ICELAND TO GREENLAND CRUISE 

SHIPS OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Swan Hellenic Vega

Making her maiden voyage in July 2022, 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 will carry 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

Make sure there is sufficient timeto explore this diminutive but dramatic capital city. Despite its small size, you won’t be short of things to see and do. To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of Hallgrímskirkja. This church, designed by famed Icelandic architect Gudjón Samuelsson is one of the most distinctive buildings in town. When you return to earth, visit the city’s other renowned building Harpa Concert Hall, located at the heart of Reykjavík’s regenerated harbour – also the home of the Maritime Museum. Speaking of cultural spaces, tour the National Museum to learn

Day 2 Day At Sea

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

Day 3 Skjoldungen

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 Cruise 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 Gronnedal and Ivittuut

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.

Days 6 and 7 Nigerdlikasik Fjord and Glacier and Maniitsoq and Semilinnguaq 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.

Picturesque Maniitsoq, Greenland’s sixth-largest town, is nestled among jagged peaks on Maniitsoq Island. Cliffs teem with birdlife and whales visit the waters seasonally. The small museum, housed in four old colonial buildings, displays Maniitsoq’s history and intricately beaded collars from West Greenlandic women’s national dress. Staircases offer panoramic views, including the 470-step climb up the “Eiffel Tower” or Sakkortusaavik.

Sailing through Semilinnguaq Fjord reveals the raw, untamed beauty of the Arctic. Sheer granite walls rise dramatically from deep waters, their reflections shimmering in mirror-like stillness. Whales occasionally breach or glide below the surface, adding life to the scene, while the calls of seabirds echo through the serene landscape. This journey offers a glimpse of some of the planet’s most untouched and awe-inspiring scenery.

Days 8 and 9 Evigheds Glacier and Qeqertarsuaq

A jewel of the Westfjords, Vigur is the fjord’s second-largest island and a thriving seabird sanctuary. Flocks of arctic terns, puffins, guillemots and eider ducks nest atop rocky cliffs. As one of only two inhabited islands, Vigur supports a family farm continuing the centuries-old eiderdown harvest across 3,500 nests. This remote pillar also houses Iceland’s sole windmill, its tiniest post office and a 200-year-old, still-seaworthy rowing boat.

Qeqertarsuaq is the largest town on Disko Island, Greenland’s largest island, on its west coast, part of Disko Bay, a UNESCO-listed site for its icebergs. The Lyngemark Glacier rises above the town. The area’s hills, basalt columns and black sand beaches reflect its volcanic origin. The area is fertile and home to species not found elsewhere in Greenland. Keep an eye out for its hot springs as we move through floating icebergs.

Days 10 and 11 Eqip Sermia Glacier, Disko Bay and Ilulissat

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, it has been an Inuit home for millennia. The village of Qeqertarsuaq embodies thriving Inuit traditions, preserving the cultural legacy.

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 northernmost city 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 Nuuk

On the final morning of your expedition, we arrive in in Nuuk home to more than a third of Greenlanders, the capital of Nuuk has a thriving cultural scene including the Greenland National Museum, home to the world-renowned Qilakitsoq mummies.

Please note:

This itinerary provides general information about each destination and is weather dependent and some venues and highlights mentioned may not be open or accessible on the day. For the most accurate tour program, we recommend contacting us closer to your departure date.