Snowmobile Safari to Northern Lights Camp
with Svalbard Adventures
About the tour
Visiting the area around the Tempelfjord and Sassendalen valley during the Polar Night is a wonderful experience that gives you a real sense of being at one with nature. We will heat up our lavvu for lunch and storytelling in a historical setting surrounded by wild nature.
Kitted out in good and warm clothing, with our faces pointed eastwards towards the darkness and to the rumbling sound of the snowmobiles, we are ready for a day out in the Svalbard nature. We drive by snowmobile along the river landscape, wide valleys and open expanses to the Brattlidalen valley. This small hidden valley, which resembles a small cathedral, was formed by the meltwater that flowed through here over a period of several thousand years.
Read the full description
Candles and a crackling fire light up the lavvu (traditional Sami herdsmen’s tent) and the spectacular surroundings. Sitting on benches covered by reindeer skins, our guides will serve you a hot lunch while sharing fascinating stories about Svalbard. During the Polar Night at this time of the year, the sun is so far below the horizon that the polar light is even clearer than usual. Out here, far removed from the artificial light in Longyearbyen, we have the best possible conditions for experiencing the Northern Lights. Svalbard is one of the few populated places on earth where this mystical phenomenon can be viewed during the daytime.
Physical Requirements/Difficulty Grading System
Suitable for most without any snowmobile experience, through some rugged terrain
Practical information
Included in the trip
Dress in layers – it’s the best way to stay warm. Remember: it is better to be too warm than to be too cold. And also – there is no bad weather, just bad clothing!
- Transport to and from the accommodation
- Winter suit, boots, mittens, helmet, goggles and balaclava
- Guide with safety equipment
- Search and rescue insurance
- Warm lunch, hot drinks and biscuits
Important Information
- The participant is obliged to ensure that the driver’s license is valid in Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and to contact the responsible authorities in case of any questions. The guide will check each participants’ driver’s license and will refuse participation if necessary. No refunds will be given due to an invalid driver’s license. Non-Norwegian digital driver licenses are not valid for driving in Norway.
- We do not recommend this tour if you are pregnant or have back problems
- We recommend warm clothing to wear under the winter suit such as wool underwear, wool socks, thick sweater and extra mittens
- A small backpack for extra clothing and other items
- Please state any food allergies or other preferences
- For participants driving on this excursion, it is required that you speak and understand English or a Scandinavian language
- Early in the season the camp may be organised in a different location than Brattlidalen due to insufficient snow conditions, in which case the duration of the trip will be shorter than normal and have a reduced price. Alternatively, the camp will be organised outdoors where we’ll enjoy our lunch while sitting on reindeer skins around a campfire.
Driver’s License
- To drive a snowmobile or ATV in Svalbard, you must have a driver’s license for passenger car/class B.
- For snowmobiles, driving entitlement for categories A, A1, A2 and S (snowmobile) may also be accepted.
- The driver’s license must have been issued in a country that is a party to the Geneva Convention of 1949 or the Vienna Convention of 1968 on road traffic. Digital certificate is only valid if it is issued in Norway.
- You do not need additional documentation if your driving licence meets the model requirement under one of the conventions. All driving licences from EU/EEA countries meet this requirement.
- If your driving licence is from a country outside the EU/EEA, you should check if it meets the model requirement under one of the conventions.
- If your driving licence does NOT meet the model requirement, you will need the following in addition to your driving licence:
- An authorised Norwegian translation of your driving licence, or
- An international driving licence that meets the model requirements
- Driving licences from countries that are not party to the Geneva or Vienna Conventions
- You may use your driving licence for three months if it meets both of the following criteria:
- It meets the model requirement under one of the conventions.
- It is in a Scandinavian language, English, French or German.
- If your driving licence does not meet both requirements, when driving you need to carry with you both your regular driving licence and an international driving licence that meets the model requirements.
- The following countries have not signed one or both conventions:
- Afghanistan
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Chad
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- French Guiana
- Gabon
- Grenada
- Guinea Western Sahara
- Guinea-Bissau
- Hong Kong
- Libya
- Macao
- Mauritania
- Mayotte
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Panama
- Réunion
- Saint Helena
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Taiwan
- Timor-Leste
- Yemen
- *Please note that this list is advisory and not necessarily exhaustive. It’s your responsibility to ensure your driver’s license is valid for use in Svalbard when joining our guided snowmobile or ATV safaris.
- ** The information on this page is based on information provided by The Norwegian Public Roads Administration at the time of the last update to this page. (03.04.2025, 13:00)
- This info is based on the following sources:
- The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Driving Licenses in Svalbard
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1949 Geneva Convention
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic
Cancellation Policy
22 days prior to arrival gives a 95% refund
8-21 days prior to arrival gives a 50% refund
0-7 days prior to departure gives no refund
If you need to adjust your booking, let us know. If available, we gladly guide you on another day of your preference, only if we have availability and possibility to do so and only 3 days before or after the original date. However, if you need to cancel, please notify us in writing.
We are not able to offer a refund due to route changes, sickness, cancelled or delayed flights or any other circumstance outside our control.