Expedition Overview
Expedition Overview
SPECIAL OFFERS
- 2023 Polar Special Offer: Book 1 Trip, Get 1 for 20% Off
Book select departures of Gateway to the Northwest Passage: Greenland and Canada and get 20% off one select departure of Journey to Antarctica, South Georgia and The Falklands, or Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands for travel through February 2024. Valid for new bookings made by June 30, 2023, subject to availability on select departures. Not applicable on extensions or fourth guest travels free offer. Call for details.
- Special Offer for Solo Travelers
For a limited time, the solo traveler premium for single cabins will be waived on select 2023 and 2024 Expedition Cruise departures when you book by June 30, 2023.
Call (888) 966-8687 to take advantage of these exciting savings!
This offer is valid for new bookings only on select departures, subject to availability, not applicable on extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. Call (888) 966-8687 for details.
Available Departures- Aug 3-27, 2023
- Glide between soaring icebergs at the mouth of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Venture into the fabled Northwest Passage and hear dramatic stories of explorers and adventurers who sought this magnificent, icy frontier.
- Meet local artists in Pond Inlet, a small Inuit community known for soapstone carvings.
- Be on the lookout for polar bears, walruses, ringed seals, beluga and bowhead whales and the elusive narwhal with a team of naturalists.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Discover the wild, fjord-carved coasts of Greenland and the remote reaches of the Canadian High Arctic, venturing as far north as the ice allows. Glide between soaring icebergs at the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord and encounter hardy present-day Inuit communities as well as the archaeological traces of long-gone settlements and whaling posts. Keep an eye out for Arctic wildlife, from musk oxen and walruses to belugas and elusive narwhals, and search for polar bears on the sea ice surrounding Ellesmere Island. Then spend three days at or above 80 degrees north, experiencing the thrill of true exploration amid islands and icescapes few have ever seen.
This trip is operated in collaboration with Lindblad Expeditions.
Depart on an overnight flight to Reykjavík. Upon arrival, explore the Reykjanes Peninsula on an excursion that features hot springs, Icelandic horses, and a visit to a fascinating power plant. Check into our centrally located hotel this afternoon.
After a morning at leisure, gather for lunch and a panoramic tour of Reyjavík, ending at one of the city’s excellent museums. Then return to the airport to board a chartered flight to the town of Kangerlussuaq, on Greenland’s western coast. Embark the National Geographic Endurance at the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, a stunning waterway that stretches some 120 miles.
Dozens of deep fjords cut into Greenland’s west coast, many with glaciers fed by the ice sheet that covers about 80 percent of the country. Discover this beautiful and rugged coastline in Zodiacs, keeping an eye out for humpback and minke whales. At Sisimiut, a former whaling port, visit the museum and stroll around a picturesque jumble of historic and modern wooden buildings.
Sail into Qeqertarsuup Tunua, also known as Disko Bay, to explore the World Heritage site of Ilulissat Icefjord, a tongue of the Greenland ice cap that extends to the sea. Take an extraordinary cruise among towering icebergs at the mouth of the fjord. Visit the town of Ilulissat and walk to the archaeological site in Sermermiut, an abandoned valley previously inhabited by several distinct Inuit cultures.
Sail across Baffin Bay to the Canadian High Arctic, enjoying the many amenities aboard the National Geographic Endurance. Soak in the ship’s infinity-style outdoor hot tubs, take in panoramic views from the rooftop observation deck as we approach the Arctic Archipelago and learn more about the wildlife and geology of the region during talks and workshops with our onboard experts. Relax in the sauna, take a massage or spend the night in the only glass igloo at sea.
Our first port of call on Baffin Island is the Inuit community of Pond Inlet, set on the water’s edge among snowcapped peaks. Explore the beautiful bays and inlets along the Lancaster Sound, a favorite Inuit hunting and fishing location for thousands of years. Carved by Ice Age glaciers, Lancaster Sound is also the eastern gateway to the Arctic Archipelago, where European explorers like William Baffin first ventured in the 17th century to search for the Northwest Passage. On Devon Island, take a walk amid Mars-like landscapes with our onboard archaeologist and learn about the Thule people, ancestors of the modern Inuit that once inhabited this region.
Experience a stunning display of raw geology in the remote Queen Elizabeth Islands, venturing to ice-choked channels and glacier-hewn islands that few people have ever seen. Sail through the narrow and infamous Bellot Strait, which separates the islands from the northernmost part of mainland North America. Then round the coast of Devon, stopping to explore Philpots Island. We take our cues from nature: following wildlife, taking hikes, dropping anchor in a beautiful fjord or an iceberg-strewn bay to kayak beneath massive ice sculptures and soaring cliffs. Be on the lookout for wildlife such as ringed seals, arctic foxes, musk oxen, walruses, and polar bears, as well as beluga and bowhead whales.
We make our way north along the rugged east coast of Ellesmere Island, cruising along a steep wall of mountains and glacial ice on Smith Bay. This is the realm of the polar bears, which are drawn to a unique combination of old and new sea ice known as “polar bear ice.” Bring your binoculars to the bridge or find a spot on deck to search for these magnificent creatures. When they appear, often just a distant cream-colored dot against the white ice, we approach with quiet stealth, getting as close as nature allows without disturbing the bear. At the end of the bay, go ashore to hike or kayak in this spectacular icescape. The next day, enter Bachanan Bay, and turn into Alexandra Fjord to reach Skraeling Island, where archaeological finds suggest Norse settlers traded with indigenous communities. On past voyages, we have discovered Inuit artifacts here.
Spend three days exploring the 80ºN parallel and beyond. With a seasoned captain and expedition team, we’ll chart where the ice is impenetrable and navigate where the ice allows, experiencing the sense of adventure that comes with venturing into rarely explored waters. Engage with these remote regions from aboard the ship, attending talks by our expedition team and using an array of imaging equipment and exploration tools to experience the sights and sounds of the Arctic. Indulge in a spa treatment, relax with a book (and a spectacular view) in the library, and enjoy delectable meals at the end of the Earth.
Follow Greenland’s coast south to Kiatassuaq Island, located at the edge of Melville Bay, an important whaling ground in the 19th century. Discover the southern reaches of the bay and shores of the island, watching for whales and other marine life and marveling at the icebergs dispatched from the Greenland Ice Cap.
Continue south, stopping to explore the volcanic Disko Island, home to isolated Greenlandic settlements, dramatic cliffs laced with waterfalls, and black-sand beaches.
Sail back into Søndre Strømfjord to Kangerlussuaq and disembark the ship. Take an evening charter flight to Reykjavík and transfer to the Marriott Keflavik Airport Hotel. On our final morning, you may choose to enjoy a soak in the Blue Lagoon or take a tour of the Reykjanes Peninsula before transferring to the airport for flights home.