Day tour · Winter
Snowmobile Adventures
Full-day snowmobile expeditions toward the east coast or Barentsburg. Up to 10 hours, November to May. Long distances over frozen valleys and sea ice with an armed guide.
- Duration
- up to 10 h
- Season
- Winter
- Group
- Convoy, 2 per machine or solo
- Min age
- 18+ to drive (valid licence)
- Meeting point
- Hotel pickup
- From
- €290 pp
- Intensity
- Active
- Drive your own snowmobile, two-up or solo
- Long routes deep into the backcountry
- Frozen valleys, glaciers and far views
- Armed guide and convoy structure for safety
Full-day snowmobile expeditions that cover real ground, typically toward the east coast or across to the Russian town of Barentsburg. These run up to 10 hours and are bookable from November to May, once the snow cover and frozen valleys make long routes possible. You drive your own machine, with a licence required to drive and passengers free to ride, behind an armed guide who navigates and sets the pace.
What to expect, honestly
A full day on a snowmobile is tiring and cold, even in a good suit, and the seat time is the point rather than a downside. Distances are real and help is far, which is exactly why the trip runs as an armed convoy. Routes shift with weather and avalanche conditions, so the east-coast plan can become a different valley with little warning, and that call belongs to the guide.
On this tour
What you'll do
Your own machine
After a driving briefing you take the controls of your own snowmobile, either solo or two sharing and swapping the driver's seat. A valid driving licence is required to drive; passengers without one can still ride along. The guide leads the convoy and sets the pace.
Deep into the backcountry
The route covers real ground, often toward the east coast or across to Barentsburg. You spend most of the day on the machine, far from town, moving over open snow where the only marks are the convoy's own tracks.
Frozen valleys and far views
The reward is scale: wide frozen valleys, glacier fronts and viewpoints you can only reach by machine. Distances are large and help is far, which is exactly why the trip runs as an armed convoy.
A day on this tour
How the day runs
- 08:00
Pickup from your hotel
A guide collects you in Longyearbyen and you suit up in a full thermal kit.
- 08:30
Gear and driving briefing
You learn how the snowmobile handles, how the convoy moves, and the safety routine before setting off.
- 09:15
Set off in convoy
The group heads out as a line behind the guide, who navigates and sets a steady pace over open terrain.
- 12:30
Halt for lunch in the field
The convoy stops out in the country for a warm meal and a break from the seat.
- 14:00
Push on to a glacier or viewpoint
You continue to the day's turning point, a glacier front or a far viewpoint, before starting back.
- 18:00
Return to Longyearbyen
Drop-off at your hotel. The end time shifts with weather, route and the group's pace.
Times are a guide; the running order shifts with weather, light and the group.
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What's included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Full thermal suit, boots, gloves, balaclava and helmet
- Your own snowmobile and fuel
- A hot lunch in the field
- Armed, English-speaking guide
What to bring
- Warm base and mid layers under the suit
- Goggles and hand-warmers
- Any medication you may want mid-day
- A camera with a spare battery kept warm
Season planner
The best months for this
Activities are gated by snow, ice and daylight. Pick your month, then pick what's actually possible.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowmobile |
From the trail
A look at the day
Good to know
Before you book
Do I drive my own snowmobile?
Yes, if you hold a valid driving licence. Two of you can share one machine and swap the driver's seat, or you can ride solo. Passengers without a licence can come along but cannot drive.
Do I need experience to drive?
No prior snowmobile experience is needed, but you do need a valid driving licence and to be 18 or over to drive. A briefing covers the controls and the convoy routine before you set off, and the guide stays with the group throughout.
How demanding is a full day?
It is long, active and cold even in a good suit, with most of the day spent on the machine. The seat time and the distance are the point of the trip, not a downside, but come prepared for a tiring day.
Can the route change?
Often. Weather, avalanche risk and ice conditions can turn the east-coast plan into a different valley with little warning. The guide makes that call for safety, and it is normal rather than a fault.
Why is there an armed guide?
Outside the settlement, polar bears are a real possibility, so a rifle and flare are standard. The convoy structure and the armed guide exist because distances are large and help is far.
How cold does it get?
Deep winter can sit well below −20 °C, and wind chill on a moving machine makes it feel colder. You get a full thermal kit; layer well underneath and use goggles and hand-warmers.
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