Far North Greenland Expedition Cruise

In the afternoon, travelers board the chartered flight in Reykjavik, Iceland, bound for Kangerlussuaq in Greenland.

Upon arrival at Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord), travelers will be driven to the small port located west of the airport, where Ocean Albatros will be anchored offshore. Zodiacs will transfer us the short distance to the ship, where your stateroom awaits after check-in. After the mandatory safety drill, dine in comfort with spectacular views as you set sail through the 160-kilometer Kangerlussuaq Fjord.

After breakfast, travelers arrive in the colorful city of Sisimiut, where they will get an idea of what modern Greenland really looks like. With around 5,400 inhabitants, it is considered Greenland’s second city. People have lived around Sisimiut on and off since 2,500 BC, arriving in waves of migration from Arctic Canada. In 1756, Count Johan Ludvig Holstein established a colony here and called it “Holsteinsborg”. The oldest part of Sisimiut features townhouses from this era and the oldest dates back to 1756. One of the most culturally significant buildings is the Blue Church, built in 1775, now a landmark in the city’s museum district.
 
Nowadays, Sisimiut is an important hub of education and industry, and local factories process the bulk of fish caught in the country (Greenland’s largest export). The fish processing plant is one of the largest in Greenland and among the most modern in the world. Highlights of the offered city tour can include the historic colonial quarter, as well as the museum and the beautiful church. Additionally, the busy city center offers a glimpse of what daily life is like in 21st-century Greenland, where seal hunts and smartphones collide. As evening falls, leave Sisimiut and set a course for the iceberg-studded waters of Disko Bay (Qeqertarsuup Tunua) as Ocean Albatros sails for Qeqertarsuaq. 

Nestled below Disko Island’s 1,000-metre mountains, pull into port in a beautifully sheltered natural harbor. The place was aptly named Godhavn (“Good Harbour”) in Danish, while its Greenlandic name “Qeqertarsuaq” simply means “The Big Island”. 

For most of Greenland’s modern history, Godhavn was the political and economic capital of North Greenland (while Godthåb, now Nuuk, served this role in South Greenland). Its importance was due to the vast economic activity generated by whaling in Disko Bay, the preeminent Arctic industry since the 16th Century. As the whaling industry collapsed in the early 1900s, Godhavn lost its political status as all government functions moved south to Godthåb/Nuuk, and the town was forced to reinvent itself, changing its name to Qeqertarsuaq in 1979. Today, hunting and fishing are the main industries in Qeqertarsuaq, while tourism is becoming increasingly important. Ferries arrive in the town daily in summer from around Disko Bay, while in winter, access is only by helicopter. 

Qeqertarsuaq’s sweeping red-and-black basalt mountains are radically different from the rolling granite hills which characterize much of Greenland and provide much richer soil. Despite being situated well above the Arctic Circle, this rich volcanic soil and the area’s mild microclimate make it much more green and lush compared to the rest of the country. Locals from all over Disko Bay come to the island in summer to hunt and collect angelica, herbs, and mushrooms, and the stunning rock formations and black sand beaches attract visitors from all over the world. The town itself is typically Greenlandic, with quaint multicolored homes, a splendid museum, and the unique octagonal church (built in the Norwegian stave style). With excellent hiking opportunities, friendly locals, and a fascinating place in regional history, Qeqertarsuaq has a lot to offer. From here, set sail towards Cape York, the traditional junction of North and West Greenland. 

Based on continually updated ice charts, the Captain sets as direct a course as possible towards Cape York. Although far from shore, days at sea are never dull; the ship is constantly followed by fulmars, skuas, and petrels surfing the air currents generated along the vessel. In the lecture hall, the Expedition Staff will offer a diverse program of lectures about Greenlandic nature, history, and culture.

While Melville Bay gains its English name from Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville (Admiral during the Napoleonic Wars), the Greenlandic name Qimusseriarsuaq, “the Great Dog Sledding Place” hints at the area’s traditional use as a vast winter hunting ground. The dangerously thick winter ice in the bay and the vast distances to the Danish colonies in the south meant that the Inughuit (Polar Inuit) people in this area believed they were the only humans on Earth until European contact in 1818. This remains one of the most remote and inhospitable parts of Greenland, accessible only during late summer.

