Ny-Ålesund

Facts last verified 2026-10-02

Ny-Ålesund is a research station before it is a place to visit. The settlement sits at 79° north on the south side of Kongsfjorden, in northwest Spitsbergen. It is run by the company Kings Bay AS, which falls under Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment. About 40 people live there all year, and in summer the number can rise to around 150.

There is no accommodation for tourists, and research takes priority over everything else. You come for a few hours, on a day trip or a cruise, and follow some unusually strict rules while you’re ashore.

From coal town to research station

Ny-Ålesund was founded in 1916 as a coal-mining settlement. Mining ended after an explosion on 5 November 1962 killed 21 miners. The mine closed in 1963, and the accident led to the fall of Einar Gerhardsen’s government.

From the late 1960s, research took over. Today scientists from more than ten countries work at stations in Ny-Ålesund, and Kings Bay runs the buildings, harbour, flights and other services for them.

The airship expeditions

In the 1920s, Ny-Ålesund was the starting point for attempts to reach the North Pole by air. In 1926, Roald Amundsen succeeded with the airship Norge. In 1928, Umberto Nobile’s airship Italia crashed: half of the crew on board died, but Nobile survived.

The mooring mast that held the airships still stands, together with the foundations of the hangar, and both are protected cultural monuments.

How to get there

There are no roads to Ny-Ålesund from Longyearbyen. In summer, visitors come by sea:

• A day trip by boat from Longyearbyen (summer). It’s a long and extremely weather-dependent day, but worth the effort. For 2026, Better Moments runs a day trip by closed boat from 4 May to 30 August, on Thursdays and Sundays from 08:00 to 20:00. It includes a guided walk through Ny-Ålesund and lunch, costs NOK 7,500 per adult, and needs at least seven passengers to run.
• A multi-day voyage or expedition cruise. Longer trips on larger vessels are the other way to visit, and Kings Bay hosts cruise calls at its harbour. See Choosing an expedition cruise.

In winter, the way in is on a skiing expedition.

Rules while you’re ashore

Ny-Ålesund’s rules exist to protect very sensitive scientific instruments and the surrounding nature:

• Radio silence. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth aren’t allowed in Ny-Ålesund or within 20 km of it. Before you arrive, turn on flight mode and turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on every device: phone, laptop, camera and smartwatch.
• No drones. Drones are not permitted in Ny-Ålesund.
• Stay on roads and boardwalks, and use the marked routes when arriving and departing. Walking elsewhere can damage measurements, sampling sites or cultural remains you can’t see. Parts of the town are protected bird sanctuaries.
• Don’t touch research equipment, and don’t enter buildings without permission. The exceptions are the museum, the Telegraph and the shop.
• Keep away from the dog yard. Watch and photograph the dogs from a distance.
• Never walk on the airstrip. It’s prohibited at all times; stop when the light is red.
• Polar bears. Don’t leave the settlement without polar bear protection; as everywhere in Svalbard, go with a local guide. Keep at least 300 metres from a polar bear, and 500 metres from 1 March to 30 June.

What to see

• The museum, which is free to enter.
• The world’s northernmost post office.
• Kongsfjordbutikken, the shop, for souvenirs. Take your shoes off in the hallway.
• The airship mast and hangar foundations, and the protected buildings and equipment from the coal-mining era. Look at them from the roads and boardwalks.