5 days · 4 nights · 23–27 December 2026
Christmas at the top of the world.
4 nights in a former miners’ barrack in Nybyen, a guided sightseeing trip around Longyearbyen, and a Christmas Eve party at 102 with singing, games, gifts and a big Filipino Christmas buffet.
From 2715 NOK per person
Book the Christmas package Christmas Eve at 102
5Days
4Nights
1Christmas Eve party
24hPolar night sky
Christmas in Svalbard
A warm, happy Christmas in Nybyen
In December the sun doesn’t rise in Svalbard at all. Instead, Longyearbyen lights up on its own: candles in every window, a tall Christmas tree in the town square, and stars over the mountains from breakfast until bedtime. If the sky is clear, the Northern Lights might even show up at lunchtime.
We have spent many Christmases here in Nybyen, and we would love to share one with you. Our house was built in 1946 for the most experienced coal miners, the ones the valley called millionaires. Just up the hill is the old Mine 2B, where (so the local children say) Santa lives and works. His letterbox is a short walk from our front door.
This package is for anyone who doesn’t want to spend Christmas alone in a hotel room. You get a cosy base, a proper look around town, and a Christmas Eve with new friends around one big table.
At a glance
- Dates: Arrive Wednesday 23 December, leave Sunday 27 December 2026
- Stay: 4 nights in a shared twin room (2 people per booking) or a shared 4-bed dorm (4 people per booking), with a sink in every room and breakfast every morning
- Sightseeing: 2-hour guided tour of Longyearbyen with Svalbard Buss og Taxi, 24 December at 10:00
- Christmas Eve at 102: Our Christmas party with singing, a Filipino Christmas buffet, games, prizes and an exchange gift, 24 December at 18:00 (this cebration is sold separately but is INCLUDED in this package)
- Free days: 25–27 December to explore, with 5% off tours with our partners
- Getting here: The airport shuttle bus waits outside after every arrival, no need to book
The highlight · 24 December at 18:00
Christmas Eve at 102
This is the night we look forward to all year. On Christmas Eve, guests and staff come together in the lounge for our own Christmas celebration. The lights are low, the tree is lit, the food keeps coming, and by the end of the night nobody feels like a stranger.
Most of our team is from the Philippines, where Christmas is taken very seriously. The carols start playing in September, and on Christmas Eve families gather for Noche Buena, a big midnight feast shared with everyone in the house. We’re bringing a bit of that to the Arctic.
The programme
- Christmas singing. Carols in English, Norwegian, Tagalog and anything else our guests know. No talent needed, just good spirit!
- Filipino Christmas buffet. Roasted pork with crispy skin, chicken and pork adobo, golden lumpia (spring rolls), fried chicken and more. Filipino food is made for sharing, and there is always plenty!
- Games and small prizes. Silly, easy party games for all ages. Expect lots of laughing.
- Exchange gift. Optional, and a lot of fun. Bring a wrapped gift worth around 200 NOK, like a cute mug or a pair of Christmas socks, and go home with a surprise from someone else!
The Christmas Eve celebration is included in the package (valued at 495 NOK per person). It takes place with a minimum of 10 paying guests, and we’ll confirm by 15 December.
The programme
Five days, day by day
A guided look at town, one big Christmas Eve together, and three free days to explore Svalbard your way.
01Wed 23 Dec
Welcome to the polar night
Your flight lands in the middle of the darkest weeks of the year. The airport shuttle bus waits outside the terminal after every arrival, so there’s no need to book. Gjestehuset 102 is the last stop, just inform the bus driver you’re heading to us. This costs 125 NOK per person.
At reception we’ll hand you your key and a map of town with our favourite Christmas spots marked.
In Norway, 23 December is lille julaften, “little Christmas Eve”. Locals use it for last-minute shopping and decorating, and the town has a happy, busy buzz. Svalbard is duty free, so it’s a good evening to pick up gifts and warm wool, and maybe something for the exchange gift. Shops close early on Christmas Eve, so this is the day to stock up on snacks for your room!
02Thu 24 Dec
Sightseeing and Christmas Eve at 102
10:00 · Longyearbyen in a nutshell. After breakfast, a local driver from Svalbard Buss og Taxi picks you up outside for a 2-hour guided round trip. You’ll pass the old coal mines, the research stations, the town centre, Svalbard Church and the Global Seed Vault, with stops for photos along the way. Your driver shares stories about how this small Arctic town was built, and in the dark season you might even spot the Northern Lights from the window. Please remember to be ready outside 5-10 minutes before 10:00.
In the afternoon, take a walk up the road to Santa’s letterbox below Mine 2B, or join the Christmas Eve service at Svalbard Church, where many locals come in their bunad, the traditional costumes from their home regions in mainland Norway.
