Greenland to Newfoundland & Labrador

Your expedition begins with an included flight from Denmark's charming capital Copenhagen. Less than five hours later you reach the settlement of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland. This small airstrip is the main gateway to Greenland, and on arrival you will transfer to the MS Fram to embark. After settling in to your comfortable cabin and exploring your new surroundings, we will cast off to begin our epic Greenland and Newfoundland adventure.

As we begin our exploration of the spectacular western coast of Greenland, our first stop will be a visit to Maniitsoq. Dubbed the “Venice of Greenland” owing to its unique position in an archipelago, intersected by small natural canals, Maniitsoq is set amongst the most impressive of landscapes. With the rugged peaks of the Eternity Fjord on one side and huge glaciers on the other this unique area is a wonderful place to explore on foot or by small boat. You can spend the day walking around the colourful houses connected by small roads and wooden stairs, shopping for souvenirs, or even enjoying an optional kayaking excursion. This is also an excellent place to spot whales with humpbacks often being seen frolicking in the surrounding ocean waters.

At the head of the beautiful Nuuk fjord lies Kapisillit, a small settlement that is home to just under 100 people. Here we will enjoy a thrilling small boat cruise along the fjord where on a calm day the reflections of the mountains in the still fjord waters are quite simply breathtaking.

Moving further south down the west coast we will reach the mouth of one of the largest and most spectacular fjord systems in the world to visit Nuuk, the oldest and largest town in Greenland. The capital of Greenland, Nuuk offers a unique mixture of old and new, with picturesque historic buildings and churches dotted amongst modern government and academic buildings. Nuuk is home to almost a third of Greenland’s population and there is plenty to do here including city tours, hikes, scenic flights and visits to the Greenland National Museum - home to the mummies from Qilakilsoq.

Today we will take a visit to the abandoned mining town of Ivittuut. This uninhabited settlement is a stronghold for musk oxen and was built on top of the so-called Norse Middle settlement. More than a thousand years ago, Vikings settled the area with about twenty farms. It is the smallest and least well known of the Norse settlements on Greenland, and no written records of its residents have ever been found. This is why archaeologists believe it was the last one established, and the first to be abandoned. We might meet some of the hunters who return to seek shelter in the old houses by the sea.

Today we will have reached the southern coast of Greenland and will go ashore on the uninhabited island of Uunartoq to visit the numerous natural hot springs and perhaps enjoy a soak in the bubbling balmy waters. Set amongst grassy fields and surrounded by stunning mountain peaks and drifting icebergs this authentic experience will certainly be one to remember.

Later we will use our small boats to come ashore at Hvalsey to see some of the best-preserved ruins from the Norse period including Hvalsey Church which is estimated to have been built in the 14th century. Our expert historians will accompany us as we explore the area and find out about how Erik the Red’s relatives established the farmstead late in the 10th century.

As we reach Qassiarsuk for our last stop on Greenland we will continue our discovery of the history of the Vikings as we visit where Erik the Red built his Brattahlíð estate in 982 A.D. This scenic area is host to a landscape of lush green fields dotted with sheep and busy farmsteads and provides a colourful contrast to the icescapes at sea.

Our historians will accompany us here as we learn about how and why Erik settled in Qassiarsuk, and enjoy a guided walk through the settlement. You will be able to visit the reconstruction of Erik’s longhouse and the church that Erik’s wife Tjodhildur made him build, as well as visiting the town’s current church and participating in some of the optional activities available including hiking and kayaking.

Leaving spectacular Greenland behind, we now spend 2 days crossing the North Atlantic Ocean towards Canada. Whilst at sea you can enjoy the informative and entertaining lecture programme, spend some time on deck looking for seabirds, whales and icebergs and attending briefings in preparation for your time in Newfoundland.

Having sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean, this morning we will arrive at St. Anthony, a remote harbour town in Canada’s Newfoundland and Labrador province. Upon arrival you may be surprised to see that the waters here are filled with a remarkable number of icebergs, which in turn attract large numbers of marine wildlife including seals, dolphins, whales and porpoises. We will spend some time here exploring around the town and its bordering wilderness of valleys and lake-dotted mountains. Highlights here will be the abundance of wildlife that we may encounter, from enormous black bears and wolves to Arctic hares and coyotes.

