Questions?We’ve got answers.

Right here on our own website. Our direct rate is always the lowest, and if you spot a cheaper price somewhere else, tell us and we’ll do our best to match it or beat it.

Booking direct also gets you 5% off tours with our partner operators, priority on early check-in and a welcome postcard. See all the direct booking perks →

The cancellation terms depend on the rate you choose. You’ll see them in the booking engine before you pay, and again in your confirmation email.

Need to change your dates? Email us at info@gjestehuset102.no with your booking number and we’ll help you sort it out.

Yes. Schools, sports teams, research groups and friends travelling together all stay with us. Tell us your dates, how many people are coming and what you need, and we’ll put together a plan and a personal offer. Group bookings →

Yes, we offer long-term rental during the dark season. Get in touch with your dates and we’ll explain the options and what’s included. Long-term rental →

Yes. Our Super Deals bundle your room with activities, like the Dark Season offer in winter and the Summer Offer with boat trips and hikes. See all packages →

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out is by 11:00.

If your room is ready, yes. Guests who booked on our website get first priority on early check-in, free of charge, and most of the time it works out.

If the room isn’t ready yet, leave your bags with us and relax in the lounges with a coffee.

A shuttle bus waits outside the airport after every flight. You don’t need to book it. It costs 125 NOK per person; just tell the driver you’re staying with us. The shuttle takes both card and cash (NOK).

Travelling with two or more people? A taxi can be cheaper and easier. Call Longyearbyen Taxi on +47 79 02 13 75 or Svalbard Buss og Taxi on +47 79 02 13 05.

The airport shuttle runs for every scheduled departure as well. Ask us at reception what time it picks up from Gjestehuset 102, or book a taxi.

Reception is staffed every day from 08:00 to 21:00, and our phone is open 24/7. Arriving after 21:00? Let us know your arrival time before you travel, and we’ll tell you how to get in.

We’re in Nybyen, the old miners’ quarter at the very top of the Longyear Valley. Our address is Nybyen, Vei 100, 9171 Longyearbyen. Open in Google Maps →

About 2 km, which is roughly a 25-minute walk. It’s downhill on the way in and uphill on the way back, sorry! You can also take a taxi.

In the dark season, wear a reflective vest or reflector. There are few pavements, so you’ll often walk at the side of the road. In summer, the Tourist Information Centre lends out free town bikes. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

Of course. Leave your bags with us and enjoy the rest of your day. Pick them up whenever you’re ready to head to the airport.

All our rooms are about 10 m² and every one has its own washbasin and mirror.

• Single room (7 rooms): one bed, a work desk and extra storage.
• Twin room (19 rooms): two beds. Some have the original wooden beds that fold into sofas, others have two 90 cm beds you can push together.
• Bed in a 4-bed dorm (4 rooms): mixed dorms with two bunk beds and a personal locker for each guest.

See the rooms →

No. All bathrooms, showers and toilets are shared, and there are some on every floor. Our guests often tell us they never had to queue.

Yes, always. The breakfast buffet is served every morning from 07:30 to 10:00 on the first floor.

A simple but generous buffet: bread and crispbread, cheese, ham, salami, eggs and fresh veggies, plus cereals, granola, nuts, seeds and yoghurt. Coffee, tea, juice and milk are included.

The star of the show is our freshly made waffles. Try them the Norwegian way, with brown cheese and jam.

Our buffet is simple, so please tell us before you arrive and we’ll let you know what’s available for you. You can also cook your own meals in our kitchen.

Svalbardbutikken, the local supermarket, has a wide selection of gluten-free and other allergy-friendly food. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

No. Bed linen and towels are included, and you’ll find shampoo and shower gel in the bathrooms. Need a hairdryer? Borrow one from reception.

Yes, free wifi in every room and lounge.

Yes, in single and twin rooms, with a maximum of one extra mattress per room. It costs 450 NOK and depends on availability. Breakfast, bed linen and towels are included for the extra guest.

In private rooms, we clean on the third day of your stay and change the bed linen and towels on the fifth day.

Want fresh towels or linen sooner? Ask at reception before 09:00 and we’ll sort it out.

Dorms are mixed and space is limited, so they suit backpackers best. Each guest has a personal locker. Bring a padlock, or buy one at reception.

Yes. Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the building, but you’re welcome to smoke outside.

