ICELAND TO GREENLAND
__________________
13 DAYS
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Reykjavik, Iceland | Explore the capital's waterfront, culture and architecture before embarking |
| Day 2 | At Sea | Ocean crossing with lectures, deck views and onboard enrichment |
| Day 3 | Skjoldungen, Greenland | Scenic fjord with glaciers, icebergs and dramatic mountain backdrop |
| Day 4 | Prins Christian Sund and Aappilattoq | Magnificent granite cliffs and glaciers, visit Inuit village with colourful Nordic houses |
| Day 5 | Kangilinnguit and Ivittut | Wildlife and tundra, abandoned mining history and muskoxen |
| Day 6 | Nigerdlikasik Fjord | Dramatic scenery with ice formations, meltwater streams, steep cliffs and valleys |
| Day 7 | Nuuk | Greenland's capital city with Inuit culture, museums, and colourful harbour |
| Day 8 | Evigheds Glacier | Haven for wildlife, white-tailed eagles and black-legged kittiwakes, calving glaciers |
| Day 9 | Qeqertarsuaq | Colourful houses against dramatic red basalt mountains, black sand beaches |
| Day 10 | Eqip Sermia Glacier and Disko Bay | One of Greenland's largest and most active calving glaciers, Inuit culture, whales, and icebergs |
| Day 11 | Ilulissat Icefjord | Thousands of calving gargantuan icebergs, sled-dogs |
| Day 12 | Sisimiut | Dorset, Thule and Inuit culture, dog-sledding, humpback whales and Arctic foxes |
| Day 13 | Kangerlussuaq | Haven for wildlife including reindeer, arctic foxes, arctic hare, gyrfalcons and muskoxen |
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 Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavík, despite its small size, is the capital of Iceland. At the top of the town stands the distinctive Hallgrímskirkja church, designed by renowned Icelandic architect Guðjón Samúelsson. The revitalised harbour area features the futuristic Harpa Concert Hall and the Maritime Museum, showcasing the city’s cultural heritage A trip to Reykjavík would be incomplete without a visit to the Blue Lagoon, famous for its therapeutic geothermal waters. Embark the ship here.
Day 2 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 3 Skjoldungen, Greenland
On the craggy east coast of Greenland, the stunningly scenic, U-shaped Skjoldungen Fjord is surrounded by lofty snow-capped mountains, dwarf birch, Arctic wildflowers and willow forests ending with the Thrym Glacier. High rock walls, serpentine rivers and large crevasses of ice pillars known as seracs give way to carved icebergs in the fjord that gleam in a white to blue spectrum. You might also have the opportunity to see whales.
Day 4 Prins Christian Sund and Aappilattoq
The remote and beautiful Prins Christian Sund fjord carves a dramatic path between magnificent granite cliffs and glaciers, offering a stunning panorama of icebergs, rugged peaks and crystal-clear waters. Stretching 100 km at the southernmost tip of Greenland,this long and winding passage separates the mainland from Sammisoq and the Cape Farewell Archipelago, creating a breathtaking waterway that captivates adventurers and nature lovers alike.
Colourful Nordic houses stand against dramatic mountain ridges encircling Aappilattoq, a remote Inuit village in Greenland’s Prins Christian Sund. Accessible only by boat or helicopter, Aappilattoq is home to around 100 rugged individuals who make a living through fishing and hunting. Often called the southernmost inhabited area in Greenland, Aappilattoq is in fact at the midpoint of the east and west coasts.
Day 5 Kangilinnguit (Gronnedal) and Ivittut
Kangilinnguit, formerly Grønnedal, is a historic spot in southwest Greenland and an area of exceptional natural beauty. Once a key U.S. WWII naval base, it lies near Ivigtut and the cryolite mine in scenic Arsuk Fjord. Ships navigate a narrow channel past the Kajartalik lighthouse, Arsuk village and Kungnat Bay, where dramatic landscapes unfold, including the towering 4,600-ft Mt. Kungnait and the breathtaking Arsuk Glacier at the fjord’s head.
The deserted mining town of Ivittuut (formerly Ivigtut) was once vital for WWII aircraft production with the world’s largest reserve of cryolite, a mineral used in aluminium production. Abandoned houses, the enormous mine pit and above-ground cemetery reveal the history of this settlement. Scattered cryolite chunks on the rocky shore mix with relics like old engines from when Inuit used cryolite for snuff. Now only muskoxen roam this eerie place.
Day 6 Nigerdlikasik Fjord
Nigerdlikasik, at the end of Kvanefjord, is a remote and relatively untouched wilderness offering solitude and stunning views of steep cliffs, mountains and the Nigerdlikasik Brae, a small glacier ice field. The glacial ice creates dramatic scenery with ice formations, meltwater streams, steep cliffs and valleys. Carved by ancient ice, the fjord’s volcanic geology and rare-earth mineral deposits make it visually and geologically significant.
Day 7 Nuuk
Home to more than a third of Greenlanders, the capital of Greenland has a thriving cultural scene including the Greenland National Museum, home to the world-renowned Qilakitsoq mummies. Also known by its Danish name of Godthåb (Good Hope), Nuuk’s bustling harbour features Nuuk Cathedral and colourful wooden houses, alongside modern architecture. Nuuk also serves as a gateway to Inuit experiences and adventures in the surrounding fjords and mountains.
Day 8 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 9 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 10 Eqip Sermia Glacier and Disko Bay
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.
Known for its Inuit culture, whales, and icebergs, Disko Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Western Greenland. The bay is also home to the Ilulissat Icefjord, one of the fastest-moving glaciers in the world. First visited by Europeans in 1596 in search of a Northwest Passage to Asia, the region has been inhabited by Inuit communities for centuries. The village of Qeqertarsuaq embodies thriving Inuit traditions, preserving a rich and evolving cultural legacy.
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
Once a WWII airbase at the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, Kangerlussuaq’s history is told at the airport’s museum, showcasing Inuit artefacts. This ice-filled glacial area and tundra is a haven for wildlife, including reindeer, arctic foxes, arctic hare, gyrfalcons and around 10,000 muskoxen. Disembark here and continue on your onwards journey.