Complete Northwest Passage Expedition

This morning, ensure any cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags and take it down to hotel reception. Luggage will be collected from the hotel and transferred directly to port for clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of embarkation. Keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day.

After breakfast at the hotel, board a charter flight to Nuuk, Greenland, where the ship awaits. Lunch is on the plane. After boarding, there is time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings. This evening, meet your expedition team and crew at the captain’s welcome dinner.

Greenland’s second largest town, Sisimiut, is located approximately 33.5 miles north of the Arctic Circle, meaning that during summer, you can experience the midnight sun here. The town is famous for the old blue church with the gate made of whale bone. In the cozy museum next door to the church, you will find an excellent reconstruction of an Inuit turf house as well as exhibits of local history and early life in Greenland.

Sisimiut offers hiking trails with various degrees of difficulty. The easier trails take you through the town itself, its outskirts and into the mountains, where you will find spectacular vantage points.

Approximately 4,500 years ago, the Saqqaq culture arrived from Canada and settled in the area. They lived here for approximately 2,000 years, after which they mysteriously disappeared from the area. The Dorset culture arrived around 500 CE and stayed until the 1200s until they were replaced by the Thule culture, and today, the majority of the population of Sisimiut are descendants of the Thule culture.

Known as the “birthplace of icebergs,” this region produces some of the most dazzling icebergs found anywhere on earth. Hike to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Icefjord and stand in awe of its immensity. Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as Jakobshavn Glacier, is the most productive glacier – not only in Greenland but the entire Northern Hemisphere. It produces 20 million tonnes of ice each day, all floating into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay. Conditions permitting, enjoy a Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the fjord and kayak through sea ice and icebergs.

An optional, added-cost 90-minute helicopter flight over the icefjord is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience here. This excursion is the only way you can get close to the gigantic glacier. The 12-seater helicopter departs from Ilulissat Airport and sweeps over hills, lakes and ice fjords. Land on the mountain at Kangia, in the middle of the preserved area, where you can revel in the incredible surroundings. On the return flight to Ilulissat, fly above the edge of the glacier with breathtaking views of the massive icebergs drifting in the fjord. The views of some of the largest icebergs that become stranded on a moraine underneath the water, just outside the town, offers a wonderful finale to this excursion. Please note that this excursion requires a minimum of 8 passengers to operate.

The compelling Disko Island seems to have more in common with Iceland than Greenland. While most of the interior is mountainous and glaciated, its beautiful shorelines boast black sandy beaches, unusual basalt columns, hot springs and dramatic lava formations. On a guided hike, enjoy a diversity of arctic flora. Zodiac cruise in Disko Bay, a hotspot for marine life including humpback, fin, minke and bowhead whales.

The ship’s team of experts entertain with informative talks about wildlife, geology and epic tales of early explorers such as Franklin and Amundsen. Reaching the coast of Baffin Island, you may encounter Greenland’s famous icebergs. Keep watch for humpback, sei, sperm and fin whales, as well as various species of seals such as ring and harp seal.

The east coast of Baffin Island features hidden bays that are feeding grounds for bowhead whales and where glaciers calve into the sea. Sail along inlets and fjords surrounded by towering mountains that feature impressive geology. Some of the places you may visit include: Home Bay, Isabella Bay, Sillem Island, John Ford Fjord, Sam Ford Fjord and Scott Inlet. Conditions permitting, hope to go ashore at Pond Inlet and be treated to a warm welcome from the local community.

Covered with mountains, icefields, steep cliffs, snowfields and glaciers, Bylot provides nesting habitat for large numbers of thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes. A total of 74 unique species of arctic bird thrive on this island. Due to the richness of the wildlife and the beauty and diversity of the landscapes in the area, a large portion of the island was also included in the Sirmilik National Park, established in 2001. Hope to sail along the coastline of Bylot Island and enjoy the scenery and outstanding birdlife.

At a latitude almost 75° degrees north, you are now truly in the High Arctic. Here, nutrient-rich waters support an abundance of wildlife, giving the area the moniker “wildlife super highway” of the Arctic. Devon Island is the largest uninhabited island on Earth and features stunning geology, with flat-topped mountains and glacial valleys giving Devon Island its unique character. Hope to visit Dundas Harbor to enjoy walks on undulating tundra, and perhaps some birdwatching. Other possible places you might visit include Croker Bay and Maxwell Bay. A dilapidated Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost and remnants of a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post can be found here. In the bay, walruses are often present.

Plan to land at Beechey Island, at the western end of Devon Island. Named after Frederick William Beechey, the island is one of Canada’s most important arctic sites and is a designated Canadian National Historic Site. During the Franklin expedition of 1845–46, Franklin attempted to sail through the Northwest Passage with HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, with perilous results–three of his men are buried here. Roald Amundsen landed at Beechey Island in 1903, during the first successful voyage by ship to fully transit the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

In true expeditionary style, the itinerary for the following days is heavily dependent on unpredictable sea ice. The following places are on the tentative agenda:

Prince Leopold Island 

On the southern side of Lancaster Sound from Beechey Island lie the towering bird cliffs of Prince Leopold Island, a historic site where in 1848, English explorer James Clark Ross overwintered during the search for the missing Franklin expedition. Prince Leopold Island is the most important bird sanctuary in the Canadian Arctic, with approximately 500,000 birds nesting here in summer. Ringed seals are often spotted on the sea ice around the island and polar bear often lurk nearby. The shallow gravel beds attract beluga whales, who come to molt in this part of the Arctic each summer.

