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Seven-day snowshoeing expedition on Svalbard with ice caves, glaciers and two nights wild camping.
Beginner
Challenging
Back to Basics
From
£3,050
(USD $4,788.50)
Polar Bear Country
Seven days at 78°N, deep in the Arctic winter. Five active days, four of them on snowshoes, take you into an ice cave, across glaciers and up frozen peaks with views over endless white. You’ll haul your own sled through deep snow, then spend two nights under canvas in the wilderness, where everyone takes a turn on polar bear watch.
This one’s a proper challenge: long days, sub-zero temperatures, real elevation gain. No snowshoeing or winter camping experience needed. Just bring your determination.
An Active Agenda
No Hidden Costs
Snowshoe through the frozen Arctic wilderness
Hike to Sarkofagen summit with a crawl through a frozen ice cave
Trek to the Global Seed Vault on your final full day
Snowshoes, poles, pulka sled, sleeping bag and tent provided
Guesthouse breakfasts, freeze-dried lunches and warm evening meals
Four nights at a Longyearbyen guesthouse, two in an expedition tent at base camp
Local guides and your Gutsy Girls host
All safety equipment included, plus search and rescue insurance
Everyone takes turns on night-time lookout duty
Activity Overview
Snowshoeing is winter hiking. A pair of snowshoes and a bit of technique makes remote, snowy terrain accessible and gets you off the tracks and into the wide open backcountry fast.
It’s a great starting point for anyone new to winter sports because it doesn’t need technical skill to get going. Snowshoes spread your weight across a larger surface area, letting you move through deep powder that would otherwise be impossible on foot.
Our local guides know this frozen terrain inside out, handle all the safety and logistics, and will share stories about the winter landscape that’ll make you see it differently. You just need to focus on showing up fit, motivated, and ready to move your body every day through the snow.
Activity Overview
The trip kicks off with a hike to the summit of Sarkofagen, a mountain that looms over Longyearbyen. You’ll gain around 400 metres of altitude across rugged, snow-covered terrain. This isn’t a gentle warm-up.
Along the route, you’ll clip on spikes and head torches to explore a frozen ice cave. Navigate uneven ice surfaces that crunch underfoot and squeeze through narrow passages before pushing on to the summit. The views back across Longyearbyen from the top make the effort worth it.
Some sections of the ice cave require crawling. This isn’t suitable for anyone with severe claustrophobia or back problems.
Activity Overview
For two nights, the guesthouse gets swapped for an expedition tent in the frozen Arctic. The camp is completely off-grid, with two-person wilderness tents for sleeping, a heated communal tent for meals and a toilet tent.
You’ll pitch in with camp life: cooking, collecting water (melting snow), and washing up. It’s basic, physical, and unlike anywhere you’ve slept before.
Activity Overview
Out at camp, everyone takes turns on round-the-clock polar bear watch. You’ll scan the snow-covered horizon for movement whilst the rest of the group rests, keeping the camp safe while you soak in the stillness of the Arctic.
The Destination
Your Adventure Starts Here
Touch down in one of the world's northernmost settlements. Use the airport transfer to reach our guesthouse, your base for the next few nights. Settle in and get your bearings.
Meet your host and the rest of your group over dinner. We'll run through what's ahead, check everyone's winter gear, and answer any questions.
Breakfast, then head out into the snow. Today we're hiking to Sarkofagen summit, whilst also investigating an ice cave along the way. This isn't a gentle stroll, expect rugged snowy terrain, some crawling through frozen passages, and around 400 metres of ascent.
Lunch inside the frozen cave, then we push on to Sarkofagen through the snow. From the top we'll have panoramic views across the white Arctic and back down across Longyearbyen from the top.
Back to Longyearbyen for dinner.
Meet your expedition guide, do final gear checks, then we're off into the winter landscape. As Longyearbyen fades behind you and the snow-covered mountains open up ahead, this is where it starts. You'll be pulling your own sled through the powder so pace yourself.
Arrive at camp in the frozen valley. Set up your tent in the snow and help with the rest of camp too.
Wilderness dinner, then your shift on polar bear watch.
Wake to Arctic stillness and snow-covered silence. Breakfast, then we leave the sleds behind and head out for a snowshoe hike. The destination will be based on which route has the best conditions, but either way it will be epic.
Both routes offer incredible views that stretch across frozen mountains and glaciers covered in white.
Hot meal back at camp, rest, and another round of polar bear watch under the winter sky.
Pack up camp and begin the journey back with your sleds via a climb up Fardalsbakken. It'll be tough pulling through the powder, but the views across the frozen landscape will be worth it.
The final descent over Longyearbyen Glacier back towards the town.
Back at the guesthouse be reunited with hot showers and a comfortable bed after nights in the frozen wilderness.
After breakfast, hike to the Global Seed Vault, the world's largest secure seed storage. Take in the views, look out for wildlife and learn more about Svalbard’s rich history.
Explore snow-covered Longyearbyen, grab a coffee, do some shopping, or just sit and chill. This is your downtime after the frozen expedition.
