Greenland to Newfoundland: Mountains, Wildlife and Viking History

Upon your arrival at Keflavik International Airport, make your way independently to your included hotel in downtown Reykjavik, approximately 45 minutes from the airport. If your arrival schedule allows, explore the fascinating Icelandic capital on your own. Many major tourist attractions and historic sites are within walking distance of the city centre.

This morning, catch your charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, where you board your vessel and begin your expedition. Get ready for great adventures ahead. Expect a welcome and safety briefing from your expedition leader.

Explore two towns in the Qeqqata Municipality on the west coast of Greenland along the Davis Strait. The first is Maniitsoq, which translates to “the place of rugged, uneven terrain.” That’s precisely what you see in the surrounding terrain: towering mountains, pristine rivers, seemingly endless glaciers and incredibly deep fjords. In fact, one of the day’s highlights is a journey along Eternity Fjord, which is 47mi (75km) long and reaches a depth of 3,937ft (1,200m). Later in the day, you have time to wander through the historic town of Sisimiut, where several 18th-century colonial buildings still stand, one of which is Bethel Church. Just look for the striking blue-and-red wooden place of worship. Today’s activities also include a demonstration of the traditional art of kayak-making. Experiencing a cultural resurgence, the kayak is a symbol of Greenland and can be traced back more than 4,000 years to the Inuit, who used the vessels for hunting and transportation. For those inclined to other modes of transport, mountain biking is another option during our visit to Sisimiut.

Ilulissat, Greenlandic for icebergs, is one of the highlights of any journey along west Greenland. Declared a World Heritage Site in 2004, Ilulissat Icefjord gives birth to countless icebergs. In fact, it’s home to one of the most productive glaciers in the northern hemisphere, Sermeq Kujalleq (also known as Jakobshavn Glacier). A Zodiac excursion is a unique way to enjoy the spectacle of enormous bergs floating out to Disko Bay. We plan to Zodiac cruise ashore to visit the nearby town of Ilulissat; from there, we hike to the icefjord, where you can view this incredible parade of icebergs from the rocky shore. Expect to see a lot of dogs while you’re in town. There was a time when sled dogs actually outnumbered citizens in Ilulissat, which, unsurprisingly, is the birthplace of the first European to traverse the Northwest Passage by dogsled, explorer Knud Rasmussen. If time allows, you can visit a local museum dedicated to his memory.

As your ship navigates across the Davis Strait, onboard polar experts will present on a variety of topics to deepen your understanding of the places featured in the itinerary. Our experts include glaciologists, historians, wildlife specialists and other Polar specialists.

Today is our first day exploring the Canadian Arctic as we arrive in Nunavut, Canada’s youngest territory. Nunavut, which means “our land” in the Inuktitut language, stretches north of the Arctic Circle and covers more than 695,000sqmi (1.8m sqkm), and is considered the homeland of the Inuit in Canada. Spend time in Pangnirtung, located at the mouth of Pangnirtung Fjord, which merges with Cumberland Sound. It’s a stronghold of the Inuit community, and an ideal place to learn about Inuit culture while admiring finely crafted traditional art, especially the textiles. You may want to purchase a Pang toque, a must-have knit cap for anyone visiting the community.

History buffs will enjoy a visit to Cape Mercy, an isolated cove at the southern tip of Cumberland Sound in Nunavut. Cape Mercy was named by British explorer John Davis, who sailed through this part of the Arctic in 1585. Fast forward several centuries to the 1950s when Cape Mercy was selected as the site of a Distant Early Warning Line (DEW) installation, a system of radar stations set up during the Cold War to detect nuclear attacks. It should be noted that the Inuit hunted and fished in Cape Mercy and the surrounding area long before the arrival of European explorers. You can join a guided shore walk to enjoy incredible views of the vast Davis Strait, which connects Baffin Bay to the Labrador Sea.