, Adventure.com, Discover the World); Hurtigruten winter itinerary announcement, August 2026. Checked November 2026.