Svalbard seasons - when to visit

Because Svalbard is so far north, it has its own rules when it comes to daylight and weather there are 3 distinct seasons and picking which one to visit in can hugely impact your trip. It all comes down to what you want to do and see - you could definitely visit at different times of year and have wildly different experiences. We opted to visit in May, but was it the right choice? Read on to find out more on the seasons and my recommendation. 

Polar Summer 

Mid May to September 

Experience 24 hours of sunlight (the midnight sun) from the end of April to August. While there’s no chance of the northern lights, this is the mildest time of year, averaging between 3 °C to 6 °C - you are still in the arctic, after all! 

 The receding sea ice makes way for opportunities for boat trips, kayaking and fishing. July and August will provide the best chances of spotting whales in the fjords.  Less snow in town means you can take a cycling tour and you can still experience dog sledding, but instead of sledding on snow, the dogs pull a wheeled cart.

Northern Lights Winter 

October to February 

This is the time of year when there is darkness and therefore a chance of seeing the northern lights. However, we were warned by locals that Svalbard isn’t the best place to see the aurora borealis because it’s actually too far north (would you believe it). The renowned polar night is when there is complete darkness, with the sun never rising above the horizon - this generally occurs between mid November and the end of January.  Temperatures range from -5 °C to -12 °C.

Winter activities are available such as snowmobiling, dog sledding, skiing, visiting an ice cave, as well as year-round activities (see below)

Sunny winter 

March to mid May

The sun returns to Svalbard and then quickly remains above the horizon as we enter midnight sun from mid-April onwards.  This can be the coldest time of year to visit with temperatures ranging from -5°C to -17°C

Winter activities are still ongoing, weather dependant. In normal years, snowmobiling and dog sledding tours from Longyearbyen would run until almost June, but we visited in the first week of May 2026 and Svalbard had been subject to unseasonably warm weather,  meaning we were on the last dog sledding trip of the season. Many other tours were cancelled that week. 

Some summer activities such as boat trips start to become available too. Ultimately we decided to compromise on May so we could go dog sledding and do some wildlife spotting from the boat. However, even though the boats are running, it’s not really the ideal time of year for whale watching, and we didn’t see any. 

Year round activities 

No matter what time of year you visit Svalbard, it is an incredibly remote other-worldly destination - you do really feel like you’re at the edge of the earth. And of course there are indoor activities and those that don’t depend on the weather  - take a dip in the arctic sea and then warm up in the floating sauna, Svalbad, visit the town’s museums, spend a wilderness evening at Camp Barentz, or visit one of the coal mines. 

Svalbard Seasons in summary

Season	Polar Summer	Northern Lights Winter	Sunny Winter
Time of year	Mid May - end of September	October - February	March to mid May
Daylight	Midnight sun: May - end of August	Polar night (full darkness): mid November - End of January	Midnight sun: end of April onwards
Average temperature in Longyearbyen	6℃	-9℃	-16℃
Activities	Whale watching  Boat trips  Hiking/multi day trekking Kayaking  Fishing Cycling sightseeing tour Dog sledding with wheeled carts	Northern lights  Snowmobiling Dog Sledding  Ice cave	Snomobiling Dog Sledding  Ice cave Snowcat tours Some boat trips start to run nearer the end of season
Year round activities	Town bus tour  Arctic Sauna - Svalbad Photography tours  Wilderness evening  Camping in the arctic wilderness Coal mine visit

We visited in May, and if you plan to do the same, just be aware that it is a risk because the weather is not really ideal for winter or summer specific activities. If we were to visit again, I think I’d pick a season more decisively and accept that you can’t see/do everything! 

If you want to know more about how to visit Svalbard on a budget, get our full Svalbard guide here, which includes how to get there, detailed itinerary, activity booking details, full budget breakdown and tips on where to cut costs.

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