Northwest Passage - In Franklin's Footsteps

Arrive at anytime. Spend time enjoying the sights of this vibrant capital city.

Overnight accommodation provided as part of mandatory transfer package.

After breakfast you will board your charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, your gateway to Greenland. Enjoy your first Zodiac ride as you’re transferred from shore to ship. Out on deck, take in your new surroundings before you set sail on your Arctic adventure.

During our 2 day exploration of western Greenland our first stop will be the small, rocky town of Maniitsoq. Surrounded by soaring, snow-capped mountains the locals call Maniitsoq “the Venice of Greenland” owing to its unique situation in an archipelago intersected by natural canals. Whale spotting chances are great here as playful humpback whales spend summer in the surrounding waters.

Next stop will be the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk where colourful houses on the wildflower-covered tundra cover the landscape and a population of less than 16,000 people reside. A haven for history and culture lovers, Nuuk is home to the Hans Egede Church and Hans Egede statue, named for the missionary who established the settlement in 1728, and the excellent Greenland National Museum where you will find the famous remains of 500-year-old fully dressed mummies.

Say goodbye to Greenland’s shores as you traverse the Davis Strait on the way to the Canadian Arctic. Presentations by on-board experts will prepare you for the adventures that lie ahead.

This is where the adventure begins in earnest, as you visit towering fjords, historical sites and traditional Inuit communities. You will spend the next 10 days following the footsteps of famous explorers as you traverse the fabled waterways of the Northwest Passage enjoying remarkable scenery, wildlife encounters and cultural experiences.

The first stop in the Canadian High Arctic will be the picturesque Inuit hamlet of Pangnirtung nestled beneath the jagged peaks of Mount Duval. You will visit the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts & Crafts where you will watch craftspeople in the tapestry studio creating traditional Inuit arts and crafts. You will also visit nearby Kekerten, an uninhabited island that was a major whaling destination in the 1800s.

Sailing northwards into the Davis Strait we will reach Cape Mercy at the southern tip of the Cumberland Sound, an ideal spot to go ashore for a hike, before reaching Qikiqtarjuak where icebergs are naturally trapped as they travel down the Davis Strait. Regarded as the iceberg capital of the world, the icy waters here are regularly home to narwhals, beluga and right whales, and ring and harp seals. A hike up to the hilltop inukshuk (a stone figure made by the Inuit) rewards with spectacular views of the community.

Cruising farther north along the east coast of Baffin Island, we’ll approach Isabella Bay, an important summer and autumn feeding area for a large population of bowhead whales. The next spectacular sight on your epic journey will be the dozens of soaring cliffs of Sam Ford Fjord stacked side-by-side at one of the most isolated rock=climbing spots on the planet.

At the northern tip of Baffin Island, near the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage, we will reach the picturesque hamlet of Pond Inlet. Spend some time exploring this traditional Inuit community that’s surrounded by scenic mountains, fjords, glaciers and icebergs.

The area around Lancaster Sound affords several hiking opportunities. At Dundas Harbour, on Devon Island, you’ll visit an abandoned beachside outpost of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. At nearby Croker Bay, cruise in a Zodiac (at a safe distance) along the face of an actively calving glacier. Your Expedition Team will also keep its eyes peeled for the muskoxen and walrus that are known to visit the bay. A hike to a nearby archaeological site is another possible excursion. Farther west, some of the best ancient Thule remains in the Arctic are at Radstock Bay, beside the soaring Caswell Towers, a polar bear observation site. Exploring the area, you’ll gain insight into how these pre-Inuit people lived.

At the western end of Devon Island, the windswept Beechey Island might be small, but it’s steeped in history. Named after famed British explorer Frederick William Beechey, it’s a Canadian National Historic Site. You’ll visit the small marked graves of three crew members who died during Sir John Franklin’s tragic 1845–46 expedition. Roald Amundsen landed here in 1903, during the first successful voyage by ship through the Northwest Passage.

Sailing down the east coast of Somerset Island, you may have a chance of spotting beluga whales and narwhals, as they feed on the large numbers of arctic char that enter Creswell Bay in late summer. An Important Bird Area, the bay also attracts such species as black-bellied plovers, king eiders and white-rumped sandpipers. You’ll also have time to explore Fort Ross, where the Hudson’s Bay Company established a now-abandoned trading post in 1937. At the midpoint of the Bellot Strait, a narrow channel that separates Somerset Island from mainland North America, you’ll reach the northernmost area of the continental landmass, Zenith Point.

Arrival into Resolute marks the end of our adventurous North West Passage cruise. Disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight to Ottawa. Overnight accommodation in Ottawa is included as part of your transfer package.

After breakfast, you are free to explore the city or head to the airport for return or onward travel.