Hiking in Svalbard

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Svalbard, please refer to Visit Svalbard website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get on this adventure:

• A professional, knowledgeable, medically-trained, wilderness guide
• Transportation to/from your accommodation
• Meals/snacks and hot drinks
• Safety equipment
• Snowshoes — if needed (depending on the itinerary)
• Helmet, headlight and crampons — if needed (depending on the itinerary)

What’s not included:

• Accommodation
• Transportation to and from Svalbard

All hikes involve steep, slippery and uneven terrain, making it perfect for intermediate to advanced hikers. However, even beginners with good physical fitness ready to hike 5-8 hours while packing a daypack with water and other things you might need can join. Keep in mind, the weather can be pretty cold and you’ll also be carrying a backpack throughout the day.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

• Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 40L bag)
• Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
• Wool or synthetic socks and liner socks
• Long underwear top — synthetic or wool
• Light fleece or wool sweater
• Wind shell — nylon or ‘Schoeller’ type jacket
• Waterproof breathable jacket
• Warm insulated jacket — down or synthetic
• Long underwear bottoms — synthetic or wool
• Waterproof breathable pants
• Warm hat — wool or synthetic
• Brimmed cap for sun protection
• Face warmer — scarf, neck tube or balaclava (optional)
• Light gloves — wool, synthetic or leather
• Insulated gloves or mitts with waterproof outer shell
• Spare gloves or mitts
• Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
• Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
• Sunglasses
• Pocket knife — optional
• Hiking poles — optional (but recommended)
• Camera — optional (but recommended)

Hiring a local guide offers you the chance to experience Svalbard’s beauty to the fullest. Local guides know all the hidden gems the area has to offer, will explain the history and geology during the hike, and will customize your day to the desires of your group. Because there is so much to see and do in Svalbard — and it gets crowded quickly — this is one location where it really pays to have a guide by your side to make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

With us, it’s all play and no work for you! 57hours is an open platform that connects you with trained and certified outdoor adventure professionals all over the world. Using our tech-savvy, we make it super easy to find and book adventures worth tackling, with guides worth booking, all gathered from the first-hand experiences of the locals who adventure in these amazing locations.

The tours listed above are not private. Pricing is per person, and cost doesn’t decrease as your group grows.

The minimum group size on these Svalbard day-hiking tours is two guests and one guide, and groups of up to 12 people can be accommodated.

If you’re traveling with a larger party, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

• Everybody over the age of 18 is welcome to book this hiking adventure.
• Minors (minimum age 12) may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis and for a discounted price. If you plan to hike with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

On Svalbard, bad weather is part of everyday life — visitors are strongly discouraged from leaving Longyearbyen without an armed escort (for polar bear safety). Before any expedition, your guides will prioritize your safety before setting out. For more details about bad weather conditions, contact your service provider. In the event weather does delay your explorations, there are plenty of activities to find in Longyearbyen.

We highly recommended that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.

As we’ve recently seen, travel plans can be abruptly halted, so it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance that covers cancelled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans. For peace of mind, we suggest you consider both options of insurance.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!

With 57hours, you benefit from both our own cancellation policy as well as that of the individual guiding service that delivers your adventure. All policies regarding cancellation will be clearly laid out by your guide after booking your adventure, but rest assured that our own cancellation policy will work on top of what is provided by your guide.

For this adventure, 57hours offers a Moderate Cancellation Policy, which states:
If Client cancels the Booking anytime prior to thirty (30) calendar days in advance of the trip contemplated by the booking, Client is entitled to a full refund. For cancellations fourteen (14) to twenty nine (29) calendar days in advance, Client is entitled to a refund in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the total amount paid when Booking. For cancellations zero (0) to thirteen (13) days in advance, the Client is not entitled to any refund.

For more information on terms and conditions, please visit our Terms of Service page.

To get to Svalbard, most people fly into Longyearbyen, the largest city on the Norwegian archipelago where your adventure begins. There are daily flights to Longyearbyen from Oslo, Norway, but we encourage you to book early. Norwegian Air flies from Oslo, while SAS arrives from Stockholm.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will arrange transportation from your accommodation. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the hiking ability of the group.