Let us know at reception as soon as possible. A lost key costs 650 NOK.

Yes. There’s a fully equipped self-catering kitchen on the second floor. Label your food in the fridge with your name and check-out date. Unlabelled food is thrown out when we clean the fridges.

Yes. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are free and available 24/7.

Yes. We’re fully licensed, so you can enjoy a drink at home without walking 2 km into town.

Yes, as a paid service. It costs 195 NOK per load (max 8 kg), drying included. Hand in your bag at reception in the morning. We need about a day to finish it, depending on how busy the machines are.

Reception is open every day from 08:00 to 21:00, and our phone is open 24/7 on +47 900 30 321. At reception you can also buy snacks, drinks, postcards, stamps and small souvenirs.

Yes, there’s a TV room with sofas on each floor, made for warm drinks, a good book or swapping stories with other guests.

Yes, Coal Miners Bar & Grill is just across the road. Book a table in advance if you can, especially at weekends and in high season.

Use our Activities page to see what’s available on your dates and book online. We’re also happy to help you plan: send us an email at info@gjestehuset102.no.

Once you’re here, use the Activity Booking Station in front of reception (open 24/7), or ask us for recommendations.

The 5% discount is for guests who booked their room directly on our website. It applies to tours with our partners Svalbard Adventures, Greendog Svalbard and Gruve 3.

There’s no code. Email us the trips you want and we’ll book them with the discount, or book them yourself and send us a message afterwards so we can refund the 5%. See the discounted tours →

Yes, almost every tour includes pick-up, so being 2 km from town is no problem. Choose “Gjestehuset 102” as your pick-up point when you book. A few trips, like the brewery visit, don’t include pick-up.

The start time on your confirmation is the pick-up time. Be ready at least 10 minutes before.

From February to September, tours fill up fast, so book the ones you care about most early. Visit Svalbard recommends booking your top activities when you book your flights, as some dates sell out up to six months ahead.

Want to check the weather first? Look at yr.no and book at least 5 days in advance to secure a spot.

Visit Svalbard recommends at least five days, ideally 5–10. The weather changes fast up here and tours sometimes get cancelled, so a few extra days give you room to adjust.

Only inside the settlement. Polar bears can show up anywhere in Svalbard, so outside town you need a guide with polar bear protection.

Inside town, you can still explore on foot: the 8 km town circuit past historic sites, a walk along the Longyearelva river, or a “town safari” looking for Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

There are no polar bear safaris. In Svalbard it’s illegal to lure, chase, seek out or disturb polar bears.

Your best chance of seeing one from a safe distance is on a boat trip in summer or a snowmobile tour in winter. Polar bears are marine mammals and usually stay close to the coast. Boat trips →

Go for a Photo Safari or a boat trip. Both give you good chances to photograph reindeer, foxes, birds and, with luck, walrus.

You need a valid driving licence to drive a snowmobile, car or ATV. A Category B licence (passenger car) is accepted, and A, A1, A2 or S (snowmobile) licences may also be accepted. Passengers don’t need a licence.

Bring the physical licence; photos or copies are not accepted. Check the full list of valid licences on the Governor of Svalbard’s website.

On many tours, yes. Snowmobile, ATV, RIB boat, dog sledding, mine visits and kayaking trips usually include outer clothing. Check the activity description to be sure.

Note that nobody in Svalbard rents out ordinary winter clothing, so bring your own warm layers. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

You can’t go inside, but you can see the famous entrance. Book a guided tour that stops outside, or the Blomsterdalen hike, which goes around the area. Hiking tours →

You can also take a taxi up and ask the driver to wait while you take photos. It costs around 500 NOK return, so it’s cheaper to share. The Seed Vault is outside the safe zone, so don’t walk around up there without polar bear protection.

There are no roads between the settlements, so you go by boat in summer or by snowmobile in winter, when conditions allow. Ask us which trips are running during your stay.

Yes, there are lots of family-friendly activities all year round. Age limits vary from tour to tour, so check each activity before you book or ask us for help.

The season runs from late September to mid-March. The best time is the dark season from 26 October to 16 February, and during the polar night (14 November to 29 January) the aurora can appear at any hour of the day.

