Boat trips from Longyearbyen

7 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

None of Svalbard's settlements are linked by road. In winter people cross the valleys by snowmobile, and in summer they take to the water. From Longyearbyen, boats head out along Isfjorden to the glacier fronts at its edges and to the two Russian settlements of Barentsburg and Pyramiden. All the day trips here pick you up from your accommodation in town.

Pick by destination, by the time you have, and by how well you cope with an open boat. The full-day trips use an open RIB, and the operators exclude anyone with back problems, low fitness or recent surgery.

Pyramiden and the Nordenskiöld glacier

Pyramiden lies on the west side of Billefjorden, a north-eastern arm of Isfjorden. A Swedish expedition claimed the area in 1910, it was sold to a Soviet mining company in the 1920s, and the town was abandoned suddenly in 1998. The bust of Lenin still stands in the centre, and the Russian state-owned company Trust Arktikugol runs the settlement.

The day trip takes nine hours on paper. After the pick-up you change into a dry suit, cross to Skansbukta for a short landing, and reach Pyramiden around midday for lunch in the restaurant and a long guided walk. The boat then runs to the front of Nordenskiöldbreen before heading back. One reviewer counts nearly twelve hours door to door. Reviews praise the guides and the wildlife on the crossing; whales, belugas, seals and walruses come up in several of them. The recurring criticism is the split of the day: some guests found about three hours in Pyramiden too long and the glacier visit too short, or missed. A few also note that the booking page does not say the operator is a Russian-owned company.

Barentsburg and Esmarkbreen

Barentsburg lies on Grønfjorden, about 60 kilometres west of Longyearbyen. Unlike Pyramiden it is still a working coal-mining town, run by Trust Arktikugol, with its own Lenin monument. The nine-hour boat trip crosses Isfjorden past bird cliffs and Grumant to the Esmark glacier, then stops in Barentsburg for lunch and a guided walk. The same operator runs both trips, with the same open boat, dry suit and age limits; children under 12 and guests over 75 cannot join. One reviewer would have liked to see more of the mine.

A shorter trip in a closed boat

If a full day in a RIB sounds like too much, there is a 2.5-hour trip in a closed boat. It runs into Isfjorden to Grumant and the bird cliffs at Fuglefjella, and you can sit inside or stand on deck. The boat takes at most eight guests and needs at least two. Outdoor clothing is not included, so bring your own warm layers. The operator lists May to October as the season, and people prone to seasickness are excluded.

A private charter to Oscar II Land

The private trip is a full charter of eight hours for a small party; the listing says you can bring up to three guests. It heads for Oscar II Land, and the guide plans the route around weather, sea and ice, with time at glacier fronts and for photography. Lunch is served on board, along with coffee, tea, toddy and cookies, and the guide speaks English, German or Norwegian. Reviews from August mention a day with few animals apart from a puffin, and a rough ride home in bad weather.

Eight days at sea

Two voyages stay out for a week. The yacht expedition sails from the marina in Longyearbyen with cabins for two or three people, and lists Sassenfjorden and Tempelfjorden, Billefjorden with a landing in Pyramiden, Nordenskiöldbreen, Skansbukta, Nordfjorden, Borebukta with its walruses, Esmarkbreen and Trygghamna. The operator stresses that there is no fixed itinerary. Full board is not in the price and is paid at the end, check-in starts at 4 pm, and you make your own way to the marina.

The micro cruise by Secret Atlas also leaves Longyearbyen at 4 pm, with staff meeting you at the airport. Day two is planned for Smeerenburg and its walrus colony, after which the captain chooses the route. There are only 12 guests on board, and meals, beer and wine with dinner, landings and zodiac cruises are included. This voyage cannot be cancelled or refunded once booked.

Wildlife and the rules at sea

In summer, Visit Svalbard writes, walruses, seals and whales move into the fjords and seabirds arrive in vast numbers to nest. Visit Svalbard names Alkhornet, the bird cliff at the mouth of Isfjorden, among the boat destinations. The environmental rules in force since 2025 keep boats at least 150 metres from walrus haul-out sites and limit them to 5 knots within 300 metres. From 1 April to 31 August the same speed limit applies within 500 metres of bird cliffs. In most protected areas, tourist landings are only allowed at mapped sites and with a guide.

Polar bears can appear anywhere on Svalbard, also along the shore. Boats and people must stay at least 300 metres away, and from 1 March to 30 June at least 500 metres. A boat trip offers a chance of a sighting, never a promise. More on the animals you are likely to meet is on our wildlife safaris page.

Season and weather on the water

The season is not clear-cut. Visit Svalbard describes boat trips from early spring until late November or early December, while the day trips on this page are reviewed from June to September and the closed boat lists May to October. Ask the operator for dates if you are travelling outside high summer.

Summer on the fjord is cool. At Svalbard Airport June averages 3.6 °C, July 7.0 °C and August 6.0 °C, and the wind on a fast boat makes it feel far colder. According to the US Naval Observatory the sun does not set from 19 April to 24 August 2027, so a long trip still comes home in daylight. Trips can be called off at short notice: one reviewer had a morning cancellation without an alternative date. Visit Svalbard advises booking summer activities as early as possible.