Spitsbergen Travel

Longyearbyen is located at 78° North—one of the northernmost permanently inhabited cities on Earth. The archipelago belongs to Norway, but the rules of everyday life hardly apply here: About 65% of Svalbard’s land area is protected, and outside the settlements, special safety rules are in place to protect against polar bears. To the east and northeast of Spitsbergen lies the Barents Sea; to the north, the Arctic Ocean; and to the west, the Greenland Sea and the European North Sea. It is a destination for people who want to see the world in a different light—rougher, quieter, more pristine.

Inventia’s expeditions to Spitsbergen are not your typical cruises. They are journeys aboard small ships, led by experienced guides, with itineraries that adapt to ice conditions, weather, and wildlife sightings—not a fixed schedule. Whether you’re traveling to the High Arctic for the first time or are already familiar with the polar climate, Spitsbergen reveals itself differently to everyone.

The highlights of our Svalbard trips at a glance:

• Small expedition ships carrying around 12 to 70 passengers—for impromptu shore excursions, flexible itineraries, and up-close wildlife viewing
• Travel from the Arctic spring through to fall —depending on the season, enjoy the midnight sun, wildlife, pack ice, or the Northern Lights
• Polar bears, walruses, whales —Svalbard is one of the most famous wildlife viewing destinations in the Arctic
• Expeditions for every travel style —from compact short expeditions to a round-trip tour of Spitsbergen or a 15-day combined itinerary to Northeast Greenland and Iceland
• inventia provides personalized consultation in German —with a curated selection of the world’s best expedition tours

Small ships, flexible routes – why that makes all the difference here

On a ship carrying 200 passengers, you see Spitsbergen from a distance. On an expedition ship with 12, 20, or 30 guests, you land right in front of it. This isn’t a marketing promise, but a matter of physics: Small ships can get closer to glaciers, anchor in bays that are off-limits to large ships, and turn around within minutes if a polar bear appears on the shore.

Many coastal regions are accessible only by small boats or Zodiacs—secluded coves that remain inaccessible to larger vessels. Itineraries and daily schedules are determined by what the Arctic has to offer—not by what’s in the brochure. This makes every trip unique, and that’s exactly what makes them indispensable for anyone seeking true wilderness rather than a structured itinerary.

Inventia’s fleet ranges from the MS Quest, which accommodates 22 passengers, to the MS Stockholm and the Aqua Lares, an ice-class superyacht designed for expeditions in Arctic waters. All expedition teams have international experience, and the language on board is usually English—that’s simply the nature of these trips. German-language consultation, selecting the right route, and preparing you for what to expect: inventia takes care of all that before departure.

Svalbard in the Summer: Midnight Sun and Wildlife

Spitsbergen is particularly easy to explore from spring through late summer. The midnight sun defines the travel season from late April through late August—in midsummer, the sun shines 24 hours a day. While this may sound abstract at first, it fundamentally changes the travel experience: Zodiac excursions at midnight, glacier trekking without time constraints, and wildlife viewing in the golden light at 2 a.m.

The wildlife is at its peak during this season. Walruses bask on the ice floes, puffins and kittiwakes nest in large colonies on the cliffs, and humpback whales migrate through the fjords. Reindeer and arctic foxes roam the tundra, and seals are hardly disturbed by passing ships. Those who visit Svalbard in the summer experience the Arctic summer in all its intensity—short, intense, and unforgettable.

Polar bears on Spitsbergen

Svalbard is one of the world’s most famous regions for observing polar bears in the wild. The Barents Sea region surrounding the archipelago is home to an estimated 3,000 polar bears—one of the largest populations in the Arctic. In summer, they can often be seen along the coast or on drift ice; in spring, they are particularly easy to spot on the pack ice in the northeast. An expedition ship with an experienced guide is one of the safest and most responsible ways to encounter them. In Svalbard, there are legal minimum distances to polar bears: 500 meters until June 30, and 300 meters starting July 1—landings and observations take place exclusively under the supervision of experienced guides.

The best time of year to see polar bears on Spitsbergen depends on what you want to experience: polar bears in the pack ice under the low winter sun—spring. Polar bears on the coast with the midnight sun in the background—midsummer. Both are possible on Spitsbergen, and both are extraordinary.

Svalbard in the Spring: Pack Ice and Winter Landscape

In the spring, Svalbard shows its most Arctic side. Sea ice around the archipelago usually reaches its annual peak in March; many fjords are still frozen over, and the landscape seems quieter and rougher than in the summer.

Some of Inventia’s trips focus specifically on this phase of the season: snow-covered landscapes, snowshoe hikes across frozen bays, and expeditions along the pack ice. The chances of spotting polar bears are also considered particularly good in the spring, as many of the animals are still on the sea ice.

Excursions and Activities on Spitsbergen

Svalbard isn't a destination for sightseeing, but for getting involved. What that means depends on the trip:

• Kayak expeditions among drift ice and glacier fronts—gliding silently through landscapes undisturbed by the sound of engines
• Snowshoe hikes across the Arctic tundra and glaciers, sometimes extending to the edge of the pack ice
• Land-based wildlife viewing – guided shore excursions to walrus colonies, bird cliffs, and glacier fronts, accompanied by experienced expedition biologists
• Historical sites – abandoned whaling stations, Russian mining settlements, and polar research stations – tell the story of a bygone era in the Arctic
• Photography – the lighting conditions on Spitsbergen are exceptional in every season; several trips offer on-board photography guidance

The activities available on a particular trip depend on the ship, the route, and the season. Not every expedition offers everything—and that’s just the way it should be. A good Svalbard vacation has a specific focus.

Cruise to Spitsbergen: Expedition ship or cruise ship?

Anyone looking for a traditional cruise will find both options in Spitsbergen today: large ships with fixed itineraries as well as small expedition vessels designed specifically for voyages in Arctic waters. The difference is immediately apparent: small ships allow for flexible itineraries, Zodiac landings, and voyages to regions that are inaccessible to large ships.

inventia deliberately focuses on trips with a true expedition character—featuring small ships and experienced teams.

Svalbard and Northeast Greenland—or both?

Those who travel far often want to explore more than one region. Several itineraries in the inventia lineup connect Spitsbergen with Northeast Greenland and Iceland—a trio of Arctic islands, Greenlandic ice fjords, and Icelandic volcanic landscapes. The 14-day expedition “Svalbard – Northeast Greenland – Iceland” is one of the most geographically diverse Arctic routes: three polar regions, one route, one ship.

Northeastern Greenland is one of the most remote regions on Earth. Scoresby Sund—widely considered the world’s largest fjord system, covering approximately 38,000 km²—is accessible only by small expedition vessels and is occasionally closed due to ice conditions. Anyone wishing to go there needs flexibility and a suitable vessel.

Getting There

Many of our Svalbard trips begin and end in Longyearbyen, the archipelago’s main town, which has its own airport (LYR). There are no direct flights from Germany—the usual route is via Oslo with a connecting flight to Longyearbyen; the flight time from Oslo is about 3 hours. Some travelers plan to travel via Tromsø, from where flights to Longyearbyen also depart—and some expeditions begin or end there as well.

The total travel time from Germany to Longyearbyen is between 6 and 10 hours, depending on the connection. We recommend spending a day in Longyearbyen before the expedition begins—both as a buffer in case of flight delays and because the town itself is worth a visit.