Making the most of Longyearbyen
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The Port of Longyearbyen is the logistic point for cargo to the different settlements on Spitsbergen and the cruise industry. The port is located close to the city center. (1.7 km). Shuttle buses available.
A new SeaWalk pier with a terminal building for passenger traffic was installed in 2021.
There is tourist info right at the port.
In this very tiny place, about 1000 inhabitants, The Co-op grocery store is open, as is the Husky cafe which has 2 Husky’s that you can pet.
Longyearbyen is the largest populated area on the terrirory of Svalbard, located in the high Norwegian Arctic. The settlement is popular as the most easily accessed frontier in the Arctic, and is an ideal base for the greater exploration of Svalbard.
Getting around
The trips options on Svalbard are numerous, and it is often possible to combine various activities-especially when the trip extends across several days. During the summer and autumn ( June- September ), it is possible to combine hikes with boat transport or cruises. The experience of a summer on Svalbard is guaranteed to be enhanced if you sit down in the slope underneath a busting bird mountain, camp among tall mountains and mighty glaciers, or paddle in a kayak while a seal is sunbathing on an ice floe nearby.
Longyearbyen Taxi you can pre-book for tours or transport to town. About 1100 Nok for one hour. Driver speak English.
Food and shopping
Svalbard's shopping is concentrated in and around the two-story Lompensenteret shopping mall and the supermarket. Beware the limited opening hours: most shops are only open 11-18 weekdays, 11-14 Saturday and also open on Sunday.
Svalbard's tax-free status makes alcohol a lot cheaper than on the mainland.
Money
Norway Krone.
Staying connected
The library offers free Internet PC's.