Canadian Arctic and Northwest Greenland: Heading North in the Footsteps of Great Explorers

Uummannaq welcomes you with colourful houses and an astonishing creativity of nature. The heart-shaped mountain above the town glows in countless shades of red in the sunlight. In the small settlement, a museum recalls the ice expeditions of Alfred Wegener, a German who conducted research in Greenland. A hike with your experts will take you to “Santa’s summer house”, the setting of a popular Danish TV series.

The aim is clear: take a look behind the curtain of the Canadian Arctic and unlock its intriguing secrets. Your state-of-the-art expedition ship takes lots of time to explore the deep fjords, high cliffs, mighty glaciers and vast tundra that characterises the rocky landscape.

Baffin Island is characterised by a vast and tranquil fjord landscape. The island offers unspoilt nature and fascinating insights into Inuit culture and history. In Pond Inlet, listen to the traditional songs that are part of the cultural heritage of the local people and witness their traditional dances. The waters off the village are sometimes teeming with bowhead whales.

Devon Island also invites you to embark on Zodiac explorations. Rocky, dry and with reddish soil – NASA simulates the exploration of the planet Mars here. Against a backdrop of spectacular glaciers and glistening ice, musk oxen, polar bears and Arctic hares will hopefully play a part in your experiences. The remains of a Thule settlement in Dundas Harbor (Nunavut) and an abandoned station of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are silent witnesses of remoteness.

In keeping with the pioneering spirit, your ship will press on into the mystical icy worlds of seldom-visited waters. Here, nature and thrilling experiences rule the day. In 1876, the expedition conducted by Hall and Hayes set an Arctic record when they reached the icy coast of Ellesmere Island.

A reverent silence hangs in the air. The only occasional sounds are the isolated crack of glacier ice or the call of a kittiwake. You will reach red-rocked Pim Island, which is highly popular with polar bears, walruses and Arctic foxes. If you succeed in landing, you will feel the drama of the Greely expedition, which fell victim to the icy winter of 1884 on the small, rocky island.

Leaving the last outposts of human civilisation behind, you will venture into seldom-travelled waters. Cruising in the Nares Strait, you will be in famous company – in 1909, Robert Edwin Peary travelled through here as most likely the first person to reach the North Pole. The excitement will grow: how far into the territory of the icebreakers can your ship go? A question that shapes this truly pioneering journey, where weather and ice conditions determine the itinerary.

Breathe in the fresh air. Let your gaze wander over the icy landscape. Experience profound moments of silence. On the north-west coast of Greenland, you will leave the urban world far behind you as the Zodiacs take you to the remote settlements.

Early Inuit groups settled in the Qaanaaq region over 4,000 years ago. The present-day town was established in 1953, when the Danish government relocated the residents of the original settlement here to make way for a US airbase. Your walk will be accompanied by the barking of the huskies, which are just as much a part of life here as the kayaks.

Barely any other ships sail the waters of north-west Greenland, so it is a privilege to explore these places that are beyond the reach of most people. Are you excited by the idea of going to the North Pole? Until the 20th century, you would have reached the geomagnetic pole in Etah, but today it lies further west. However, this deserted place in the vast landscape will still draw your pioneering spirit like a magnet – Knud Rasmussen and Robert Edwin Peary had base camps here.

Cruising off Cape York brings breathtaking views of bizarre ice formations. A rocky crest bears a memorial to the American explorer Robert Edwin Peary, who set out on his North Pole expedition from here at the end of the 19th century. There is hardly a more beautiful panorama from the deck: large icebergs from the mighty outlet glaciers of west Greenland accumulate here in the “iceberg graveyard” after their 900 km (559 mi.) journey. Also keep an eye out for little auks, black guillemots and glaucous gulls, which nest on the cliffs.

In the magical Arctic light, the wonders of the west coast of Greenland will be illuminated north of the Arctic Circle. A vast and silent landscape, home to relics of a 4,500-year-old culture – seemingly almost forgotten by the world.

Disko Bay will provide even more memorable moments: ice sculptures in all manner of forms drift slowly through the vast area. Enjoy this natural spectacle from your front-row seat on deck – or take a Zodiac ride to the centre of the action. Illuminated by the sunlight, the ice gleams in a fascinating play of colours from white to azure blue. Depending on the local conditions, we will also visit the world-famous Ilulissat Icefjord. Here you can witness one of the most active glaciers in the world releasing majestic icebergs into the vastness of the fjord – an incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In Sisimiut, where the remarkable old town seems like a museum village, the oldest settlement traces date back over 4,000 years, deep into the Saqqaq culture. Join your experts to hike over rocks and through tundra – to relics from the whaling era. A hike to Tele Island will also take you back thousands of years to see ancient ruins and graves, crowned by magnificent views of Sisimiut and the coast.

Itineraries are subject to change.