Northeast Greenland Extreme

Your journey begins in the morning. Upon request, a chartered bus transfer (T) is available from the designated meeting point at the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center in Reykjavik to the embarkation point in Akureyri. The drive through northern Iceland takes approximately six hours, with arrival scheduled for the afternoon.

PLEASE NOTE: This transfer (T) must be booked and paid for in advance.

In the early evening, the ship departs from Akureyri, where whale sightings are common near the fjord’s mouth. That night, the voyage crosses the Arctic Circle.

As you sail north, expect sightings of seabirds such as fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, and common guillemots, with the potential to encounter whales along the way. By evening, the first icebergs appear on the horizon as you near the East Greenland coast near Kap Brewster, signaling the beginning of your Arctic exploration.

Today, you reach Scoresby Sund, sailing along the glaciated Volquart Boons Kyst. You may also enjoy a Zodiac cruise past one of the glacier fronts, along with a visit to the basalt columns and ice formations of Vikingebugt.

In the afternoon, you plan to sail by the east coast of Milne Land among a multitude of giant icebergs. If you can also land at Charcot Havn, you may walk to the Charcot Glacier. Then, continue by Bjørneøer, a small group of islands – Bear Islands in English.

In the morning, you encounter colossal icebergs, some over 100 meters (328 feet) high and more than a kilometer (.62 mile) long. Most are grounded, as the fjord is only about 400 meters deep (1,312 feet). You then land near Sydkap, with fine views of Hall Bredning and a good shot of seeing Arctic hares.

Today’s long walk goes from Sydkap to Nordøstbugt (12 km, 7.5 miles to the northeast), where the river coming from Holger Danskes Briller flows into the sea. You plan to walk south along the shore to Satakajik, seeing whale vertebrae and the remains of Thule summer houses. Passengers who opt out of the long walking group will join at this location for their second excursion of the day.

The morning stop is at Ittoqqortoormiit, the only settlement in Scoresby Sund with about four hundred inhabitants. At the post office, you can buy stamps for your postcards or just stroll around to see the sled dogs and drying skins of seals, polar bears, and musk oxen. In the afternoon, you sail north, passing the picturesque landscapes of Liverpool Land. In the night, sail into Kong Oscar Fjord.

Today, you enter Segelsällskapets Fjord, with the striped slopes of the Berzelius Mountains bordering the north side. Land on the south shore, where ancient sedimentary formations lie at your feet. A hike takes you near a small lake with good chances to see musk oxen, Arctic hares, and ptarmigans.

Alternatively, the ship ventures into Alpefjord, which is aptly named for the spire-like peaks that thrust up around it. You may then embark on a Zodiac cruise around Gully Glacier, which once blocked access to the interior of these waters. Continuing deep into the fjord, you experience a definitive Greenland adventure.

In the early morning, you pass by the islands of Ruth, Maria, and Ella. Then you arrive at Teufelschloss (Devil’s Castle), a mountain with impressive layered geology. Blomsterbugt and the intended landing site are on the other side of the fjord. In the afternoon, you sail, among icebergs, through the majestic Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord and Mackenzie Bugt.

You hope to land at Eskimonaes on the southern shore of Clavering Ø, where Douglas Clavering met a small group of Thule culture people in 1823. This group represents the only living Thule people ever seen in Northeast Greenland. The remains of their existence can be found across Greenland.

From early in the morning until late in the day, sail by a choice of islands, where more than a century ago, the first polar expeditions set feet on land: Sabine Ø and Bass Rock (Pendulum Islands), where Edward Sabine did his Pendulum experiments in 1823, and cabins built by the Baldwin-Ziegler Polar Expedition were constructed. In the night, pass Shannon Ø.

This long island was named by the second German Polar Expedition of Koldewey 1869 –’70. You try to land on historical Kap Alf Trolle or Kap Ahrend. You are now well into the High Arctic climate regime. The landscape is getting lower and rounded, being much less alpine than more to the south. You may encounter heavier sea ice streaming south. Proposed landing sites may be given up due to sea ice, and others may be reachable.

Today, you could land at Thoms Thomsen Naes, Fyrretyvekilometersnaesset, or another site in Germania Land, an area with musk oxen and sometimes a lonely wolf. The landing sites depend on ice and weather conditions and wildlife opportunities.

When sailing eastward through and along the jagged edge of the Northeast Greenland sea ice, you keep watch for whales, seals, polar bears, and migrating seabirds. This is a landscape of constant change, and a real frontier for many species found in the Arctic.

At open sea now, sail eastward in the northernmost branch of the warm Gulf Stream toward Spitsbergen. If time allows, you may land late in the day at the walrus haul-out at Poolepynten.

In Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, you may enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum are fascinating attractions. Alternatively, you can board the first plane to Oslo for your onward journey.