Cape York is a rocky promontory traditionally used as the boundary between Melville Bay and the legendary Thule area. Surrounded by vast glaciers calving armadas of icebergs, the area is among the most spectacular in Greenland. The area has been utilized by waves of nomadic Inuit for thousands of years, the majority of whom came to harvest iron from the famous meteorite which fell onto the ice in the region approximately 10,000 years ago. Tools made from the meteorite were far superior to the stone and bone tools more often used by the Inuit, giving hunters in this region a serious edge. The name of the nearby settlement of Savissivik (“Place of Iron”) references the importance of this find, while the Greenlandic name for Cape York itself (meaning “Place of Beads”) indicates the importance of trade with outsiders over the meteorite. 

The access the local people had to iron confused early explorers in the area, who were surprised by Inughuit technological prowess. The first Westerners to find the meteorite were led by American explorer Robert Peary, who orchestrated the meteorite’s theft, removal to, and sale in the USA, making a vast profit for himself while devastating the lives of the Inuit who relied on it. His infamous presence in the area is commemorated by a large granite obelisk (marked with a P and a north-facing star) on the headland of Cape York itself. Fragments of the meteorite are on display in New York and Copenhagen, while a much smaller fragment is displayed at the small town museum in Qaanaaq. 

While the exact program in the area will be dictated by wind, ice, and swell conditions, options include Zodiac cruising at the edges of Melville Bay, where sea and land ice meet below the Peary Monument, or visiting the small settlement of Savissivik. 

Here, step off the edge of the map into the poorly known and rarely visited Nares Strait, the gateway to the Arctic Ocean. The Nares Strait is the narrow waterway separating Greenland and Ellesmere Island, Canada. Due to the powerful Beaufort Gyre in the Arctic Ocean, the strait experiences a near-constant north-to-south current, bringing sea ice into Melville Bay even during the height of summer. This situation is made even more complex by some of the largest glaciers in the Arctic (such as the vast Petermann Glacier), which regularly calve kilometer-long icebergs into the strait; indeed, access into the Arctic Ocean through the strait is impossible most years due to expansive sea ice north of Kane Basin. 

Despite the brutal conditions, the Nares Strait has been an important highway for the Inuit and their ancestors since time immemorial. All inhabitants of Greenland (excluding the Norse) arrived there by crossing this strait, either by dog sled in winter or by boat in the summer. Although the Norse never reached this far north, their artifacts have been found in the area, traded for by nomadic Inuit groups passing through the area (probably for prized walrus and narwhal ivory), hinting at these complex ancient trade networks. 

More recently, the Nares Strait has been the site of one of the world’s politest political disputes. Both Canada and Denmark (on behalf of Greenland) claimed the tiny barren Hans Island, which was discovered after the borders between the two countries were established here in 1972. While the dispute dragged on, Canadian vessels would visit and leave behind a flag and a bottle of Canadian Club, while Danish vessels would remove these, raise a Danish flag and leave a bottle of schnapps, giving the dispute its nickname “the Whisky War”. This situation remained unchanged for 50 years until June 14th, 2022, when the two countries agreed to divide the island equally, creating an unlikely and preposterously remote land border between Denmark and Canada. 
With abundant sea ice and a lack of human disturbance, Nares Strait is a haven for Arctic wildlife. Polar bears, narwhals, beluga, walrus, and a variety of whale species call these frigid waters home, while musk-ox and Arctic foxes are common on shore. In the air, expect to see flocks of tiny little auks, fulmars, and guillemots. 

Our precise itinerary during our days in the Nares Strait will be dictated by the prevailing wind and sea, and especially ice conditions. Opportunities to explore in the area may include access to Hans Island or other remote landing sites in the area, or Zodiac cruises to view the stunning scenery and any wildlife travelers may encounter. The Expedition Leader and Bridge Team will work hard to maximize opportunities for sightseeing and exploring in the area. 

During the night, traverse back through Smith Sound at the entrance of the Nares Strait to arrive at Greenland’s northwest corner. Entering Inglefield Fjord, pass some of Greenland’s biggest bird cliffs and are again in inhabited areas. The Captain will drop anchor off Qaanaaq, the only town of any size in northwest Greenland. 

The last wave of Inuit migration from Canada reached this area only around 130 years ago, and the local language, fashions, and customs are therefore much more similar to those of Inuit in Northern Canada than their West Greenlandic neighbors. Europeans only encountered this group of Polar Inuit (the Inughuit) around 200 years ago, before which the Inughuit believed themselves the only humans on Earth. 

