The Northwest Passage in Luxury

Your thrilling expedition begins in Reykjavik, the vibrant Icelandic capital, where after arriving independently you will make your way to the port to board your luxury expedition vessel. After settling into your supremely comfortable cabin and familiarising yourself with the fantastic facilities on board, you might wish to make your way to the deck to watch as we leave Iceland behind and set sail into the Denmark Strait towards Greenland.

We recommend arriving in Reykjavik a few days ahead of departure to allow you time to soak up the sights of this very special city and its beautiful surroundings. Please let us know if you would like any advice on places to visit and stay.

These two days will be spent at sea in the Denmark Strait sailing towards the southern Greenland coastline. This will be the perfect time to relax and enjoy the luxurious facilities on board including the spa, wellness centre, fitness centre, swimming pool and panoramic lounge. You might also choose to spend some time on deck looking for seabirds and whales following the ship and soaking up the beautiful surroundings.

We will spend two days sailing in the traces of the Norwegian explorer Erik Le Rouge by travelling along the south coast of Greenland. Your ship will head deep into the longest network of fjords in the region, the Prins Christian Sund, a sumptuous natural canal that offers up mightily impressive landscapes of vast glaciers and snow-topped craggy mountains.

We will then sail on to the small Inuit village of Aappilattoq (Augpilatok) which is as picturesque and colourful as it is fascinating. Home to around just one hundred people, the village is only accessible by sea and we will hope to go ashore to learn more about the way of life in this spectacular and remote setting.

We now make our way to Nuuk, Greenland’s charming capital, to spend a memorable day strolling around the sights, learning all about this small city’s fascinating history and heritage.

As we make our way up Greenland’s enchanting west coast, we will reach the spectacular Disko Bay area, an icy paradise filled with countless icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This site is a natural marvel of Greenland, and is also renowned as an observation point for the region’s many humpback whales, so make sure to keep an eye out for them as we sail those icy waters watching in awe of the incredible surroundings.

A fantastic included excursion has been arranged for you today which we will see you hop into small local boats to cruise along the coast to discover Ilulissat and its colourful houses set amongst the most awe-inspiring landscape you can imagine. You will then sail into the open-sea towards the Isfjord ice fjord and cruise along the calm waters of the Disko Bay surrounded by icebergs. A truly memorable experience!

Today will be spent at sea sailing towards Arctic Canada. Spend some time relaxing, observing wildlife on deck or attending some of the entertaining and informative lectures and presentations that will be delivered throughout your trip.

As we reach Baffin Island at the mouth of the famous Northwest Passage, we will make our way to the small Inuit settlement of Pond Inlet where snow-capped mountains, fjords and glaciers combine to create the most awe-inspiring surrounding natural environment. This is sure to be an unforgettable day as we discover life this far north.

A memorable day at sea today will see us sail between Baffin Island and Devon Island into the Lancaster Sound, which forms part of the Northwest Passage. Make sure to spend time on deck searching for the polar bears, whales, seabirds and more which are often found in this wildlife highway.

Our next stop brings us to Devon Island in Baffin Bay. Anchored on the Arctic Cordillera, its rocky surface, similar to that of Mars, is of great interest to scientists, and we will make land here to discover just why. We will also take a walk around to discover the island’s fascinating history, of which only a few buildings in ruins remain.

At the eastern end of Resolute Bay, we will reach the Canadian National Historic Site of Beechey Island. The island holds many stories of Franklin and Amundsen’s attempts to traverse the Northwest Passage, which your team of experts will recount for you as you take a walk to discover this barren and sheltered area. There will also be the chance to visit the memorials and graves of some of the explorers from John Franklin’s famous 1845-46 expedition.

The pinnacle of our adventure, we now spend the next 3 days sailing further through the fabled Northwest Passage, the most northerly part of the Arctic archipelago and the shortest waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. The holy grail of explorers for centuries, the Passage is still blocked by thick ice floe for most of the year, meaning sailing from one side of it to the other is still a feat worthy of significant celebration. Little-mapped and little-explored, the area brings countless delights. Following in the footsteps of explorers, you will sail the channels surrounded by spectacular landscapes of majestic fjords, glacial erosion and craggy terrains, soaking up every moment of this unforgettable exploration and revelling in becoming one of very few people to experience the pull of the Passage.

Having successfully navigated through the unforgettable Northwest Passage, the adventure doesn’t stop there as we make our way to Banks Island in the north of the Canadian archipelago of the Northwest Territories. Boasting incredible landscapes of hills and valleys as well as sheer cliffs and canyons, a result of the glacial erosion, the island is home to the famous Aulavik National Park where we will take a visit to look for sightings of the abundant Arctic wildlife that calls the park home, including caribou, Arctic foxes, Arctic wolves, lemmings, myriad birds and the world’s largest concentration of musk oxen. Banks Island is also famous for the wreck of HMS Investigator.

Bordering the north coasts of Alaska and Canada, the Beaufort Sea was feared for centuries because of its extreme climatic conditions. Covered for most of the year with a thick layer of ice, and unexplored until 1914, this part of the Arctic Ocean, named in honour of the British Admiral Francis Beaufort, will reveal to you its sumptuous icy landscapes. Will a bit of luck, maybe you will cross the path of some polar bears or Beluga, with the region being renowned for hosting many colonies of these white whales.

As your adventure nears its conclusion, today will be spent sailing the Bering Strait towards Alaska. As you sail, enjoy lectures and presentations delivered by your onboard experts who will offer insights into the rich history of this fascinating waterway, and keep an eye out on deck for sightings of the marine wildlife often found in these nourishing waters.

Your epic Northwest Passage cruise concludes in Nome, along the Bering Strait at the westernmost point of Alaska. Upon disembarkation you will be transferred to the airport for your included flight to Seattle where your itinerary will end. Please enquire for advice on post-cruise arrangements and flight options.