Mythical Iceland to Greenland

Your Arctic adventure will begin in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, where your expedition vessel will be waiting for you. You may wish to arrive a day or 2 early to spend some time exploring this charming and vibrant modern city which offers top restaurants, interesting museums and quirky narrow streets. Embarkation will begin in the afternoon and as you settle in to your cabin and explore your new surroundings we will set sail for Stykkishólmur.

Welcome to West Iceland, otherwise known as “The Sagaland”, where we will find a spectacularly diverse landscape of lava and rock formations, glaciers, volcanic activity and hot and cold springs. We will spend a day exploring here including the town of Stykkishólmur where you can enjoy a gentle stroll through the town or join an optional excursion to explore more of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Kayaking, horse riding and hiking will also be available and on these excursions you may see the Snæfellsjökull glacier as well as the area’s volcanic craters, black sandy beaches, bird cliffs and spectacular mountains.

Leaving behind mythical Iceland we will spend 2 days at sea sailing across the Denmark Strait towards south Greenland. This fabled sea passage holds many stories and you may wish to attend some of the onboard lectures and presentations to gain an insight into the area’s history, including the passage of the Vikings and the famous WWII battle between the Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine which took place in May 1941. We also recommend spending some time on deck looking for your first sightings of icefloes and watching the seabirds following in the ship’s wake.

Our first experience of Greenland will be the spectacular Prince Christian Sound which separates mainland Greenland with Sangmissoq and the other islands of the Cape Farewell Archipelago. We plan to spend the day here sailing through the narrow channel so make sure to be on deck with your cameras ready for some spectacular scenery of steep mountains and glaciers calving icebergs straight into the ocean. If the channel is blocked with ice, we will instead sail around Nunap Isua (Cape Farewell).

Today we will make our first landing in Greenland as we go ashore on the uninhabited island of Uunartoq to visit the numerous natural hot springs to perhaps enjoy a soak in the bubbling balmy waters. Set amongst grassy fields and surrounded by stunning mountain peaks and drifting icebergs this authentic experience will certainly be one to remember.

Later we will visit Qaqortoq, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful towns in Greenland. Here you can enjoy a stroll through the town to see its array of colourful houses, visit a kaffemik to enjoy a coffee with the locals, take a guided tour or join an optional excursion to visit the only tannery in Greenland.

Today we will visit another of the most beautiful villages in Greenland as we arrive at Igaliku to discover a delightful landscape of tall snow-covered mountain peaks, lush valleys and the oldest sheep farming settlement on the island. Here we will enjoy a walk around the area to meet some of the locals (the current population stands at 27) and see the area’s unique sandstone houses as well as experiencing the stunning views of the Igaliku fjord. We will also see some attractive relics of the Viking period, including a cathedral which was the biggest of all churches in Greenland in the Middle Ages.

Later we will use our small boats to come ashore at Hvalsey to see some of the best-preserved ruins from the Norse period including Hvalsey Church which is estimated to have been built in the 14th century. Our expert historians will accompany us as we explore the area and find out about how Erik the Red’s relatives established the farmstead late in the 10th century.

As we reach Qassiarsuk we will continue our discovery of the history of the Vikings as we visit where Erik the Red built his Brattahlíð estate in 982 A.D. This scenic area is host to a landscape of lush green fields dotted with sheep and busy farmsteads and provides a colourful contrast to the icescapes at sea.

Our historians will accompany us here as we learn about how and why Erik settled in Qassiarsuk, and enjoy a guided walk through the settlement. You will be able to visit the reconstruction of Erik’s longhouse and the church that Erik’s wife Tjodhildur made him build, as well as visiting the town’s current church and participating in some of the optional activities available including hiking and kayaking.

We conclude our exploration of southwest Greenland with a visit to the abandoned mining town of Ivittuut. This uninhabited settlement is a stronghold for musk oxen and was built on top of the so-called Norse Middle settlement. More than a thousand years ago, Vikings settled the area with about twenty farms. It is the smallest and least well known of the Norse settlements on Greenland, and no written records of its residents have been found. This is why archaeologists believe it was the last one established, and the first to be abandoned. We might meet some of the hunters who return to seek shelter in the old houses by the sea.

Moving northwards up the west coast we will reach the mouth of one of the largest and most spectacular fjord systems in the world to visit Nuuk, the oldest and largest town in Greenland. The capital of Greenland, Nuuk offers a unique mixture of old and new, with picturesque historic buildings and churches dotted amongst modern government and academic buildings. Nuuk is home to almost a third of Greenland’s population and there is plenty to do here including city tours, hikes, scenic flights and visits to the Greenland National Museum - home to the mummies from Qilakilsoq.

Today we will reach Itilleq (“the hollow”), a small settlement situated in a beautiful hollow, majestically surrounded by high mountains and glaciers. We will spend some time exploring the area which is home to around 130 residents and is known as the Arctic Circle Village due to its location just 200 meters from the Circle.

Today’s destination will hold a special importance to your expedition crew as we visit a location near Saqqaq that was without an official name until 2013 and has since been named Camp Frieda after one of your expedition leaders. Friederike Bronny who will be accompanying you throughout your voyage spent a year here as a young geology student living in a tent and learning all there is to know about this special area. In 2013 the area was named in honour of her work here and we will visit this spot to share in some of her stories and gain insights into the area’s unique geological features.

Today is likely to be one of the highlights of your expedition as we visit the stunning area of the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that quite simple needs to be seen to be appreciated. This exceptionally scenic settlement is set against the most remarkable backdrop of enormous icebergs which have made their way down from the Jakobshavn Glacier and run aground at the mouth of the fjord just outside the town. There will be ample opportunities here for exploring the Icefjord including optional boat tours and helicopter flights offering exceptional aerial views of the wonders below. Alternatively you can also enjoy a short walk through the town which will lead you to a network of short trails that take you to the shores of the fjord. Or simply sit back and relax listening to the mystical sounds of the icebergs cracking and rumbling, echoing from one end of Ilulissat to the other.

The ice-surrounded volcanic island of Disko will be our next area of discovery as we visit the island’s only town, Qeqertarsuaq. This verdant island in the midst of ice offers amazing Arctic experiences and you will be welcome to join numerous excursions including kayaking, an ice cruising boat trip or a guided town tour. Should you wish to explore the town at your own pace we recommend a visit to the local museum.

As we sail towards Sisimiut we recommend spending some time on deck in search of sightings of the numerous whale species and marine animals which frequent the waters here including humpback, fin, minke and porpoise, as well as large numbers of seals.

As we come ashore we will explore this colourful and modern settlement which has retained its ancient traditions and is home to a small museum which is well worth a visit. Here we can take a hike in the hills to enjoy the beautiful views or spend some time shopping for local handicrafts and meeting the residents of this unique and scenic town.

As we near the end of our expedition there is time for one more adventure as we sail through the 190km fjord to the town of Kangerlussuaq and disembark to enjoy an excursion to the Greenland Ice Cap. This vast icy wasteland stretches 1,500 miles north and reaches heights of up to 3,200 metres above sea level and offers phenomenal photo opportunities. In the late afternoon we will enjoy a barbecue meal surrounded by beautiful scenery before transferring to the airport for your late evening flight to Copenhagen.

After your overnight flight you will arrive in "Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen" where your thrilling Arctic adventure will sadly come to an end.