Lined with picturesque fishing villages, and sweeping sea vistas framed by a rocky coastline, the route of the Norse is exceptional. Experience 19 different ports in 4 unique countries as you sail through Norway, Greenland, Iceland & Canada.
Day | Place | Highlights |
---|---|---|
Day 1 | Reykjavik, Iceland | Embark the Silver Explorer |
Day 2 | At Sea | Towards Greenland |
Day 3 | Skjoldungen, Greenland | Enchanting fjord with beautiful scenery |
Day 4 | Prince Christian Sound & Aappilattoq (Kujalleq), | Cruise this famous sound and explore a small and remote settlement |
Day 5 | Nanortalik (Kujallek), Uunartoq Island, Greenland | Visit Nanortalik, Greenland’s tenth-largest and most southernly town and Uunartoq Island, which was once considered the largest settlement in Greenland |
Day 6 | Qaqortoq (Julianehaab) & Hvalsey, Greenland | First visit the largest town in southern Greenland followed by Hvalsey, featuring scattered ruins from the Norse period |
Days 7 & 8 | At Sea | Towards Canada |
Day 9 | St Anthony (Newfoundland), Canada | Discover this historical fishing town with beautiful hikes |
Day 10 | Woody Point (Newfoundland), Canada | Explore the Mars like Gros Morne National Park |
Day 11 | At Sea | Towards Nova Scotia |
Day 12 | Baddeck, Canada | The most highly developed town tourist centre in Cape Breton |
Day 13 | Louisbourg (Nova Scotia), Canada | Thriving sea port on the eastern tip of Cape Breton Island |
Day 14 | Halifax (Nova Scotia), Canada | Disembark from the Silver Explorer |
The Silver Explorer was built in Finland in 1989 and was designed specifically for navigating waters in some of the world’s most remote destinations including Iceland, Greenland and Spitsbergen (Svalbard). The vessel was acquired by Silversea in late 2007 when it was fully refurbished and relaunched in 2008 as an elegant luxury expedition cruise ship. Its ice-strengthened hull enables the ship to safely push through ice floes with ease, while a fleet of Zodiac boats allows guests to visit even the most incredible locations accompanied by the expert Expedition Team.
Accommodation aboard comprises 66 spacious suites located across 4 decks, all with ocean views and some with private balconies. Passengers will also find an excellent range of facilities aboard including two lounges, restaurant, presentation theatre, library/Internet, spa, fitness centre, two jacuzzis, and outdoor viewing areas.
Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation’s nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island’s population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces. Reykjavík’s name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there’s no smoke around. Embark the Silver Explorer in the mid afternoon to begin your incredible journey.
Relax and enjoy the scenery as you sail from Reykjavik to Greenland. Keep an eye out for birdlife and sea life from the deck.
Located on Greenland’s rarely visited rugged east coast, Skoldungen Fjord has enchanting scenery with towering mountains tipped with snow, ice-scraped valley sides and sculptured icebergs in shades of white and blue. At the top of the fjord one can easily see the retreating state of the Thrym Glacier. The U-shaped fjord offers spectacular scenery and as an extra perk, it is not uncommon to see whales in the fjord.
Image Credit: Denis Elterman
Aapilattoq is a small settlement near the western end of Prins Christian Sund in southwestern Greenland. In the local Greenlandic language the name means, “sea anemone”. This small village of 130 inhabitants, hidden behind a prominent rock, offers a good insight into the life of Greenlandic Inuit. A stroll through the village will reveal a small school and a church, along with the likely possibility of seeing a polar bear skin drying in the wind behind a local dwelling. People have lived off the land in the area around Aapilattoq since the 19th century. The tradition continues today as most people here hunt and fish to make a living.
Image Credit: Richard Sidey
Connecting the Denmark Strait with Davis Strait, Prins Christian Sund offers a protected course from southeastern to southwestern Greenland, and is one of South Greenland’s most dramatic natural features. The water is generally placid and the crisp scent of ice fills the air. On either side of the Sund, waterfalls stream down sharp, wrinkled mountainsides. Depending on weather conditions, icebergs that glitter in the sun may be constant companions during the passage. Born of compacted ancient snows that formed glaciers and now calve into the sound at the glacier’s edge, each iceberg is different from the next.
Image Credit: Bruno Cazarini
Uunartoq is a small island in South Greenland a short distance east of what once was considered the largest settlement in Greenland. The island has hot springs that were renowned as far back as the days of the Norse for their healing effects. Three naturally heated streams have been channeled to flow into a knee-deep and stone-lined pool. While one unwinds by soaking in the steaming waters, one can watch icebergs that either clog the fjord to the north or come floating by.
Nanortalik lies in a scenic area surrounded by steep mountainsides and is Greenland’s tenth-largest and most southerly town with less than 1500 inhabitants. The town’s name means the “place of polar bears”, which refers to the polar bears that used to be seen floating offshore on summer’s ice floes. Nanortalik has an excellent open-air museum that gives a broad picture of the region from Inuit times to today. Part of the exhibition is a summer hunting camp, where Inuits in traditional clothing describe aspects of their ancestor’s customs and lifestyle.