18:00 · Christmas Eve at 102. Our big night. Singing, a Filipino Christmas buffet, games, small prizes and the gift exchange, all together in the lounge with your fellow guests and our team. Come hungry and bring your Christmas spirit!
03Fri 25 Dec
A free day in the Arctic
Christmas Day is calm in Longyearbyen. Sleep in, enjoy a long breakfast, join the Christmas Day service at the church, or head out on a tour. It’s dark around the clock, so this is a great time to chase the Northern Lights.
04Sat 26 Dec
Another day to explore
Go dog sledding, ride a snowmobile under the stars, or simply curl up in one of our two lounges with a book and the last of the Christmas cookies. See our tour ideas below.
05Sun 27 Dec
Until next time
One last breakfast, one last look at the mountains, and then the shuttle bus takes you back to the airport for your flight home. Merry Christmas from all of us at Gjestehuset 102 💙
25–27 December
Tour ideas for your free days
Only the 2-hour sightseeing tour is included in this package, so you can choose other available trips to what suits you. As a direct booker, you get 5% off tours with our partner operators. Most trips pick you up right outside our door.
Dog sledding in the polar night
Meet a team of excited huskies and glide across the snow with only a headlamp and the stars above. Calm, quiet and unforgettable.
Northern Lights hunting
Head away from the town lights with a local guide and search the sky for the aurora. Hot drinks included, magic not guaranteed.
Snowmobile safari
Ride out into the white valleys around Longyearbyen and feel how big and empty the Arctic really is.
Ice cave adventure
Crawl inside an ancient glacier and see the frozen tunnels sparkle under your headlamp.
See all activities Find tours for your dates
Tour schedules over Christmas can be limited, so we recommend booking early. Ask us at reception and we’ll help you plan.
Prices
What’s included
Included
- 4 nights at Gjestehuset 102, 23–27 December 2026
- Breakfast buffet every morning
- 2-hour guided sightseeing with Svalbard Buss og Taxi, 24 December at 10:00
- Christmas Eve at 102: singing, Filipino Christmas buffet, games, prizes and gift exchange (valued at 495 NOK)
- 5% off tours with our partner operators
Not included
- Flights to and from Longyearbyen
- Airport shuttle bus (it waits outside the terminal after every arrival, no need to book. 125 NOK per person. Taxis are also available)
- Tours on 25–27 December (5% off with us)
- Lunches, and dinners other than Christmas Eve
- Your gift for the exchange (optional, around 200 NOK)
- Travel insurance
Shared twin room
2900 NOK
per person · 2 people per booking
Shared 4-bed dorm
2715 NOK
per person · 4 people per booking
Rooms for Christmas are limited. Extra nights before or after the package can be added at our normal direct rate.
Plan your trip
Meals and getting here
Eating over Christmas
Breakfast is served every morning, and on Christmas Eve dinner is on us at the party. We don’t run a restaurant, so for the other evenings you can cook in our big guest kitchen or walk down to one of the restaurants in town. Many places have shorter opening hours over Christmas, so ask us and we’ll point you to what’s open.
Any allergies or dietary needs for the Christmas Eve buffet? Just tell us when you book.
Flights for these dates
There are no flights to or from Longyearbyen on 24, 25 or 26 December, which is why this package runs from the 23rd to the 27th. Both SAS and Norwegian fly direct from Oslo:
Wed 23 DecSAS · Oslo → Longyearbyen08:25–11:30
Wed 23 DecNorwegian · Oslo → Longyearbyen11:50–15:10
Sun 27 DecNorwegian · Longyearbyen → Oslo12:10–15:10
Sun 27 DecSAS · Longyearbyen → Oslo14:40–17:40
Times as of October 2026 and may change. Christmas seats sell out early, so book your flights first, then your package. Want more time? Flights also run on Monday 21 and Monday 28 December, and we can add the extra nights.
Christmas in Longyearbyen
How the world’s northernmost town celebrates
Christmas in Longyearbyen is small, warm and a little bit wild. About 2,500 people live here, far from family on the mainland, so the town has built its own traditions over the years. Here is what the season looks like from our front door in Nybyen.
The darkest, cosiest time of year
The sun goes down for good in late October, and from mid-November the polar night is in full swing. By Christmas there is no daylight at all, not even a blue glow at noon. That sounds gloomy, but it’s the opposite. Every window has a candle or a star, the snow reflects the town lights, and on clear nights the Northern Lights can appear at any hour.
