An exploration like no other; this one-of-a-kind voyage of discovery heads into the vast landscapes of Eastern Greenland and Iceland’s Westfjords. The only guarantee is a genuine voyage of exploration and adventure. Wild Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord beckons exploration, where glaciers offload icebergs the size of small cities into deep fjords, and where kittiwakes, arctic terns and glaucous gulls plunge the water surface for zooplankton amidst collapsing ice. In Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system in the world, we watch bergs drift silently against autumnal vegetation, revealing arctic hares, musk oxen and elusive ptarmigan. True exploration awaits us.
- Witness the awe-inspiring aurora borealis dance across East Greenland’s night skies, with prime viewing conditions away from light pollution
- Keep a close watch for the unmistakable blow of whales as they surface to breathe, and perhaps the mesmerising sight of a tail fluke as it takes a deep dive.
- Marvel at the ancient geology of East Greenland, where mountains are painted in stripes by nature’s brush and fjords are surrounded by walls of various shades of pinks, oranges and purple.
- Learn about the history and culture of the Inuit, who have inhabited this region for centuries.
- Experience the thrill of adventure and exploration, as you sail to remote and rarely visited parts of the world.
- Feel the power and beauty of Dynjandi waterfall in Iceland’s Westfjords, where cascading water thunders down a dramatic cliff face surrounded by moody skies and striking landscapes.
Availability is always subject to confirmation. Please check with us before booking flights
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Having made your way to Reykjavik, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our group hotel. Upon arrival at your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality area where you can leave your luggage and enjoy refreshments if arriving prior to 4pm. Whilst here you can collect your luggage cabin tags speak with our ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash or purchase last minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.
The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Reykjavik (or similar)
Today we follow the path of one of Reykjavik’s most popular seismic attractions – the Golden Circle. Stops along our route include Thingvellir National Park, accredited as the site of Iceland’s first parliament. A shaky start to the new nation, it is also the point where the Eurasia and North American tectonic plates meet as an open fissure. Our next stop is Gullfoss waterfall. This impressive water feature tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá River, offering a popular photographic opportunity. Next we explore the geothermal fields and geysir’s for which Iceland is famous. The variety of hot springs and bubbling pools are mesmerising as the sheer capacity of water and steam erupting from the ground makes you ponder just how much power is beneath your feet. Late afternoon we return to Reykjavik to board the Sylvia Earle.
After boarding, there’s time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings before we ‘throw the lines’ to begin our Greenland adventure. This evening, meet your expedition team and crew at the Welcome Dinner.
Immerse yourself in the tranquillity of morning as we take in breathtaking landscapes and keeping a watchful eye for whales. Later, we'll embark on a Zodiac landing to witness the awe-inspiring power of Dynjandi waterfall.
In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.
East Greenland contains some of the Arctic's most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) high. Gigantic icebergs calved from glaciers drift throughout the fjord system creating breathtaking scenery. The landscape is filled with multi-coloured tundra home to musk oxen and arctic hare. Throughout the area are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers' huts, and modern Inuit hunters' cabins.
A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 500 inhabitants. Here you can explore the village, the fascinating museum or sit in the beautiful Lutheran Church. The locals are friendly, and from underneath their Arctic fox-fur jackets, the shy young children are keen to say hello and practice their English. The community boasts an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and the opportunity to meet Inuit people.
Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil mountains that protects areas from the strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from muskox and arctic foxes to mountain hares and even reindeer near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds including common eider, glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, and arctic terns gracefully gliding or plunging into icy bays for zooplankton.
North of Scoresbysund, we hope to visit Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer, near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.
There are great hiking options in the area, where flowering tundra plants, scattered bones of whales and muskox from centuries of hunting by the Inuit and fumaroles can be found. These are areas where heated groundwater boil to the surface creating bubbling pools and mineral formations as the water reacts with the atmosphere.
The area also boasts some of the most striking sedimentary sandstone, shale, and siltstone formations imaginable. The layers of sediment here are estimated to have taken about 4,000 years to be laid down, and the alternating colours and patterns in the layers of rocks are stunningly beautiful.
As we cross the Denmark Strait to Iceland, we begin our series of informative and entertaining onboard lectures from our team of experts.
During the early morning, we cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell your Expedition Team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys. Transfer to Keflavik airport.
Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we recommend booking flights departing after 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.
Itineraries are subject to change.
Douglas Mawson
| Passenger Capacity: | 154 |
|---|---|
| Length | 104.4 m |
| Launched | 2025 |
Douglas Mawson was launched in 2025. Named after the legendary Australian geologist and explorer, this new small ship embodies Mawson’s pioneering spirit and is designed for global discovery. Featuring the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW® and purpose-built with enhanced sustainability features, it takes a maximum 154 adventurers to the world’s wildest places in smooth, quiet comfort. It boasts our most extensive range of cabins yet, including a range of single cabins.
