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Travel and daily life

Getting here takes two flights. Once you land, Kings Bay looks after rooms, meals, cargo and most of the equipment you will need.

  1. Oslo or Tromsø

    SAS and Norwegian fly regularly to Longyearbyen. Book this leg yourself.

  2. Longyearbyen

    Lufttransport flies to Ny-Ålesund. Book the round trip in RiS. Check in 45 minutes before departure.

  3. Ny-Ålesund

    About 25 minutes later. Stay seated until luggage and cargo are unloaded, then take the minibus to the Kings Bay Service Building to check in.

Flights, visas and luggage

Svalbard is part of Norway but not of the Schengen Area. If you come from outside Schengen, you may need a visa to pass through mainland Norway both ways, even though Svalbard itself needs none. Everyone shows a passport before boarding for Svalbard.

Need a support letter for your visa application? Contact NPI Sverdrup at visit.nya@npolar.no.

Seats are only yours once RiS or Kings Bay confirms them.

The flight schedule shows availability, but bookings in progress may not be listed yet. Flights depend on the weather, so leave a mobile number for last-minute changes.

Flight schedule and seats

Luggage

  • 20 kg per person, hand luggage included.
  • Ask for extra weight at reception@kingsbay.no. It can’t be guaranteed.
  • Send heavy and bulky cargo by boat.
  • Tell the Lufttransport staff at check-in if you carry a firearm.
  • Flare gun ammunition is dangerous goods and is not allowed on the plane.

Check-in

Longyearbyen
45 minutes before departure
Ny-Ålesund
One hour before departure

Groups

More than six people, or a time with no scheduled flight? You can charter a separate flight. Prices are in the Kings Bay price list.

Where you stay

Kings Bay offers rooms at several standards and prices. Almost every building has a common living room, and most host institutions also offer rooms in their own buildings.

  • Budget

    Twin room, shared facilities

  • Standard

    Single room, private bath

  • Standard Plus

    Single room, private bath

  • Standard Plus

    Double room, private bath

  • Scientists board only

    Board option

  • Scientists in field

    Board option

  • Evenstad, Standard single
    Evenstad, Standard singlePhoto: Heidi Fureli (Kings Bay AS)
  • Sykehuset, Standard Plus
    Sykehuset, Standard PlusPhoto: Heidi Fureli (Kings Bay AS)
  • Veksthuset, Standard Plus
    Veksthuset, Standard PlusPhoto: Heidi Fureli (Kings Bay AS)
  • Veksthuset, common room
    Veksthuset, common roomPhoto: Dagmara Wojtanowicz

Meals in the mess

All meals are served in the common mess in the Service Building, which also has the reception, laundry, waste return and nurse. There is no supermarket in Ny-Ålesund. In the evenings you make your own sandwiches.

Out in the field at dinner time?

Hand in a late dinner request to the kitchen before 15:00. Your meal waits in the warming cabinet from 19:00 to 22:00. Back later than that? Tell the kitchen before 15:00 and you get a DryTech meal instead.

Field provisions

Fill in the field provision list and send it to Food@kingsbay.no at least 48 hours before pick-up.

Low season

Monday to Friday

Breakfast
07:30–08:30
Lunch
12:00–13:00
Dinner
16:30–17:30
Evening meal
from 19:00

Saturday

Brunch
10:00–13:00
Coffee
15:00–16:00
Dinner
18:30–19:30

Sunday and public holidays

Brunch
10:00–13:00
Dinner
16:30–17:30

House rules in the mess

  • Wash your hands before you go in. Leave jackets, hats and bags in the wardrobe.
  • Wear clean clothes and socks or indoor shoes. Sort your dishes and rubbish after the meal.
  • On Saturdays everyone leaves work clothes at home and dresses up a bit. You may bring your own wine or beer at weekends.
  • Fresh fruit and vegetables are limited. In summer, supplies arrive by ship about every six weeks.
Three people on a ski tour across the snow near Ny-Ålesund
Photo: Linda Bakken (Kings Bay AS)

Life in a small town

Kongsfjordbutikken
The local shop sells souvenirs, snacks, toiletries, soda and alcohol. Open Mondays and Thursdays 17:00–18:00, with extra hours on the whiteboard in the Service Building. Bring the boarding pass from your mainland flight if you want to buy alcohol.
Free time
Social events in town are open to everyone. The museum is open around the clock with free entry. Velferden runs a gym and a jacuzzi, lends out boats, kayaks and cabins, and hosts the pub. Sign-up lists go up in reception every Monday.
Waste and laundry
All rubbish is sorted and shipped to the mainland, at the cost of the institution that produced it. Laundry rooms are in the Service Building, Snekkasjen and Evenstad. Clean linen is in Varemottaket.
Getting around
Walk, cycle in summer or take a kick sledge in winter. If you must drive, keep to 30 km/h and turn the engine off when you stop.

Cargo and freight

Air cargo space is limited, so send research cargo by ship when you can. Always plan the return shipment too.

By ship

Bring sails from Tromsø, about every six weeks in summer and less often in winter. Get your shipment to Tromsø well before departure.

By air

Kings Bay arranges air freight from Longyearbyen. Book space early, address it to your host institution, N-9173 Ny-Ålesund, and include a proforma invoice and air freight document with each parcel.

Harbour Master

+47 79 02 72 40harbour@kingsbay.no

Services and equipment

Kings Bay (KB) provides most logistics. Your host and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) add to it. Reserve larger equipment as part of your RiS booking.

  • Snowmobiles and sledsKB
  • Field equipmentNPI and KB
  • Boat with driver, MS TeistenKB
  • Boat with driver, PolarcirkelNPI
  • Chemicals and gasesKB
  • Rifle and flare gunKB
  • Car rentalKB
  • Cold, heated and freezer storageKB
  • Office spaceKB
  • Polar bear and weapons safety courseKB
  • Assistance in the fieldNPI
  • Engineers to help with instrumentsNPI
  • Mail and cargoKB
  • PC laboratoryKB
  • LibraryKB and NPI

Need work done, purchases or help with sampling? Ask the Kings Bay research advisor for a quote at research@kingsbay.no.

Price lists

Kings Bay sets the prices for flights, rooms, labs and most infrastructure. Boat shuttles and field safety gear from NPI are in its catalogue.

Kings Bay 2026 (PDF)NPI catalogue (PDF)