At a glance
64 current cruises call at the 5 ports Cruiseable lists under Svalbard, on 11 ships from 7 cruise lines. The busiest of those ports is Svalbard, on 64 itineraries. The lowest lead fare across those cruises is $7,116. The lines sailing the most of them are Atlas Ocean Voyages (15), Lindblad Expeditions (10) and Silversea (10).
Destination guide
Svalbard: Europe's last unspoiled wilderness
Svalbard, a group of islands between the Arctic Ocean and Norway, has been under Norwegian rule since 1920. The largest Norwegian island in the Svalbard archipelago, Spitsbergen (the name of the port and the island) is the last wilderness of Europe, rich in unspoiled nature and wildlife with glaciers, whales, seals, an abundance of bird life and rare Arctic flowers.
Svalbard's visitors come mostly to experience Arctic nature at its rawest and most powerful. The islands feature untouched glaciers and craggy mountains, but also polar bears, caribou, a peculiar short-legged reindeer, polar foxes, whales, seals and walruses. Svalbard is renowned for its variety of birds, including Arctic Terns, Arctic Fulmar and Puffins. Whales can be spotted off the coastlines particularly during late summer. Humpback whales, Orcas, Beluga Whales and Narwhals all frequent the ocean waters near Svalbard.
Read the full guide
Visitors: Make sure you have a guide
Svalbard is the northernmost tip of Europe and, a few military bases aside, its settlements are the northernmost permanently inhabited spots on the planet. They are far more northerly than any part of Alaska and all but a few of Canada's Arctic islands. In fact, they would be permanently locked in by ice if not for the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream, and it is this comparative warmth that makes them habitable. The combined permanent population is less than 3,000, nearly all of which is concentrated in the main settlements of Longyearbyen and Barentsburg on Spitsbergen.
Although it is technically possible to prepare your own excursion while on Svalbard, the lack of infrastructure, the necessity of carrying (and knowing how to use) a rifle outside the settlements, as well as the harshness of the environment even during the summer make pre-organized activities with professional guides a necessity for most visitors.
Climate
Svalbard literally means "cold edge," an apt name for this northern land. The climate is Arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current. Summers are cool (July averages 6.1°C) and winters are cold (January averages -15.8°C).
Safety
Crime isn't a problem in Svalbard. Instead, you're more likely to face danger of frostbite in the face (nose and cheeks), fingers and toes, particularly in low temperatures with wind. And be aware that some 500 polar bears polar bears inhabit the main islands at any one time!
Fun facts
- Here's a shocker: The Internet connection in Svalbard is top class, courtesy of NASA renting bulk capacity on undersea fiber optic cables running at seabed to mainland Norway for its experiments. Longyearbyen has several public Internet terminals.
- Svalbard is a popular staging point (at least in relative terms) for launching expeditions to the North Pole.
Your take
Have you been to Svalbard? Please share a story, tip or discovery. What was the highlight for you?
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Photos of Svalbard
Excursions on the Hurtigruten cruise ship Fram will allow you to explore the untouched Arctic wilderness and take in the impressive scenery. Be sure to bundle up! 
Watch remarkable interactions between a polar bear and her cub as you travel to Svalbard in northern Norway with Hurtigruten Fram. 
A walrus poses for his closeup during a Hurtigruten Fram expedition cruise to Svalbard. 
A small boat with take Hurtigruten Fram guests closer to the frigid landscape during an exploration of the Svalbard islands. 
Take an afternoon dip in the Arctic Ocean — or just watch human polar bears in action — as you cruise the Svalbard Islands on board Fram, Hurtigruten's flagship. 
The polar bears are just as curious of the guests of Hurtigruten Fram cruise as they are. 
We absolutely adore this shot of a polar bear and her cub playing on the ice during an exploration of Svalbard in northern Norway during a Hurtigruten Fram cruise. 
See heart-tugging interactions between a polar bear and her cub as you travel to Svalbard in northern Norway with Hurtigruten Fram. 
Follow young polar bears as they take to water during your voyage to Norway's Svalbard islands on Hurtigruten's cruise ship Fram. 
