Sustainable Tourism provides an economic incentive to protect, rather than exploit, vital wildlife areas. Over the years 7 national parks and 21 nature reserves have been created to protect the Svalbard archipelago.

Thankfully, the local population of polar bears and various marine species have increased and Svalbard tour operators - including your host - have worked alongside environmental groups such as the WWF and Friends of the Earth to block any unsustainable development such as new roads, mining and fossil fuel exploration. Every visitor to Svalbard also pays £15 which goes directly to an environmental protection fund to manage the protected areas.

Of course, we are aware that the flight to Svalbard is damaging to the environment and the Arctic is visibly feeling the effects of climate change. As there are currently no viable, sustainable travel alternatives available, Much Better Adventures mitigates 4 times the carbon emitted by your flight to Longyearbyen through our partnership with Cool Earth. The adventure itself - mostly self-powered activities and wilderness camping - is about as low carbon as it’s possible to get, especially when compared with the myriad cruise ships that visit Svalbard.

The only non-self-powered activity on this trip is a day onboard a snowmobile. Snowmobiling is a part of modern life in the Arctic, and for many months of the year it is the only way for locals to travel between settlements.

Your host uses the most modern snowmobiles currently available in Svalbard to ensure as high an energy efficiency and noise level reduction as possible. Your journey follows a frequently used route along a valley floor leading to Tempelfjord. This limits the disturbance to wildlife by avoiding going 'off-piste'. Any local or visitor to Svalbard wanting to venture deeper into the national parks has to apply for permission to do so. Travel by snowmobile by tourists is a highly-monitored activity in order to avoid negative impacts on Svalbard's wildlife.

For more on this topic you can read our article on tourism and conservation in Svalbard, where our very own Stuart Kenny interviews Arne Kristoferson, your host for this trip and resident of Svalbard for nearly 3 decades.

Also, here’s how our very own co-founder Sam answered the question ‘Is it responsible?' after we launched our winter svalbard hiking and snowmobiling tour

You'll need to have a good level of fitness and a serious sense of adventure. While you will be kitted out with everything that you need to be safe and comfortable, the temperatures are extremely cold so you'll need to be prepared for it! Days out in the wilderness are tailored depending on the weather conditions and overall fitness of the group, but you can expect to be on the move for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 7 hours if conditions allow. Hiking in snowshoes in minus temperatures is a different kind of physical challenge compared to normal hiking, however no previous experience is necessary.

You are visiting Svalbard in what they call the 'light winter', as the archipelago emerges from the months of 24-hour darkness. In March you'll have around 12-13 hours daylight and during April it doesn't get truly dark at all. In March you'll experience lows of -20ºC / -4ºF and highs of -13ºC / 9ºF, while April warms up a touch to a balmy -9ºC = 16ºF.

Camping in the Arctic is a completely safe and hugely enjoyable experience with the correct preparation. Your hosts in Svalbard are expert wilderness guides, the majority of whom are originally from the island itself, and you'll be perfectly safe in their hands.

You will need to pack correctly for this trip. There are various specialist pieces of kit included in the trip cost, as well as other items available to hire when you get to Svalbard - see the Kit List on this page for a full breakdown. The other items on the kit list are important to bring along too, so perhaps do a dummy-run packing your bag a couple of weeks before the trip. Then you can buy anything that you might be missing. There will be outdoor adventure shops in Longyearbyen to plug any gaps, but items will be considerably more expensive to buy in Svalbard. Your host will run a check of everyone's preparedness for the camping expedition before heading out into the wilderness on day 3.

The camping equipment provided is specifically designed for extremely cold conditions, to ensure everyone has a safe and comfortable few nights camping in the Arctic. The preparation and equipment will let you relax and enjoy this amazing experience.

Your guides will be carrying GPS, emergency beacons, satellite phones, first aid equipment, flare guns and rifles (rifles must be carried by law outside Longyearbyen). For concerns on polar bear safety and any ethical considerations please read the FAQs: 'What does Polar Bear Lookout entail?' and 'What about polar bears being killed by tour guides?'

Each member of the group will take it in turns to look out for polar bears while the rest of the group sleeps. The experience of being on the lookout is one of the most memorable parts of the trip and has been described as "like being a crew member on a David Attenborough documentary".

You'll be given a full briefing and safety instructions and a shift roster will be developed between you all. Lookout shifts are generally around 2 hours. However, if the group size is larger than 4, you will have at least one night without needing to take a shift.

While on this trip you will be in the hands of expert wilderness guides. Your host has been operating wildlife expeditions in the area for over 25 years and has never had a close call with a polar bear. This is all down to their knowledge and expertise. There are polar bears in the area and they have come close to camp before, but the guides know exactly what to do in all cases.

Over the years there have been incidents of polar bears being killed in self defence, however, your host has been running trips across Svalbard since 1993 and has never had to kill a single bear. The guides travel with flare guns to scare bears away if they get too close, and if needed will follow this up with a warning shot from a rifle in extreme situations. The wilderness camp, meanwhile, has special storage units for food so as not to entice bears towards the camp and a perimeter tripwire that activates flares if triggered.

Your guides are also expert wilderness guides, many from Svalbard itself and have safely led adventure travellers, scientists and filmmakers from the BBC and National Geographic photographers across the region. Their knowledge and experience means they know what to do in all situations to keep both adventurers and bears safe.

Many of the negative encounters with polar bears have occurred during excursions led by less experienced guides, particularly cruise ship based ones who bring guests to shore but aren't fully experienced in what to do during an encounter.

Our local host has also created an association for Svalbard based guides and small travel companies that develops certification for sustainability and safety and only recommends operators who look after the adventurers, the polar bears and the wilderness.

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

The water in Longyearbyen is drinkable. At the wilderness camp you'll have a supply of water brought in, as well as the option to melt snow for drinking water. This Arctic ice water is perfectly safe to drink and super refreshing!

Rather cold!

You'll experience averages of -20ºC / -4ºF, with highs of a balmy -9ºC / 4ºF. The length of days in March and April differs dramatically, with an average 15 hours of daylight in April compared with just 3 hours in March.

You can leave any excess luggage in Longyearbyen before heading to the wilderness camp. There is storage at your hotel and also at your host's secure warehouse.

We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

For current advice about travelling in Norway, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.

Svalbard is a cash-free society - cash is not accepted and there is no bank. Only card payments are accepted so you'll need to bring your credit and/or debit cards with you.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.

Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.

Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.

Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.