Cruise Itinerary

Domain of the Norse thunder god, Thor, and shaped by fire and ice, Iceland’s volcanic landscape is a spectacular collage of lava fields, craters, waterfalls, and imposing mountain ranges. Vast geothermal springs power the spray of geysers, provide residents with the hot water that heats their homes, and fills the warm public pools where locals go to relax and catch up with friends. Visitors are encouraged to join in the fun. Reykjavik itself is a 21st century European city, with fine restaurants, cozy cafes, and intriguing museums and galleries.

Tiny Aappilattoq is located in the Prince Christian Sound at Greenland’s southern tip, in the municipality of Kullaleq. Its name means ‘red’ in Greenlandic. The sound is enfolded by steep, unglaciated mountains, rising sheer from the water to sharp, shattered peaks. The town’s setting is particularly picturesque, its brightly painted houses scattered across a small peninsula of humped granite domes, under a backdrop of a looming pyramid of stone. The little red town church nestles next to a white-picketed graveyard. The sound itself is dotted with icebergs slowly melting into expressionist sculptures. It is a place where the infrequent visitors routinely fill their camera cards with unforgettable images of Greenland’s spectacular visual splendor.

The largest town in South Greenland with over 3,500 citizens, Qaqortoq was founded in 1775 and still reveals some examples of colonial-period architecture. There is not infrastructure to support shore excursions here, but guests can explore the town and its museum, or possibly arrange a visit to a nearby hot springs. Like other towns in Greenland, there are also possibilities to buy examples of traditional Inuit arts and crafts, including items crafted of bone, soapstone and wild-harvested furs.

Twelve miles by Zodiac up the Hvalseyjarfjord from Qaqortoq, the largest community in South Greenland, lies the most prominent Norse archaeological site in Greenland. The so-called Eastern Settlement lasted from the 10th until the mid-15th century. Your expedition team archaeologist can interpret for you the ruins of the great halls and church at Hvalsey that hint of a prospering medieval farmstead. The site evokes an era when the Norse were trading with the indigenous Thule people of the area for furs and ivory, which were a prized commodities in Europe. A wedding held in the church in 1408 comprises the last written record of the Norse adventure in Greenland. Within a few years, Hvalsey and the rest of other Norse communities of Greenland withered as immigrants returned to the more established communities in Iceland and Norway. The site’s meadows of wildflowers sloping up from the fjord give a sense of the peaceful community that existed here in that long-ago summer.

Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Kalaallisut for "Plain", referring to the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.

Tiny Itilleq is located on an island in the Davis Strait on Greenland’s west coast. The island has no freshwater source, so the town’s population of just over a hundred inhabitants depends on desalination for their freshwater. The salinity and temperature of water is a subject being carefully studied in the Davis Strait, since it is one of the relatively few restricted bodies of water connecting the Arctic Ocean with other seas, in this case the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The narrow strait between Greenland and Baffin Island experiences dramatic tide changes of 30 to 60 feet, and the differences in temperature and salinity create far-reaching effects on the global oceanic currents and weather patterns. So tiny, isolated Itilleq represents an example of the way unseen forces shape and affect all our lives.

Paamiut formerly Frederikshab With more time at sea and more out-of-the-way ports, there’s much to explore—both on and off your ship. Discover the medieval art of Cherbourg. Stroll the gardens of Madeira. Relax and enjoy yourself.

Greenland’s capital boasts some 16,000 inhabitants. Although the town does not offer us any shore excursions, there are several attractions which guests may wish to visit. One is the roofed town market, where the products of the nearby sea and wilderness are for sale, including the meat of whales, seals, birds and fish. The Katuaq Cultural Center offers changing exhibitions. Especially worth a visit is the National Museum, which besides many historic objects, contains the quite famous 500-year old mummies recovered from Qilakitsoq. The nearby Museum of Art has works by both Inuit and Nordic artists. There is also an artisan’s center where guests may purchase locally produced works, and a collection of traditional houses.

Maniitsoq means ‘uneven place’ in Greenlandic, referring to the many rocky knolls and small mountains that shape the geography of the town. Greenlanders like to compare their small towns with world-famous cities. Maniitsoq, intersected by small natural canals, has been dubbed the ‘Venice of Greenland’ by the locals. Colorful houses reflected in the calm water, stunning mountain scenes, smiling and friendly people and the occasional Greenlandic sled-dog are just a few of the photographic opportunities in Maniitsoq. Nearby, awe-inspiring Eternity Fjord is considered by many to be the most scenic fjord in all of Greenland. Glaciers descending from the high peaks are heavily crevassed, resembling the cracked skin of a giant white elephant. The water is dotted with ice of all sizes, most having broken off of the glaciers as they calved into the sea. This is a grand landscape, remote, secluded and a treasure for those fortunate enough to explore it.

Kangerlussuaq is a settlement in western Greenland in the Qeqqata municipality located at the head of the fjord of the same name (Danish: Søndre Strømfjord). It is Greenland's main air transport hub and the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport. The airport dates from American settlement during and after World War II, when the site was known as Bluie West-8 and Sondrestrom Air Base. The Kangerlussuaq area is also home to Greenland's most diverse terrestrial fauna, including muskoxen, caribou, and gyrfalcons. View less The settlement's economy and population of 512 is almost entirely reliant on the airport and tourist industry.