Experience the glorious sight of wildlife in their natural habitat as you cruise through Norway's Svalbard on board Hurtigruten's Fram. 
You'll catch some spectacular sunsets from the deck of the Hurtigruten cruise ship Fram during your sailing to Norway's Svalbard. 
A cruise on Hurtigruten's Fram will take you to see some spectacular scenery and thrilling wildlife in Norway's Svalbard islands. 
We're not sure, but this looks like an arctic fox pup, spotted during an expedition to the Svalbard islands in Norway during a cruise on Hurtigruten's Fram. 
Experience the awesome stillness of the Arctic landscape on board a Hurtigruten Fram cruise. 
Encounter Svalbard's marine life — including walruses — up close as you explore Norway's northern island group Svalbard during a Hurtigruten Fram cruise. 
Who doesn't love puffins? A puffin scoots around the waters of Svalbard, Norway. 
A voyage on the Hurtigruten Fram will take you to visit isolated islands, settlements and charming fishing villages of Svalbard reachable only by boat. 
Go into the wild when the Hurtigruten Fram takes you to some of the remote arctic islands of Svalbard where you see local wildlife. This looks like an arctic fox pup, no? 
While on a summer cruise aboard the Hurtigruten Fram, encounter the thousand of seabirds migrating to the coastal cliffs of Svalbard on the fringe of the Arctic. 
Spend time exploring fauna and flora on the Svalbard islands with Hurtigruten's Fram. 
Discover the Monacobreen glacier as you travel the Svalbard Islands on board Hurtigruten's expedition ship the Fram. Wander around stunning Svalbard on a Hurtigruten Fram cruise of Norway and its northern islands. 
A mother polar bear grooms herself while her cub hangs on. On many Hurtigruten Fram cruises to Svalbard, guests have enjoyed watching polar bears rest on the Arctic ice. 
Travel aboard the Hurtigruten Fram and experience the natural wilderness of the Svalbard Islands in northern Norway.
- 14 Night Norways Fjords and Arctic Svalbard Next Apr 10, 2027 2 dates from $33,000
- 15 Night Norways Fjords and Arctic Svalbard and Land Tour Next Apr 10, 2027 2 dates from $33,000
- 9 Night Svalbard In Search of Iconic Arctic Wildlife and Land Tour Next Apr 23, 2027 12 dates from $14,900
- 7 Night Svalbard In Search of Iconic Arctic Wildlife Next Apr 24, 2027 12 dates from $14,900
- 11 Night Svalbard in Spring Sea Ice Pristine Snow and Wildlife and Land Tour Next Apr 30, 2027 from $11,181
- 10 Night Svalbard in Spring Sea Ice Pristine Snow and Wildlife and Land Tour Next May 9, 2027 6 dates from $9,761
Show 6 more
- 11 Night Norwegian Discovery Svalbard and the Northern Fjords and Land Tour Next May 14, 2027 2 dates from $17,500
- 10 Night Norwegian Discovery Svalbard and the Northern Fjords Next May 15, 2027 2 dates from $17,500
- 10 Night Svalbard in Spring Sea Ice Pristine Snow and Wildlife and Land Tour Next May 16, 2027 4 dates from $10,571
- 18 Night Arctic Exploring the British Isles and Svalbard Next May 19, 2027 from $27,550
- 10 Night Norwegian Discovery Svalbard and the Northern Fjords Next May 25, 2027 2 dates from $18,000
- 11 Night Norwegian Discovery Svalbard and the Northern Fjords and Land Tour Next May 25, 2027 2 dates from $18,000
Showing the 12 soonest of 64 cruises.
Who sails here
Ships and lines that call at Svalbard
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National Geographic Endurance
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Silver Endeavour
- World Voyager
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Seabourn Pursuit
- World Navigator
- Ultramarine
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Scenic Eclipse
- Sylvia Earle
- Ocean Explorer
- Douglas Mawson
- Greg Mortimer
Cruise lines
Ports
Ports in Svalbard
- Svalbard64
- Cruise & Explore Svalbard- Norway
- Longyearbyen- Svalbard- Norway
- Northern Svalbard
- Southern Svalbard
Numbers are current cruises calling at each port.
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