Tempelfjorden and Tunabreen Glacier Safari
with Hurtigruten Svalbard
About the tour
This boat trip takes you to the mighty glacier front of Tunabreen. On the way, you’ll travel through beautiful fjords and majestic landscapes.
Your guide will collect you from your hotel and take you to the harbour in Longyearbyen, where the enclosed speedboat Kvitbjørn awaits. This 14.9-metre vessel features a sleek, modern design, comfortable seating, and can accommodate up to 12 passengers.
Read the full description
The trip begins by rounding Revneset, the headland north of Longyearbyen, before heading east. Along the way, we stop at the stunning bird cliff, Diabas, where we get close to the bustling birds nesting there. We then pass Villa Fredheim, the historic hunting base of the legendary trapper Hilmar Nøis. In the distance, the imposing glacier front of Tunabreen gradually comes into view. After approximately one hour, we find ourselves in Tempelfjorden. At the glacier, we have a unique opportunity to experience nature up close, all from the safety of the boat.
Tunabreen has a breathtaking glacier front. Its light blue colour makes a gorgeous contrast to the otherwise brownish mountain landscape. Tunabreen is one of the glaciers on Svalbard that are in surge, so if you are lucky you can witness large masses of ice detaching and falling into the sea. Followed by a big bang and a few waves, this is an impressive experience. If the glacier has calved a lot in the last 24 hours, there will also be a lot of ice floating in the water in front of the glacier. From these ice chunks, we can hear popping sounds from thousand-year-old air bubbles bursting.
We will stay on the boat throughout the tour, but spend plenty of time outside on the aft deck. Here, you really get close to nature. After some hot drinks and freshly baked buns, we set course back to Longyearbyen again.
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!
- Transfer to/from the harbour in Longyearbyen
- Boat tour with guides and all necessary safety equipment on board
Important Information
- Difficulty level 2 – Suitable for most
- We recommend that you dress warmly, with a wind jacket, warm hat and mittens. Although the inside of the boat is heated, it is nice to spend some time on the outer deck as well.
- Safety is our highest priority, and the guide needs to be able to give instructions that you understand. To participate in this tour, it is therefore required that you speak and understand English or one of the Scandinavian languages.
- This tour is subject to weather conditions, particularly in regards to wind and waves.
- We do not recommend this tour if you are pregnant or have back problems.
Cancellation Policy
- 22+ days beforeFull refund, minus a cancellation fee of NOK 350
- 21–8 days before50% cancellation fee
- 7–0 days before or no-showNo refund
Read the full terms
Individual Activity Bookings & Cancellations:
The full price of your activity is payable at the time of booking.
Based on the start date of the earliest product in your booking, the following cancellation charges apply:
22 days or more before: full refund, minus a cancellation fee of NOK 350
21 – 8 days before: 50% cancellation fee
7 – 0 days before or no-show: no refund; if unpaid, the outstanding amount will still be due.
Transfer of Booking:
If you or any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else, with the exception of flight tickets, subject to the following conditions:
That person is introduced by you and satisfies all the conditions applicable to the Arrangements.
We are notified not less than 22 days before departure.
You pay any outstanding balance payment, an administration fee of NOK 350 per person, as well as any additional fees, charges or other costs arising from the transfer, and
The transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other requirements applicable to the holiday booking. You and the transferee remain jointly and severally liable for payment of all sums.
If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges will apply as set out in ‘Cancellation by customer’. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.
Cancellation / Changes to programme
Hurtigruten Svalbard reserves the right to cancel any travel service due to a force majeure event or other unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances outside of our control. We may also make alterations in the travel services, for example, due to local weather conditions, temperature conditions, ice conditions, risk of avalanche, polar bear sight, pandemics, illness and mechanical or equipment difficulties. We reserve the right to adjust a tour programme with the safety and comfort of participants in mind. Changes may also be made to assist other ships, groups or stranded persons. Reciprocal assistance is common practice in Polar Regions and must be seen as a part of the experience, as long as the main content of the tour is not substantially reduced due to the incident.
We also reserve the right to cancel travel services where the minimum number of participants for the travel service has not been reached.
The payment made for the cancelled travel service will be refunded. You are not entitled to any further compensation (for example, we will not cover costs for flight tickets or other travel services booked via other agents or organisers).