Highlights in the town itself include a visit to the Fishing Point Municipal Park and the Grenfell Museum which depicts the life and times of Sir Wilfred Grenfell, a medical missionary who devoted his life's work to Northern Newfoundland and Labrador. For even more adventure you could opt for a hike up the Tea House Hill trail to the viewing platform, or try the Whale Watching trail.

There is also the option to join an excursion to one of Canada’s most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the renowned Viking settlement of L’Anse aux Meadows. Here you can visit the reconstructed sod huts and Norse ruins to find out about how the Vikings are thought to have discovered North America some 500 years prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The site is where Norseman, Leif Erikson, the son of Erik the Red, is thought to have founded “Vinland” around 1000 AD, and as you walk along the beach you will learn about how a millennium ago the Viking long-ships would have been found along this very beach.

Today’s adventures will bring us to Red Bay, an important historically significant area that delightfully portrays how modern Labrador coastal living combines with rich history and culture to create such an intriguing part of the world. Historically a centre for Basque whaling operations, the whaling station here is now on the UNESCO World Heritage Site and a gentle walk around the town will delight the historians amongst us as we learn all about life here in the 1500s. There are ample hiking opportunities here, with a walk along the Tracey Hill Trail a highlight as you climb 689 steps to discover a simply breathtaking view over the bay. You could also take a hike along the beach, visit the interpretation centre or search for the treasure in the “Pond on the Hill” that local legend claims was hidden here by the infamous pirate Captain Kidd. Alternatively you could join a kayaking excursion to Saddle Island Trail where you can see the remnants of the ovens where whale blubber was rendered into oil and the graves of some 130 men who died here.

These two days may well be one of the highlights of your voyage as we explore around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gros Morne National Park. This incredible area is world renowned for its unique geology and exceptional scenery, and your time here will be truly special as we discover the park’s fascinating and spectacular combination of protected nature area and small coastal communities. We will explore through the park to discover its unique landscape of dramatic rock ridges and boreal wetlands, looking out for sightings of moose and white-throated sparrows along the way. There will be time for a visit to the park’s fantastic interpretation centre, and we hope to reach Woody Point, set within majestic Bonne Bay surrounded by soaring cliffs covered in a green blanket of tuckamore forest. Woody Point is a charming community of old houses and imported Lombardy poplars where we can expect to make sightings of moose, caribou, fox, black bears, ptarmigans and eagles amongst many other wildlife species. From deck we will also be able to see the fabulous rocky outcroppings of the Tablelands Mountains, whose geological uniqueness is one of the main reasons for the park’s UNESCO status.

The final stop on our thrilling Newfoundland and Labrador adventure will offer an insight into the French regions of North America as we visit St Pierre and Miquelon. Despite France being some 4000 km away, the people living here are fiercely proud of being French. This is North America's often forgotten French enclave, and is actually France's oldest overseas territory. If it had not have taken only a short sail to get here, one would be forgiven for thinking they were indeed in France, as you visit the boulangeries and patisseries to sample some of the local delicacies and take in the accents and sounds of this unique area. Get a taste of this slice of la belle France at the Guillard Gourmandise bakery, where you can indulge in cream-plumped chocolate éclairs, macarons, piping-hot pastries and gateaux. And you pay with Euros, just as in France.

You will also have the opportunity to visit L’Arche Museum to see exhibits about the islands' history and see the town’s famous guillotine - the only one to slice in North America, used only once back in 1889. There are numerous architectural walking tours available here and birdwatchers may wish to join an optional excursion to the tiny island of Grand Colombier where steep cliffs and rocky outcrops play host to than 100,000 breeding pairs of Leach´s storm petrels amongst many other species.

Your thrilling expedition cruise will finish in St. John’s, the oldest and most easterly city in North America, where after breakfast it will be time to disembark and bid farewell to your crew and newfound friends. Before travelling onwards or homewards we recommend spending some time exploring this beautiful region with its narrow alleys, character-filled streets and striking twin clock towers of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist.