Slow down life’s hectic pace on a two-week journey of watery wonderment. Marvel at the magnificent Jakobshavn Icefjord as it glistens beautifully in the virgin waters. Enjoy Zodiac® tours and tundra hikes, bird spotting, and absorbing the fascinating geological formations before feasting your eyes on the surprising Inuit art, a source for many modern artists today.
Highlights
Explore Ilulissat, a wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit charming Sisimiut, the second-largest town in Greenland
Admire Nuuk’s natural beauty and observe the historical Inuit ruins
Hike across the Silvia Grinnell Territorial Park west of Iqaluit
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive in Kangerlussuaq and enjoy your first Zodiac ride to the Silver Cloud, waiting at anchor. Once all guests have embarked, attend a mandatory safety drill before departing on your exciting expedition – Art and Wildlife of the Arctic. This evening, be introduced to your Expedition Leader and the Expedition Team and attend a mandatory Zodiac briefing.
During the morning the ship plys the Disko Bay en route to your destination along Disko Island’s east coast. Your exploration of the Disko Bay area heads north of the village of Qerqertarsuaq, which is named after Disko Island’s local name, meaning “large island”. With more than 3,300 sq. miles Disko Island is Greenland’s second largest island. Conditions permitting, take tundra walks and enjoy a Zodiac tour of the rugged coastline and the many icebergs that get stranded here after breaking off from the Jakobshavn Glacier.
Be out on deck to see the northern hemisphere’s most active glacier, the Jakobshavn Glacier, while approaching Ilulissat (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Known as the birthplace of icebergs, the Ilulissat Icefjord produces several million tons of ice each day. Its entrance is often surrounded by icebergs in all shapes and sizes and in varying shades of white and turquoise.
The town of Ilulissat is known for its long periods of calm and settled weather, but the climate is a bit colder due to its proximity to the fjord. While here, have the opportunity to see a demonstration of ancient fishing methods and enjoy some locally caught and prepared fish. During your guided walking tour of Ilulissat, visit the local history museum, which used to be the home of famous Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen. South of town are several trails leading to the Icefjord, one of them a boardwalk. Navigate amongst the many icebergs at the fjord’s entrance in local fishing boats getting amazing views and impressions. Alternatively, guests have the option to purchase an exciting helicopter excursion to see the magnificent Jakobshavn Icefjord by air.
Located just north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut is the second largest as well as the northernmost town in Greenland where the port remains free of ice in the winter. Yet it is also the southernmost town where there exists enough snow and ice to drive a dogsled in winter and spring. The Greenlandic sled dog has been bred to be amongst the strongest working dogs in the world and can be seen all over town.
Sisimiut has been used by different cultures and groups for almost 4500 years. Ruins of early settlements can still be seen west of the town. The Sisimiut Museum houses part of its collection in Greenland’s oldest surviving church as well as in a peat house. For those interested in tasting some of the local delicacies, the museum has prepared Greenlandic soup, shrimps, and dried fish which you can taste while visiting the museum.
Another typical and iconic ‘vehicle’ of transportation in the Arctic is the qajaq (better known as ‘kayak’) and although most Greenlandic hunters or fishermen use modern boats, many still have a qajaq. Hope to see a qajaq demonstration in Sisimiut’s harbor.
This morning arrive at Greenland’s first town (1728) and current capital, Nuuk - “the heartland”. Explore one of the smallest capitals in the world. The leisurely walk through this picturesque harbor town allows you to take in Nuuk’s natural beauty, and also to see Inuit ruins, Hans Egede’s home, parliament, and the Church of our Saviour. At the Greenlandic National Museum have the fantastic opportunity to see an outstanding collection of traditional hunting gear, art, colorful traditional clothing, and the famous Qilakitsoq mummies.
Binoculars and camera in hand, head out on deck to watch for seabirds and marine mammals. Attend informative lectures that prepare you for the upcoming ports-of-call in Canada and the adventures that lie ahead. Peruse an array of titles and topics in the well-stocked Library, enjoy a fine cognac at the Connoisseur’s Corner, or indulge in any of the other special amenities offered aboard Silver Cloud.
