Itinerary

Day 1: Meet in Ísafjörður, north west Iceland
Arrive Isafjorour (Iceland)
We meet in Ísafjörður, in Iceland’s north-west. If flying in today, you will be transferred to the group hotel. The rest of the day is at your own leisure until a group dinner with your guides this evening. If you are in Ísafjörður prior to this day, make your way to the group hotel (if not already staying there), room check in is from 3pm. Ísafjörður has plenty to see and do, including the Westfjords Heritage Museum and the Museum of Everyday Life. There are great gift shops, including knitwear stores selling traditional Icelandic designs. For some action, there are scenic walks and mountain bike trails around the town. Day trips to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve and Vigur Island, home to an incredible number of Arctic terns and coastal birds, including puffins, are possible from Ísafjörður. Meet your guides tonight for a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Embark MS Quest in the afternoon
Embark M/s Quest
The morning is at your own leisure before the afternoon transfer to M/S Quest. On boarding, you’ll meet the captain and crew who will introduce you to life onboard and conduct a safety briefing. Your kayak guide will cover paddle safety and help with gear fitting. We depart Isafjörður and head out to the mouth of the fjord, called Ísafjarðardjúp which translates as ‘Depth of the fjord of sea ice’. Please note that lunch is not included today.

Day 3: Crossing Denmark Strait to Greenland
Crossing The Denmark Strait
We will be at sea all day, cruising across Denmark Strait towards Greenland. A favourite pastime is to spend time on the outer decks looking out for whales, dolphins, seabirds and icebergs! Otherwise, the inside panorama deck is perfect for sheltered views and a hot beverage. One big advantage of a late Aug/early Sep voyage is the drawing in of night after the summer months of midnight sun, meaning a chance to view Northern Lights, with few places offering such good prospects as Greenland.

Day 4-10: Exploring Scoresby Sund and the east-coast of Greenland
Exploring East Greenland & Scoresby Sund
Our aim for the next week is to experience as much time as possible outdoors, be it paddling, hiking or wildlife viewing (or all three!) Our experienced Arctic team will use their know-how to design a day-to-day itinerary that makes the best use of the weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. Just north of Scoresby Sund is the Northeast Greenland National Park. Founded in 1974, Northeast Greenland NP is the world’s largest national park and the ninth largest protected area on earth, covering 971,245 square kilometres (375,000 square miles). Most of the park is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice sheet in the northern hemisphere and globally second in size to the ice mass that covers Antarctica. Northeast Greenland NP is uninhabited by humankind, except crew at four weather stations and the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol. In the summer, there may be visits from scientists and researchers in connection with biological or geological expeditions as well as Arctic trip expeditions, such as ours. Only the coastal areas of the NP are ice-free during the summer months. Depending on conditions, we may venture into the NP coastal areas. Scoresby Sund, Kangertittivaq in greenlandic, stretches almost 350 kms from east to west. Numerous fjords radiate from the sound, with the longest being 200kms (125 miles) and extending to the edge of the inland ice cap. Scoresby Sund is one of the birthplaces of Greenland’s famous giant icebergs and among the most scenic and spectacular landscapes in the world. With its’ tree-like structure, the main body of water is approximately 110 km (68 miles) long, branching into a system of fjords covering an area of about 38,000 km2 (23,000 miles).

Following are locations we’ll potentially visit
Sydkap
A small promontory jutting out from Scoresby Land offering good walking and delightful views across the sound. There are great opportunities for kayaking past lonely beaches where 3000-year-old gravesites can be visited on shore. Nests of grounded giant bergs the size of 10 storey buildings with green tunnels and aquamarine lakes offer hours of endless enjoyment for kayakers and zodiac riders.

Ittoqqortoormiit
Ittoqqortoormiit is Scoresby Sund’s colourful Inuit community of approximately 350 people. The town is situated close to the world’s largest national park and right next to the world’s largest and deepest multi-branched fjord system. Hunting is a significant cultural and economical factor for the community, although tourism is growing in importance. We’ll explore the village and meet parents pushing prams with cute round-faced babies peeping out from Arctic fox fur jackets. Listen to the crescendo of howling emerging from lines of huskies secured to chains or sit spellbound in the beautiful Lutheran Church serenaded by the local organist. Meeting the locals in this far-flung settlement is a highlight for many.

Bjorne Islands
Bjorne Islands or Nannut Qeqertaat, meaning ‘Bear Islands’, provide incredible opportunities to wind through the narrow passages between towering icebergs by kayak and zodiac. For walkers and hikers, step ashore to explore the coastline or hike to the hill tops to view the icecap in the distance.

Alpefjord
Alpefjord is a narrow waterway situated between serrated brown mountains of up to 2200 metres (7000 foot) and hanging glaciers clinging like limpets to stony gullies. The snout of the Sefstrom Glacier juts out and almost blocks Alpefjord, however, there’s access for kayaks and zodiacs, with the opportunity to walk on the glacier. Clumps of Arctic flora in its late summer glory may still be visible as we cruise along the coast.

Red Fjord
This Fjord system is located in the interior of Scoresby Sund. The contrast of red sandstone cliffs against white and blue icebergs makes Red Fjord a photographer’s paradise. We may be able to land on the shore for a tundra walk and an opportunity to see musk oxen grazing.

Day 11: Crossing Denmark Strait to Iceland
Departing East Greenland – At Sea
We depart East Greenland and head south into the Denmark Strait. On the crossing to Iceland, we’ll look to the skies to spot a variety of seabirds, including Ivory Gulls and migratory Brunnichs Guillemots. This evening may be the last opportunity to experience the Northern Lights while on board.

Day 12: Disembark in Ísafjörður. Trip concludes
Disembark Isafjorour, Iceland
The expedition concludes in Ísafjörður this morning. You may choose to continue exploring Iceland by land or catch a flight to your next destination. End of trip arrangements.

© SSV

© SSV

© SSV