There's plenty to explore, with glaciers, fjords and floating packs of ice stretching as far as the eye can see. And then there are the Northern Lights... does it get much better? Svalbard has all the ingredients to make a truly fantastic break. Stay in the town of Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago.

A former mining town, it still has a frontier feel (without the shoot outs and saloons) and as half the land is covered by glacier ice your mode of transport will be snowmobiles, boats, dog sleds or skis.

Your cosy home amidst the ice

Built using driftwood, sealskin and slate, Basecamp Spitsbergen will be your home where the glass ceiling provides the perfect view of the bright northern lights glowing above. For extra adventure you could spend a night on the Ship in the Ice, a fitting tribute to the ancient Arctic explorers.

Explore the fjords

Spend lazy days on the water sailing by boat between fjords and towering glaciers, keeping an eye out for roaming polar bears and lounging seals. Use a kayak to explore the coast, home to an abundance of wildlife including grazing reindeer and colonies of birds. Snowmobiling and skiing across the icy fields is a must to soak up the landscapes and get your pulse racing.

In the evening, hit Spitzbergen’s cosy bars, lodges and restaurants and dine on local specialties like reindeer meat and Arctic char. We can even arrange your very own private dinner at a log cabin in the woods for the ultimate Arctic dining experience.

Jazz it up in svalbard

What's more, you can visit Svalbard any time of year. The Polar Jazz fest takes place at the end of January in the dark of winter when you can explore ice caverns with head lights or go dog sledding in moonlight. In the spring and summer there is permanent daylight and, as the Gulf Stream warms the coast, wildflowers burst into bloom. Whenever you choose to go, Norway’s arctic north is spectacular.