Explore Iceland, Greenland & East Canada

Sail the Arctic on one of the newest ships to charter the polar regions. This itinerary is full of some of the most spectacular scenery and some of oldest communities to have wandered the Earth; experience the magnificent fjords of Greenland and the towering Torngat Mountains of Canada as well as encountering traditional Inuit communities and learning historic Viking culture throughout this expedition.

1. Fly to Iceland

2. Days 1-21: Arctic

   At the agreed schedule, the Greg Mortimer will voyage across Iceland, Greenland and Canada, showcasing a truly authentic explorers experience of the Arctic.View highlights to see more.

    

   Accommodation: Greg Mortimer Arctic (20 nights)

   View Highlights

   • Day 1 : Arrive into Reykjavik

     Today marks the start of your Arctic experience as you arrive into Reykjavik. On arrival into Reykjavik you will make your way to the hotel where you have the day at leisure to unwind after your journey or explore the city.

   • Day 2 : Explore the Thingvellir National Park

     Discover the beautiful natural wonders of Reykjavik before boarding the boat in the late afternoon.

     Reykjavik boasts some of the world’s most breathtaking natural sights and this morning you have the opportunity to explore a number of these as you walk around Thingvellir National Park, home to the first Icelandic Parliament in the 10th century. From here you continue onto the spectacular waterfall of Gullfoss, considered by many to be one of the country’s most beautiful, before being driven to the pier to board the boat in the late afternoon.

   • Day 3 - 5: At Sea – Crossing the Greenland Sea

     Days spent at sea offer a rare opportunity to unwind and slip into a lower gear, watching the landscapes slip by and brushing up on your knowledge of the Arctic through a series of lectures. With presentations on volcanology, geothermal activity, glaciers and the intriguing variations in ice, this is a chance to learn more about the sights that you’ll encounter on the expedition. With time on your hands, you can sit back in the lounge and get to know fellow passengers and the expedition team who will be your companions for the voyage.

   • Day 5 : Visit Prince Christian Sound, Southeast Greenland

     Today brings you to the extraordinary grandeur of the Prince Christian Sound, the renowned channel that connects the Labrador Sea to the Irminger Sea. At its narrowest it is just 500 meters wide but stretches out over 60 miles, while the sharp mountains that surround it make an imposing sight, soaring up over 2,000 meters high. Sparkling glaciers line the route, plunging into the icy waters of the sound and calving into icebergs with an almighty crack. As you cruise slowly through the sound, numerous photo opportunities present themselves and if the conditions allow you could get even closer to the glacier of the Kangersuneq Qinngorleq fjord as you take a Zodiac and kayak to its base. Continuing south, you pass Appilatoq, a small settlement surrounded by mesmerising jagged peaks that rise up around it, offering yet more opportunities for exceptional photos.

   • Day 6 : Explore Tasermiut Fjord, Nanortalik and the mountains of Klosterdal

     Thought to be one of the most picturesque fjords in Greenland, the Tasermuit Fjord offers towering mountains, grassy valleys and a chance to hike or kayak through this exquisite landscape. You’ll come face-to-face with Napasorsuaq, Ketil and Nalumasortoq, the three vast mountains of Klosterdal, where you could step ashore to hike through the valley or paddle around the shoreline in a kayak. Continuing on through the fjord you reach Nanortalik, a magical landscape of plunging fjords, cragged cliffs and clusters of emerald woodlands and waving grassy meadows. Here the local residents have opened up their town to visitors and you could explore the small 1916 Danish Lutheran church and the Museum where summer tents, kayaks and the oldest known cargo boat shed light on the lives of Nanotalik’s former inhabitants.

