Midnight Sun Escape

3 summer days under the midnight sun, from €1,390, with a 4-star hotel base. You run a walrus safari by boat, ride an ATV across open tundra, and cruise by catamaran to the front of the Nordenskiöld glacier. It runs May through September, when the sun never sets.

This is the warm-season counterpart to the Polar Night Escape — the same short format, built around water and land rather than ice and dark. The price covers three nights at a 4-star hotel, breakfast daily, transfers, all gear, and meals on the active days.

What does a day look like?

Because the sun stays up around the clock, days are flexible. A boat day leaves the harbour after breakfast, runs along the coast toward known walrus haul-outs, and gives you time on deck with the guide naming what passes — seabirds, seals, the occasional reindeer on the shoreline.

The ATV day takes you off the road network and onto the tundra, a slow, deliberate ride with stops to look at terrain, plants, and the valley systems. The catamaran cruise is the set-piece: a steady run up the fjord to the Nordenskiöld glacier front, engines idling at a safe distance while you watch and listen for the ice. Evenings are open — the hotel sits in town, so dinner and a walk are easy, and the light makes 11 p.m. feel like late afternoon.

Who this is for — and who it isn’t

This fits travellers who want comfort with their Arctic — a real hotel, easy logistics, and three signature summer outings without a long commitment. It is a strong choice for a first visit if you would rather see wildlife and glaciers than face deep cold.

Skip it if you want polar bears on demand: bears are sea-ice and remote-coast animals, and a 3-day boat-and-tundra trip near town is not built to find them — the expeditions exist for that. Skip it too if 24-hour daylight will keep you awake; bring an eye mask, or it may.

What’s included

See the specification table on this page for the full included and not-included breakdown. The headline: 4-star hotel, guides, gear, search & rescue insurance, transfers, and active-day meals are in. Flights to Longyearbyen and travel insurance are not.

When to book

Book 3–5 months ahead for the June–August core. Walrus haul-outs and glacier access are most reliable from June onward; May and September are quieter shoulder weeks with cooler water and fewer departures. Summer is the busiest season on Svalbard, so hotel rooms and boat seats go early — reserve as soon as your flights are fixed.