East Coast Snowmobile Safari
Your guide will pick you up at the hotel and drive you to our expedition centre. Here you get equipped with a scooter dress, boots, balaclava, helmet and mittens, before we go to the scooters that are waiting for us outside. The guide will show you how the scooter works and how to drive it – then it’s time to head out into the wild!
This snowmobile tour to the East Coast is among our most popular tours, but be aware that it is a very long day outside. We will drive a total of 190 kilometers, over long plains, through glacier systems, and gain a real feeling of being tiny in the imposing Svalbard landscape. We will make several stops along the way, and the chances are good that reindeer, Svalbard grouse or a polar fox will cross our path.
The east coast of Spitsbergen is generally colder than the west, due to the distance from the Gulf Stream. As a result, this area has more sea ice – which creates great living conditions for polar bears. In case we are lucky to see this King of the Arctic, we will observe it at a safe and respectful distance. Be sure to bring your binoculars and a zoom lens for your camera! Even though most visitors have the hope and dream about seeing a polar bear, there is never a guarantee. Therefore, don’t forget to enjoy the tour from the start, even if we don’t see a bear. Enjoy being out in the never-ending, untouched wilderness. Take in the Arctic silence, and let the majestic scenery really sink in.
We will explore the coastal area and enjoy an expedition lunch, maybe in front of a mighty glacier front. If the conditions allow, we will choose a different route home.
Get ready for your snowmobile adventure
A valid physical driver’s licence for a car or motorbike is required to drive a snowmobile. A digital or photocopy of a driving license is not valid by law. Remember to take it with you on the tour. The guide will check each passenger's driver's license and will refuse participation if the driver's license is not valid in Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Please contact the responsible authorities if you have any questions regarding your driver's licence. No refunds will be given due to an invalid driver's license.
Please note that Chinese driving licenses are not valid in Svalbard. For more information, please see the Svalbard Governor's website here.
We advise wearing warm woollen underwear, warm outer pants, and a solid woollen jumper under the snowmobile suit. We also recommend bringing extra clothes in a backpack, such as an extra jacket, woollen hat, and mittens.
Snowmobile driving is not recommended for pregnant women.
Driving under the influence of alcohol is not permitted. The ‘Vegtrafikkloven’’ or Road Traffic Act applies to Svalbard.
We reserve the right to change the route of the tour for safety reasons should the weather or snow conditions require it. This will not be grounds for a change in price.
The tour leader will not drive with a passenger.
Your safety is our top concern! Even if you are experienced with winter conditions, Svalbard’s nature is unlike what many have encountered before. Going on a tour with a guide who knows the local terrain is the safest way to explore outside Longyearbyen. As a participant on a snowmobile tour, it is essential to follow the guide’s instructions throughout the journey to ensure your safety and that of the group. Weather and snow conditions on Svalbard can be unpredictable, and we reserve the right to change the route or destination based on what is safest for you and the group.
Hurtigruten Svalbard's guides have varied experiences and backgrounds, but they all share the goal of providing you with the best and safest experience. Some guides have completed the Arctic Nature Guide programme, while others are certified mountain guides, glacier guides, or authorised Svalbard guides through Svalbard Guide Training (SGO). The SGO certification includes essential training in safe travel within Svalbard’s unique environment, with education on tourism, field safety, and a deep understanding of environmental and cultural values. In addition, our guides receive internal training and participate in regular exercises throughout the year.