Estimated time of departure is 8:00 PM

Your adventure starts in the northernmost capital in the world. Reykjavík has both traditional charm and a cosmopolitan feel. This small and safe city is perfect for a walking tour, packed full of art, culture, and history. We recommend making the most of your time here before your cruise, if you have the time.

Stroll along Laugavegur, the main shopping street, filled with boutiques and outdoor shops, or head to the architecturally striking Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. Art lovers can visit the Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Gallery, and the many smaller galleries and museums throughout the city.

Learn about Icelandic history by stopping off at the National Museum, the Saga Museum, and the Maritime Museum. Pack a swimsuit to take a dip in one of the city’s 18 swimming pools, many with saunas and hot tubs.

Reykjavík is just a few hours away from geysers, glaciers, hot springs, and waterfalls. Its name actually means ’Smoky Bay’, due to the rising steam from the surrounding geothermal features. We recommend booking a Pre-Program with us and spending a few extra days discovering Iceland’s famed Golden Circle, a circuit of natural highlights including waterfalls, national parks, and geysers.

At Reykjavík harbor, MS Fridtjof Nansen awaits you. After you check in and collect your complimentary expedition jacket, you’ll have time to settle in to your comfortable and stylish cabin. There is a mandatory safety drill just before departure. Then walk around and explore your new home away from home and enjoy and the premium onboard experience.

The welcome dinner in the evening ends with a toast by the captain, who will wish everyone an enjoyable adventure. You’ll then meet the Expedition Team and key members of the crew, who will provide you with information about what to expect on your exciting cruise to Greenland.

Leaving Iceland behind, we’ll sail across the Denmark Strait toward the shores of Greenland. This is the same route that was taken by the Vikings when they migrated there some 1,000 years ago. In fact, we’re following in the wake of Erik the Red, who is said to have been the first European to settle in Greenland, having gone there with his father at age 10.

You’ll have time to relax, get to know your Expedition Team, and check out the onboard facilities of MS Fridtjof Nansen, our state-of-the-art hybrid electric–powered cruise ship. The Science Center features lectures on a range of topics to prepare you for the adventure ahead. While you’re there, check out the library and the scientific equipment available for you to use throughout the cruise.

The Expedition Team will also run through important guidelines from AECO, the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators. Learn how to protect wildlife habitats and the best ways to keep a safe distance from animals and birds so as not to disturb them. They’ll also fill you in on the protocol for visiting indigenous Arctic communities in a dignified and respectful way.

Feeling active? Get your pulse up at the fitness facilities. There are both indoor and outdoor gyms, as well as a one-tenth-of-a-mile outdoor running track on Deck 11. How about a soothing massage or facial? Book a treatment in the Wellness Center. The sauna offers ‘sightseeing as you sweat’ and there are hot tubs and a heated pool on deck.

Later, grab a drink in the panoramic Explorer Lounge & Bar. Get to know some of your fellow explorers or just take a seat and watch the waves roll by.

The colorful houses and photogenic setting of our first port of call makes it one of Greenland’s most beautiful towns. The settlement spreads up the surrounding hills (some of which are quite steep), but it’s worth the effort for the great views.

Qaqortoq also produces excellent arts and crafts. As soon as you step ashore, see faces and fish carvings in the rocks welcoming you to Greenland. Locally made handicrafts abound, from stylish Inuit motif fabrics to gorgeous glasswork and Greenlandic herbal skincare products.

The area around Qaqortoq has been inhabited since prehistoric times, beginning with the Saqquaq people about 4,300 years ago. These first pioneers didn’t leave much of a trace for archeologists, other than a few carving knives and stone drills. The Late Dorset people were the next settlers. They left a bigger trace, such as their characteristic rectangular peat houses.

Enjoy the beautiful lush green scenery on a walk to a nearby lake. Experience the warmth of the local people firsthand as we are invited into a home for a traditional kaffemik celebration. Kaffemik is a Greenlandic tradition where you’ll hear about the lives of the local townsfolk, accompanied plenty of cakes, local dishes, and pots of coffee. You won’t want to say goodbye!

For a compact view of the history of Qaqortoq, drop into the town’s museum. Inside, you’ll find local Inuit artifacts, as well as natural curiosities such as seal skins and stuffed polar bears, as well as artworks. Before you leave, walk up to one of the bluffs overlooking town and enjoy an incredible view over the bay.

The Kvanefjord stretches 30 miles in the Sermersooq district, which means ‘Place of Much Ice’. The waters extend over six miles inland before branching into three smaller channels, each with a glacier at its head. The Kvanefjord is a perfect example of the many picturesque fjords found along the Greenland’s west coast. Even so, this pristine and peaceful inlet never fails to amaze.

As we cruise into the fjord, see fascinating icebergs and semi-submerged pieces of glacier ice—pure white, with undertones of cool crystalline blue. These floating works of art are among the Arctic’s finest creations. They exude an ephemeral and delicate feel as they glide gracefully past. Whip out your camera and capture this exquisite beauty—this is just our first taste of the fjords stretching along Greenland’s sublime west coast.