   • Day 7 : Discover Narsarsuaq and the thermal springs of Uunartoq Island

     Sailing into Narsarsuaq you have the opportunity to explore the region on a number of gentle walks, taking in crumbling old farmhouses, Inuit graves and Norse ruins, all of which chart the varied history of the area. You could also take to the water to soak in the landscape from afar as you paddle around the peninsula in a kayak. As you sail on from here you reach Uunartoq Island, midway between Qaqortoq and Nanortalik. While South and West Greenland are renowned for their hot springs, Uunartoq Island lays claim to having the only springs warm enough to bathe in. Set in a meadow of waving grasses, people have flocked to these beautiful springs and their healing waters for over 1,000 years and you may like to follow in their footsteps and soak away any aches and pains in the thermal waters before exploring the history and architecture of the island.

   • Day 8 : Visit Hvalsey Church and Qaqortoq, the capital city of Southern Greenland

     Offering an introduction to Greenland’s early settlers, a visit to Hvalsey Church is an opportunity to explore the best-preserved Norse ruins in the country. While Christianity arrived here around 1,000 years ago, Hvalsey’s church is thought to have been built in the 14th century by Scots-Norse stonemasons and is similar in structure to those found in Orkney and Norway. After exploring the church and farm buildings of the site, you sail on to Qaqortoq and travel ashore by Zodiac. As the capital of South Greenland, Qaqortoq is a cultural hotspot and home to a number of artistic diversions, including a ‘Man and Stone’ art project that dots the town with its exhibits and can be enjoyed as you stroll around the streets. You could watch a kayak performance, pop into local restaurants and cafes to sample local specialties, walk around the scenic lake or join a walking tour led by local students.

   • Day 9 - 11: Time at sea as you sail towards Canada’s East Coast

     After a wealth of new experiences, time spent at sea is a chance to unwind, reflect on the discoveries and sights of the last week and trawl through your photos. You could also take in the lectures and presentations by the expedition team to prepare you for the next set of adventures that await on Canada’s isolated East Coast. From the captivating geology to the wildlife of the Torngat Mountains National Park, there’s much to discover as you sail towards your next destination.

   • Day 11 : Explore George River

     As you reach George River, known locally as Kangiqsualujjuaq, you’ll have the opportunity to get out into the wilderness of the Nunavik region, a rich habitat for black bear, wolf and fox, as well as the world’s largest herd of caribou. A short hike brings you to the magnificence of the Fall tundra while a visit to the local Kangiqsualujjuaq community is a privileged opportunity to see the homes of the people and learn more about their cultural history, their stories, language and art.

   • Day 12 - 14: Visit Torngat National Park

     Just 100km east of Kangiqsualujjuaq lies the Torngat Mountains National Park, a mystical landscape that evokes the raw beauty of an unspoiled Earth with its rock formations that date back billions of years, its dramatic fjords and iconic wildlife.

     Over the next couple of days you’ll become immersed in the exquisite beauty and dramatic landscapes of the Torngat Mountains National Park, a staggeringly diverse and mysterious region of soaring mountains, glaciers, plunging fjords and ancient rock formations. Taking its name from the Inuktitut word, Tongait, meaning ‘place of spirits’, Torngat Mountains National Park is home to rock formations that can be dated back about 3.9 billion years and 9,700sq.km of wild, raw, natural beauty that never fails to captivate. Polar bears and caribou roam the park, while the Inuit follow in the footsteps of thousands of years of history; hunting, fishing and traveling as their ancestors have for millennia. You’ll sail through deep fjords and channels, taking the Zodiacs out to get closer to the rocky cliffs and shoreline in search of polar bears in Saglek Fjord or hiking through wild terrain and visiting ancient archaeological sites. Though the weather conditions determine the exact route and landing opportunities, you may sail through Eclipse Channel or the Nachvak Fjord, its rugged walls soaring up over 900 meters high. The once-in-a-lifetime experiences don’t end when the sun goes down – this is the land of the Northern Lights and you may be treated to a magical display of shimmering lights that dance around the mountains like fireflies, turning the night sky into a swirling sea of green and blue.

   • Day 14 : Time at sea as you sail south to Nain

     Charting a course to Nain, the ships sails southwards, giving you time to socialize with fellow passengers, chat with the expedition staff and learn about the history of Moravian missionaries from onboard presentations. When not enjoying the fresh air on deck, you could work out in the fitness center or brush up on your knowledge of the area.

