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An arctic village full of colorful houses sits on the arctic coast.

Heart of the Arctic 2016

Example 13 Day Cruise aboard Ocean Endeavour
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Start your journey by exploring Sondre Stromfjord, one of the longest and most beautiful fjords in the world! Althrough the fjord crosses the Arctic Circle, it does not freeze, making this part of Greenland a center for whaling and fishing all year. Experience the fantastic nature and rich biodiversity of this region and view enormous glaciers which have ploughed deep into the dramatic tundra. On the plain between the fjord and the inland ice find Greenland's biggest herds of musk ox, reindeer, arctic foxes as well as the highest concentration of peregrine falcons in Greenland and more than 250 species of plants.
Witness incredible whales on your journey.A beautiful arctic reflection.A beautiful sunset on the arctic coast.An arctic fox looks across the tundra.An arctic village full of colorful houses sits on the arctic coast.
Highlights
  • Explore one the longest fjords in the world, Sondre Stromfjord
  • Experience Greenlandic life at a small charming fishing village
  • Search for reindeer roaming and humpback whales navigating the fjords
  • Visit Pangnirtung and learn about its whaling history and art
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Embark in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Hop on a charter flight from Toronto to embark the Ocean Endeavour and settle in to your cabin before setting sail on your Arctic adventure!

Start the journey by exploring Sondre Stromfjord, one of the longest and most beautiful fjords in the world! Kangerlussuaq, the town at its eastern mouth, means 'the big fjord.' Although the fjord crosses the Arctic Circle, like the oceans here, it does not freeze. Locals can thank ocean currents for this, making this part of Greenland a center for whaling and fishing all year.

The area is distinguished by fantastic nature and rich biodiversity. There is nowhere else in Greenland where it is so easy to go so far into the interior, and the world’s largest ice cap can be reached in less than an hour. The landscape features enormous glacier formations, which have ploughed deep into the dramatic tundra. On the plain between the fjord and the inland ice you will find Greenland's biggest herds of musk ox, reindeer, arctic foxes as well as the highest concentration of peregrine falcons in Greenland and more than 250 species of plants.

Day 2: West Greenland

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
There are a number of charming fishing villages along the west coast of Greenland - depending on timing and sea conditions, call in at one of these communities to experience small town Greenlandic life.

Day 3: Nuuk, Greenland

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Welcome to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland! Nuuk means "the headland" and is situated at the mouth of a gigantic fjord system. Established as the very first Greenlandic town in 1728, Nuuk's history dates back over 4,200 years. Here you have a chance to spot humpback whales in the fjord, reindeer roaming the land, and birds soaring in the sky. The town itself is home to Greenland's University, a cathedral dating back to 1849, as well as Greenland's National Museum. Visit some of the city's most important sites before spending free time to explore on your own

Day 4: At Sea - Davis Strait

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
While crossing Davis Strait, relax and enjoy onboard lectures and opportunities to watch for wildlife from the ship's decks. While out on deck, keep your eyes peeled for humpback and minke whales and other marine mammals, as well as the seabirds.

Day 5: Pangnirtung

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Pangnirtung—"the place of the bull caribou" in Inuktitut — is located on a narrow coastal plain against a spectacular backdrop of high mountains and a winding river valley. Legend says a hunter named Atagooyuk gave the place its name well over one hundred years ago when caribou had not yet changed their patterns as a result of the incursions of man. Pangnirtung, or ‘Pang’ as locals call it, is a small community bordered by snow-capped mountains on one side and the ocean on the other.

Pangnirtung has a long history of whaling in Cumberland Sound, where commercial whaling originated in 1820. In 1838 a Scottish whaler named William Penny, along with an Inuk travelling guide, rediscovered Cumberland Sound, which was rich in bowhead whales. By the late 1850's, many Inuit left their camps to work at the whaling stations in Nuvuyen (located on the southern coast) and to Kekerten Island (located on the northern coast). In the mid 1860's, Cumberland Sound was showing signs of being "fished out". By 1870 Nuvuyen was in ruins - hardly any more ships came to hunt whales and the Inuit returned to life in camps scattered throughout the sound. On April 1, 1973, Pangnirtung was incorporated as a hamlet.

Pangnirtung is famed for its art, and one of the great attractions is the Uqqurmiut Inuit Arts Center. The Artist Association of the Center welcomes visitors to see the print and weave shops, where local artists create beautifully woven tapestries and prints. Artists from Pangnirtung are known around the world and are exhibited widely across Canada and beyond. The acclaimed “Pang” hats, colorfully patterned crocheted toques, can also be purchased at the center’s gift shop.

Day 6-7: South Baffin

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend two days exploring the southern coast of Baffin Island, the fifth largest island in the world. Our objective is to spend half the time out on the land — hiking, exploring, and taking in the sights — and the remainder cruising the shoreline in our fleet of Zodiacs. The itinerary will have to be adaptable to both weather conditions and the possibility of wildlife sightings, as expeditions to Baffin have proven unpredictable in both respects. The island is home to a wide variety of life, including a notable bear population, and we will be on alert for these kings of the north.

Day 8: Kimmirut (Lake Harbour)

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Located on the southern portion of Baffin Island, the scenic oceanside hamlet of Kimmirut is considered one of the most charming communities in the region. Kimmirut means “the heel” in Inuktitut, and refers to an outcrop of marble across the bay from the community that holds a striking resemblance to a human heel. Art has played a major role here and the newly renovated Dewey Soper Building is home to a gallery of outstanding works of art.