The first Sunday of Advent: torches, a letterbox and a tree
The season starts with one of our favourite evenings of the year. On the first Sunday of Advent (29 November in 2026), the street lights are switched off and locals walk with burning torches from Huset, past the old Mine 2, up to Santa’s letterbox in Nybyen. Later the same day, the town Christmas tree is lit in the square. The tree is shipped up from mainland Norway every year, since nothing that tall grows here.
Santa lives in Mine 2B (ask any child in town)
High on the mountainside above Nybyen sits Mine 2B, known locally as the Santa Claus Mine. In December its lights glow in the dark, and on the road below there’s a special letterbox where children post their wish lists. Every year, the letters are collected. Santa is practically our neighbour, and we’re happy to point you up the road.
Christmas markets and duty-free shopping
In early December, locals sell handmade gifts at Christmas markets, including one at Kulturhuset in the town centre and one at the art and craft centre (Galleri Svalbard) right here in Nybyen. Expect knitwear, prints, jewellery and local photography. The rest of the month, Longyearbyen’s shops are open as usual, and since Svalbard is a duty-free zone, outdoor gear and gifts cost less than on the mainland.
Little Christmas Eve and the Christmas march
On 23 December, Norway celebrates lille julaften. Some years the locals also dress up for a Christmas march, a cheerful walk from pub to pub through town.
Christmas Eve: the big night
Norwegians celebrate on the evening of 24 December. At Svalbard Church, the northernmost church in the world, the Christmas Eve service fills up with locals, many in bunad, the traditional costume from the region of Norway their family comes from. Then it’s home for dinner, presents and long evenings with friends.
Dinner is often ribbe (crispy pork belly) or pinnekjøtt (salted lamb ribs), and in Svalbard some families roast a leg of reindeer from the autumn hunt. Others drive their snowmobiles out to a cabin and celebrate in the middle of the wilderness. And because so many people here are far from home, sharing Christmas dinner with friends and neighbours has been a tradition since the old mining-company days. At 102, we keep that spirit alive with our own Christmas Eve party.
Christmas Day and the quiet days after
The 25th and 26th are slow, quiet days. There’s another service at the church on Christmas Day, then it’s walks, board games and leftovers. With no flights on these days, the whole town has a peaceful, snowed-in feeling. It’s a great time for a husky ride or a Northern Lights tour with the people you love.
Good to know
Practical info & FAQ
Still wondering about something? Send us a message and a real person at reception will get back to you.
What happens at the Christmas Eve party?
We start at 18:00 in the lounge with Christmas singing, then enjoy a Filipino Christmas buffet together, followed by games, small prizes and the gift exchange. It’s relaxed, friendly and fun for all ages.
Do I have to join the gift exchange?
No, it’s optional. If you’d like to join, bring a wrapped gift worth around 200 NOK, like a cute mug or a pair of Christmas socks.
What if fewer than 10 people sign up for the party?
The celebration takes place with a minimum of 10 paying guests. We’ll confirm by 10 December, and if it can’t go ahead we’ll refund the party’s value (495 NOK per person).
I have allergies or dietary needs. Can I still enjoy the buffet?
Of course. Tell us when you book and we’ll do our best to have something good for you.
Are tours included?
The 2-hour sightseeing trip on 24 December is included. Other tours on 25–27 December are not, but you get 5% off with our partner operators when you book your stay directly with us.
What’s the weather like at Christmas?
Expect around -10 to -20 °C, often colder with wind. It’s dark all day, so bring a headlamp, wool layers, a warm hat, mittens and good winter boots.
How do I get around from Nybyen?
We’re about 2 km above the town centre. It’s a pleasant walk on lit roads, and we can call you a taxi from reception. Most tours pick you up from the guesthouse.
How do I get from the airport to the guesthouse?
Easy. The airport shuttle bus waits outside the terminal after every arrival, so there’s no need to book. Gjestehuset 102 is the last stop. The same bus takes you back to the airport when you leave.
Are flights included?
No. Christmas flights sell out early, so book them first, then your package. See the flight times above.
I’m travelling alone. Is that okay?
The package is booked per room: 2 people for a shared twin room, or 4 people for a shared dorm. Travelling alone, or with a group of a different size? Send us a message and we’ll see what we can do. Either way, you’ll have a whole house of new friends by Christmas Eve.
What about the bathrooms?
Showers and toilets are shared, on each floor. Every room has its own sink.
Is it safe to walk outside town?
Never walk outside the settlement without a guide carrying the right polar bear safety equipment. Inside Longyearbyen and Nybyen you can walk freely.
Christmas 2026
Spend Christmas with us in Nybyen
Rooms for Christmas are limited. Send us your dates and room choice, and we’ll confirm your package and save you a seat at our Christmas Eve table.