Northern Lights Snowmobile Ride

The northern lights snowmobile ride is an evening tour by Frostbite Expeditions that leaves Longyearbyen and travels into Adventdalen and Todalen. The guides pick the exact route from the weather, snow conditions and cloud cover, and they use local knowledge and current forecasts to look for clear sky away from town lights. The route may be adjusted because of the weather.

The tour starts at the basecamp with a briefing from the guides and instructions on operating the snowmobile. No previous snowmobile experience is required. Along the way the group makes several stops to watch the sky, take photographs and look at the surrounding terrain. The guide tells stories about the history, nature and wildlife of Svalbard and about the mining heritage of Longyearbyen. Reindeer, Arctic foxes and ptarmigans are possible sightings. Neither wildlife nor the aurora is guaranteed.

The tour runs from 21:00 to 00:30, which is 3.5 hours, and covers a round trip of 30 km. It runs in the dark season. The group has up to 11 participants, and the minimum age is 12. The page rates the difficulty as three.

Included are hotel pick-up and drop-off, a guide who carries safety equipment, snacks and hot drinks, plus helmet, goggles, balaclava, mittens, boots and a snowmobile suit. Liability and SAR insurance is also included. Guests bring thick woollen socks and wool base layers, an extra layer such as a thick sweater or warm sweatpants, a hat and buff, and a backpack for a camera, snacks, water or extra clothing.