The new five-day/four-night A Polar Night adventure takes you close to the North Pole with a private tour and stay in comfort and isolation at the Juva Cabin in Svalbard, Norway. Launched by specialist travel company Off the Map Travel, the exclusive program brings adventurous travelers in search of the Northern Lights to a remote area with 24-hour darkness and a complete absence of light pollution where chances to see the Aurora are strongest. Only accessible in the snow during the winter months, Juva Cabin is the most remote comfort-oriented tourist accommodation in Svalbard.
The secluded cabin is positioned strategically to deliver the best possible views of Svalbard’s wild, pristine scenery, and optimal viewing of the Aurora. Equipped with cushy beds, a fireplace, a Scandinavian-styled lounge room, kitchen, and a barrel-shaped standalone wood sauna, the Juva Cabin allows for comfort in an Arctic experience.
Designed by Off the Map Travel’s Aurora experts, A Polar Night takes travelers to a remote location marked by a dark, clear sky. Optimizing the possibility of witnessing the colorful Northern Lights, the program offers guests a comfortable experience, different from that of a traditional Arctic expedition. Beginning in Oslo, the program travels North to Svalbard, an archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
“To have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights you need a polar sky. Where the sun never rises, going as far north as possible, there’s greater possibility of viewing the brilliant colors,” noted Jonny Cooper, founder of Off the Map Travel.
Priced from $3252.54 USD per person, based on two people travelling, the program is available from January to May and includes all meals, one night’s lodging in Oslo’s boutique Amerikalinjen Hotel, two night’s lodging in Funken Lodge in Longyearbyen, one night in Juva Cabin in Svalbard, transfers, and all activities. Flights are additional.
After a night in Oslo’s premier boutique hotel, the Arctic portion begins with a night at Funken Lodge, a luxury accommodation located in Longyearbyen, a small coal-mining town on Spitsbergen Island overlooking the Lars- and Longyear glaciers. The evening kicks off the Northern Lights search with a panoramic ice-and-snow filled tour on a snowcat.
From Funken Lodge, guests meet a dog sled team that will take them to the Juva Cabin in Svalbard. Once there, guests can cozy up by the fire or head to the barrel-shaped, glass-fronted sauna which offers panoramic views of the mountains.
Following breakfast, guests will mush their way back to the dog kennels before returning for a final night at Funken Lodge and dinner at the lodge’s international-cuisine Funktionaermessen Restaurant. The restaurant’s onsite Champagne cellar is a special attraction.
Full Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Oslo and make your way to the city center to your centrally located hotel, Amerikalinjen. Check into your superior room and get settled before heading out for dinner at one of the city’s many restaurants.
Day 2
Check out for your flight north to Svalbard. On arrival into Longyearbyen, you will meet your private transfer who will take you to the luxurious Scandinavian-designed Funken Lodge. Check in before heading out to explore the city. This evening you will head out on a panoramic snowcat tour to the viewpoint of 'Linken' on the side of the mountain ‘Hiorthfjellet’ on the other side of Adventdalen to take in the views of Longyearbyen.
Day 3
Today, after breakfast, you will meet your guide who will drive you to the kennels to meet your dog sled team. You will set off with the dogs and follow the riverbed that heads into Bolterdalen, surrounded by mountains. As you travel through the valley you will find a place to stop for lunch and after an enjoyable day behind the sleds, you will arrive at the new Juva Cabin in the heart of the wilderness, equipped with electricity, bedrooms, lounge room and kitchen. January offers the possibility of 24-hour Northern Lights searching. In February, March, April and May, the light is particularly magical, with limited hours of daylight. Unharness and feed the dogs, before enjoying your dinner in your comfortable cabin where you can relax and warm up in front of the fire. For more viewing in a warm, secure setting, the outside barrel-shaped sauna offers large glass windows facing the night sky.
Day 4
After breakfast, it’s time to get the dogs ready to head back to Longyearbyen. You will head west and mush your way into Helvetiadalen before you make your way back towards Bolterdalen. Relax in Longyearbyen prior to dinner at Funken Lodge's own restaurant, or opt for a reservation at a town restaurant such as Huset.
Day 5
Check out for your private transfer to the airport.
As with any itinerary from Off the Map Travel, the program can be customized to fit the wishes and requirements of the guest.
For more information visit www.offthemap.travel, call 1-646-701-0041 or email info@offthemap.travel