The Douglas Mawson features a host of amenities to help you connect with like-minded travellers and elevate your time onboard this floating base camp for adventure. After a long day of exploring, head to the back deck to swim in the heated outdoor swimming pool, find a sun bed to read on, or soak in one of two Jacuzzis. Work up a sweat in the gym before unwinding in the sauna, resolve to learn something new in the Citizen Science Centre, then enjoy a delicious meal with new and old friends in one of two restaurants. Or, with multiple observation areas throughout the ship, simply relax in comfort while you keep watch for wildlife or incredible landscapes unfold before you.
While enjoying the luxurious amenities onboard, you can rest assured that the aim is to get you off the ship to explore the natural environment as much as possible to enjoy some unique activities remains unchanged.
Newest Ulstein X-BOW®
The Douglas Mawson features the newest streamlined Ulstein X-BOW®, designed for global discovery. The revolutionary design cuts through the swell, offering unrivalled stability on ocean crossings and helping to reduce fuel consumption. It’s just one of the many sustainability features that helps make travel more responsible.
Heated Pool, Jacuzzis & Sauna
In between landings, enjoy access to the onboard gym or unwind in the sauna. Or head to the back deck to swim in the heated outdoor pool, enjoy a drink at the pool bar, or soak in one of two Jacuzzis, watching the world go by.
Leading Technology
The Douglas Mawson is at the cutting edge of nautical technology, fitted with industry-leading technology including world-class return-to-port equipment. The ship also features a medical clinic designed for use in remote areas.
Built for Adventure
The Douglas Mawson features Zodiac access points and an activities platform, making boarding the Zodiacs as quick, efficient and safe as possible, minimising wait times and getting you closer to the action for longer. In our mudroom you will have access to lockers to store gear & boots and rapid drying areas for clothing.
More Cabin Choices
The Douglas Mawson features 11 different types of cabins, including a range of spacious single berth cabins – all adorned with elegant Nordic interior design features.
Multiple Observation Areas
As you explore the ship you will find indoor lounge areas with floor-to ceiling windows, and multiple open decks with expansive 270-360 degree views. The Glass Atrium Lounge inside the bow is a fantastic place to sit and watch for wildlife – with a drink in hand. There is no shortage of spaces to take in the majesty of the incredible world outside!
Lecture Theatre
On all expeditions you will meet naturalists and local specialists, who offer presentations on their area of expertise to enhance your appreciation of the destination you are exploring.
Join the team in the lecture theatre for presentations covering a broad range of topics to suit every interest, from history and culture to biology and climate change. Regardless of the topic, they all have one thing in common: they all aim to engage, educate, entertain and turn you into an ambassador for the planet.
Citizen Science Center & Lounge
Learn more about the world and the unique destinations Aurora visits by visiting the onboard naturalist and Expedition Team in the world-class Citizen Science Center. You will be rewarded for your thirst for knowledge with one of the best views on the ship.
Library
With floor-to-ceiling windows, the library is a peaceful sanctuary where you can find non-fiction books to read up on the day’s destinations, use a public laptop to organise your photos or play board games with newfound friends.
Choose from our range of informative non-fiction titles, wildlife guidebooks, travel journals, novels and a selection of children’s books and board games.
Wildlife guides, books and binoculars can also be found on the observation lounge on Deck 7.
Mudroom
No need to take your wet expedition gear back to your cabin to dry. Keep your cabin warm and cosy by leaving your outer jackets and pants in the mudroom.
The mudroom is your launchpad for all shore excursions and activities. Here, you will have access to a locker when you can hang your gear up to dry, and store your boots between excursions.
Swimming Pool & Jacuzzis
There are two Jacuzzis on the top outside deck which offer amazing views of the world outside, a heated outdoor pool surrounded by sun beds you can relax on after a long day of exploring, and a pool bar.
Gym & Sauna
During your voyage, enjoy complimentary access to the gym or visit our sauna, which we highly recommend after the Polar Plunge!
Restaurants
One of the most important parts of any expedition is the food! Whatever adventures the day holds, you will be fuelled-up with hearty meals and delicious morning/afternoon teas cooked by our onboard chefs.
Meals are a great time to soak up the expedition camaraderie in our open seating dining area. Share stories with your fellow travellers and ask our expedition team questions that may have come up during the day.
Tea, coffee and snacks are available 24 hours a day, and our chefs offer different menu options and courses for each meal. Enjoy the range of house wine, beers and soft drinks included with dinner after a long day in the wild.
We also invite you to join your captain and expedition team for informal Captain’s Farewell drinks, with complimentary beverages and cocktail appetisers, followed by a 3 course meal.
Bars & Lounges
Communal meeting areas have always played a major role in fostering the warm camaraderie on board our ships. They are the heart of the expedition, where people meet to share tales from the day, swap photos, keep an eye out for wildlife and watch the sun go down.
The bars and lounges on board are refined yet inviting places to gather, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views, and of course friendly bartenders to shoot the breeze with.
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