The town of Qaanaaq was founded in 1953 when the US Air Force constructed their new airbase at the nearby trading post of Thule. All Inuit living in the area were forcibly transferred to Qaanaaq, around 100km to the north. As a planned community, Qaanaaq lacks the organic feel of most Greenlandic towns, with neat houses laid out on regular streets, and centralized services near the beach. Today some 600 people live in Qaanaaq, which is supported twice weekly by Air Greenland flights from Ilulissat via Upernavik, and twice a year by cargo ship. Qaanaaq itself is the hub for the smaller settlements in the area, with regular helicopter flights to Siorapaluk and Savissivik. 

Despite its modern origins, Inughuit traditions hold strong in Qaanaaq. Arrival onshore is sure to be greeted by the howling of the hundreds of sled dogs, which are still preferred for winter transport to modern machinery. The Thule region lies close to the North Water Polynya, a section of water kept ice-free by wind and currents year-round, which is a magnet for wildlife; Qaanaamiut are known throughout Greenland for their hunting skill, and narwhal hunts are still carried out by kayak, continuing a millennia-old tradition. Life here moves at a different pace, dominated entirely by the flow of the seasons and the ever-changing Arctic weather. The locals in Qaanaaq are always welcoming to visitors, and rightly proud of their town and their ancient traditions; highlights include the local modernist church, and the tiny but perfectly formed museum, which houses a small fragment of the Cape York meteorite. 

Having left Qaanaaq in the evening, set sail southwards towards Upernavik Region. Melville Bay is frequently icy even in summer, so the Captain and Expedition Leader will work carefully to chart a course through this treacherous region. Despite its remoteness, Melville Bay is typically relatively sheltered and calm, allowing excellent wildlife-watching opportunities; whales, a huge variety of seabirds, and seals are all common in the area. 

Otherwise, a day at sea is an ideal opportunity to enjoy the onboard amenities of Ocean Albatros. With her patented X-Bow® design, the Ocean Albatros offers superior comfort even in rough weather, and her onboard amenities include two hot tubs, a sauna, and a spa offering luxurious facials, massages, and other treatments. During our day at sea, our knowledgeable onboard Expedition Team will provide lectures on Arctic culture, natural history, and wildlife, as well as other activities. 

While the Upernavik region of Greenland covers an area nearly the size of Great Britain, the town itself and the ten smaller settlements in the area total fewer than 3000 souls. Upernavik itself sits on a small island covered in rows of small multi-colored houses – the quintessential Greenlandic town. Upernavik translates optimistically from Kalaallisut as “Springtime Place”. The town is home to the world’s northernmost open-air museum, with well-preserved buildings, artifacts, and documents from the Danish colonial period. Today, Upernavik is a mix of the hunting culture of the old and the new wave of high-tech fishing and innovation. Dog sleds sit alongside snowmobiles, and kayaks bob in the harbor next to modern fiberglass boats with throbbing engines. 

The city itself was founded as a Danish colonial station in 1772, but Inuit history in the area back more than 4500 years to the groups of nomadic hunters traveling from Siberia along the coasts of Alaska, Canada, and ultimately Greenland. Anchor in front of the town and proceed shoreside to visit this small city; highlights include the open-air museum, the stunning views from the top of town, and shopping for locally produced artworks such as tupilaks. 

Leaving Upernavik behind in the evening, pass the darkly colored hills of Svartenhuk, keeping a lookout for the whales these waters are famous for en route to Uummannaq.

The small city of Uummannaq sits perched precariously at the foot of a massive mountain. Like the rest of the area, here the mountain reaches vertically out of the icy depths, punching 1170m into the clear blue sky. Uummannaq mountain (translated from Greenlandic as “heart-shaped”) is a true Greenlandic icon and is a mecca for climbers who visit from all over the world. The city itself occupies a small area of flatter ground at the foot of the mountain, founded by Danish colonists in 1763 – some of the original buildings from this era can still be visited in the harbor-front area. More recently, Uummannaq has become famous in Scandinavia as the home of Santa Claus – the small turf house belonging to the festive hero himself can be reached via a pleasant (if challenging) 2-3h hike out of town. 

