Winter Dog Sled Adventure

Your adventure starts with a night in the town of Longyearbyen, this is the largest town on the island of Spitsbergen which is one of the nine main islands that make up the Svalbard Archipelago.

Depending on the time of your arrival you might like to just settle in to your cabin-inspired lodge of Basecamp Hotel or perhaps start exploring the town and deciding on which of the fantastic restaurants in the town you might like to sample that evening.

At around 3pm yourselves and the rest of the group undertaking the trip will all meet with the guide to go through a briefing for the adventure ahead of you and to make sure that you have the correct equipment for the next few days. Sports shops are open until 6pm so should you need anything last minute you should still be able to procure it.

After breakfast your guide will pick you up by car and drive you to the Trapper’s Station where around 100 huskies call home. Each person is introduced to their six canine friends as well as the sled which you will become well acquainted with over the next few days. Full instructions are given on how to handle and control the sled.

During this first day the aim is to cover around 50km before making camp. On the way their will be a number of stops to rest, enjoy the scenery and thank the dogs for their hard work so far. Camp and dinner will be prepared together and if you are lucky you might glimpse the northern lights roaring above your heads during the night.

Greet your trusty husky companions this morning before fresh coffee with breakfast and boarding the sled again for the final part of the journey to Isfjord Radio. You should arrive in the afternoon. You will certainly appreciate this luxury, boutique lodge after a night in the wilderness and the exhilarating journey to get there. Spend the next two nights here and perhaps sample the sauna this evening before a 5-course dinner served in the dining room.

You have the freedom to enjoy the lodge and the surrounding environment today, you might just like to recuperate before the journey back to Longyearbyen by dog sled.

The lodge has a fantastic library and lots of cosy spots to relax with a good book, for those who want to keep active a walk can be organised or perhaps a swim in the freezing fjord before jumping in the sauna.

You will now be well-used to your huskies and to the techniques of dog-sledding and today it is time to start heading back towards Longyearbyen. The aim again today is cover around 50km before stopping to make camp and prepare dinner.

Today will be the end of your 200km dog sled adventure on the island of Spitsbergen as you arrive back to the Trapper’s Station just outside of Longyearbyen. Although it might have been tiring at times steering the sled and helping the dogs by pushing it up uphill or through deep snow what a fulfilling and satisfying way to cross this stunning landscape much as those early explorers from hundreds of years ago would have done.

Relax in the comfort of Basecamp Hotel and enjoy a well-earned meal in one of the town’s highly acclaimed restaurants this evening.

Swap the traditional mode of transport around the Arctic for a more modern one that is certainly less effort. Today we have included a full day snow mobile trip to Tempelfjorden to see a popular trappers cabin, however everything that we do is tailor-made and each trip is different so if you would prefer to explore the town today at leisure then just let us know.

Bid farewell to Longyearbyen and to your Arctic adventure with a transfer back to the airport in time to meet your international flights.