NORTHWEST PASSAGE: ALASKA TO GREENLAND

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

National Geographic Resolution

National Geographic Resolution was launched in 2021 and is purpose-built for polar navigation for 128 guests. She is a fully stabilised, highly strengthened, ice-class Polar Class 5 (PC5) vessel. She is designed to navigate polar passages year-round, and safely explore uncharted waters, while providing exceptional comfort. Its patented X-BOW® provides an extremely smooth ride in even adverse conditions, and even reduces spray on deck, for superior observation. She carries a full suite of expedition tools and offers a variety of experience-enhancing amenities. Restaurants on board feature local, sustainable choice and unassigned seating for flexible inclusive dining. All cabins face outside with large windows and private facilities, with 53 of them having balconies. Cabins are equipped with TVs, Wi-Fi connection and hair dryers. There is a focus on wellness on board, featuring a glass-enclosed yoga studio, a gym, treatment rooms and high and low-heat saunas with ocean views.

Day 1 Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Arrive in Anchorage this afternoon and enjoy exploring the quaint city streets at your leisure. Check in with our hospitality desk this afternoon, making your last arrangements before our charter flight the following day.

Day 2 Anchorage to Nome

Arrive by chartered aircraft in the remote city of Nome, Alaska, on the coast of the Bering Sea. Explore the town prior to embarking National Geographic Resolution. Settle into your cabin and enjoy lunch and dinner on board.

Days 3 – 5 At Sea

As you sail eastward along the northern coast of Alaska, scan the water for marine life and enjoy life on board. Take a yoga class, unwind with a massage in the wellness centre and curl up next to the fireplace in the library. Visit the Bridge and learn about navigation. Relax in one of the twin infinity hot tubs or spend some time in the only igloo at sea. Learn about the area from or onboard historians, naturalists and photographers, and enjoy exceptional dining options.

Day 6 Herschel Island, Yukon Territory

Once a thriving whaling village off the coast of the Yukon Territory, Herschel Island is now classified as a Natural Environmental Park. The island protects the wildlife alongside the heritage of the Inuvialuit people and the whaling industry. As you wander through Herschel’s historic dwellings, keep an eye out for the wildlife residents, which include bears, musk oxen and arctic foxes. The area is also home to the largest colony of black guillemots in the Western Arctic.

Day 7 At Sea

Indulge in National Geographic Resolution’s amenities as you continue along the shores of the Canadian High Arctic. Soak in the ship’s infinity-style outdoor hot tubs, take in panoramic views from the rooftop observation deck and enjoy talks from onboard experts.

Days 8 – 17 Northwest Passage

National Geographic Resolution, purpose-built to ply polar waters, navigates the Northwest Passage following nature’s path—dependent on ice and weather conditions.

Cross the top of the Northwest Territory of Canada to search for polar bear, ringed seals, arctic foxes, musk oxen and walruses. Along the way, explore ice-studded channels and glacier-carved islands that stretch for hundreds of miles. Sail past the northernmost part of mainland North America through the Bellot Strait, one of the narrowest and most infamous straits of the passage. Visit Devon Island and take a walk with your ship’s archaeologist to learn about the Thule people (ancestors of the modern Inuit) that once inhabited this region.

History and culture are also on the itinerary. Learn about the Inuit peoples who have hunted and fished here for thousands of years, and hear heroic stories of the early explorers.

Days 18 – 20 East Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

Explore some of the beautiful bays and inlets along Baffin Island’s Lancaster Sound, a favourite Inuit hunting and fishing location for hundreds of years. Carved by Ice Age glaciers, Lancaster Sound is also the eastern gateway to the Arctic Archipelago, where European explorers like William Baffin first ventured in the 17th century to search for the Northwest Passage. Your days here are spent searching for ringed seals, arctic foxes, walruses and polar bears, as well as beluga and bowhead whales.

Day 21 Disko Bay and Ilulissat

Sail into Qeqertarsuup Tunua, also known as Disko Bay, where you’ll be welcomed by floating icebergs calved off the world’s most active glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq. Enjoy an extraordinary cruise aboard local boats among towering icebergs of the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Ilulissat Icefjord. Visit the town of Ilulissat and hike into the Sermermiut Valley, once an Inuit settlement and now the home to a peaceful boardwalk overlooking the Icefjord.

Day 22 Greenland’s West Coast and Sisimiut

Cruise the length of Kangerlussuaq Fjord en route to Sisimiut. Dozens of deep fjords carve into Greenland’s west coast, many with glaciers fed by the ice cap that covers 80 percent of the country. At Sisimiut, a former whaling port, enjoy your choice of guided walks through the sights and sounds of the village, including Dog Town or Sallinnguit, a small island with centuries of history from Inuit culture through colonisation and current day industry. In your free time, enjoy a local food tasting, visit the open-air museum or explore the local artisan workshops.

Day 23 Nuuk to Reykjavik, Iceland

Disembark in Nuuk and join the recommended group flight to Reykjavik; transfers to the nearby hotel and luggage assistance will be provided. Upon arrival, enjoy an included dinner and overnight.

Day 24 Reykjavik

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.