Coningham Bay 

Across from Victoria Strait, Coningham Bay lies on the shores of Prince of Wales Island. This is a polar bear hotspot where the majestic creatures come to feast on beluga whales that are often trapped in the rocky shallows at the entrance to the bay. It is not unusual to find the shoreline littered with whale skeletons – and very healthy-looking polar bears!

King William Island 

In 1859, a Franklin expedition tent camp was discovered at Cape Felix. Remains attributed to the Franklin expedition have been found at 35 locations on King William Island and on nearby Adelaide Peninsula. South of Cape Felix, in Victoria Strait, we hope to visit Victory Point and get close to where the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were abandoned in 1848.

In true expeditionary style, the itinerary for the following days is heavily dependent on unpredictable sea ice.

In Zodiacs, plan to explore the coastlines, bays and hidden estuaries of the region, and delight in the show of autumn colors during this season of change. Hold your breath as you near the geological wonder evocatively known as the Smoking Hills, where the stench of sulphur rises from below the earth. Where it’s possible to land, stretch your legs on hikes to explore the dramatic landscapes of hills, valleys, cliffs and canyons of the region.

The following places are on the tentative agenda:

Cambridge Bay
The administrative and transportation hub of the region, Cambridge Bay is the largest stop for passenger and research vessels traversing the Northwest Passage and unofficially marks the midpoint for voyages of the Northwest Passage. Zodiac ashore for an exploration of this Inuit settlement located in the high arctic. Enjoy a walk through the village, where you can visit the local church and visitor center, and support the local community by purchasing some locally made handicrafts. In the old town, plan to visit the ancient archaeological sites of the Pre-Dorset, Dorset and Thule people. Wildlife abounds in this area, and you might see caribou, musk ox and seals. The tundra is ablaze with wildflowers and birds including jaegers, ducks, geese and swans visiting the area in large numbers.

Johansen Bay, Edinburgh Island
Edinburgh Island is a small and uninhabited island in Canada’s Nunavut region. The scenery consists of colorful flowering shrubs and beaches tinged in stunning ochres, while the surrounding cliffs are shaded in rich, deep tones. Hope to enjoy a Zodiac excursion within an estuary at the northeast end of Johansen Bay and up the river towards the lake. A possible walk to a lookout overlooking the lake offers spectacular views over lakes, sea and mountains. Wildlife including caribous, reindeer, arctic foxes, hares and peregrine falcons frequent the area.

Jesse Harbor, Banks Island
Located in the north of Canada’s Northwest Territories, Banks Island, the fifth largest island in Canada, is home to approximately 60% of the world’s population of Lesser Snow Geese. Arctic foxes, wolves, polar bears, caribous, musk ox and many birds are also found here. Grizzly bears are occasionally spotted and bowhead whales are often seen offshore. The dramatic cliffs on the southeast coast feature colorful yellow, white and red quartzites, while the west coast is characterized by long, sandy offshore bars. Nelson Head cliffs feature ancient Precambrian rock that is almost 2 billion years old.

Smoking Hills, Franklin Bay
The smoking Hills in Canada’s Northwest Territories have been smouldering, sending plumes of gas across the landscape, for centuries. Technically sea cliffs, you would be forgiven for thinking that the multicoloured fiery natural phenomenon is the set to an apocalyptic movie depicting the end of the world. The smoke is caused by layers of combustible, sulphur-rich lignite (brown coal) that ignites and emits sulfurous gas into the air, when exposed to erosion and landslides, which also creates a dazzling coloration of the rocks.

Excitement builds while sailing the Beaufort Sea. Whether you are out on deck or in the comfort of an observation lounge, watch as the captain navigates your state-of-the-art vessel through these waterways, which is frozen for most of the year. Keep a close watch for marine wildlife including beluga whales that are often seen here. At Prudhoe Bay, say farewell to Canada and enter the United States.

While sailing westwards to Nome, along the northern coast of Alaska to where the U.S and Russia are only 60 miles (100 km) apart, separated by the Bering Sea, there is ample time to reflect on your adventures while scanning the water for marine life. Enjoy a massage in the wellness center; share, edit and submit pictures in the photo competition; and attend final lectures from your team of onboard experts. Hope to get permission to cruise close by Point Hope, Little Diomede and King islands in Alaska. Celebrate an unforgettable voyage at the captain’s farewell dinner on board.

In Nome, say farewell to the crew and expedition team after sharing a once-in-a-lifetime voyage together. Disembark and transfer to the airport for a charter flight to Anchorage, where you will stay overnight. A box lunch is provided upon disembarkation, and dinner is on the charter flight.

Check out of your room and continue your journey in Anchorage or transfer to the airport to head home.