Iceland and Greenland: Edge of the Arctic

Arrive in Reykjavík, the world’s northernmost capital, which lies just below the Arctic Circle. Transfer from the airport to the city and spend the day exploring at your own pace. Check in with the hospitality desk this afternoon before embarking the ship. 

Explore Iceland’s western frontier, visiting Flatey Island, a trading post for many centuries turned sleepy summer islet. Walk around the charming little hamlet and hike across hiking trails that trace the path past seasonal puffin population on the cliffs. 

Explore the beautiful and peaceful Westfjords region of Iceland. Enjoy a hike to a remote waterfall, a Zodiac cruise alongside stunning scenery or bike along the coast of the Westfjords. Enter Ísafjarðardjúp and land at Vigur Island to visit the eider farm and learn about the down cleaning process.  Get to know the capital of the Westfjords, Ísafjörður, through a walking tour complete with local sights, sounds and tastes. 

Sail away from the Westfjords of Iceland and across the Denmark Strait, which connects the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. The Strait is home to the world's largest waterfall, caused by powerful currents and glaciers. Listen to talks by experts, relax with a book in the lounge or the observation deck and keep an eye out for wildlife as the ship sails across the continental shelf. 

The coast of the world's largest island is etched with thousands of fjords, some of which reach back to the Greenlandic ice sheet. Spend the day exploring these stunning inlets of the eastern coast as the staff uses the ship's underwater cameras and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to help you discover marine life and fascinating underwater geology. Ice permitting, sail deep into Skjoldungen fjord and soak in your arrival to Greenland on a Zodiac cruise or in a kayak among the icebergs. 

Sail into Prins Christian Sund, which cuts into the southern tip of Greenland, passing between soaring pinnacles and glaciers, allowing the ship to sail through the sheltered waters of this dramatic landscape. As you round the southern coast of Greenland, enter Tasermuit Fjord, known as Arctic Patagonia, for its sheer granite rock faces and dramatic valley filled with glaciers or their moraines. Spend time exploring by foot, kayak or zodiac along its shores.

Qaqortoq and Tunulliarflik Fjord provide two days of insight, culture and local interactions. Walk through the ruins of Bratthlid, Erik the Red's farm, visiting replicas of the church and the family's longhouse. Explore the same shores from which their son, Leif Eriksson, launched the first voyages to North America—500 years before Columbus. Visit the unofficial capital of southern Greenland at Qaqortoq, with just over 3,200 residents. The colonial influence is visible throughout the town, with houses painted in primary colors and architecture dating back to the 1700s. Stroll through the town square and visit the museum, where Greenlandic kayaks, hunting equipment and local art and handicrafts are on display. Finally, walk through the walls of Hvalsey church, located in the fjords behind Qaqortoq, the best-preserved Norse ruins in all of Greenland and a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 19,000 inhabitants, experiencing tremendous cultural and economic growth. Watch for harp seals as you enter the harbor and take a walking tour with local residents to learn how the community has changed over the generations. At the National Museum, examine the extraordinary 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies found near Uummannaq—a discovery that was featured in a <i>National Geographic</i> magazine cover story in 1985. The Arctic ice preserved these mummies so well that researchers have been able to study their tattoos, their medical conditions and even what they ate.

In the early morning, the ship enters Eternity Fjord (Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord), which winds picturesquely past steep mountains and stunning tidewater glaciers. In the far reaches of the fjord, take a Zodiac cruise along the face of one of the many glaciers or hike over glacial moraines to a waterfall. In the afternoon, continue exploring this varied landscape and fjord system either by foot, kayak, or zodiac and hear from experts about the physical changes to the landscape year over year.

Upon arrival to Sisimiut, a former whaling port, enjoy your choice of guided walks through the sights and sounds of the village, including a meeting with the caretakers of the Greenlandic Dog Project, or hiking part of the Arctic Circle trail. In your free time, enjoy a local food tasting, visit the open-air museum or explore the local artisan workshops.

Sail into Qeqertarsuup Tunua, also known as Disko Bay, and be welcomed by floating icebergs calved off the world's most active glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq. Enjoy an extraordinary cruise aboard local boats among towering icebergs of the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Ilulissat Icefjord. Visit the town of Ilulissat and hike into the Sermermiut Valley, once an Inuit settlement and now home to a peaceful boardwalk overlooking the Icefjord. As the ship make its way north through Disko Bay, if ice conditions permit, you'll follow the inside passage of Disko Island and trace the shores of the Nuussuaq Peninsula as you keep watch for a glimpse of the Greenlandic Ice Sheet. 

The village of Uummannaq sits on a tiny, yet dramatic island in the Uummannaq Fjord, dominated by a massive peak rising at its center. Visit the town’s excellent community museum to see traditional clothing and tools along with scenes of everyday life on these islands and enjoy a stroll through the streets of this northern outpost. In the afternoon, with special village permissions, cross the fjord to the site of Qilakitsoq, an important archaeological site for Greenlanders, where eight mummies, dating back to 1475, were discovered in 1972. These eight individuals, all extraordinarily well-preserved women and children, were Thule people, the ancestors of the modern Inuit and was featured on the cover of the February 1985 issue of <i>National Geographic</i> magazine. For the adventurous hikers, make your own respectful journey up to the final resting place of these ancestors.

Sail along Greenland’s fjords and look for Arctic foxes, whales and—with luck—caribou. Paddle a kayak along the steep sides of the fjord or ride a Zodiac to see the glacially carved landscape up close.

Disembark in Nuuk and join the recommended group flight to Keflavik; transfers to the nearby hotel and luggage assistance will be provided. Upon arrival, enjoy an included dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.