The best hours are usually between 18:00 and midnight, and between 04:00 and 08:00. You need clear skies and some solar activity, so there’s never a guarantee. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

Yes! Nybyen sits above the town lights, so the sky gets properly dark. Keep an eye on the aurora forecast, and check the live sky camera in Adventdalen to see if the lights are active.

You can walk a few metres up at the end of Nybyen to look, but wear a reflective vest or headlamp, and never go past the polar bear warning sign.

From 14 November to 29 January the sun stays well below the horizon, so it’s dark around the clock. On clear days with a full moon you can still see the mountains glowing in the moonlight. Bring a headlamp and a reflector. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

From 20 April to 23 August the sun never sets. Bring a sleep mask if you’re sensitive to light!

It depends on what you want to experience. Visit Svalbard divides the year into three seasons:

• Northern Lights Winter (1 October – 28 February): dark days, aurora and a cozy Arctic atmosphere.
• Sunny Winter (1 March – 16 May): snow, sunshine and long days, perfect for snowmobile and dog sledding trips.
• Polar Summer (17 May – 30 September): midnight sun, boat trips, hikes, flowers and lots of wildlife.

In summer (mid-May to September) it’s usually 3–7°C. In winter it’s typically around -12°C, but it can drop to -30°C.

Dress in layers: wool underwear, a fleece or wool mid-layer, and a windproof jacket and trousers. Add a warm hat, mittens, scarf and insulated boots in winter, and boot spikes for icy roads. How to dress in Svalbard (Visit Svalbard) →

Use yr.no for Longyearbyen. The weather changes quickly, so check it every morning.

Inside Longyearbyen, yes. As long as you stay within the town and don’t pass the polar bear warning signs, you don’t need polar bear protection.

One of those signs is right here in Nybyen, so never walk further up the valley without a guide. If you see a polar bear in or near town, call 112 straight away. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

• 110 – Fire
• 112 – Police (also for polar bear sightings)
• 113 – Medical emergencies
• 1412 – Emergency calls for people with hearing impairment

There’s a small hospital that handles emergencies. Serious cases are flown to mainland Norway, so travel insurance with medical cover is strongly recommended.

No. Keep your distance from all wildlife and never feed it. Rabies occurs in Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes, so don’t touch animals or anything you find dead. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

Picking flowers is not allowed in Svalbard. Naturally shed antlers are fine to take home, but antlers still attached to a skull count as wildlife found dead and must stay where they are.

Flying a drone in Longyearbyen is not allowed, and there’s a no-fly zone within 5 km of the airport. Outside the no-fly zones, strict rules apply to protect wildlife and people. Read the drone rules from the Governor of Svalbard before you fly.

They’re protecting their nests in summer and dive at the highest point. Hold up an arm, a stick or a tripod, and they’ll go for that instead of your head!

Yes, bring a passport or national ID card, even if you fly from mainland Norway. Svalbard is outside the Schengen area, so there’s a passport check on the way in and out. If you need a visa for Norway, you’ll need a double-entry Schengen visa. (Source: Visit Svalbard)

Norwegian kroner (NOK). Almost every business accepts cards, and card is the preferred way to pay.

No. There’s no bank, ATM or currency exchange in Svalbard. If you want cash, take it out on the mainland before you fly.

Svalbardbutikken, the supermarket, accepts cash, including euros, and gives change in Norwegian kroner.

Yes, at Nordpolet inside Svalbardbutikken, but you have to show your airline ticket, and there are monthly limits. It’s an old rule from the mining days. Or skip the hassle and have a drink with us at the guesthouse.

Usually yes, in and around Longyearbyen. EU roaming doesn’t always apply here, so check with your operator before you travel, or buy an eSIM that uses the Telenor or Telia network. We have free wifi in the whole house.

It’s a tradition from the mining days, when people took off their boots so they didn’t spread coal dust everywhere. You’ll still take your shoes off in many hotels, museums and other buildings in Longyearbyen, so pack a pair of warm socks or slippers.

We sell postcards and stamps at reception, and you can drop your postcards in the post boxes at the post office in the town centre or at the airport.

All restaurants and cafés in Longyearbyen have or can make vegetarian and vegan options. It’s a good idea to mention it when you book your table.

Yes, at Lompensenteret in the middle of the main pedestrian street, and at the harbour.

Visit the Svalbard Tourist Information Centre at the southern end of the main pedestrian street, or browse visitsvalbard.com. And of course, you can always ask us at reception!