Hiking and snowshoeing in Longyearbyen

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Longyearbyen lies in Longyeardalen, where Adventdalen opens into Adventfjorden. The plateau of Platåfjellet and the glaciers Longyearbreen and Larsbreen are all close to the houses, and most hikes on this page start within a short drive of the centre. What decides how you go is the polar bear. Inside a marked zone in town you need no protection, but anyone beyond it must carry equipment to scare off bears, and Visit Svalbard advises never to leave the settlement without a local guide. Mobile coverage outside town is close to nonexistent and the weather can change fast, so a guided tour is the normal way to hike here.

Visit Svalbard grades its hikes on a scale from 1 to 5. Grade 2 is suitable for most people, grade 3 asks for average fitness on uneven ground, and grade 5 for fitness above average. Blomsterdalshøgda and the walk around Sarkofagen are both rated grade 3. Trollsteinen, a longer route with a possible glacier crossing through moraine country, appears on the same list.

The tours fall into three groups: plateau hikes of about two and a half hours, longer routes over glaciers and moraine, and snowshoe walks once there is snow.

Plateau hikes above town

Platåfjellet stands 400 metres above sea level and looks straight down on Longyearbyen and Adventfjorden. The Arctic Footsteps hike takes two and a half hours, with at most 12 people, and talks about geology, mining and climate on the way up. The operator calls it moderately strenuous. A review puts the distance at just over 2 km, and others describe a steep, stony climb, so wear proper hiking boots. In October the guides hand out spikes for snow and ice. Check the meeting point when you book, because the tour page lists transport to the start as not included.

Blomsterdalshøgda, at 320 metres, gives a wide view over Longyearbyen, Adventfjorden and Isfjorden. Visit Svalbard rates it grade 3: average fitness and uneven, partly steep ground. The guided version climbs steadily over the tundra, passes the remains of Gruve 1A, known as the American mine, and stops for a snack on the plateau. A review gives about 3.5 km for the route. The hike runs outside the safe zone with polar bear protection, and it is not open to children under 15.

Glaciers and the Sarkofagen ridge

For a harder day, the Sarkofagen summit hike crosses moraine, then the Larsbreen glacier with crampons, and follows a narrowing ridge to the top. The operator lists more than 400 metres of ascent and technical footwork over four hours. A review mentions loose terrain. People with heart or breathing problems and those with low fitness are asked not to book.

The six-hour glacier hike with spikes is the snow-free version of the snowshoe tour by the same operator. It collects you at your hotel, walks to the glaciers near town and needs at least two participants to run. There are only a few reviews so far.

Along the coast, the Bjørndalen walk is the gentlest option: about three and a half hours including the drive, as an easy tundra walk, with an optional dip in the sea. Reviews describe it as a walk rather than a hike and mention start times changed at short notice.

Snowshoes in winter and spring

When snow covers the ground, the same valleys become snowshoe terrain. Visit Svalbard notes that snowshoe walks also run in the polar night, often combined with looking for the northern lights.

The five-hour snowshoe adventure picks you up at your hotel and heads to glaciers just outside Longyearbyen, with hot drinks and snacks in the field. The route depends on the snow. The description does not mention a cave, but several reviews from winter describe ending the walk at an ice cave. It runs through most of the year, and a summer review warns that the ground is muddy after rain.

The Longyearbreen snowshoe hike is steeper. It crosses moraine on foot, puts on snowshoes at the foot of the glacier and climbs onto it, for 400 to 500 metres of ascent and 3 to 5 km in total. A polar bear deterrent is part of the equipment. Reviews so far come from April, when the days are already long.

The dark season

From 27 October 2026 the sun stays below the horizon until 15 February 2027, and from mid-November to the end of January there is no twilight even at midday. Hiking does not stop. The three-hour fjord hike is planned for autumn and the dark season, follows the coast and adapts its route to weather and snow. It provides headlamps and walking sticks and rents hiking boots. There are no reviews yet, and children under 5 cannot join.

What to wear

For summer hikes Visit Svalbard recommends a windproof jacket and trousers, wool underwear, a hat and gloves, and rubber boots or hiking boots with gaiters. The average summer temperature is 3 to 7 degrees. In winter you need wind-protected outer layers over several layers of wool or fleece. The tours lend snowshoes, poles, spikes or crampons where needed, but rarely clothing; the Blomsterdalshøgda hike lists hiking clothes and shoes as not included, the Sarkofagen hike personal clothes. More detail is on our page on what to wear in Svalbard.

From about 20 April to 23 August the sun does not set, so an evening hike in July is as bright as a morning one. Visit Svalbard names Larsbreen, the glacier crossed on the Sarkofagen hike, as a place where an ice cave can be reached on foot; the ice cave tours are on their own page.