Your first foray into Canada begins in the town of Iqaluit, located at the head of Frobisher Bay, an inlet of the North Atlantic extending into southeastern Baffin Island. The Bay is so long that it was first taken to be the possible entrance of a Northwest Passage. Iqaluit is the capital of Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut (Inuktitut for “our land”). Nunavut is the least populated, but largest of Canada’s provinces and territories.
After completing formalities associated with customs and immigration, go ashore and explore the edges of Canada’s “true north”. Depending on the tides (Iqaluit has a maximum tidal range of almost 12 meters) either have a dry landing on a pier or a wet beach landing. The ship’s experts along with local guides take you around Iqaluit and lead you through the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum and the Nunavut Legislative Assembly Building, both housing incredible collections of Inuit artwork. The museum shop has some very interesting local prints for sale. Even walking through town there are many opportunities to see various pieces of artwork. Visit the Silvia Grinnell Territorial Park west of Iqaluit for walks and hikes.
Named in honor of Sir John Franklin’s widow, uninhabited Lady Franklin Island is 40 kilometers off of Baffin Island’s Hall Peninsula. There are at least seven smaller, unnamed islands off its northwest shore that lend themselves to be explored by Zodiac, while Lady Franklin Island offers an abundance of bears, ducks, seals, and walrus.
This morning you might want to attend a lecture about Northern Art, and find out how and why the Inuit took to art. Silver Cloud arrives in Kimmirut, a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police post and Hudson Bay Company trading center, in the late morning. The terrain of Kimmirut is among the oldest on the planet, sitting on a variety of metamorphic rock formations, and the village receives its name from a prominent rock feature. Kimmirut’s harbor has very powerful tides, with water levels varying by as much as 11 meters (36 feet).
Visit this village to see the local arts and crafts. The Kimmirut artists blend regional styles and locally available materials. The most predominant kind of art is stone carving, although there is also a tradition of scrimshaw etchings done on walrus ivory. In recent years creating jewelry has become of interest. The material used for this are the semi-precious stones found in the Kimmirut area.
A morning at sea allows you to make good progress towards your next destination and to attend a lecture, seminar, or workshop while heading further west towards Kinngait (Cape Dorset).
Without a doubt, Cape Dorset is the most famous Inuit art village in the Canadian North. Here visit the printmakers and carvers of the region and even have the option to purchase a special piece as a souvenir of your visit. Traveling across the bay by Zodiac, explore Mallikjuaq Territorial Park where the remains of winter residences from thousands of years ago can be seen. The local guide explains in detail the aspects of daily life for his ancestors.
Today enjoy the spectacular Wakeham Bay and the area of the small village of Kangiqsujuaq. In line with your search for art, see how the locals interpret the Dorset culture mask petroglyphs found south of the village. Apart from the village visit, tundra walks might be on offer.
Today explore around remote Akpatok Island at the northernmost extremity of the Labrador Peninsula. Steep and sheer limestone cliffs jut out of the cold waters. Encased in snow and surrounded with sea ice in the winter months, this uninhabited island lures huge amounts of wildlife, most notably the world’s largest population of breeding thick-billed murres, also known as Brünnich’s guillemots (Inuktitut name: Akpatok), estimated at well over a million birds. These auks flock to the bare cliffs of the island between June and September, and incubate their single pear-shaped egg on the cliff’s ledges. Glaucous gulls can be seen soaring above looking for unguarded eggs and chicks, while black guillemots paddle around on the nearby sea. Akpatok Island is also a favorite summer home for polar bears as they wait for the winter ice to form.
