Jewels of the Arctic - Spitsbergen & East Greenland

Upon arrival in Reykjavik, meet a representative for a transfer to the group hotel. If arriving prior to 4:00 pm, visit the hospitality area to store luggage and enjoy refreshments. While there, collect cabin luggage tags and consult the ground operations team regarding pre-embarkation details. They can also provide recommendations on dining, withdrawing cash, or purchasing last-minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket. The remainder of the day is at leisure, with all meals at personal expense.

Today, follow the path of Reykjavik’s most popular seismic attraction: the Golden Circle. Stops along the route include Thingvellir National Park, the site of Iceland’s first parliament and the geological rift where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet. Continue to Gullfoss waterfall, where water tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá River, offering a perfect photographic opportunity. Explore the famous geothermal fields and geysers, marveling at the mesmerizing hot springs and the raw power of steam erupting from the ground.

Late this afternoon, return to Reykjavik to board the Douglas Mawson. Once onboard, settle into the cabin before attending mandatory safety briefings prior to departure. This evening, meet the expedition team and crew at the Welcome Dinner to celebrate the start of the Greenland adventure.

In the Denmark Strait, you cruise towards Greenland. Be on the lookout for whale blows and the many seabirds that trail your ship, riding in the constant winds. In the lecture theater, enjoy informative and entertaining presentations from the experts on topics such as seabirds, wildlife, and ice, or catch up on some rest after busy days of travel. 

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to you, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is yours to explore. Your experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor your itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows you to make best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. You generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.  

Be prepared to experience ice – and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 meters (6,562 feet), and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.  

The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals. 

You hope to explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favorite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacular place that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer, near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider. 

You attempt to enter Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. Cruising through Kong Oskar Fjord, marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. Then, head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with your passage dependent on ice conditions.  

Stretch your legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by Inuit. You may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. You can see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of the elusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

As you sail away from the coast of East Greenland, you may encounter whales feeding in the rich waters of the north. Be prepared to encounter more pack ice and perhaps spot seals and a variety of seabirds, including the northern fulmar and Brünnich’s guillemot.  

The strong, icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seals and whales. Climatic conditions and the concentration of ice in the vicinity often create thick morning fog that only vanishes in presence of the midday sun. The experts will inform and entertain you with fascinating discussions on plants, animals, ice and heroic tales of exploration.

Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of your experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor your itinerary, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions and opportunities for wildlife encounters. 

Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walrus hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, stretch your legs on walks across tundra carpeted in brightly colored wildflowers. Visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies.  

If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you can have an opportunity to enjoy that activity when conditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable, you can hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip – a memory you can savor for years to come.

During the early morning, cruise back into Longyearbyen. Farewell your Expedition Team upon disembarkation before transferring to the airport for your charter flight to Oslo.   

Note: The arrival time in Oslo is contingent on the approved allocated slot of your charter flight to and from Longyearbyen.