EAST AND SOUTH GREENLAND EXPLORER – AURORA BOREALIS
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15 DAYS
Southeast Greenland offers many historic sites relating to ancient Thule, Norse, and Moravian culture while also allowing you to walk in the footsteps of famed polar explorers like Fridtjof Nansen. Glaciers, icebergs, and fjords make for a dazzling environment where you may see polar bears, and the crossing to Iceland will give you a great opportunity to observe migrating whales and seabirds. Along the way, the Northern Lights will guide you.
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Akureyri, Iceland | Embark the ship and set sail |
| Days 2 - 14 | East Greenland | Mighty fjords and valleys, incredible wildlife including polar bears and narwhals, visit hot springs and charming small towns |
| Day 15 | Narsarsuaq | Disembark in the early morning |
Ship Offering This Itinerary
Plancius
The Plancius accommodates up to 108 passengers in 53 passenger cabins all with private ammenities. Built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy, she sailed for the Navy until 2004 when she was used as an expedition vessel. Offering a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3, a spacious observation lounge with large windows and a bar on deck 5 and a library on deck 5there is no shortage of places to relax. There are large open deck spaces on the Plancius, especially on Deck 4 with full walk-around possibilities for optimal wildlife spotting and enjoying the scenery. The Plancius carries 10 Mark V zodiacs, with 40 HP 4-stroke outboard engines and 2 gangways on the starboard side, guaranteeing a swift zodiac operation. Whilst the Plancius is comfortable and well equipped, the focus is on spending as much time on shore as possible.
Day 1 Akureyri, Iceland
Arrive into Akureyri. In the early evening, the ship departs from the port of Akureyri, sailing north toward the Denmark Strait.
Days 2 – 14 East Greenland
Sailing to east Greenland
While sailing north, you will likely see various bird life, including fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, and common guillemots. You then cross the Arctic Circle, possibly spotting whales. By evening, the first icebergs flash into sight with your approach to the east Greenland Blosseville coast, a wild, remote, and dramatic area. With a fresh breeze in the air, your Arctic adventure has truly begun.
A myriad of mighty fjords and valleys
Sailing southward along the East Greenland coast, enter several fjords competing in beauty: d’Aunay, Nansen, Kangerlussuaq, and possibly either Ikersuaq or Kangertitsivaqmiit. Most of these fjords feature glacier front at the head, and any one of them can offer you a chance to spot polar bears and narwhals. The head of Mikis Fjord provides good possibilities for a long hike. The landscapes you will see in this area are typical of this part of Greenland and are especially beautiful.
Smalltown Greenland
Tasiilaq, once known as Angmagssalik (about 2,000 inhabitants), is your next port of call. This charming town is the center of East Greenland, boasting a museum where you can learn about the colorful local history of this incredibly remote area.
In the steps of Nansen
Sail south to land at Umivik, an accessible bay where the explorer Fridtjof Nansen ascended the Greenland ice sheet during his pioneering 1888 Greenland expedition. Nansen and his party crossed the Greenland ice sheet, reaching Godthaab on the west coast, where they remained for several months before being picked up. In Umivik, you may even be able to trace his footsteps with a short walk in the area.
The valley of Mariedal
Today, circumnavigate Skjoldungen through one of the most spectacular fjords of southeast Greenland. Land at Qornoq to see the remains of houses from the Thule culture. Then visit Mariedal, a beautiful valley once frequented by Greenlanders, to collect berries in autumn.
Exploring Greenland’s settled past
Moving on to Timmiarmiut, see an abandoned Greenlandic settlement and, weather-dependent, possibly sail into the fjord. Polar bears have sometimes been spotted here. As an alternative, you may visit Igutsait, another fjord just to the south.
Prins Christian Sund mountains
One of the highlights of the voyage is the passing of the Prins Christian Sund, surrounded by mountains of over 1,000 metres. Land at Svaerdfiskens Havn or, in the evening, at Ikigait, once known as Herjolfsnes, a former Norse settlement.
Hot springs and Moravian mission
Try to get to Uunartoq, where you can bathe in a large, hot natural spring surrounded by icebergs. Across the bay, at Vagar, find the remains of a Norse homestead. Later, reach Lichtenau, a lovely, though nearly deserted, Greenlandic village where the Herrnhuters established and maintained a religious mission in the 18th century. Some of their large German-style buildings still remain.
Erik the Red’s base
In Eriksfjord, land at Ittileq, in a bay from which you can walk 4 km into Igaliku (Gardar). In this small Greenlandic village, see the remains of a 13th-century Norse church and other ruins. Then, in the afternoon, visit Bratthalid, the base of Erik the Red, the famous Norse explorer who was the first European to found a settlement in Greenland. This sub-Arctic area has birch trees, agriculture, and cattle – not common across much of Greenland. Later that evening, arrive at Narssarsuaq for the final night of your voyage.
Day 15 Narsarsuaq
On the final day of your journey, you will disembark the vessel in Narsarsuaq, concluding your Arctic adventure. From the nearby WW2-era airport, you may choose to fly to destinations such as Copenhagen, Keflavik, or Nuuk, or opt to continue exploring Greenland at your own pace. While the voyage comes to an end, the unforgettable moments and discoveries will stay with you forever.