Luxury West Greenland & Baffin Island

Arrive independently to Paris and join your included flight to Kangerlussuaq on Greenland’s wild and remote west coast. Upon arrival you will transfer to the port to board your luxury expedition vessel. Settle into your comfortable cabin and watch from deck as we sail into the wilderness past superb landscapes of tundra in autumnal colours, where Arctic hares, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, reindeer, falcons and eagles live.

Your first stop along western Greenland will take you to beautiful Sisimiut, Greenland’s second largest town. Founded in 1756 this charming town is home to a number of historic buildings, a small church and a museum which retraces the history of the Inuit people, as well as many craft shops. With enchanting panoramas, colourful stilt houses dotting the undulating landscape and a small fishing port, this is archetypal Greenland, and a visit here to meet the locals and enjoy a gentle meander around the town to savour its unique Arctic atmosphere will be the perfect introduction to your voyage.

At the heart of Disko Bay - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Ilulissat Icefjord provides an extraordinary spectacle of almost surreal beauty, with the largest icebergs of the northern hemisphere. The sculptural icebergs continue their timeless journey, shimmering with their eternal light. Vast pieces of ice break off from the bergs and rejoin the inexorable movement of the sea. Close by lies the town of Ilulissat, the region’s principal destination. Encircled by icebergs, it has retained a unique mix of traditional Arctic life, with multicoloured wooden houses, huskies and the leather tanners who still work today using the ancient methods of their ancestors.

During your time in this enthralling part of Greenland there will be some optional excursions which you may wish to partake in. These include a small boat cruise along the coast of Ilulissat and into the open seas of the ice fjord and Disko Bay and an evening icebergs cruise. Please enquire for full details and prices on all optional excursions.

An included excursion will take you on a coach trip to the idyllic Sermermiut valley and the idyllic Sermermiut Glacier, returning to Ilulissat for a wander around the town. Alternatively you may wish to simply enjoy this fascinating place at your own leisure.

"The most beautiful place in the Arctic" is how Paul-Émile Victor described Greenland, a land of great table icebergs and of towering ice formations calved by the giant glaciers of the polar ice cap. The Eqi Glacier is one of the region’s most impressive sights. Here, the silence is broken only by the roaring and cracking of the ice. It is impossible to know if one is shivering from cold or from the sheer thrill of being here... Imagine the vast outline of a glacier, its translucent crystals glowing with an ice-blue fire in the sunlight. Paul-Émile Victor’s shelter cannot be overlooked; it was from here that the French Polar Expeditions’ anthropological and geographic explorations set off in the 1950s.

We will hope to enjoy some Zodiac cruising here to bring us up-close to this mesmerising sight.

Next up, we head to the Uummannaq Bay area where we will find the small desert island of Akulleq, where a tundra of ochre yellows and oranges simmer under the sunshine of the polar summer. We will hope to make land here to enjoy a hike to the island’s summit to take in the incredible panoramic views of the of the bay’s magical landscape and its huge icebergs in a multitude of peculiar shapes.

As we continue along the western Greenalnd coast and Uummannaq Bay, we will take an enjoyable sail around the beautiful Karrat Fjord where we will find towering icebergs and imposing cliffs stretching out towards the ice sheet in an exceptionally scenic setting.

Well beyond the Arctic Circle, in the majestic landscapes of Greenland’s Northwest, you will find the village of Kullorsuaq, the last bastion of Greenland’s traditional hunters. Here is where you will find Greenland’s true character… Vast mineral expanses, sumptuous mountains, impressive glaciers and, above all, the local population which still lives off fishing and seal or bear hunting. Hospitality and respect for nature are essential elements in the daily lives of these people, who live an austere life. When we drop anchor in this remote part of the world, set off to meet the friendly locals who are also talented craftspeople, deftly sewing the furs and skins of marine mammals. This will be a unique and authentic experience.

Some places in this world are so magical that their beauty cannot be described in words… Savissivik, a small Inuit village with less than a hundred inhabitants, is one such place. Rightly considered to be the biggest iceberg graveyard in Greenland, it is a stunning sight to behold. During your Zodiac outing, you will sail between these icy giants that have become stranded in the shallows. Once on land, you can hike to a viewpoint from which to enjoy breathtaking views over these icebergs, which come in an incredibly diverse range of shapes and colours. Photographers will love it. Savissivik Bay attracts many bears and is also known for having been the home of one of the world’s biggest meteorites, but the latter has now been moved to a museum in New York.

On Baffin Island, located in northern Canada at the mouth of the famous NorthWest Passage, there is a small Inuit settlement at the very bounds of infinity. To get there, cross the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line that separates man from lands of mystery and wonder. It’s not so much the way of life that sets Pond Inlet’s inhabitants apart, so much as the setting. Snow-capped mountains, fjords and glaciers combine in a dazzling natural environment that fills space and expands time. Some discoveries change you forever: this is one of them.

A wonderful day awaits as we arrive at the Icy Arm Fjord for a memorable sail around immense cliffs and weaving fjords, keeping watch all the time for the marine mammals, such as whales, orcas and even narwhals, that frequent the surrounding waters. As we make our way to land you will be invited to join a hike along the base of the mountains and within the glacial valleys.

Welcome to the kingdom of the cetaceans! Here, those who love the giants of the Arctic are in for an unforgettable treat. Isabella Bay is part of the Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area, one of the finest places to observe bowhead whales. From your ship, watch the sumptuous ballet performed by these impressive mammals. With undersea faults over 300 metres deep, Isabella Bay, located on the north-east coast of Baffin Island, attracts many cetaceans which come here to feed. In addition to the bowhead whales, the uncontested stars of these parts, the Ninginganiq Wildlife Area is also home to ringed seals, narwhals, polar bears, king eiders, little auks and northern fulmars.

Our next adventure takes us to the raw landscapes and spectacular beauty of the Sam Ford Fjord on the east coast of Baffin Island. Located only a few kilometres away from the Inuit community of Clyde River, this fjord has the kind of world’s end appearance that only the Arctic lands can offer. As we sail around this fascinating area, you will likely be in awe of the impressive sight of the vertiginous cliffs plunging into, and reflecting off, the waters of the fjord making for fantastic photography opportunities.

As we make our way back towards western Greenland, you can now enjoy a relaxing day at sea. Spend some time on deck watching for marine mammals and seabirds, relax in the spa, have a workout in the fitness centre or join some of the talks and presentations delivered on board by your team of destination experts. Do some shopping in the boutique, meet the ship’s professional photographers and collate the many pictures you will no doubt taken throughout your voyage, or simply put your feet up with a drink in the bar and enjoy a well-deserved rest.

As you arrive back along Greenland’s west coast, there’s time for one more adventure as we slowly glide into the beautiful Evighedsfjorden for our final day of exploration. Evighedsfjorden means “the fjord of Eternity”, and for good reason: just when you think you’ve reached the end of this stretch of sea measuring over 100 kilometres in length, it seems to go on forever, as though to bring even more pleasure to those sailing in it. Enjoy spectacular scenery, covering everything from flora-filled tundra to magnificent glaciers and bustling bird cliffs.

Upon arrival back in Kangerlussuaq you will bid a fond farewell to your crew and new-found friends as you disembark and join your included flight back to Paris where your itinerary concludes.