Day 9: Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Along the northwest shore of Dorset Island, surrounded by rocky hills on one side and by the Hudson Strait on the other side, lies a community that art built. Between 1950 and 1962, Cape Dorset hosted a historic collaboration between James and Alma Houston and local Inuit. The collaboration launched Inuit art onto the world stage. In the distance are the jagged outlines of islands, and the inlets of Baffin Island’s southern coast. Like most other settlements in Nunavut, Cape Dorset is a modern community, with winding gravel roads, small wooden houses, schools, stores, hotels, a nursing station, government offices and churches. But it is the outstanding artists, printmakers, and carvers that have made Cape Dorset the Inuit art capital of the world.

Day 10: Digges Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Visit the great bird cliffs of Digges Island. In season, these sheer cliffs, rising hundreds of feet into the air straight from the water, are home to thick-billed murres, among others. On the other side of the island lie the ruins of an ancient Thule site. Ancestors of the present Inuit eked out a life on the shoreline and from the sea. The stone foundations of their meeting place and their dwellings can still be seen amongst the rocks and boulders along the shoreline, and the bones of whales, seals and walrus remain where they were dropped so many years ago.

Day 11: Kangiqsujuaq (Wakeham Bay)

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Kangiqsujuaq, which means “the large bay” occupies an exceptional site, where the village is snuggled in the hollow of a splendid valley surrounded by majestic five-hundred-meter high rocky hills: a landscape of remarkable beauty. The bay takes its name from Captain William Wakeham who, in 1897, led an expedition to determine whether the Hudson Strait was safe for navigation. In a rocky pinching of the bay, known as “the narrows”, we will have an opportunity to examine the base of what were, 1.8 billion years ago, Himalayan-scale mountains.

Day 12: Akpatok Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The uninhabited Akpatok Island features soaring bird cliffs and small rocky beaches. Indeed, the island is named for the akpat — the thick billed murres — that live on the ledges of the limestone cliffs that surround it. Here, take a Zodiac ride to scout the beaches in search of walrus and polar bears.

Day 13: Kuujjuaq, QC

  • 1 Breakfast
Kuujjuaq lies approximately forty-eight kilometres upstream from Ungava Bay, and is the largest village in Nunavik, the Inuit homeland within Québec. The community is located on the western shore of the Koksoak River, and daily life is closely tied to its ebb and flow. The tidal action continually reshapes the landscape and imposes its rhythm upon the lives of Kuujjuaq’s inhabitants. The boreal forest is present around Kuujjuaq and patches of black spruce and larch stand in marshy valleys. Kuujjuaq also witnesses annual migrations of the George River caribou herd that passes through the region throughout August and September.

After exploring Kuujjuaq, take an early evening charter flight to Ottawa, ON, where you continue your travels home or to your next adventure.

Ship/Hotel

Ocean Endeavour

Dates & Prices

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Per person starting at
$3,995
Ocean Endeavour - Cat 1 Quad
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Quadruple - Category 1
Deck four: Interior cabin, four lower berths, private bath (separate shower room and powder room) - approx. 240 sq. ft.
Ocean Endeavour - Cat 2 Triple
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Triple - Category 2
Deck four: Interior cabin, three lower berths, two private baths - approx. 200 sq. ft.
Interior Twin cabin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Interior Twin - Category 3
Deck five: Interior cabin, two lower berths, private bath - approx. 125 sq. ft. (twin)/110 sq. ft. (single)
Exterior Twin Cabin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Exterior Twin - Category 4
Deck four: Porthole window, unobstructed view, two lower berths, private bath - approx. 100 sq. ft. (twin)/90 sq. ft. (single)
Exterior Twin Cabin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Main Twin - Category 5
Deck five: Picture window, unobstructed view, two lower berths, private bath - approx. 115 sq. ft.
Comfort Twin cabin on board Ocean Endeavour
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Comfort Twin - Category 6
Deck four: Two portholes windows, unobstructed view, two lower berths - 175 sq.ft. Deck seven: picture window, partial view, two lower berths- 135 sq.ft. Deck eight: Picture windows, obstructed view, matrimonial bed, pvt. bath, fridge - 160 sq.ft.
Top Deck Twin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Select Twin - Category 7
Deck five. Picture windows, unobstructed view, two lower berths, approx. 190 sq. ft. Deck eight: oversize windows, partially obstruction view, matrimonial bed, private bath, refrigerator - approx. 145 sq. ft.
Superior Twin on the Ocean Endeavour
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Superior Twin - Category 8
Deck five. Two picture windows, unobstructed view, two lower berths, sitting area- 210 sq.ft. Deck seven: forward-facing windows with unobstructed view, matrimonial, private bath w/full tub- 180 sq.ft. Deck seven midship: picture windows, partially obstructed view, matrimonial, private bath, fridge - 190 sq.ft
Ocean Endeavour Cabin Category 9
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Junior Suite - Category 9
Deck five: Picture windows, unobstructed views, matrimonial bed, sitting area- approx. 270 sq. ft. Deck seven: forward-facing picture windows, views, matrimonial bed, private bath w/full tub, sitting area, private bath, refrigerator - approx. 290 sq. ft.
Ocean Endeavour Cabin Category 10
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Suite - Category 10
Deck seven. Forward-facing picture windows, unobstructed view, matrimonial bed, private bath with full tub, refrigerator - approx. 310 sq. ft.

Notes

- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy. Request the Twin Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.

- Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.5 times the double occupancy rate.
Included
  • 11 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 11 Dinners

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Everything was amazing! The planning with Adventure Life went smoothly. The actual trip was fantastic! One of the best trips I have experienced. The cruise staff members were knowledgeable and attentive. I will be writing more about this on the blog!
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