GLACIERS, FJORDS AND INDIGENOUS CULTURES

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Seabourn Venture

Seabourn Venture was launched in July of 2022, designed and built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards. She includes a plethora of modern hardware and technology that will extend the ship’s global deployment and capabilities. This ship features an innovative design, created specifically for the ultra-luxury expedition traveller. She is also designed to carry a complement of double sea kayaks as well as 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all onboard guests at once, which will allow for a truly immersive experience. Venture features 132 all veranda, all ocean-front suites.

Day 1 Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavík, established by Viking settler Ingólfur Arnarson around 870 C.E, is the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland. The census of 1703 recorded that Reykjavík had 69 residents and consisted of a farm and a church. The impressive statue of Leif Erikson, in the center of town, reminds all of Iceland’s Viking heritage. Its name translates to ‘smoky bay’, due to the geothermal nature of the surrounding area.

Today about 200.000 people live in the Icelandic capital, roughly 60% of the country’s population. It has evolved into a sophisticated city. The northernmost national capital in the world is also one of the cleanest, greenest, and safest on Earth.  Walking Reykjavik streets one will find rich culture, history, music, shopping and in the late hours vibrant night-life. Colorful rooftops and the elegant spire of Hallgrímskirkja Church dominate Reykjavik’s skyline. Known for its arts, Reykjavik hosts a number of internationally recognized festivals, notably the Iceland Air music festival, Reykjavik Arts Festival and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.

Board the ship.

Day 2 Heimaey, Westman Islands

Heimaey Island is the largest in the Westman Islands located four miles off the south-west coast of Iceland. One of the most visually impressive islands in Iceland, it is ringed by tall, vertical sea cliffs many hundreds of feet high.  Heimaey is also the home to over eight million Atlantic puffins, more nesting puffins than anywhere else on earth. A local story tells that puffin chicks, taking their first flights at night, often become stranded in the village streets, where the local children rescue them and set them free the next day.

In January of 1973 the island received the nickname, ‘Pompeii of the North’ when a volcanic eruption and lava flow destroyed half the town. This caused a crisis when the town’s only harbor was nearly blocked by advancing lava. Nowadays it is a lively place with a vibrant culture and over four thousand residents. Archaeological excavations suggest that people lived on Heimaey as early as the 10th Century.

Day 3 At Sea

Spend this time at your own leisure. Relax and make the most of the facilities on the ship, or look for bird and marine life from the observation decks.

Day 4 Kulusuk Fjord, Greenland

Kulusuk, also known as Kap Dan, is an island of south-east Greenland, rich with traditional culture, including drum dance performances and dogsledding. There are plenty of hiking opportunities in the area, allowing for incredible views of the impressive Kulusuk Fjord.

Day 5 Umivik Bay

On the King Frederick VI Coast of Greenland’s southeast quadrant, the semi-circular Umivik Bay is carved out just north of the Denmark Strait. Unlike the sheer cliffs and rugged terrain presented by much of the coastline, the shores inside the bay are smooth and the massive Greenland Ice Sheet comes right down to the shore in undulating slopes. This profile persuaded Fritjof Nansen to select the bay as the starting point of his successful 1888 expedition to cross Greenland over the ice sheet. There are several large islands in the bay, including Uppernattivik Island smack in the middle. There are calving glaciers to survey and a landing is possible here as well.

Day 6 Skjoldungen Fjord

Imagine a narrow fjord bordered by rugged peaks, vertical rock walls and serpentine rivers of ice plunging into the sea. This is Skjoldungen Fjord, named by Wilhelm August Graah after the honorific title Skjoldungen which, according to Norse mythology, was given to successors of legendary King Skjold to the Danish throne.

Numerous tidewater glaciers calve during the summer, releasing large chunks of ice that plunge into the fjord. Above, huge crevasses and free-standing pillars of ice, known as seracs, are silhouetted against a blue Greenlandic sky. Barren of large trees, Skjoldungen Fjord is carpeted in colourful dwarf birch and willow forests that may grow several feet high, as well as a variety of low-growing Arctic wildflowers.

This fjord was likely inhabited by Paleo-Eskimo (Inuit) nomadic people as early as 4,000 years ago. Archaeological remains of later historical periods, such as Thule culture graves, have also been found, indicating that Inuit people have lived in the area continuously. Scattered within this stunning scenery are remains of more recent abandoned Inuit dwellings along the fjord’s western shores.

Day 7 Prince Christian’s Sound and Tasermiut Fjord

The transit of the Prince Christian Sound is one of the highlights of cruising in Greenland. The approximately 60-mile sound cuts between the mainland and an archipelago of islands from east to west, under the southern edge of the massive Greenland Ice Sheet, which covers 80 percent of the island. The sound is narrow, sometimes as little as 1500 feet across, and numerous glaciers reach the sea on its shores, calving icebergs into the sound. High, barren and sharply defined peaks tower on both sides. Animal life is more abundant, with minke, fin and blue whales seen frequently, as well as ringed and bearded seals that haul out on the floating ice. It is a breathtaking display of natural splendor in the severe, rugged vernacular of rock, ice and sea that is unique to the arctic realm.