   • Day 15 : Explore the history and culture heritage of Nain

     The largest community in Nunatsiavut, Nain lies in the very north of the region and was founded in 1771 by Moravian missionaries as a key outpost for their missionary efforts. Their influence can still be found in the artifacts and buildings that remain, and as you explore the town in small groups you’ll have the chance to visit the Moravian Church, Illusuak Cultural Center and the Torngat Arts and Crafts Gift Shop. You may be able to watch a stone carver at work, and if time allows you could hike to Mount Sophie, accompanied by a local Inuit bear guard in case of a sighting of one of the bears that can often be seen outside the town.

   • Day 16 : Visit Hopedale to discover more about the Moravian Missionaries

     Originally known as Arvertok, the Inuktitut name meaning ‘the place of whales’, Hopevale lies at the heart of Nunatsiavut and was renamed by the Moravian missionaries on their arrival from Germany in 1782. As you walk around the town you’ll see the buildings and artifacts that remain from this period, and the town boasts some of Canada’s oldest wooden-framed structures. The Nunatsiavut Assembly Building offers a chance to discover the uses of local labradorite and seal skin materials while the Moravian Mission Museum Interpretation Center holds a mass of artifacts and written materials that date back as far as the late 1700s.

   • Day 17 : Visit Battle Harbour, Newfoundland

     Offering a chance to experience Newfoundland as it was 200 years ago, the old fishing village of Battle Harbour lies on a small island in the Labrador Sea and has been sympathetically restored to display life as lived in the 19th century.

     Today you travel back in time to 19th century Newfoundland as you visit the fishing village of Battle Harbour. Once the salt fish capital of the world, Battle Harbour has long been considered the unofficial capital of Labrador and was once a key government outpost for the distribution of medicines and supplies to remote northern Indigenous communities. Spend a few hours strolling through the unpaved, car-free streets and the island’s trails and you’ll discover a place that tells the tales of its past inhabitants, the fishermen and merchants that lived here hundreds of years ago. As you explore the human history of the village with local guides, you’ll pass Arctic vegetation and rock formations and when night falls the unpolluted sky becomes a dazzling display of bright stars, joined on occasion by the shimming Northern Lights.

   • Day 18 : Explore L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland

     Your destination for today is L’Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains a complete 11th century Viking settlement and is the earliest known evidence of European travel to North America.

     As the earliest authenticated settlement of the Vikings in North America, L’Anse aux Meadows is a fascinating archaeological site that contains the remains of a complete 11th century community, adding proof to the theory that Leif Erickson and his crew settled in Newfoundland. Stroll around the site and you’ll discover the lives of the Norse that first stepped ashore almost a thousand years ago. After exploring this ancient history, your next shore excursion is slightly more recent as you follow in the footsteps of Dr Wilfred Grenfell, an English doctor who traveled along the Labrador Coast educating the Inuit and poor European settlers and bringing medicines to isolated communities that struggled for survival on this harsh coastline.

   • Day 19 : Explore the ‘Iceberg Capital of the World’ at Twilingate

     While Twilingate is best known for the icebergs that pass by its shores from Greenland, it is also a quintessential Newfoundland town with a beautiful coastline, historic architecture and charming streets. On today’s shore landings you’ll travel by school bus and explore the region’s sights with local guides, including the Auk Island Winery, the Prime Berth, the Twilingate Museum and the Long Point Lighthouse.

   • Day 20 : Disembark at St John’s, Newfoundland

     After breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow passengers and the expedition crew, the boat will dock at St John’s where you’ll step ashore, just as pirates, sailors and explorers have done since 1497. If time allows, St John’s is a fascinating spot to stay awhile, wandering along the quaint Victorian streets and popping into the boutiques, cafes and pubs that cluster around the dock or exploring the city’s 500-year seafaring history.

3. Return to UK

Voyage the Artic through Iceland, Greenland and Canada