Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen
Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen
Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen
4.5
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About
Set high in the Arctic Ocean, Svalbard archipelago extends between 74 and 81° north. It is in the edge of the inhabitable world. Here, you really are on the border of civilization. Outside the city only, the vast wilderness is waiting for you. Join our snowmobiling, dog sledding or skiing adventures at winter time and walking, glacier hiking and kayking adventures or boat safaris on summer time. Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen operates day trips and expeditions from Basecamp Hotel and Trapper’s Station to Nordenskiold Lodge and Isfjord Radio.
Longyearbyen, Norway
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
82 reviews
Excellent
65
Very good
8
Average
1
Poor
3
Terrible
5
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Ingrid B
Oslo, Norway6 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Thank you so much for an adventure we will never ever forget. We can’t praise Basecamp enough for the wonderful experience and memories you create for your guests.
We had three fantastic days on snowmobiles to Isfjord Radio and the surrounding area with our amazing guide Kristian! He had an uniq gift to make us all feel like brave explorers! He made us feel safe in any situation, and was full of knowledge! Could not wish for a better guide! Kristian made our trip!
The team at Isfjord Radio is impecable with the heart warming welcome of Malin, Henrik and the rest of the team with the best service from morning to night. The place in it selves can’t be described, must be experienced! The food, by Simon the master chef, with local food is to die for. And the beautiful sauna with a it’s view, is a must!
Basecamp hotel in Longyearbyen the same; you feel at home as soon as you enter what is so much more than a traditional reception in a hotel! with the staff and the ambience; This is a HOME away from home! The amazing breakfast in the cozy dining makes waking up early in the morning a highlight of the day!
Anyone who is worried about being cold on any trips; don’t be! Cause both the caring staff, guides and the gear Basecamp provides on all trips assures you the most comfortable trip in all aspects!
Can’t recommend Basecamp enough if you want the best experience of Svalbard in all aspects!
Thank you Basecamp!
Sad to leave, but we will be back!
We had three fantastic days on snowmobiles to Isfjord Radio and the surrounding area with our amazing guide Kristian! He had an uniq gift to make us all feel like brave explorers! He made us feel safe in any situation, and was full of knowledge! Could not wish for a better guide! Kristian made our trip!
The team at Isfjord Radio is impecable with the heart warming welcome of Malin, Henrik and the rest of the team with the best service from morning to night. The place in it selves can’t be described, must be experienced! The food, by Simon the master chef, with local food is to die for. And the beautiful sauna with a it’s view, is a must!
Basecamp hotel in Longyearbyen the same; you feel at home as soon as you enter what is so much more than a traditional reception in a hotel! with the staff and the ambience; This is a HOME away from home! The amazing breakfast in the cozy dining makes waking up early in the morning a highlight of the day!
Anyone who is worried about being cold on any trips; don’t be! Cause both the caring staff, guides and the gear Basecamp provides on all trips assures you the most comfortable trip in all aspects!
Can’t recommend Basecamp enough if you want the best experience of Svalbard in all aspects!
Thank you Basecamp!
Sad to leave, but we will be back!
Written February 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael
16 contributions
Mar 2020
As a group of 5 people, we booked a Huskey half-day tour and were fully satisfied. Nice guide, good planning and an awesome experience with the dogs. You should consider taking the full-day tour, then you have much more time to explore the area with the dog sledding, as dressing up with warm clothes and driving to the starting point takes some time. We got warm clothes, so the artic weather of -30 degrees did not feel too cold.
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elizabeth H
Boston, MA139 contributions
Sep 2022
How can I even begin to explain the incredible celebration Basecamp Explorer provided for my 50th Birthday!!!! It was the adventure of a lifetime and really the most special week of my whole life.
Planning to bring 37 friends and family to The Arctic Circle for a week seems like an almost impossible dream. But, with the help of Maiken at Basecamp and all her team, not only did we make it happen, but we made it everything I could have dreamed of.
Every detail was seamless from the flights and pick up to the accommodations and all the activities Maiken planned in advance for us.
We did a full take over of both Basecamp Lodge and Radio Isfjord and the size, space and style were perfect for our group. You could have even fit a few more if you wanted!
The group ranged from 8 years old to 60 years old and there was something perfect for everyone.
We all love The Basecamp Lodge in Longyearbyen, so much so that when we came back after two nights away, everyone said it felt like returning home.
But, the most special place was Radio Isfjord!!!
This is a magical place where our friends and family were able to come together and be just us in a peaceful, beautiful and comfortable setting full of beauty and adventure.
Not to mention the comfortable beds and the incredible 5 star food! Even an impressive wine list in the middle of nowhere!
My friends and family have not stopped talking about it since we came home and I am sure they will be talking about it for years to come.
