Svalbard

Svalbard is the World’s most northerly travel destination

Nine Hundred kilometres north of mainland Norway, and one thousand one hundred kilometres from the North Pole, lies an archipelago of islands large and small, with pyramid-shaped mountains, glaciers and deep fjords. This is the northernmost place in the world you can travel to using scheduled air services, stay at a normal hotel and eat at a normal restaurant.

Going out of Longyearbyen requires a guide

You depart compact Longyearbyen on long snow scooter trips or with dogs during the winter and in kayak or by foot in the summer. You are not at the top of the food chain here, and the polar bears are keen on tourists, so all trips are carried out in groups with armed guides.

Many go on expeditions around the archipelago

The more adventurous types head north on a cruise to Ny-Ålesund, the walrus island of Moffen and perhaps all the way to Kvitøya, furthest to the east. Snow scooter trips to the east coast and week-long trips by foot take real endurance.