Image Credit: Bruno Cazarini
Northeast of Qaqortoq and at the end of a fjord, Hvalsey is one of the best examples of South Greenland’s many scattered ruins from the Norse period. Today the area is used for sheep-grazing, but until the 15th century the settlement at Hvalsey, and specifically Hvalsey’s church, played an important part. Christianity had spread its influence throughout Europe and eventually had reached remote Greenland, where it established itself in the country in 1000 AD. Hvalsey Church was built in the 14th century and is the best preserved of the churches in Greenland from that period. Apart from the church walls, historical ruins from the time of the Norse are just a few meters away.
Image Credit: Richard Sidey
The largest town in southern Greenland, Qaqortoq has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Upon arrival in this charming southern Greenland enclave, it’s easy to see why. Qaqortoq rises quite steeply over the fjord system around the city, offering breath-taking panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains, deep, blue sea, Lake Tasersuag, icebergs in the bay, and pastoral backcountry. Although the earliest signs of ancient civilization in Qaqortoq date back 4,300 years, Qaqortoq is known to have been inhabited by Norse and Inuit settlers in the 10th and 12th centuries, and the present-day town was founded in 1774. In the years since, Qaqortoq has evolved into a seaport and trading hub for fish and shrimp processing, tanning, fur production, and ship maintenance and repair.
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is whale watching from the Observatory Lounge, writing home to your loved ones or simply relaxing. These blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.
St. Anthony is a premier location for wildlife and spectacular scenery. The rugged ocean coastline of this town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland is surrounded by whales and icebergs whilst the land is filled with moose, polar bears, birds and unique flora. With a rich history as a successful fishing ground and ports, learn about St. Anthony at the museum or enjoy one of the beautiful hiking trails on offer.
Image Credit: Bruno Cazarini
Acclaimed for its unearthly landscape, Woody Point is probably as close to Mars as you will ever get in this lifetime. Situated on the west coast of the island, the Tablelands behind Woody Point in the Gros Morne National Park are composed of peridotite — like much of the surface of Mars — and NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, plus others are studying this unique land form searching for insights into possible bacterial life on the red planet. The story of the Tablelands earned Gros Morne its World Heritage Site status from UNESCO in 2010, and the area remains a geological wonder, showcasing a time when the continents of Africa and North America collided. When the plates struck 485 million years ago, the peridotite was pushed to the surface, and remained above sea level. The rock lacks the nutrients to sustain plant life, thus giving the Tablelands a barren, isolated appearance.
On your final full day at sea relax and take a look back at what an incredible journey you’ve had. Edit and choose your favourite pictures, exchange contact details with you new friends and soak up the incredible landscapes surrounding you.
Image Credit: Bruno Cazarini
Baddeck is the most highly developed tourist center in Cape Breton. Situated at the start of the famous Cabot Trail, the town of 1,064 inhabitants enjoys an international reputation as a fine resort. Baddeck has long been associated with the great inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who built a home here in 1885; it is still owned by his family. While traveling by steamer through the Bras d’Or Lakes, Bell was captivated by the region’s scenic beauty. One of Baddeck’s most notable attractions includes the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, featuring the accomplishments of the famed inventor. The resort is the main town on Bras d’Or Lakes. The area surrounding Baddeck, with steep mountains, rocky inlets and dense forests, is often compared to the Scottish Highlands. The Bras d’Or Lakes, a vast, almost-landlocked inlet of the sea, attracts people from all over the world to cruise the serene, unspoiled coves and islands.
Image Credit: Bruno Cazarini
Baddeck is the most highly developed tourist center in Cape Breton. Situated at the start of the famous Cabot Trail, the town of 1,064 inhabitants enjoys an international reputation as a fine resort. Baddeck has long been associated with the great inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who built a home here in 1885; it is still owned by his family. While traveling by steamer through the Bras d’Or Lakes, Bell was captivated by the region’s scenic beauty. One of Baddeck’s most notable attractions includes the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, featuring the accomplishments of the famed inventor. The resort is the main town on Bras d’Or Lakes. The area surrounding Baddeck, with steep mountains, rocky inlets and dense forests, is often compared to the Scottish Highlands. The Bras d’Or Lakes, a vast, almost-landlocked inlet of the sea, attracts people from all over the world to cruise the serene, unspoiled coves and islands.
Disembark in the lively hub of Halifax. Surrounded by natural treasures and glorious seascapes, Halifax is an attractive and vibrant hub with noteworthy historic and modern architecture, great dining and shopping, and a lively nightlife and festival scene. The old city manages to feel both hip and historic. Previous generations had the foresight to preserve the cultural and architectural integrity of the city, yet students from five local universities keep it lively and current. It was Halifax’s natural harbor—the second largest in the world after Sydney —that first drew the British here in 1749, and today most major sites are conveniently located either along it or on the Citadel-crowned hill overlooking it. That’s good news for visitors because this city actually covers quite a bit of ground. There’s easy access to the water, and despite being the focal point of a busy commercial port, Halifax Harbour doubles as a playground, with one of the world’s longest downtown boardwalks.