What an adventure! What a bonding experience! What a great trip from start to finish!
Thank you to the staff of Basecamp Explorer for making my 50th Birthday so incredibly special.
Planning to bring 37 friends and family to The Arctic Circle for a week seems like an almost impossible dream. But, with the help of Maiken at Basecamp and all her team, not only did we make it happen, but we made it everything I could have dreamed of.
Every detail was seamless from the flights and pick up to the accommodations and all the activities Maiken planned in advance for us.
We did a full take over of both Basecamp Lodge and Radio Isfjord and the size, space and style were perfect for our group. You could have even fit a few more if you wanted!
The group ranged from 8 years old to 60 years old and there was something perfect for everyone.
We all love The Basecamp Lodge in Longyearbyen, so much so that when we came back after two nights away, everyone said it felt like returning home.
But, the most special place was Radio Isfjord!!!
This is a magical place where our friends and family were able to come together and be just us in a peaceful, beautiful and comfortable setting full of beauty and adventure.
Not to mention the comfortable beds and the incredible 5 star food! Even an impressive wine list in the middle of nowhere!
My friends and family have not stopped talking about it since we came home and I am sure they will be talking about it for years to come.
What an adventure! What a bonding experience! What a great trip from start to finish!
Thank you to the staff of Basecamp Explorer for making my 50th Birthday so incredibly special.
Written October 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tripper006
Auckland10 contributions
Jul 2022
I would not wish to repeat the experience I had booking with Basecamp Explorer for a 2 night trip to Isfjord Radio along with 2 days of activities. I booked and paid for the expedition 10 months ahead of time. Four weeks before it was due to start Basecamp emailed me to inform me they had cancelled our trip. They offered “We can help you put together a new program in Longyearbyen or we can refund the full amount.” They seemed more keen on refunding our money than finding a “new program”. The trouble was my husband and I were not coming from mainland Norway where rescheduling may have been easier. We were coming from the other side of the world (NZ) and had already left home on our travels. We had other bookings either side of the cancelled expedition so that trying to re-organise things was massive for us, especially as we were already travelling and trying to spend time sightseeing. In the end we were helped by another company in Longyearbyen who started their season early just for us. I found it interesting in Basecamp’s Terms & Conditions that they state “this is a binding agreement between Basecamp Spitzbergen (hereafter referred to as the organiser) and customer (as the booker).” As far as Basecamp amending the contract their wording is “If the weather conditions, third parties or other circumstances cause delays or make it impossible to carry out the event as agreed, the organiser can not be made liable for compensation”. Basecamp cancelled our contract because they got a better offer. They had a TV crew taking over the entire hotel leaving no room for those people who had already made bookings. While I can understand the desire for some financial recouping after 2 years of minimal tourism, I do not believe they were bound to take that crew (as they were supposedly bound by their contract with us). Their handling of the situation was substandard in my opinion. I cannot be confident in the future that they would feel bound to any agreement if they had a better offer come along. And the final “cut” – the amount which was to be refunded did not arrive “in full”. Despite my asking that Basecamp pay the bank fees we got walloped for them so received less than we should have. That pretty much sums up their attitude to money over customers in my opinion.
Written August 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael N
2 contributions
Mar 2020
My father and I had a booking for a 3 day Snowmobile tour in Svalbard in March of this year. I had been dreaming of coming to Svalbard for years and finally got the once in a lifetime opportunity to go.
Unfortunately during our flight the Norwegian government announced the lockdowns and a 14 day quarantine of all new arrivals so my father and I were unable to take part as we had flown in from Amsterdam. We were then evacuated off the island 12 hours after arriving and successfully managed to fly home.
Since then I have tried to have my initial booking moved to next year or partially refunded but I have received no help from the staff. They have repeatedly told me that as I cancelled within 7 days of the trip start date that they would be keeping all my money - even though we were legally prevented from leaving our hotel.
We are being punished here by doing the right thing. We could have lied to the local authorities and said we had already quarantined somewhere else in Norway and taken the trip putting their staff at risk. We were also told by the local authorities on the ground that all our trips would be refunded - it seems that was a lie.
It seems I will never know what one of their trips is like as I do not think I can in good conscience use their services again.
Unfortunately during our flight the Norwegian government announced the lockdowns and a 14 day quarantine of all new arrivals so my father and I were unable to take part as we had flown in from Amsterdam. We were then evacuated off the island 12 hours after arriving and successfully managed to fly home.
Since then I have tried to have my initial booking moved to next year or partially refunded but I have received no help from the staff. They have repeatedly told me that as I cancelled within 7 days of the trip start date that they would be keeping all my money - even though we were legally prevented from leaving our hotel.
