Longyearbyen Cruise Port

Port summary

Longyearbyen was founded in 1906 by the American John Munro Longyear as a coal-mining camp and is now the administrative and tourist centre of Svalbard, home to about 2,500 people from some 50 nations. The cruise season runs from roughly June to August under the midnight sun, which lasts from late April to late August. Larger ships tie up at Bykaia, the city quay at the western end of the harbour; on busy days some ships anchor in Adventfjorden and tender passengers to the floating pier. From Bykaia it is about 2 km (25–30 minutes) along the harbour road to the centre; cruise lines or local operators usually run a shuttle, and there are a handful of taxis that should be booked ahead. In town you can easily do the Svalbard Museum and the North Pole Expedition Museum, the main pedestrian street with its outdoor shops, Svalbard Church and the old cableway structures from the mining era, then walk up to Nybyen for Huset; the Nordover art centre on the pedestrian street makes a good indoor stop. The single most important rule: polar bears can appear anywhere, and you must not walk beyond the settlement without an armed guide, so the Seed Vault exterior, Mine 3, dog sledding, glacier hikes, kayaking and the boat trips to Pyramiden and Barentsburg are all done with tour operators, which should be booked in advance on big-ship days. The weather changes quickly even in July (typically 3–9°C), so bring a warm, windproof layer, a hat and gloves. Svalbard is VAT-free and almost entirely cashless; cards are accepted everywhere.

Getting to Longyearbyen

From the cruise terminal to the city centre

Things to do