Winding your way through the icy channels of the legendary Northwest Passage is history brought to life during this expedition in the Canadian High Arctic and Greenland. On this compelling 17-day journey, passengers retrace the steps of the intrepid Franklin Expedition, which left the shores of England in 1845 in search of the last unexplored section of the Northwest Passage—only to become permanently icebound. Its discovery more than a century and a half later by Norwegian Roald Amundsen was a much-celebrated moment in polar history.

Explore colorful Inuit villages, and shop for traditional Inuit handicrafts. Hike the endless Arctic backdrop and marvel at the vast, colorful tundra. Keep your eyes peeled for the elusive and majestic creatures that make their home in this wilderness, such as whales, walrus, muskoxen and polar bears. Come aboard for this immersive journey along the legendary Arctic sea route, and return home with memories permanently etched in your heart.

Experience highlights of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic
Explore colorful Greenlandic villages and shop for traditional Inuit handicrafts
View iconic Arctic wildlife, such as whales, walrus and muskoxen
Hike the colorful tundra
Cruise in a Zodiac to get up close to glaciers, fjords, icebergs and more
Enjoy flightseeing on one of Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters (Ultramarine departures only).

Map/Itinerary

Please note:

This voyage may start and end in Reykjavik depending on the date of departure. Please confirm your exact route before making any flight arrangements.
This itinerary is meant to serve as a general guide. Plans may change along the way, depending on weather, sea conditions, or choices made by the Expedition Leader and team to give you the safest and most rewarding experience.

Day 1Arrive in Reykjavik

Arrive in the Icelandic capital and make your way to your included hotel. You will have the rest of the day to explore the city on your own.

Day 2Flight to Greenland and Embarkation

After breakfast, you’ll transfer to the airport for a charter flight to Greenland. Depending on the season, you’ll arrive either in Kangerlussuaq or Nuuk, where you’ll board your expedition ship. Both locations offer an unforgettable first glimpse of Greenland’s Arctic landscape.

Day 3Crossing the Davis Strait

Upon leaving, you set sail across the Davis Strait to the east coast of Baffin Island. Have your binoculars at hand to scan for seabirds, including great black-backed gulls and black guillemots. Visit Tundra Spa and other onboard amenities, or attend educational presentations led by our polar experts—glaciologists, historians and other specialists. You’ll learn about northern communities and ways of life in preparation for your first community visit. There will also be mandatory briefings with the expedition team on how you’ll safely explore this remote and compelling Arctic region. You will also have time to relax in the Observation Lounge while spotting drifting ice, seabirds and other wildlife. From the outer decks, take in the wideopen panoramas of western Greenland while we cross the Arctic Circle at 66°33′ North.

Day 4-5Exploring the East Shore of Baffin Island

Heading to Qikiqtarjuaq, fondly called Qik, a small Inuit hamlet located north of the Arctic Circle on Broughton Island, off the east coast of Baffin Island. Known as the iceberg capital of Nunavut, Qikiqtarjuaq sits at the northern entrance to the mountainous Auyuittuq National Park, which is home to narwhals, bowhead and orca whales, polar bears, seals and migratory birds. Community visits, arranged in collaboration with local partners, enable guests to learn about on-the-ground culture, and purchase art and traditional handicrafts, such as parkas, boots and local art when available. Cruising further north along the mountainous east shore of Baffin Island, you’ll approach Isabella Bay, an important summer and fall feeding area for the largest concentration of bowhead whales in Canada. Bowheads are a truly remarkable Arctic leviathan, with research suggesting they can live more than 200 years—making them the longest-lived mammal on Earth. We’ll aim to launch the Zodiacs and explore the bay, binoculars at the ready. For our intrepid paddlers, our sea kayak and paddling programs may also be available here.

Day 6Icy Arm Fjord

This is an especially exciting day, as you become one of the few travelers to explore the stunningly majestic Icy Arm Fjord, which cuts almost 80 kilometers (50 miles) deep into northern Baffin Island. Accessible only by water in summer months when the sea ice recedes, this rarely visited fjord is known for its unrivalled landscape of towering cliffs and stunning glaciers, and is valued as much for its sheer remoteness as it is for its pristine environment. Icy Arm Fjord is the epitome of unspoiled Arctic wilderness. You may observe polar bears, Arctic foxes, seals, walruses, and guillemots, kittiwakes and other Arcticdwelling birds. The fjord provides an excellent backdrop for Zodiac cruises and paddle activities, offering guests a sea-level intimacy with the surrounding lands and waters.

