A unique boat expedition to Ny-Ålesund

This is a full-day boat trip from your accommodation to Ny-Ålesund, a research settlement at 79° N, run on a fast, closed RIB boat. A skipper and guide is on board. The route also takes in a glacier in either Kongsfjorden or Isfjorden, depending on the conditions that day.

Guests have around two hours on land in Ny-Ålesund. They see the post office that is the northernmost, plus the mast where Roald Amundsen's airship Norge waited for the 1926 North Pole expedition, and the guide tells its story. Mobile phones go into flight mode on arrival because the settlement is a radio-silent zone. On the way, the boat stops at Poolepynten to look for walruses, and the crew watches for seals, whales, nesting seabirds and possibly a polar bear. Snowfox Travel's page says wildlife is never guaranteed.

The tour runs 08:00 to 20:00 every Saturday from 1 May to 1 September. Included are the skipper and guide, warm food, hot drinks, sweets, insurance for Search & Rescue, safety gear, and transfer to and from your accommodation. Pickup happens at the accommodation around the time on the confirmation.

Guests bring Arctic clothing: waterproof boots or shoes above the ankle, soft shell pants, a wind and waterproof shell jacket, base layers (wool preferred), warm socks, an insulating mid-layer, a warm hat, mittens or gloves, and a filled water bottle. The minimum age is 10 years, and everyone under 18 travels with an adult. The level is rated 2 out of 5, and guests need normal physical shape.