Polar bears in Norway

[Y0gamummy]

Has anyone been to Savlbard in Norway? We love Scandinavia, are considering Oslo for a city break and I'm wondering about possibly adding on an internal flight to Savlbard to see the polar bears (and other wildlife) and the midnight sun. All I can see are 11-14 night cruises in that area though. I'm thinking more 3-6 days. Anyone done this? We'll be going in June, hence midnight sun rather than Northern Lights.

I don't think it is all that easy to get to.

I'm going there next year! I am doing the half marathon that has armed guard due to the polar bear threat, so i think they're near the main settlement. You can fly from Tromso or Oslo independently, and organise day tours, hopefully seeing bears.

The polar bears might eat you. It would certainly make for lively, if shortlived, holiday memories.

Could you not just watch them on telly and leave Svalbard to the scientists and climate experts studying the effects of receding sea ice caused by global warming?

@Dabralor beat me to it; if you love Scandinavian wildlife, refrain from adding carbon to the atmosphere and contributing to melting ice and rising sea levels. The polar bears will thank you.

It's not very accessible. You have to go through Tromso, it's not geared for tourists and the polar bears are rarer and rarer. I'd rethink.

Not that likely to see polar bears from Longyearbyen (the main settlement in Svalbard) although it is surprisingly easy to get to and is well set up for visitors with hotels, restaurants, bars etc. I would take a look at local tours from there to see if there are polar bear specific trips.