DEEP GREENLAND EXPEDITION

SHIPS OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Swan Hellenic Vega

The SH Vega is a 5 star elegant Scandi-design boutique ship offering you an intimate setting from which you will be fully immersed in all the sights and scenery of your voyage.  She made her maiden voyage in July 2022, and carries a maximum of 152 guest in 76 cabins. The ship incorporates a PC5 ice-strengthened hull combined with extra-large stabilisers to make your journey as smooth as possible.  For the comfort of guests, suites have a separate living room and bedroom. All staterooms are equipped with spacious wardrobes and bathrooms.

Day 1 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Day 2 Evigheds Glacier

The Evigheds Glacier, a majestic outflow from the Greenland Ice Sheet, carves through the dramatic Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord, also known as Eternity Fjord. This 75-km-long waterway is a haven for wildlife, with white-tailed eagles and black-legged kittiwakes soaring above. Calving icebergs showcase Greenland’s raw beauty, but sadly like many glaciers, it is slowly retreating due to global warming’s impact on this fragile Arctic ecosystem.

Day 3 Qeqertarsuaq

Qeqertarsuaq is the largest town on Disko Island, Greenland’s largest island, where colourful houses pop against dramatic red basalt mountains. Overlooked by striking Lyngemark Glacier, the area is shaped by its volcanic origin, unique terrain featuring dramatic basalt columns, rolling hills black sand beaches. Thanks to its relatively fertile landscape, it supports unique plant species, such as wild angelica, rarely found elsewhere in Greenland.

Day 4 Uummannaq

The word Uummannaq means ‘heart-shaped’ in Greenlandic and refers to the twin-peaked granite mountain shaped like a heart, which covers nearly the whole northern half of the island. Folklore has it that a piece of your heart remains on the island forever, calling you back. Sheltered by glaciated mountains, this charming fjord region is referred to as the sunniest spot in Greenland and has been a refuge for Inuit migrations for over 4,500 years.

Day 5 At Sea

Spend your day at sea enjoying the facilities available onboard. Head to the sauna, get in a workout in the state-of-the-art gym or relax in the hot tub while taking in incredible views along the way. If you prefer to learn a little more about your surroundings, listen to an informative talk or have a chat with one of the knowledgeable onboard experts.

Day 6 Thule

Venture into the remote Thule Region, one of the most isolated and historically significant areas in Greenland. This far-northern frontier is characterised by vast polar landscapes, stark tundra, drifting sea ice and immense Arctic silence. The region is closely tied to Polar exploration history and Inuit survival traditions in one of the harshest inhabited environments on Earth.

Day 7 Siorapaluk and Qaanaaq

In Siorapaluk, home to a small Polar Inuit community, gain insight into a traditional hunting culture that has endured for centuries. With colourful houses set against a backdrop of ice-strewn waters and rugged mountains, this tiny settlement reflects resilience and deep connection to the Arctic environment.

Later, call at Qaanaaq, the largest town in northwest Greenland and one of the northernmost towns on the planet. Here you may learn more about modern Polar Inuit life, Arctic traditions and the challenges of living in such an extreme latitude. The surrounding scenery — floating ice, wide horizons and vast sky — reinforces how remote and extraordinary this region truly is.

Day 8 At Sea

Spend your day at sea enjoying the facilities available onboard. Head to the sauna, get in a workout in the state-of-the-art gym or relax in the hot tub while taking in incredible views along the way. If you prefer to learn a little more about your surroundings, listen to an informative talk or have a chat with one of the knowledgeable onboard experts.

Day 9 Upernavik

Colourful homes dot the hillside of this harbour town. Upernavik’s history unfolds at the open-air Upernavik Museum with a church, grocers and original colonial buildings, alongside whale hunting, sea kayaking and Viking and Norse history with the Kingittorsuaq Runestone. To the north, the Upernavik Icefjord is dotted with icebergs. Nearby Apparsuit Island hosts the world’s largest seabird cliffs, teeming with black-legged kittiwakes.

Day 10 Eqip Sermia Glacier

Eqi Glacier, or Eqip Sermia in Greenlandic, is one of Greenland’s largest and most active calving glaciers, spanning nearly 4 km wide and towering over 200 m. Visitors can almost always witness calving, where pieces of ice break off the glacier’s face, creating deafening bangs and giant splashes that send waves across the bay. The contrast between thunderous calving and the ensuing silence provides a glimpse of Greenland’s dynamic icy landscape.

Day 11 Ilulissat Icefjord

Sailing through the iceberg capital of the world to Disko Bay, the Ilulissat Icefjord is one of the cruise highlights. Given UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the Ilulissat Icefjord is a popular tourist destination, and thanks to the productive Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, thousands of gargantuan icebergs calve from the Greenland ice cap into the sea. The city of Ilulissat is home to many sled-dogs.

Day 12 Sisimiut

The second largest town in Greenland, just above the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut remains remarkably ice free in winter and is known as an adventure sports hub all year round. Inhabited for more than 4,500 years by the Dorset, Thule and eventually the Inuit people, dog sledding remains a vital form of transportation. The area is home to humpback whales and Arctic foxes in their summer coat.

Day 13 Kangerlussuaq

Return to Kangerlussuaq and disembark. Farewell your fellow travellers and continue your onwards journey.