We are being punished here by doing the right thing. We could have lied to the local authorities and said we had already quarantined somewhere else in Norway and taken the trip putting their staff at risk. We were also told by the local authorities on the ground that all our trips would be refunded - it seems that was a lie.
It seems I will never know what one of their trips is like as I do not think I can in good conscience use their services again.
Written June 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tree888
York, UK221 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
We booked the 2 day overnight trip by snowmobile to Isfjord Radio. Vehmun, our guide, was fantastic, very calm and patient with excellent English.
On the first day the weather was very poor with strong winds and white out conditions but snowmobiling through a blizzard was interesting and definitely makes you concentrate. We had never driven snowmobiles before and it was very straightforward.
We stayed at Isfjord Radio which is beautifully located and of very high standard. The staff are incredibly friendly and the food was sensational with paired wines! One discussion point is whether it is just too high end for weary travellers? Personally, we loved it but some said that a slightly less gourmet experience would have been fine. However I've now eaten reindeer tongue, which was amazing.
The second day the weather was blue skies and great visibility, so went over a glacier through stunning scenery. Altogether, expensive but worth it as a once in a lifetime experience guaranteed to make you sleep well when you get back!
On the first day the weather was very poor with strong winds and white out conditions but snowmobiling through a blizzard was interesting and definitely makes you concentrate. We had never driven snowmobiles before and it was very straightforward.
We stayed at Isfjord Radio which is beautifully located and of very high standard. The staff are incredibly friendly and the food was sensational with paired wines! One discussion point is whether it is just too high end for weary travellers? Personally, we loved it but some said that a slightly less gourmet experience would have been fine. However I've now eaten reindeer tongue, which was amazing.
The second day the weather was blue skies and great visibility, so went over a glacier through stunning scenery. Altogether, expensive but worth it as a once in a lifetime experience guaranteed to make you sleep well when you get back!
Written March 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ferenc
9 contributions
Apr 2023
I took a 5 day dogsledding trip with Basecamp Explorer from Longyearbyen to Ilsfjord Radio and back. Due to the heavy snowfall a day before the trip, and due to the consequential avalanche danger on the original route, we had to take a different route to Ilsfjord Radio. Regardless, our guide Ivar took care of that we still had a Plan B and although on a longer route and a day later but we still reached our destination (we got back to Longyearbyen as planned). The trip was great with a small group (4 guests and 2 guides), we were well taken care of and kept safe. The winter clothes and gear provided by the company was excellent, I was never cold. Besides driving the sledge, the trip includes winter camping, working with the dogs and setting up camp daily in deep snow, therefore I only recommend it for people with good physical condition. The trip was an amazing experience, the landscape was unique and beautiful and the serenity of being out in the wild without the usual daily noise, internet and crowd is hard to describe....
Written May 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charles
London, UK46 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
2 amazing trips. Full day snowmobiling was a blast and we covered 115km and saw a lot of wilderness and Svalbard Reindeer. A small group of 5 with a great Finnish guide (sorry I can’t spell her name properly) regular stops and lots of good facts about Svarlbard. We learnt a lot, found it exciting and exhilarating and got to see some wild places and some wild weather. The kit you get given means you don’t get cold which was a relief for me as a cold person!
The next day we did a half day husky dog sleigh ride which we loved. A real contrast and so calm and serene feeling in synch with the dogs and nature. We completely fell in love with the huskies and our guide was amazingly lovely. The riding was great but the time with the huskies was very memorable and special having recently lost our family dog. The dogs are strong and gentle at the same time. We will definitely do this again!
The next day we did a half day husky dog sleigh ride which we loved. A real contrast and so calm and serene feeling in synch with the dogs and nature. We completely fell in love with the huskies and our guide was amazingly lovely. The riding was great but the time with the huskies was very memorable and special having recently lost our family dog. The dogs are strong and gentle at the same time. We will definitely do this again!
Written March 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Casey G
16 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
I cannot recommend this company enough. I am a young (23 y/o) solo traveler from America, and did a 1-day hike around Longyearbyen. My two guides, Kanerva and Heine, were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about their work. The hike itself was the perfect amount of challenging, and we enjoyed a hot beverage and snacks at the top. This was my first activity in Longyearbyen, and was the perfect introduction to the city. Everyone that works at Basecamp is incredibly friendly, and I will recommend them to any friends and family that go to Svalbard.
Written July 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa Re
28 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
We had booked a 4-hour husky sled ride. The dogs live chained up in a small space, which seems to be normal here. But that didn't really suit us. Otherwise everything was fine, but we had hoped for a bit more for a price of around €200 per person. You could also think that the dogs could benefit from the money and that better care would be guaranteed...
Written February 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience