Ice cave and Frozen Waterfall by Snowmobile

This is a snowmobile day tour from Longyearbyen to Elveneset and Tellbreen in Svalbard. The route runs through Arctic valleys to a frozen waterfall at Elveneset, where the view takes in both Isfjorden and Tempelfjord. It then continues to Tellbreen, where guests park the snowmobiles and walk into an ice cave shaped by meltwater. Along the way guests can watch for Arctic foxes and Svalbard reindeer.

The guide prepares a warm lunch with hot drinks on the glacier. Afterwards the group rides back to Longyearbyen. The tour lasts about six hours, from 09:00 to 15:00, and covers roughly 80 km by snowmobile, with about four hours of active driving. Arctic Footsteps' page describes groups as small but gives no number.

Included are a guide, safety equipment, snowmobile rental and fuel, a full snowmobile outfit (suit, boots, mittens, helmet, goggles, balaclava), an expedition meal, snacks and hot drinks, search and rescue insurance, and hotel pickup and drop-off. Guests bring warm wool or synthetic underwear, fleece or wool trousers and sweater, thin gloves to wear under the mittens, a water bottle, a camera and a small backpack. Large jackets under the snowmobile suit are not wanted, as layering matters.

Drivers need a valid licence under the Vienna or Geneva Convention, and the minimum age is 14. Arctic Footsteps' page rates the tour as easy and manageable for most skill levels, and asks for good physical condition and English that is spoken and understood. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed. The season runs from February to May, depending on weather and ice, though a summary box on the operator's page says the end of April.