Longyearbyen: Bird cliffs boat safari on Isfjorden

This is a boat safari on Isfjorden, run from Longyearbyen in a closed polarcircle boat named Alice. The boat sails out toward the bird cliffs between Longyearbyen and Barentsburg, where puffins and Brünnich's guillemots nest. It also passes the abandoned mining town of Grumant, where Arctic foxes and Svalbard reindeer move among the old wooden buildings, and then returns across Isfjorden to Adventfjorden.

Guests look for whales, seals and possibly a walrus along the way. Backyard Svalbard's page says birds such as little auk, northern fulmar and puffins are likely, but it gives no guarantee of any particular animal. Guests sit on a seat throughout and must be capable of climbing aboard and ashore. The tour lasts 2.5 hours. Pick up is at 10:00 in 2026 and at 18:00 in 2027. Each guide takes a maximum of seven guests. The season runs from 1 May to 31 October.

Included are pick up and drop-off at the hotel or the cruise port, a life jacket, snacks, coffee or tea, and a guide who is also the captain, carrying safety equipment and polar bear protection. Guests bring mittens, a beanie, a thin buff, thin merino wool socks, a camera, sunglasses, a water bottle and a small waterproof backpack.

The difficulty level is 2 out of 5, for a normal fitness level. The tour is not suited to people with motion sickness or limited mobility. Guests must be able to communicate in English, and the operator applies a 0 alcohol tolerance. For hotel pick up, guests wait at the entrance five minutes before the start time. At the cruise port, they wait by the fence gate of the cruise area.