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Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Polar bears, glaciers and the midnight sun, close to the North Pole.

Europe
Continent
Europe

About this destination

Spitsbergen, officially Svalbard, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between Norway and the North Pole. From Longyearbyen, one of the northernmost settlements in the world, you head out by boat, snowmobile or dog sled along glaciers and fjords. Polar bears, walruses and reindeer live here. In summer the sun never sets; in winter it is dark for months. Jan Mayen is a volcanic island inhabited only by station staff. There are flights from Oslo and Tromsø.

Best time to visit

March–May (snow and light) and June–August (midnight sun)

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