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Greenland’s arctic wilderness offers us some of the most spectacular and unspoilt scenery anywhere on earth. The largest island on the planet, its frozen coastline has witnessed the birth of some of nature’s most breathtaking creations. Here the struggle for survival has engendered mankind with a healthy respect for his environment and we witness the quite unique interaction of man and nature as we sail through a landscape rich in culture, history and spectacular wildlife, into the northern lands of the midnight sun.
Day and port of call:
Day 1: Kangerlussuaq
Day 2: Evighedsfjord
Day 3: Nuuk
Day 4-5: South Greenland
Day 6: Prins Christian Sund
Day 7-9: East Greenland
Day 10: Denmark Strait
Day 11: Isafjördur
Day 12: Reykjavik
Day 1 Kangerlussuaq
Kangerlussuaq is the main gateway to Greenland and a settlement in the Sisimiut community. Slightly less than 600 people live and work in Kangerlussuaq (the long fjord). The airport was built by the Americans during World War II and was operative as an American base until 1992. Today, Kangerlussuaq is a commercial airport.
The Kangerlussuaq dock is about 12 kilometres from the airport, and transport to the docks is by bus. There is no harbour in Kangerlussuaq that can accommodate the MS Fram and therefore embarking the ship requires the use of the ship's shuttle boats (PolarCirkel boats). At Kangerlussuaq Airport our Expedition Team will be at your disposal. It is advisable to bring rainproof jackets, trousers and mosquito repellent in your hand luggage to wear during the transfer to the MS Fram.
Day 2 Evighedsfjorden
During the day we will sail into this beautiful fjord, surrounded by majestic mountains and glaciers. Here you may see the highest peak in West Greenland, Naparutaq (2211m), which looms above the northern side of the fjord. Evighedsfjorden (the eternity fiord) is about 150 km, and you may get the feeling that fiord never ends. This is one of these majestic places on earth were you really feel small in comparison to nature itself.
If conditions are good we will go for PolarCirkel cruise along the glacier front in safe distance or land ashore for a short hike. Also note the surprising diversity in flora at this particular fiord.
Day 3 Nuuk
The capital of Greenland houses about 15,000 people and holds the political and social centre of Greenland. Nuuk is the oldest town in Greenland founded by the Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede in 1728. The name Nuuk means peninsula in English, an accurate description of the city’s location, on the tip of a large peninsula at the mouth of one of the largest and most spectacular fjord systems in the world.
Today the town is a place where old and new traditions meet, from picturesque old buildings in ”Kolonihaven” to the building of the Greenland Home Rule. Being the capital, Nuuk also houses a university, a teachers training college, churches and the Greenland National Museum where the mummies from Qilakilsoq are to be found.
Day 4-5 South Greenland
We will visit small communities of Southern Greenland. In this area we find unique Viking history, historic sites, arts and crafts, and majestic scenery with the multiple colours of the autumn.
Our final route in this area will depend on weather and ice conditions, one of our possible landing sites will be Qassiarsuk, a community with a population of 56 people, known for the settlement of the Viking Erik Raude. He was banished from Iceland and escaped to the land he called Greenland. Erik settled in Qassiarsuk because the area was according to him the richest and best site in Greenland when he arrived in 982. In Qassiarsuk we’ll find the reconstructions of his farm. Here you may join a guided walk through the settlement where you will learn more about the history of the region. You can visit the reconstruction of Erik Raude’s longhouse and the church that Erik’s wife Tjodhildur made him build. The walk will also include a visit at the church used today.
Day 6 Prins Christian Sund
Greenland’s southern shores contain some of the most culturally and scenically diverse regions of the island. Enjoy breathtaking scenery as we navigate dramatic Prins Christian Sund, a narrow, often ice-choked 70-mile-long channel across the southernmost point of Greenland. Huge glaciers tumble down from the Ice Cap.
We’ll round the southern tip of Greenland and proceed north along the rarely visited coast of East Greenland, which belongs to the most isolated, sparsely populated and scenically superb parts of the island. It’s here where you come closest to the original Greenland, and where you can find polar bears, musk oxen, Arctic hares, and a variety of birds, including the gyrfalcon and snowy owl.
There are both historical and natural reasons for this very sparse settlement. People have lived in East Greenland for certain periods during the last several thousand years, but for much of the year, the region is locked in by pack ice which has made this area very isolated - both from the rest of Greenland and the rest of the world. The first Europeans came here only just over a hundred years ago, and this separation from the rest of the country is clearly reflected in the language and culture of the region.
Day 7 - 9 East Greenland
Also here our actual program and routing will depend on ice and weather conditions - which vary unpredictably from season to season and day to day. This is an expedition into a very little traveled area and no specific itinerary can be guaranteed in advance. Therefore please read this itinerary as a guide only:
Skjoldungen island will provide us with views of some of the most spectacular landscapes in the whole of Greenland. At the southern end of the island we sail by an abandoned Greenlandic settlement, while further into the fjord we plan to land near the remains of an ancient Thule site.
Køge Bugt, is where the Greenland Ice Cap reaches the sea, large tabular icebergs drift around and are an impressive sight.
At Umivik we look for the place, where Nansen went ashore and started his epic traverse of the Greenland Ice Cap.
Ammassalik is the largest community in East Greenland. Its inhabitants are dedicated to fishing for Greenlandic halibut, Atlantic salmon and other fish that make up the economy of this remote place. This historic district was the site of East Greenland’s first trading post in 1893. The municipality covers an area five times the size of Denmark, though it only has a population of less than 5,000.
Day 10 Denmark Strait
We cross the Denmark Strait and continue to Iceland’s West Fjords, an area of cascading waterfalls and huge numbers of nesting birds.
Day 11 Isafjördur
In the morning hours we arrive at Isafjördur. With a population of about 4,000 Ísafjörður is the largest town in the Westfjords. Despite its size and small population, and the historical isolation from the rest of the country, the town has a rather urban atmosphere. Here we will find a school of music as well as a hospital and a cultural center with a library and showrooms. It has become known in Island as a center for alternative music.
Day 12 Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the world’s northernmost capital city and home 171,514 people. In relative close surroundings of Reykjavik you may find glaciers, waterfalls, geysers and mountains. Reykjavik has also a vast selection of restaurants, museums and shops.