On your way south from Akpatok travel along the Torngat Mountains National Park situated on the eastern side of Labrador’s northernmost point – sometimes described as the “Eastern Rocky Mountains”. Torngat Mountains National Park covers an area of 9.700 km² and is dotted with remnants of several cirque glaciers and has an outstanding array of geological features. The steep cliffs provide some of the best exposures to the earth’s geologic history. Although polar bears can often be seen hunting seals on the ice you are still too early in the season, but herds of Torngat Mountain and George River caribou migrate to and from their calving grounds and Inuit use the area to hunt, fish, and travel throughout the park. Red and arctic foxes are looking for lemmings and voles. Harlequin ducks, peregrine falcons, Barrow’s goldeneye and short-eared owls are found within the park. While minke whales tend to linger in bays, humpback and fin whales like to stay offshore. South of Torngat Mountains National Park, and permission pending, visit Hebron, an abandoned Moravian settlement declared a National Historic Site.
A leisurely day at sea can be used to exchange notes with fellow travelers. As you make your way along Canada’s scenic coast, spend some time out on deck keeping an eye out for seabirds, dolphin, seals, and migrating humpback, fin, or blue whales, or listen to additional presentations by the expert natural history staff in the Lecture Theatre or in the comfort of your suite. Enjoy a fine cognac at the Connoisseur’s Corner or indulge in any of the other special amenities offered aboard Silver Cloud.
Twillingate is the self-proclaimed ‘Iceberg Capital of the World’, although it is highly unlikely that you should see any icebergs at this time of the year. Once ashore by Zodiac, be taken by local bus to the “Prime Berth Museum” first, which could be well described as a commercial fishing heritage site. Hear about the glory “salt fish days” before the cod fishery moratorium in the middle of the eighties of the last century let the busy settlement shrink. Afterwards visit several historic buildings packed with artifacts near the shoreline. The excursion also goes to the museum, the former house of an Anglican priest, right next to the church. Almost all the objects on display here are from 1900 to the early 1920s, including a giant bicycle from the turn of the century. Afterwards enjoy a good view over the Notre Dame Bay and the outer isles at Long Point Lighthouse.
During the afternoon continue on toward St. John’s. Your onboard Videographer presents his voyage DVD, a good opportunity to recall all the different impressions of Greenland, Baffin Island and the Canadian coast.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$3,900
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
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Vista Suite
240 ft² / 22m². Decks 4 and 5. Twin beds or queen-sized bed, large picture window with panoramic views, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower.
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Veranda Suite
295 ft² / 27 m² including veranda (veranda 49 ft²/ 4.5 m²). Decks 6 and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Some suites accommodate three guests (Suites 505-510 and 605-610). Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower (some w/ tub/shower combination).
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Deluxe Veranda Suite
295 ft² / 27 m² including veranda (veranda 49 ft²/ 4.5 m²). Decks 5, 6, and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Some suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower (some w/ tub/shower combination).
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Medallion Suite
437 ft² / 40.6 m² including veranda (veranda 81 ft² / 7.6 m²). Decks 5, 6, and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Medallion Suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with convertible sofa, sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with shower.
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Silver Suite
541 ft² / 50 m² including veranda (veranda 92 ft² / 8 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Silver Suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with convertible sofa, sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with shower.
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Royal Suite
736 ft² / 69m² including veranda (veranda 126 ft² / 12 m²) for one-bedroom. Two-bedroom adjoining with Veranda suite: 1,031 ft² / 96m² including veranda (veranda 175 ft² / 16.5 m²). Deck 6. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.
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Grand Suite
1,019 ft² / 95 m² including veranda (veranda 145 ft² / 14 m²) for one-bedroom. Two-bedroom adjoining with a Veranda Suite: 1,314 ft² / 122 m² including veranda (veranda 194 ft² / 18.5 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Two teak verandas with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.
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Owner's Suite
One-Bedroom: 587 ft² / 55 m² including veranda (veranda: 89 ft² / 8 m²). Two-Bedroom with adjoining Vista Suite: 827 ft² / 77 m² incl. veranda (veranda: 89 ft² / 8 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Large teak veranda with floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.
Notes
Please note: Fares are capacity controlled, and subject to change at any time without notice. All prices are in US dollars, cruise-only per person based on double occupancy.
A limited number of suites are available for purchase upon request on a single- or third-guest occupancy basis.
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
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