Sauna and polar plunge in icy water for those who want it. The ultimate recuperation after days in the wilderness, especially when followed by a hearty farewell dinner.
After one last breakfast, checkout from the guesthouse and get your last photos before taking the airport transfer back to the airport.
Rest & Refuel
Our adventure begins and ends in snow-covered Longyearbyen, where we'll spend four nights at a cosy guesthouse with twin rooms and shared bathrooms. For two nights, we'll camp in the Arctic wilderness in two-person expedition tents, with a heated communal tent for meals and a toilet tent for the other stuff.
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All meals are included, keeping you fuelled for cold weather adventure. At camp, expect hearty expedition meals, freeze-dried lunches, and warming dinners like pasta and Arctic stews.
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Book now
The essentials
| Accommodation |
Back to Basics A cosy, welcoming guesthouse with twin rooms and shared facilities. For two nights, we’ll camp in the frozen Arctic wilderness, staying in two-person expedition tents with a heated communal tent for meals. Guesthouse
Wilderness Camp
|
|---|---|
| Food |
All meals included, from dinner on arrival to breakfast on your last day. We accommodate most dietary requirements with advance notice, but if you have a severe food allergy, please get in touch before you book.
|
| Fitness Level |
3
Challenging You’ll be active for five to six hours a day moving through snow and Arctic cold, for four consecutive days with no rest day between them. For two of those days you’ll also be hauling your own loaded pulka across deep, ungroomed powder. If you train three or more times a week such as running, hiking, strength work, and can handle back-to-back physical days in the cold, you’ll manage this. You'll Need to Be
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| Skill Level |
1
Beginner No prior snowshoeing, winter camping or Arctic experience needed. You just need the fitness and determination to handle the conditions. Beginner is the skill level. It’s not an easy trip. Check the Fitness Level above. |
| Packing List |
Below is an indication of the specialist items you will need, and might have to invest in before your adventure! For a full list of what you’ll need to bring, check out the trip guide. We Provide
You'll Need
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| Travel |
The meeting point for this trip is at the guesthouse in Longyearbyen which can be reached by catching the airport shuttle bus from Longyearbyen airport. Alternative routes and travel information are in our trip guide. |
| Not Included |
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| Trip Code |
NORSVBSE |
The Answers
No. Your guides provide full training and you’ll be comfortable with the kit within an hour. Snowshoeing is walking with a bigger footprint. What you do need is the fitness and the determination to handle five long days in Arctic conditions.
Fitter than you might expect.
You’ll be moving five to six hours a day through deep snow, five days in a row, hauling a loaded pulka on two of them. If you already train regularly and do long days on your feet, keep doing what you’re doing and add a few loaded hikes.
If you’re active but not consistently, give yourself around three months to prepare. If you’re starting from a low base, plan on longer and build gradually rather than cramming. There’s more detail in the trip guide.
Your sled will weigh 20-25kg. You’ll pull it on the first and last day of snowshoe expedition (Days 3 and 5). On Day 4, sleds stay at camp while you hike.
Svalbard is polar bear territory and we take turns on round-the-clock watch at camp. Guides trained in polar bear safety carry deterrents (flares and rifles for emergency use only). Don’t worry though, our guides have been operating tours for 25 years with no incidents.
The route may be adapted to avoid disturbing them and ensure guest safety. In rare cases, this may mean returning to Longyearbyen and conducting day trips instead.
In the glacier caves you may need to squeeze through small spaces or crawl down narrow gaps. Therefore this won’t be suitable for anyone with severe claustrophobia or back problems.
Flights to Longyearbyen Airport run from Oslo Gardermoen. The airport shuttle aligns with all incoming flights, so catch that on arrival and you’ll be dropped at the guesthouse. You can book any flight, but aim to arrive by 18:30 on the first day of your trip for your welcome dinner. On the final day book any flight home after breakfast.
For this adventure there is no set time transfer. Instead an airport shuttle runs from the airport to your guesthouse, so please aim to arrive by 18:30 on the first day of the trip. On the final day you can book any flight as transfers run to meet inbound and outgoing flights.
The airport shuttle costs approximately £10 each way (not included).
March is often the coldest month in Svalbard. Expect temperatures that freeze your eyelashes and conditions that change fast. Layer up and embrace the experience. March is also known as Sunny Winter and marks the return of the sun to Svalbard. Expect longer days and better weather, although the arrival of the sun does nothing to raise the temperature.
Arctic weather changes rapidly, so our guides adjust daily plans to ensure the best and safest experience. You’ll still get your full adventure, but specific routes depend on certain conditions.
Barely. Longyearbyen is effectively cashless and cards are accepted everywhere, including restaurants and the airport shuttle. There’s no ATM on site, so anything you do want cash for needs to come with you. The one thing worth bringing a little for is tips.
Tipping isn’t compulsory on our adventures, but if you’ve had a great trip and brilliant service, a tip for your guides or host is always appreciated. As a rough guide, 200 to 300 NOK per person is a nice gesture.
Bear in mind Longyearbyen isn’t cheap. It’s remote, and everything is imported.
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