GREENLAND AND THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

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 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Fly from Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq, 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 3 Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg)

Located 24 miles (40 km) north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut is “rough, real and remote.” These three words cut to the core of Sisimiut’s reputation as an outdoor adventure-travel hub. It’s the second-largest city in Greenland with 5,600 inhabitants and was founded in 1756 under the leadership of the Danish missionary, Hans Egede. The name is Greenlandic meaning ‘place of fox dens.’  The area has been inhabited for 4,500 years, first by the Inuit peoples of the Saqqaq culture, Dorset culture, and then the Thule people, whose descendants comprise the majority of the current population.

One of the most picturesque towns in Greenland, Sisimiut  is set in a tranquil fjord perched on bare outcrops of rock. Mount Nasaasaaq, 784 m tall, is the backdrop for the town, where colourful houses of bright red, yellow, green and blue stand out in stark contrast to a landscape of gray and white. The Sisimiut Museum hosts a traditional Greenlandic peat house and the remains of an 18^th century kayak.

Day 4 Ilulissat (Jakobshavn)

There is no other place on Earth, other than Ilulissat, Greenland that can define itself by the size and volume of its icebergs. The name Ilulissat, in fact, is the Greenlandic word for ‘Iceberg’. This is truly an iceberg paradise! Despite its proximity to huge glaciers, people have lived here in excess of 4,000 years. The modern town of Ilulissat was founded in 1741 by the Danish merchant, Jacob Severin. With a current population of 4,500 it is the third-largest city in Greenland. The narrow inner harbor is lined by a kaleidoscope of colorful houses so typical of Greenlandic villages.

The mass and sheer volume of icebergs from nearby Jakobshavn Glacier has made Ilulissat the most popular tourist destination in Greenland. Moving at up to 45 meters (150’) per day, when averaged annually, the glacier drains 6.5% of the Greenland ice sheet and produces about 10% of all icebergs. For this reason, Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 5 Qeqertarsuaq

Qeqertarsuaq is a port and town on Disko Island, from which there are incredible mountain views, huge icebergs and whales to be seen.

Day 6 Uummannaq and Storøen Island

The community of Uummannaq sits at the base of a pyramidal peak of the same name a few miles across the Uummannaq fjord from Qiklakitso on the Nuusuaq Peninsula, in western Greenland.  The peak is a good place for a fairly strenuous but rewarding hike around the base of the mountain, for those with good balance and who don’t suffer from vertigo. The reward is a visit to a hut that was constructed for a television program and became known by children throughout Scandinavia as ‘Santa’s Castle.’ Returning to the little fishing and hunting village, expect a warm welcome from the hardy villagers, who get limited visits from outsiders despite the global fame of the archaeological discoveries made just across the fjord. (See also Qilakitsoq).

Day 7 Upernavik

The town of Upernavik, with its 1,100 inhabitants, marks the most northerly extent of our voyage in Greenland. Located in the Upernavik Archipelago, consisting of over 100 small islands, the very picturesque and colorful town is perched on the side of a steep rocky bay. Although founded in 1772, it was the site of much earlier exploration by Inuit hunters. Greenlandic sled dogs are the mode of winter transportation here, and can been seen staked out in the yards of the hunter’s homes. Their wooden sledges known as qamutiqs lay stacked atop each other awaiting the first snows of late Autumn.

It was near here in 1824 that a Viking runestone was found atop a mountain, between three rock cairns set in an equilateral triangle. Situated 33 kilometers (21 miles) to the west of Upemavik, Kingittorsuaq Island is the farthest north that any Norse artifact has ever been found. Known as the Kingittorsuaq runestone it displays the names of three Vikings and dates to approximately the 13th century A.D.

Day 8 Pond Inlet, Canada

Pond Inlet is a small, predominantly Inuit community, known for its scenery. Mountain ranges can be seen in all directions, in addition to icebergs, narwhals, beluga whales, birds and polar bears.

Day 9 Dundas Harbour (Devon Island) and Croker Bay, Nunavat

Days 10 – 12 At Sea

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

Day 13 Lady Franklin Island and Monumental Island, Nunavut

Lady Franklin Island is truly breathtaking in its appearance! The rock here is some of the oldest on Earth, having been formed some 2.5 to 4 billion years ago. Barren, rocky and exposed to the full wrath of the weather, the island is home to breeding seabirds, ducks and walrus. With a bit of luck, it’s possible to see Atlantic puffins and even the rare Sabine’s gull.

Monumental Island is home to nesting black guillemots and is a favorite resting spot for walrus as they may be viewed at numerous haulouts around the island. The elusive Polar bear patrols the ice-floes here in search of seals while a variety of whales feed offshore.

In 1845, British Royal Navy explorer Sir John Franklin, on the most technologically advanced expedition to date, vanished in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. Both islands were named by fellow Arctic explorer Charles Francis Hall as a tribute to the wife of Franklin and as a natural monument in memory of Franklin himself.

Days 14 – 15 At Sea

Reflect on the adventure you have just been on as it comes to an end. Spend this time editing your photos, or reminiscing with your fellow expeditioners.

Day 16 St Johns, Newfoundland

St John’s, the capital of Newfoundland, is the last port of call. As the ship squeezes through the ‘narrows’ and enters into the inner harbour, the cultural and traditional flavour of the city quickly becomes apparent. The two towers of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist are amongst the tallest buildings on St. John’s skyline. Heritage and culture are an important way of life here and enter into all facets of life. From the height and color of buildings, to a vibrant pub, folk and classical music scene, St. John’s has a style distinct from the rest of Canada. Its steep, hilly terrain is often compared to San Francisco. St. John’s is the oldest settlement in North America, having been discovered by John Cabot in 1497 and appearing on maps as early as 1519. It displays an architecture befitting one of the first British colonial capitals. Seventy-seven percent of the population is of English and Irish origin. Buildings are painted in the same vibrant colours of Greenland albeit, Canadian-style.