Snowmobile Safari to the Ice Cave
with Svalbard Adventures
About the tour
Did you know that more than 60% of Svalbard is covered with ice? No matter where you travel in Svalbard, it’s hard to avoid seeing a glacier. What does it look like inside these glaciers?
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Read the full description
We travel east from Longyearbyen, through the Advent Valley and the neighbouring Helvetiadalen valley to the Tellbreen glacier. Along the way, we stop to gain impressions of the nature and historical landscape. Here in Svalbard, we don’t need to travel far to find exciting and beautiful places to explore.
— A world of narrow passageways, glittering snow crystals, icicles and art formations created by Mother Nature.
On arrival at the Tellbreen glacier, we switch off the snowmobiles, put on our headtorches and head down into the cave. The meltwater channels during the summertime create unique formations and passageways we can explore. These channels change from year to year, adding to the unique experience. An ice cave can tell us about the history of the climate from the time when Svalbard was free of ice. Some of the layers of ice in the cave contain air bubbles, the ice in some places is as clear as glass, while the layers are often filled with sediments.
There is a hidden world down here in the cave; a world of narrow passageways, glittering snow crystals, icicles and art formations created by Mother Nature.
A light in the dark
The guide will explain about Svalbard’s fascinating geology. The temperature inside the ice cave is generally around -3 ˚C. Down here, away from the elements, there is no wind and it’s completely dark. We use headtorches to light up the underground landscape to fully appreciate the details in the ice and the enormous ice masses surrounding us. We will serve lunch in the ice cave or up on the glacier, depending on the prevailing weather conditions.
Snowmobile safari to ice cave offer a bit of everything Svalbard has to offer. The Arctic landscape, snowmobiling, historical places and a completely unique trip into the fascinating world of the ice cave. This is a good trip to start your Svalbard stay with or attend with your family, as the trip is shorter than other snowmobile trips.
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
- 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
- For safety reasons, the route may change due to weather, wind and snow conditions
- Non-Norwegian digital driver licenses are not valid for driving in Norway
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.
