Canada's Remote Arctic

Your itinerary begins in the Canadian city of Calgary, where after arriving independently you can make your way to the hotel for your overnight stay. The rest of the day will be at your leisure and you may wish to spend some time seeing the sights of this metropolitan and vibrant city.

After breakfast this morning your transfer will take you to the airport for your charter flight to Resolute in Arctic Canada. Here your state-of-the-art expedition ship will be waiting for you, and after a brief exploration of this small town you will transfer from the shore via Zodiac boat for your first taste of sea exploration. After boarding and settling into your comfortable cabin we will set sail and our expedition truly begins.

Over the course of the next 8 days we will fully immerse ourselves in the enchanting Canadian High Arctic and the Northwest Passage, with a focus on reaching Canada’s most northerly islands: Axel Heiberg Island and the rarely visited Ellesmere Island, right at the top of the world. Exploring each day either by land, sea or air, you can look forward to fascinating shore visits, exciting Zodiac cruises and thrilling helicopter flights as we make our way along the coastlines. In true expedition style, your landings and visits will be determined by weather, ice and sea conditions, with your experienced crew charting a course each day for optimal adventures and experiences.

While this waterway is known to European cultures as the Northwest Passage, this area has nurtured and sustained the Inuit and their predecessors who have called these shores home for almost 5,000 years. Moving through these remote landscapes you will be traveling through the ancestral homelands of this ancient culture, illuminated in person by Inuit guides onboard and ashore. Nunavut is an Inuktitut word meaning “our land” and the Nunavummiut (the people of Nunavut) are renowned for their incredible resourcefulness, hospitality, good humor, and a deep knowledge of the land and animals that has allowed them to thrive in the far north for millennia.

The ultimate goal of the trip will be to transit through the famous Hell Gate to reach the top of the world, the spectacular Polar desert of Ellesmere Island. This is one of the most remote and fascinating places on the planet, where jagged mountains and massive ice shelves create stunning landscapes that few have ever been lucky enough to witness. We then plan to sail to nearby Axel Heiberg Island to discover its famous fossil forest which dates back more than 30 million years and is home to a wide array of birdlife including Arctic terns, ptarmigans, snow buntings, jaegers and much more.

Throughout the expedition we will be keeping a close eye out for wildlife sightings, with many spots likely to bring us some unforgettable wildlife and birding experiences. This includes the wildlife reserve of Coburg Island where we are likely to spot birds such as snowy owls and peregrine falcons and Leopold Island where more excellent birding opportunities await. In Arctic Bay, as well as the opportunity to meet the local Inuit community and learn all about their culture, cuisine and way of life, you will be on the lookout for snow geese, Brünnich’s guillemots and kittiwakes.

On Devon Island our wildlife experiences may be more on the ground and in the sea than in the air as we seek out sightings of muskoxen, walrus and maybe even Polar bears. While we are here we will also check out an abandoned Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost at Dundas Harbour and pay a visit to the nearby cemetery. We may also be able to enjoy a helicopter flight over the Devon ice cap, one of the largest in the Canadian Arctic.

For history enthusiasts, Fort Ross and Beechey Island are likely to impress as we enjoy a visit to an abandoned Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, and pay our respects to the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845–46 at the gravesite of three crew members.

Other highlights of our time in this incredible part of the world may include a Zodiac cruise along the face of an active glacier near Croker Bay where you may even witness the wonders of calving ice, visits to ancient remains of Thule dwellings, walks and hikes along the coastlines and tundra, and sightings of various sea mammals including whales and perhaps the ever elusive narwhal.

As our Canadian High Arctic expedition cruise comes to an end, you will disembark in Resolute and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Calgary. Upon arrival in Calgary you will be transferred to the hotel for your overnight stay. The following morning it will be time to say goodbye to your fellow expeditioners as you check out of the hotel and make your way homewards or onwards.