Svalbard Soultrip

In the morning we leave Greece behind and fly north. With every hour in the air, we edge a little closer to the Arctic Circle. At midday we land in Oslo and head to our 4* hotel right by the airport — the perfect place to rest and recharge. In the evening we all meet for our first gathering: we get to know each other, run the trip briefing and settle into the spirit of the expedition ahead. Anyone who feels like it can take a short walk around Oslo — a first taste of Scandinavian atmosphere before we fly even farther north, to where the real adventure begins.

We wake up early, buzzing with anticipation — today we fly to our Arctic destination. After the flight, the plane touches down at one of the northernmost airports in the world: Svalbard. The landscape around us looks like something out of a film: frozen mountains, the sea, and the northern wind welcoming us. We transfer to our hotel in the centre of Longyearbyen, the island's largest settlement. After dropping our bags, we head out for a first walk through the small but lively centre — wooden houses painted in bold colours, local shops full of Arctic souvenirs, and the Svalbard Museum, which plunges us straight into the story of the explorers and whalers. In the evening we have two options that make the experience magical: either we make our first 'hunt' for the Northern Lights, or we relax in the hotel's outdoor spa, the hot pools steaming under the frozen sky — and if we're lucky, the green ribbons of the aurora borealis will give us our first unforgettable night inside the Arctic Circle. A day that opens the door to a different world: harsh, yet irresistibly enchanting.

The day begins in the most authentic way: a tour with the one-of-a-kind Vigo, one of the few people who truly know Svalbard. With him we visit the old coal mine, stand outside the legendary Global Seed Vault — where humanity's heritage is safeguarded for the generations to come — and hear stories of life at the edge of the world, at the northernmost permanently inhabited point on the planet. The afternoon is free, though for us at Altervan the word 'free' always hides a few surprises. Anyone who wishes can drop by the husky café, pet the gorgeous dogs of the North and warm up with a cup of coffee. And for those curious to discover more, we've saved a few of the area's hidden gems — little stops and experiences you won't find in any brochure, but that give Svalbard its own secret magic.

In the morning we get the chance to experience something unique: a ride on a snowcat, a specially built vehicle that looks like an armoured bus on tracks. Designed for the most extreme conditions, the snowcat moves slowly but steadily through snow and ice, carrying us into landscapes that would otherwise be unreachable. It's an experience that makes you feel like you're on an expedition at the end of the world. The afternoon is ours to dive into the atmosphere of Longyearbyen. We can visit the Svalbard Museum, which tells the story of the place through whalers, researchers and polar expeditions; stop by the Svalbard church, the northernmost on the planet, home to an unusual guest — a taxidermied polar bear — that reminds us how wild nature is here; and finally walk through old Longyearbyen, where the spirit of the first coal miners still lingers among the wooden houses. Here, inside the Arctic Circle, night and day blur together, and the greatest gift is that the Northern Lights can appear at any moment — morning, noon or night. A magical reminder that on Svalbard, nature plays by different rules.

The morning gives us our final moments in Longyearbyen. We take one last stroll along the wooden lanes, browse the little shops and carry away images that will stay with us forever. And somewhere along the way, as on every walk here, the reindeer appear beside the houses, on the slopes and in the yards — free and calm, a symbol of everyday Arctic life. It's as if they, too, are saying goodbye in their own way. In the afternoon we board our flight to Oslo. We return to our familiar 4* hotel by the airport for a comfortable overnight stay. But this isn't the end — our great adventure still has one more stop. The journey continues and the group stays strong, full of Arctic stories we already can't wait to share.

Early in the morning we leave Oslo behind and fly to Athens. Our journey inside the Arctic Circle comes to an end, but the images we carry feel like they're still being painted in our minds: reindeer walking free through the snow, houses glowing under a sky with no dawn or dusk, and the Northern Lights that can appear at any moment — morning, noon or night — reminding us that in the North, nature plays by different rules. This trip isn't just an excursion; it's an experience that makes you think differently, live differently, feel part of a world that touches the very edges of the Earth. If you feel the North calling, if you want to be able to say 'I was there too, on Svalbard,' then this experience is for you. We're ready. Are you?