Northern Lights Safari by Electric Snowmobile

This tour is an evening snowmobile trip on electric machines from Longyearbyen into Adventdalen, the Advent Valley, to look for the northern lights. Away from town lights, the group rides over easy, mostly flat terrain. Hurtigruten Svalbard rates difficulty 2 out of 5 on its page and says no snowmobile experience is needed. The machines make no engine noise, and reindeer are often seen on the route. The guide makes several stops to share information and stories, and there is a break with warm drinks and biscuits. Hurtigruten Svalbard's page says sightings are not guaranteed, because the aurora depends on weather and solar storms.

The tour lasts three hours and covers 30 km. The period is November to March. The guide collects guests at their hotel and drives them to the expedition centre. There they receive a scooter suit, boots, balaclava, helmet and mittens. The guide then demonstrates the controls before the group heads out. If snow is too thin between the starting point and the chargers early in the season, some tours use non-electric snowmobiles.

The minimum age is 8 years. Drivers bring a valid physical licence for a car or motorcycle that is accepted in Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Digital copies, photographs and photocopies are not accepted, and the guide checks every licence before departure. Chinese licences are not valid on Svalbard. Guests must understand English or a Scandinavian language. The tour leader does not carry a passenger. The operator recommends wool underwear, outer trousers and a thick wool jumper beneath the suit, plus a spare jacket, hat and mittens in a backpack.