As for many towns in Greenland however, the Inuit history of the area reaches back much further. At some point around the year 1600, a group of Inuit women and children died in the area (possibly in a boating accident). They were lovingly laid to rest in a rocky cairn under a cliff on the mainland overlooking Uummannaq at a site called Qilakitsoq, protected from the rain and snow, but exposed to the dry Arctic wind which mummified their bodies. They were rediscovered in 1972 by two brothers from Uummannaq (possibly on the advice of elders in Uummannaq, who had preserved rumors of the site for decades). The mummies were taken to Denmark for analysis before being returned to Greenland, where today they rest in the National Museum in Nuuk. The small museum in Uummannaq did not have the facilities to house such an important find, but several artifacts such as clothing from the archaeological site (as well as a plethora of finds from before, during and after the Qilakitsoq period) are displayed, along with a cabinet of curiosities from the city’s brief mining boom. 

Ensure you are on Ocean Albatros’ outer decks during the sail-out from Uummannaq – the deep clear blue iceberg-studded waters of the fjord and the dramatic vertical mountains around the city offer some of the best views in Greenland. With a calm microclimate and round-the-clock summer sunshine, not for nothing is this staggeringly beautiful area nicknamed the Greenlandic Riviera! 

This is it. This is why visitors from all over the world come to Greenland. Translated from Kalaallisut simply as ‘icebergs’, Ilulissat has rightly known the world over as ‘the Iceberg Capital of the World’. Surely no other city on Earth occupies such a spectacular natural setting. 

Situated within a short walk of the harbor lies Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland’s most famous site. Choked with city-sized icebergs so closely packed one could almost walk across to the other side, Ilulissat Icefjord stretches 70 km from its outlet in Disko Bay back to the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. This is the single largest glacier on Earth outside Antarctica, draining 13% of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and producing 10% of all the ice in the Northern Hemisphere (enough water to supply the annual needs of the entire United States). These mind-blowing statistics, together with the indescribably beautiful scenery, have secured the Ilulissat Icefjord designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While archaeological finds detail the long Inuit habitation of the area, the modern town has steadily flourished in the 280 years since its establishment; legendary Arctic explorer, Knud Rasmussen was born in Ilulissat, and his childhood home now houses the city museum. Today, Ilulissat is Greenland’s third largest town, with more than 4,500 inhabitants, and is undoubtedly Greenland’s tourism capital, with more hotel rooms than even Nuuk. The city offers excellent amenities to visitors, with fresh locally caught seafood served in the city’s cafes and restaurants, and excellent shopping – look out, especially for the Artist’s Workshop above the harbor, where you can buy handmade artworks direct from the artist. The city typically experiences dry sunny weather throughout the summer, and there are a variety of well-marked hiking routes around the Icefjord, with options to suit all abilities. 

During the visit, you will have the opportunity to join a boat trip with a local captain to the Icefjord (optional excursion – charge applies). The journey takes about two and a half hours and is considered the best way to experience the magic of Ilulissat Icefjord up close. If a hike or a trip by boat does not present enough excitement, there is also an opportunity to join a flightseeing excursion in fixed-wing aircraft over the Icefjord (optional excursion – charge applies).

Please note the boat and flight excursions to the Ice Fjord are not included in the general tour price. Refer to Price Information for more details.

In the evening, cruise southward in front of the city-sized icebergs at the mouth of the Icefjord as travelers leave Disko Bay en route to Kangerlussuaq. 

Fulmars, auks, and guillemots will accompany us south as you approach Kangerlussuaq. Final day at sea offers the ideal opportunity to edit photos, share experiences with your fellow travelers, and reflect on experiences in the far reaches of the Arctic. 

Lecturers onboard will deliver inspiring and enriching presentations relevant to the voyage, and in the evening, join the Captain and officers of the Ocean Albatros for the Farewell Cocktail Party, followed by a slideshow with all the memories and highlights from the voyage made by the onboard Photographer. A copy of the photos and other media will be forwarded to all guests after departure. 

During the night, sail up the 160-kilometer/100-mile Kangerlussuaq Fjord. After breakfast aboard the ship, bid farewell to the ship's crew shuttling ashore by Zodiac.

Due to Kangerlussuaq’s military history and present-day role as an important air travel hub, Kangerlussuaq remains fairly isolated from Greenland’s rich cultural traditions, in comparison to other regions. While you still find cultural experiences when visiting Kangerlussuaq, the most impressive attraction is the surrounding nature, which is just beckoning to be explored. The town itself was largely constructed by the American military in the 1950s, and this small airport town has retained something of its Cold War atmosphere. Your Arctic adventure and time in Greenland conclude as travelers board the flight from Kangerlussuaq back to Reykjavik, Iceland.