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National Geographic Endurance

Launching in 2020, the National Geographic Endurance is a next-generation expedition ship, purpose built for polar navigation. The Category A vessel is a fully stabilized, highly strengthened ship designed to navigate polar-passages and uncharted waters all year round. Designed to provide an extremely smooth ride in even the most adverse of conditions, reduced spray on deck and wave-splicing action making for superior observation.

Day 1 Oslo, Norway

Overview:

Arrive in Oslo, the capital city of Norway. Enjoy a stroll amoung the Vigeland sculpture, hunderds of life-sized human figures in a park. Continue on the Polar Ship Fram Museum which is dedicated to Norwegian explorers Nansen and Amundsen. You have the evening at your leisure to enjoy a good night’s rest and perhaps visit one of the nearby restaurants.

Day 2 Oslo/Tromsø/Embark

Take a charter flight to from Oslo to Tromsø where you will board the National Geographic Endurance and set sail.

Day 3 Tysfjorden

Explore the dramatic, glacier-carved Norwegian coastline of Tysfjorden, where the fjord’s almost vertical walls surround the ship. By Zodiac and kayak, get closer views of the birch forests, tumbling waterfalls, and small villages on the rocky shore. Nearby, the U-shaped valley of Hellmobotn cuts nearly to Sweden and has a trail to hike taking you almost to the border.

Day 4 Nordfjord/Svartisen

Svartisen National Park consists of a large ice field of the central Norwegian coast. Enter the park on a beautiful fjord called Nordfjord. As you cross the park boundary, the sheer walls of the fjord tower above the ship. The Captain anchors the ship near the mouth of a glacier fed river flowing down from a hanging glacier off the main ice field of Svartisen. Your morning will be spent gasping at the scenery taking walks ashore in the birch meadows and possibly kayaking in the protected waters. Enjoy zodiac cruising along the shores to view the numerous waterfalls cascading down the rock walls. Be on deck as you cruise into one of the most famous fjords in Norway, the short yet dramatic Trollfjord, and search the cliffs for Norway’s mythical beings: trolls.

Day 5 Lofoten Islands

The Lofoten Archipelago is an enchanting region of picturesque seaside villages backed by jagged peaks. Your morning will be spent walking ashore in a small village along the coast. The area is still quite important as a cod fishing center. Drying racks are scattered on the exposed coastal shores providing evidence of the thriving industry of the archipelago. Later, go ashore on the island of Vaeroy at the site of an abandoned historical village which now has a few modern summer homes for locals from the nearby communities. Walk ashore along the old wagon track which was previously the only way villagers could get to the main community to go to church. By Zodiac, view nesting seabirds: Atlantic puffins, razorbills, and guillemots.

Days 6-8 At Sea/ Jan Mayen, Norway/ At Sea

Norway’s Jan Mayen, a remote volcanic island used as a weather station, sits in the middle of the north Atlantic more than 800 kilometres from anywhere. Head ashore in Zodiacs to explore the black sand beaches, glaciers, hot springs, and endemic flora and fauna. Along with walrus, puffins and whales in the surrounding waters. Days at sea will allow time for relaxation. Attend staff presentations on the wildlife and geology of the region, watch for whales from the bridge, or enjoy a rigorous workout in the fitness center with its “million-dollar” views.

Days 9-13 Exploring Northeast Greenland National Park

Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world, is a pristine swath of Arctic wilderness in the northeast corner of Greenland. There, you’ll find towering mountains, glacial lagoons, and tremendous wildlife- polar bears, musk oxen and walrus. National Geographic Endurance, with its PC 5 ice class makes it possible to navigate the region’s dense pack ice and explore up close and personal to the coastline and inlets of the park.

Days 14-16 East Greenland, Scoresbysund/Exploring

With flexibility and exploration as the National Geographic Endurances priorities, you will head just south of the national park to Scoresbysund, the largest fjord in the world, where you may see the elusive narwhal, Atlantic walrus, and beluga whales. On the nearby shore sits the brightly colored Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland. The town is blocked by sea ice for most of the year, and its inhabitants—fewer than 500 of them—survive by hunting and fishing the surrounding waters. This is also the time of year where it is possible to view the Northern Lights and the ships staff will be scanning for optimal timing and are available to help you photograph the experience.

Day 17 Northwest Island

Explore the beautiful and peaceful Westfjords region of Iceland. Perhaps take a hike to a remote waterfall or a Zodiac cruise alongside stunning scenery. Enter Ísafjarðardjúp and land at Vigur Island to visit the Eider Farm and view the down cleaning process.

Day 18 Flatey Island/Látrabjarg

Explore Iceland’s western frontier. Visit Flatey Island, a trading post for many centuries, to walk around the charming little hamlet and take a Zodiac cruise along the coast. Sail past the immense Látrabjarg cliffs, the westernmost point of Iceland and home to a huge population of razorbills.

Day 19 Disembark Reykjavik, Iceland

Disembark in Reykjavík with options to visit either the famous Blue Lagoon thermal baths or hot springs, a geothermal power plant and a horse farm before your unforgettable experience comes to an end.