Day 7-9The Northwest Passage

At the top of Baffin Island sits TallurutiupImanga (also known as Lancaster Sound), a true Arctic oasis. Known by the Inuit and their predecessors for thousands of years, this channel and the surrounding lands are extremely rich in wildlife and history, both indigenous and European. The surrounding area affords several hiking opportunities. At Dundas Harbour, on Devon Island, you’ll visit an abandoned beachside outpost of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. At Croker Bay, the plan is to cruise close enough to appreciate the splendor of glacial textures and calving ice, while always keeping a safe distance. Walrus frequent the waters here, so be sure to have your camera handy. Next you’ll head to the western end of Devon Island, on the north side of Tallurutiup-Imanga, and go ashore at windswept Beechey Island, which is home to Beechey Island National Historic Sites.

Explore the shores of the uninhabited Prince Leopold Island, known primarily as a significant Migratory Bird Sanctuary and an Important Bird Area, where the aim is to launch the Zodiacs for an immersive cruise at the foot of the bird cliffs. The island is renowned for its steep cliffs that host hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds, including thick-billed murres, northern fulmars, and black guillemots during the summer months.

Day 10Cruising the East Coast of Baffin Island

As you position from Lancaster Sound down along the east coast of Baffin Island, spend time out on deck to soak in the scenery: expansive landscapes, jagged spires, and bird life. Today is also ideal to enjoy the onboard amenities—such as Tundra Spa—and deepening your knowledge through presentations by polar experts.

Day 11Sam Ford Fjord

Well inside the Arctic Circle, Sam Ford Fjord is a standout Arctic adventure destination on Baffin Island’s northeast coast, and one of the world’s most spectacular big-wall playgrounds. A traditional Inuit hunting area, the fjord is a study in contrasts: sheer granite cliffs seem to rise straight up from the ocean below, reaching up to 457 meters (1,500 feet) above sea level. If weather conditions permit, this region offers fabulous Zodiac cruising, sea kayaking and paddling as well as opportunities to go ashore. With a bit of luck, we may see Arctic fox onshore, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for polar bears during our off-shore excursions. Cruising the fjord in a Zodiac is a striking reminder of just how small we are. Winding along a 110- kilometer (68-mile) path, Sam Ford Fjord narrows to less than 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide as it meanders farther inland.

Day 12At Sea: Crossing the Davis Strait

As the ship continues eastward across the Davis Strait, you’ll have a choice of presentations by polar experts, who will share insights that bring greater meaning to the experiences so far and set the stage for your time in West Greenland.

Day 13-15Exploring West Greenland

Prepare yourself for an awe-inspiring experience. Ilulissat, located in Disko Bay, is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Icefjord, which is the thoroughfare for countless icebergs calved from one of the world’s fastest-moving glaciers, Sermeq Kujalleq. Locals have constructed a boardwalk leading to an elevated overlook, where you can view bergs of all sizes spread out before you. From this vantage point, it feels as though you’re standing where the town ends and the wilderness begins. Visitors say they’ve felt humbled by the sweeping vista of ice. You will also notice the Arctic cotton grass and summer wildflowers thriving in the long daylight hours. Another fascinating highlight is Maniitsoq, often called the “Venice of Greenland,” as it’s situated in an archipelago intersected by natural canals. Soaring, snow-capped mountains surround this small, rocky town, whose name means “the uneven place.” Playful humpback whales spend the summer in the surrounding waters, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled as we transit ashore by Zodiac.

Day 16Kangerlussuaq and disembarkation

Today you’ll explore 50 kilometers (31 miles) above the Arctic Circle. The destination is Kangerlussuaq, which is Greenlandic for “the long fjord.” At the end of this 180-kilometer (112 mile) fjord is a settlement bearing the same name. Fishing boats based in the town of Kangerlussuaq sail the full length of the fjord to access the ocean. The town is known for its natural beauty—and for previously being the home of the largest airport in Greenland. You will be ferried from ship to shore on one last Zodiac ride, then transferred to the airport where you will board your charter flight to Calgary, Alberta. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to your included hotel for the night, which is part of the Charter Flight & Hotel package.

Day 17Departing Calgary and onward flight

Today, make your way to the airport to connect with your onward flight, or stay longer to explore this unique Western Canadian city.

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