Northeast Greenland Solar Eclipse Special

Your expedition begins in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of Svalbard, where having arrived independently to this unique and surprisingly vibrant Arctic town, you will make your way to the port to board your expedition vessel. As you settle into your comfortable cabin and familiarise yourself with the ship, you may wish to make your way to deck to soak up the scenery and look out for whale sightings as we sail out of Isfjorden in the evening.

You may wish to arrive in Longyearbyen a day or two ahead of your trip to explore some of this enchanting town. We will be happy to help arrange this for you.

Our first adventure will see us enjoy a brief exploration of Northwest Svalbard, where we will hope to reach Sabinehaugen on Indre Norskøya to learn about the Irish scientist, soldier, and explorer Edward Sabine who famously had an observatory here. We will then sail into Raudfjorden to discover an expansive fjord filled with glistening glaciers and search for the wildlife that is often spotted here including polar bears, seals and thriving seabird colonies.

The next two days will be spent at sea sailing through the pack ice towards Northeast Greenland. As we sail, you can enjoy spending time on deck spotting seabirds and marine mammals, relax and enjoy the ship’s many facilities or join some of the lectures and presentations delivered by naturalist experts and focusing on the geology, wildlife, culture and history of Greenland.

Upon arrival in the Northeast Greenland area, we will hope to sail through the sea ice into Foster Bay to land at Myggebugten. Landing here we will hope to walk to an old hunters’ hut and beyond to the sprawling tundra that is populated by musk oxen and geese floating all the small lakes. Should you wish to participate, today will offer the first chance to join one of the expedition’s long hikes, and a 6-7 hour outing will see you trek from Myggbukta station, through Badlanddal and on to Fangsthytte near Kap Bennet.

In the afternoon we will get back on board to sail through the majestic Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord. This will be a special experience as we sail beneath towering mountains and around glistening icebergs.

Over the next three days we will continue our exploration of Northeast Greenland with visits to multiple spots including the geologically fascinating Teufelschloss (Devil’s Castle), beautiful Blomsterbugt, and on into Antarctic Sound to find the islands of Ruth, Maria, and Ella. We will then make our way to Segelsällskapets Fjord to discover its ancient sedimentary formations and hike to a small lake to seek out observations of musk oxen, Arctic hares, and ptarmigans, before venturing into Alpefjord to enjoy a Zodiac cruise around Gully Glacier and experience a definitive Greenland adventure. During these days we will also hope to spend some time in the extensive valley of Antarctic Havn spotting groups of musk oxen among the sparse vegetation sporting its vibrant autumnal colours.

Today we reach the largest fjord in the world, the magnificent Scoresby Sund. As we sail along the glaciated Volquart Boons Kyst make sure to have your cameras on hand for some excellent photo opportunities. We will also hope to take a Zodiac cruise past one of the glacier fronts and visit Vikingebugt to marvel at its impressive ice formations and basalt columns. Later today we will sail around a wealth of icebergs of all shapes and sizes as we sail along the east coast of Milne Land before landing at Charcot Havn to walk to Charcot Glacier before continuing on to Bjørneøer.

Today we will get up close to some colossal icebergs (some over 100m tall and 1000m long!) as we make our way to Sydkap. Here we will hope to make land to enjoy a walk to search for Arctic hares and soak up some impressive views of the Hall Bredning fjord. Another long hike will be offered today, trekking from Sydkap to Satakajik, stopping at the remains of some Thule winter houses built with whale vertebrae along the way, and in the evening we will sail into Øfjord.

Today it’s time for what will likely be the highlight of our whole journey as we position the ship at midday in Øfjord at the centre of the moon shadow to witness the phenomenon of a total solar escape in one of the world's most remote and spectacular places. This is sure to be a day full of excitement as we revel in this unforgettable experience.

After the excitement of the previous day, today will see us experience some of the famous Greenlandic culture as, after a tundra landing on Liverpool Land in Hurry Inlet in the morning, we make our way to the picturesque remote settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit. Home to around 400 residents, Ittoqqortoormiit is a delight to explore and during our time here we will hope to meet some of the locals to learn about life this far north, and take a pleasant stroll around the town. Later in the afternoon we will get back on board to begin our sail to Iceland, past the beautiful landscapes of the Blosseville Coast.

Bidding a fond farewell to Greenland, we now make our way through the Denmark Strait towards Iceland filled with memories of what will be sure to have been an unforgettable adventure. Join the last lectures and presentations, spend some time on deck spotting seabirds and marine mammals, or simply relax with a drink and reminisce on your journey.

Arrival in Akureyri in Iceland signals the end of our adventure and after breakfast it will be time to disembark and bid farewell to your expedition team and newfound friends. A charter bus transfer to Reykjavik can provided on request for an additional cost. Please note: this transfer takes around 6 hours and must be booked in advance. For alternative departure arrangements, we will be happy to help you arrange.