Greenland to Iceland – Fjords & Parks

Your Arctic adventure will begin with an included late evening flight from the Norwegian capital of Oslo to Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of Svalbard, where upon arrival you will be transferred to the port to embark your polar expedition ship. After settling in to your cabin and exploring your new surroundings you may want to spend some time on deck as we sail through the scenic Isfjord and our adventure truly begins. This will be the perfect opportunity to soak up some of Spitsbergen’s magnificent wilderness landscapes and to capture those perfect scenic pictures. Keep an eye out for wildlife as we sail, including myriad seabirds, seals and if luck is on your side maybe even a distant sighting of a polar bear.

Leaving spectacular Svalbard behind we will sail on for more adventures as we spend two days at sea crossing to Northeast Greenland. While we sail you can enjoy the fascinating lecture and presentation programme delivered by your expert crew which will cover everything from the history of Polar exploration to the wildlife and ecosystems of the maritime Arctic. You may also wish to join a photo workshop or spend some time on deck capturing the beautiful world of sea ice around us. As the ship sails close to drift ice we will be on high alert to look out for the polar bears that can often be found using the ice floes as platforms for hunting at sea. We will also be on the lookout for the whales and myriad seabirds that are likely to be following the ship.

Welcome to the largest and most seldom-visited National Park in the world, the simply stunning Northeast Greenland National Park. As we cruise towards the park the spectacular isolation of this remarkable part of the world will slowly take hold as we begin our exploration of the largest and most remote fjords on earth. Exploring each day on foot and on small boat cruises, we will discover all that makes this area so intriguing, not least the dramatic hanging glaciers and vertical granite faces which reach as far as the eye can see, and the abundant wildlife population that includes Arctic hares and foxes, musk oxen, wolves, seabirds and maybe even polar bears.

We will sail into majestic fjords such as Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord or Alpefjord surrounded by landscapes that are pretty awe-inspiring, and will make land visits to places such as the isolated research station of Danmarkshavn and meet the Sirius Patrol (The Danish Navy) that supervises the park using traditional methods like sled dogs.

One of the highlights here will be a sail into spectacular Scoresbysund where we will attempt a landing at Myggbukta, and we also hope to land on the small, flat islands of Bjørne Øer which are surrounded by sheer, pointed granite mountains. For the more active amongst us, hiking opportunities will be in abundance, and there may even be chances for exhilarating kayaking excursions.

Before bidding farewell to Greenland we will have time for one last stop as we visit the picturesque town of Ittoqqortoormiit. Here you can visit the museum, church and a photo exhibition, or explore on your own. The trappers living in this town are the only people that are allowed to hunt within the North East Greenland National Park. You will probably see that they are drying animal skins and storing their dog sleds outside their houses.

Leaving Greenland behind we will now spend a day at sea sailing towards the western coast of Iceland. Your informative lecture programme will continue and some time on deck may reward in some excellent seabird sightings and maybe some whale spotting. This is also the perfect time to collate the abundance of pictures you are likely to have taken in Greenland and prepare for your return to “civilisation”.

Welcome to West Iceland, otherwise known as “The Sagaland”, where we will find a spectacularly diverse landscape of lava and rock formations, glaciers, volcanic activity and hot and cold springs. We will spend a day exploring here including the town of Stykkishólmur where you can enjoy a gentle stroll through the town or join an optional excursion to explore more of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Kayaking, horse riding and hiking will also be available and on these excursions you may see the Snæfellsjökull glacier as well as the area’s volcanic craters, black sandy beaches, bird cliffs and spectacular mountains.

Arrival into the port of Reykjavik will sadly signal the end of our thoroughly enjoyable Arctic cruise and after breakfast it will be time to disembark and bid a fond farewell to our expedition team. There are numerous optional post-voyage excursions available in this unique city, including an exciting Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon excursion, and please feel free to ask for more details on these.