Tasermiut Fjord stretches for more than 40 miles along the coast of southwestern Greenland.  Known as the “Patagonia of the North,” this glacial inlet is revered for its breathtaking beauty, with jagged, sky-high peaks mirroring off the icy waters. Rock climbers have long coveted it for some of the sport’s best “big walls” — the massive Ulamertorsuaq, often compared to Yosemite’s El Capitan; Nalumasortoq, noted for its distinctive, “open book” shape; and the Ketil pyramid — all of which reach more than 6,000 feet in height. Tasermiut had terminated at a glacial front just a few decades ago; since then, climate change has caused noticeable retreat and created a “hanging” glacier that no longer connects to the fjord.  Seabourn guests explore Tasermiut by Zodiac and, if conditions allow, can join the Kayak Team on an optional paddle along the pristine shoreline.

Day 8 Igaliku and Hvalsey

Twelve miles by Zodiac up the Hvalseyjarfjord from Qaqortoq, the largest community in South Greenland, lies the most prominent Norse archaeological site in Greenland. The so-called Eastern Settlement lasted from the 10^th until the mid-15^th century. Your expedition team archaeologist can interpret for you the ruins of the great halls and church at Hvalsey that hint of a prospering medieval farmstead. The site evokes an era when the Norse were trading with the indigenous Thule people of the area for furs and ivory, which were a prized commodities in Europe. A wedding held in the church in 1408 comprises the last written record of the Norse adventure in Greenland. Within a few years, Hvalsey and the rest of other Norse communities of Greenland withered as immigrants returned to the more established communities in Iceland and Norway. The site’s meadows of wildflowers sloping up from the fjord give a sense of the peaceful community that existed here in that long-ago summer.

Day 9 Qaqortoq

Day 10 Brattahlid (Qassiarsuk)

In the year A.D. 985 infamous Viking explorer Eric the Red sailed into Eriksfjord. It was here at Brattahlíð that he established his private estate. Some 5,000 Viking settlers eventually followed him to populate an area that became known as the Eastern Settlement. Under 100 people live here today, making their living by farming sheep just as the Norse did 1,150 years earlier. Renamed Qassiarsuk the pastoral village boasts the oldest church built in the Americas. Today a living history museum, the tiny sod-roofed church is complete with curators dressed in period clothing of the Viking era. Numerous Norse ruins can be found here, including a recently unearthed graveyard containing the remains of 144 Viking colonists. Proudly overlooking the village, is the remarkable bronze statue of Erik the Red.

Day 11 Ivittuut

The abandoned mining town of Ivittuut can be found near Cape Desolation in south-west Greenland. It has a distinct farming and mining history; being one of the few places in the world to have naturally occurring cryolite, which is an important agent in aluminium extraction.

Day 12 Nuuk (Godthab)

Greenland’s capital Nuuk, is a city of vitality and Greenlandic culture. It’s here that old traditions and modern influences combine to create a diverse population. Nuuk is the home of the University of Greenland with its 650 students and the Greenland National Museum with is its extensive historical archives and cultural displays. Also of interest are the Nuuk Art Museum and the Kayak Museum. The Art Museum holds a body of 300 paintings primarily featuring the work of traveling European artists, while the Kayak Museum houses a very impressive collection of sealskin kayaks and traditional hunting artifacts. The modest wooden frame of the Nuuk Cathedral, built in 1849, is a recognizable landmark on Nuuk’s skyline.

The site of Nuuk was occupied as far back as 2,200 B.C.E. by ancient pre-Inuit peoples from Canada. It was settled again in the 10th century by Viking explorers. The current city was founded in 1728 by Danish missionary Hans Egede. A statue of Egede stands adjacent to the cathedral.

Day 13 Camp Kangiusaq

Camp Kangiusaq is a glamping site deep in the Nuuk fjord, with excellent views, hiking opportunities, and perhaps some kayaking and paddleboarding. There is plenty of wildlife to see, including seals, humpback whales and birdlife.

Day 14 Evighedsfjorden

Evighedsfjorden, the danish name for ‘Fjord of Eternity’, is a fjord that flows in a deep canyon through a mountainous, uninhabited region, emptying into the Davis Strait. There are plenty of hiking opportunities in the area, and incredible scenery.

Day 15 Kangerlussuaq

Kangerlussuaq is a small town in western Greenland, at the eastern end of a deep fjord. The town is known for its airport, at which the museum explores the town’s history as a US airbase during WWII. The Greenland Ice Sheet and Russell Glacier are nearby.

Day 16 Reykjavik, Iceland

End your adventure in Reykjavík, established by Viking settler Ingólfur Arnarson around 870 C.E, being the first permanent settlement in Iceland. The census of 1703 recorded that Reykjavík had 69 residents and consisted of a farm and a church. The impressive statue of Leif Erikson, in the centre of town, reminds all of Iceland’s Viking heritage. Its name translates to ‘smoky bay’, due to the geothermal nature of the surrounding area.

Today about 200.000 people live in the Icelandic capital, roughly 60% of the country’s population. It has evolved into a sophisticated city. The northernmost national capital in the world is also one of the cleanest, greenest, and safest on Earth.  Walking Reykjavik streets one will find rich culture, history, music, shopping and in the late hours vibrant night-life. Colourful rooftops and the elegant spire of Hallgrímskirkja Church dominate Reykjavik’s skyline. Known for its arts, Reykjavik hosts a number of internationally recognised festivals, notably the Iceland Air music festival, Reykjavik Arts Festival and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.