a night view of a town with a hill in the background

Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen is the main town of Svalbard, and the base for Arctic midnight sun summers, polar night winters and trips into polar bear country.

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Longyearbyen is the main town of Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that belongs to Norway and lies at about 78 degrees north. The town grew around coal mining, and old mine sites and industrial buildings are still visible around it. Most trips to Svalbard start here, because the airport, hotels, shops and tour operators are in or near town. Svalbard Airport is about 5 km from the centre.

Polar bears set the rules. Outside the settlement, the Governor of Svalbard requires visitors to carry a rifle or another deterrent. The season sets the rest of the plan. Midnight sun lasts through summer, polar night keeps the sun below the horizon for weeks in winter, and northern lights can appear in the dark months. Sea ice and wildlife change across the year, so a June trip and a February trip will feel very different. Allow a few days for the town and one or two excursions, and book a guided trip if you have no Arctic experience.

Longyearbyen in five

Carry bear-scaring means outside the settlementThe Governor of Svalbard says anyone traveling outside the settlements must be equipped with suitable means of scaring off polar bears, and recommends carrying firearms. Visit Svalbard advises a local guide.Governor of Svalbard: firearms
Walk alone only inside the marked town zoneVisit Svalbard says you do not need polar bear protection inside the zone marked in red on its town map. A free paper copy is available at the tourist information in the center.
Carry your passport and plan for ID checksVisit Svalbard says Svalbard is outside Schengen, so everyone, Norwegians included, shows a passport or national ID card on entry and exit. gov.uk says you need your passport to enter.Visa checker
Book guided outings and read your insuranceVisit Svalbard says ordinary travel insurance normally does not cover search and rescue costs, while local tour operators include rescue insurance in the price of booked activities.Insurance guides
Pick the season before the datesVisit Svalbard splits the year into polar summer (17 May to 30 September), northern lights winter (1 October to 28 February) and sun winter (1 March to 16 May).

Things to do in Longyearbyen

See all attractions in Longyearbyen

Landmark · LongyearbyenSvalbard Global Seed Vault

Bar · LongyearbyenSvalbard Brewery

Church · LongyearbyenSvalbard Kirke

Free trip plannerPlan a trip to LongyearbyenPut the places you like in Longyearbyen on a map, give them days, and let one button order each day. Free, with no account.Plan a trip

Need to know

Airport: Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR), a short drive from the center
Getting there: SAS and Norwegian fly in; about 3 hours from Oslo, 1.5 hours from Tromsø
Getting around: Walk the town; 24-hour taxis, an airport bus and summer city bikes
Best base: The center, inside the marked bear-safe zone
Time needed: 3 to 4 days for guided outings, with a spare day for weather

Weather by month

Rainy days
Snowy days

Best
Good
Mixed
Poor

JanuaryCloudy10 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh-10°Low-14°Polar night
FebruaryCloudy10 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh-9°Low-14°Lights, dark
MarchPartly cloudy9 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh-12°Low-17°Sun returns
AprilPartly cloudy8 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh-7°Low-13°Bright, cold
MayPartly cloudy10 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh-2°Low-5°Midnight sun
JunePartly cloudy8 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh4°Low1°Midnight sun
JulyCloudy11 rainy daysHigh8°Low5°Warmest
AugustCloudy11 rainy daysHigh7°Low5°Last midnight sun
SeptemberRain14 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh3°Low0°Polar summer ends
OctoberCloudy10 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh-2°Low-5°Dark returns
NovemberSnow12 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh-5°Low-10°Polar night
DecemberCloudy11 rainy days4 snowy daysHigh-8°Low-13°Polar night

Average daily high and low in Longyearbyen, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.

Right now in Longyearbyen

Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.

-6

Feels like: -10°
Humidity: 78%
Wind: 7 km/h
Chance of rain: 88%

Longyearbyen

10:57 PM

Monday, November 2

GMT+1

Today-4°-9°88%Monday: Snow. High -4°, Low -9°. Chance of rain 88%.
Tue1°-6°100%Tuesday: Snow. High 1°, Low -6°. Chance of rain 100%.
Wed1°-5°88%Wednesday: Snow. High 1°, Low -5°. Chance of rain 88%.
Thu-3°-10°3%Thursday: Fog. High -3°, Low -10°. Chance of rain 3%.
Fri-9°-14°39%Friday: Fog. High -9°, Low -14°. Chance of rain 39%.
Sat-11°-14°21%Saturday: Fog. High -11°, Low -14°. Chance of rain 21%.
Sun-5°-14°16%Sunday: Snow. High -5°, Low -14°. Chance of rain 16%.

Updated 10:28 PM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Money

Mid-market rate1 USD = 9.213 NOK

Amount

Converted to

NOK · Norwegian Krone

Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API

Day trips by train

Billefjorden and Nordenskiöldbreenguided boat trip in summerLocal operators run boat trips that sail past Pyramiden to the Nordenskiöld glacier.
Isfjord Radio90 km from town; boat in summer, snowmobile in winterA remote former radio station that most guests stay at for a couple of days.
Snowmobile trips westwinter and spring, with a guideGuided snowmobile days run west from Longyearbyen and pass Barentsburg at a distance.

Before you go to Longyearbyen

Guided day trips from townGuides carry satellite phonesCompare tours

Hotels and guesthousesRooms inside the safe zoneCheck availability

eSIM for NorwayCoverage near zero outside the townRead the guide

Travel insurance for NorwayStandard cover may exclude rescueRead the guide

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Rules for Longyearbyen, checked

Anyone traveling outside the settlements must be equipped with suitable means of scaring off polar bears; the Governor recommends carrying firearms.Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source
Stay at least 300 m from polar bears, 500 m from 1 March to 30 June, and withdraw if closer. This does not apply in inhabited areas.Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source
All travelers to Svalbard must carry a valid passport or another accepted travel document; ID is checked on entry and exit.Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source

Plan around Longyearbyen

Tromsø

The mainland Arctic city 1.5 hours away by air

Read the guide Western Finnmark

The North Cape faces Svalbard across the sea

Read the guide Oslo

Direct flights run about 3 hours to Longyearbyen

Read the guide Insurance compared

Check rescue cover before an Arctic trip

Read the guide Roaming or local eSIM

Coverage drops fast outside the town

Read the guide All of Norway

Mainland Norway before and after Svalbard

Read the guide

Longyearbyen FAQ

Is it safe to walk around Longyearbyen?

Inside the zone marked in red on the town map, Visit Svalbard says you do not need polar bear protection. Outside it, the Governor requires suitable means of scaring bears off, and Visit Svalbard advises going with a local guide.

Do you need a visa for Svalbard?

The Governor of Svalbard says foreigners do not need a visa or work permit from the Norwegian authorities, but travelers who need a Schengen visa must hold one, ideally double-entry, for the trip via mainland Norway. Use the visa checker for your passport.

When is the best time to visit Longyearbyen?

Polar summer (17 May to 30 September) has midnight sun and boat trips; March to mid May suits snowmobile trips in returning light; October to February is dark with lights. Mid November to January is complete darkness.

Can you take a drone to Longyearbyen?

Visit Svalbard says drones are banned within 5 km of Svalbard Airport, which covers the whole of Longyearbyen. Check the Governor of Svalbard's drone page for rules elsewhere on the archipelago.

Should you take your shoes off indoors?

Yes. Visit Svalbard says locals remove shoes in hotels, shops and offices, a habit from the coal-dust days. Pack indoor shoes or warm socks so you are comfortable at the door.