Arctic Quest: Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic

Venture deep into the far reaches of the Arctic, a land where polar bears roam, walruses loll, and hardy Inuit communities maintain their traditional way of life. Aboard the National Geographic Explorer, trace the rugged fjords of Greenland and navigate Canada’s legendary Northwest Passage. Spot polar bears on the pack ice, get up close to massive glaciers, and hike the myriad islands that dot Canada’s northern shores.

Day 1 — U.S./Ottawa, Canada

Arrive in Ottawa and check into the hotel in time for a welcome reception and dinner.
Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel
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Day 2 — Ottawa/Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Fly by chartered aircraft to Greenland, the land of the midnight sun. Embark the National Geographic Explorer at the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, a scenic waterway that stretches 100 miles, and is aptly known as the “long fjord.”
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Day 3 — Greenland’s West Coast and Sisimiut

Dozens of deep fjords carve into Greenland’s west coast, many with glaciers fed by the ice cap that covers about 80 percent of the country. Discover this beautiful and ragged coastline in Zodiacs, searching for humpback and minke whales. At Sisimiut, a former whaling port, visit the museum and wander amid a picturesque jumble of 18th-century wooden buildings.
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Day 4 — Disko Bay and Ilulissat Icefjord

Sail into Disko Bay to explore the World Heritage site of Ilulissat Icefjord, a tongue of the Greenland ice cap that extends to the bay. Take an extraordinary cruise among towering icebergs at the mouth of the fjord. Then walk alongside this immense, calving glacier to the Inuit fishing village of Sermermiut.
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Day 5 — Uummannatsiaq

Stop at Uummannatsiaq, where a collection of mummies dating back to 1475 was discovered in 1972 among the remains of an old Inuit settlement. The mummies were featured on the cover of the February 1985 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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Days 6 through 13 — At Sea/Exploring the Canadian High Arctic

A day at sea brings us across Baffin Bay—named by explorer William Baffin when he ventured here in the 17th century on his search for the Northwest Passage—to Lancaster Sound, the eastern gateway to the Arctic Archipelago. The sound has been a favorite Inuit hunting and fishing location for thousands of years. Our days here will be spent searching for ringed seals, arctic foxes, walruses, and polar bears, as well as beluga, killer, and bowhead whales. We may even see the elusive narwhal, an Arctic whale known for the long, spiraling tooth that can project nearly ten feet from its upper jaw. Delve into the region’s human history on visits to archaeological sites of the Thule people and vibrant Inuit villages sustained by fishing and artistic traditions.
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Day 14 — Hall Peninsula

We spend another day in true expedition style, exploring the wild Hall Peninsula of Baffin Island. Hike the tundra in search of caribou and arctic foxes, or follow our botanist to learn more about the hardy Arctic plants. The exposed rocky cliffs of Monumental and Lady Franklin Islands are used as haul-outs by walruses. We’ll cruise the coastline in search of these icons of the Canadian North.
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Day 15 — South Baffin Island/Frobisher Bay

The southeastern tip of Baffin Island forms the mouth of the Hudson Strait and is surrounded by tiny islands. Lower Savage and Resolution Islands are often a summer home to polar bears stranded by the retreating pack ice. Navigate the ice floes and rocks in a Zodiac, and spot harbor seals frolicking in the icy waters. Continue into Frobisher Bay—named for the English navigator who came across it on his quest for the Northwest Passage—and sail towards Iqaluit.
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Days 16 & 17 — Iqaluit, Nunavut/Ottawa/U.S.

Disembark in Iqaluit and fly to Ottawa by chartered aircraft. Fly home the next day.
Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel
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