We’ll spend the day exploring this amazing waterway. The captain and the Expedition Team will seek out places where we can head ashore or launch our small boats (RIBs) to take a closer look at the exquisitely sculpted glacier ice and landscapes. Watch for wildlife, either from the boats or on land. We might even be able to stretch our legs and enjoy the beautiful scenery on a nature walk, weather and ice conditions permitting.

Few people venture into this remote fjord, so expect the unexpected on this expedition day, as we head into the heart of the relatively unexplored region. Trust the Expedition Team to find the best spots and let them guide you on a true adventure!

Maniitsoq, a town whose name translates as ‘The Uneven Place’, is half-jokingly nicknamed the ‘Venice of Greenland’ due to its location on an archipelago crisscrossed with natural canals. You won’t see any gondolas here, but you might spot pods of humpback whales from the shore.

Situated beside a bay, the town stands at the mouth of a fjord and attracts anglers, skiers, and adventurers from afar. Any local vantage point will provide awe-inspiring views of the surrounding mountains.

Founded in 1755, Maniitsoq has a population of around 2,500, and it was originally called Nye-Sukkertoppen by the Danish colonists who built a trading post here. By the 19th century, Maniitsoq had become the main regional hub for trading reindeer hides, but the area was inhabited since much earlier.

People have lived here for over 4,000 years, as seen in the artifacts they left behind, some of which can be seen in the local museum, housed in an old Danish colonial era building. The museum features figurines carved from walrus ivory, traditional Greenlandic costumes, and many works of art. There are other old buildings adjoining the museum that used to house a blubber station, brewery, bakery, and an whale oil boiling house, among others things.

Today, Maniitsoq is the sixth-largest town in Greenland and welcomes travelers from around the world. It’s a friendly place, where locals are more than happy to chat and welcome you to their peaceful town. There are also a couple of restaurants here, if you’d like to try a local bite to eat.

Located in a spectacular letting, Sisimiut, sits 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the central coastal area of the Davis Strait. It’s a modern settlement, but its roots stretch far back, with some estimates dating more than 4,500 years. Locals are proud of their roots and old traditions still thrive here.

Sisimiut’s name translates into ‘the people at the fox holes,’ a reference to the many Arctic fox burrows near the city. Another local animal is the musk ox, whose fur is used to make a local fabric called qiviut—said to be 10 times warmer than sheep wool. You might like to pick up a qiviut scarf, hat, or mittens while you are here.

With a population of around 5,500—making it Greenland’s second-largest urban area—Sisimiut is an important regional hub and is often a stopover point for boats heading between Nuuk and Disko Bay. People come here to enjoy backcountry sports on the ice sheet, such as skiing and dog sledding.

The small museum here houses artifacts from excavations of ancient Saqqaq settlements near the town, some up to 4,000 years old. You can also visit the Taseralik Cultural Center, the perfect place to learn about the region’s cultural heritage.

Feeling hungry? You’ll find a couple of restaurants and cafés in Sisimiut. Most dishes are Scandinavian influenced and tend to feature fresh seafood. You can also just drop in for a coffee and a chat with the owners while you’re here. The popular Restaurant Nasaasaaq in Hotel Sisimiut does take out—it’s probably the only place you’ll ever find a musk ox and reindeer pizza!

Our journey has now reached Disko Bay, one of Greenland’s major points of attraction. The area covers a large coastal stretch of nutrient-rich water packed with small islands and skerries. It was long considered important for its walrus, whale, and seal populations, which were hunted for their ivory, blubber, and fur. Erik the Red is credited as being the first European to venture to the bay, settling in the area in 985 A.D.

The small town of Ilulissat is a vibrant hub for adventure seekers who head out onto the polar ice sheet. There are almost as many sled dogs living here as people. Ilulissat (translated simply as ‘Icebergs’) is set among the stunning scenery of the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This beautiful gem of a town stands out for its colorful houses sitting down by the water.

A short but beautiful hike will take you to the old Inuit settlement of Sermermiut on the north shore. People began living here around 4,000 years ago and the village was excavated as recently as 1983. Explore it by following the route running partly along a road and partly upon a wooden boardwalk. The view across the ice fjord from Sermermiut is stunning, making this short trek not to be missed.

Gaze at the enormous icebergs floating in the deep blue waters and sparkling in the sunlight—they’re a photographer’s dream. Watch closely and you might notice them subtly changing colors as they take on different hues of white, gray, and white-blue. Take some time to relax and observe nature’s artwork in these picture-perfect surroundings.

We are now at the northernmost point in our journey. There are several excellent landing sites in the Vaigat Sound. All of them offer access to untamed landscapes and the opportunity to inspect the Arctic flora up close. Our experienced captain and Expedition Team make the most of current weather and ice conditions to find the best landing sites and plan our day’s activities.

The Vaigat Sound is a remote, beautiful, and sometimes misty strait connecting Disko Bay and Baffin Bay. When you land ashore, it almost feels like you’re one of the first people to ever walk in that part of the world. Maybe you are. At Camp Freida, for example, trek across the tundra and get an up-close view of how a glacier moves down the saddle between two mountains.

Like everywhere around Disko Bay, you’ll have the chance to see amazing wildlife. Orcas and bowheads inhabit these waters, as well as four types of seal: harp, hooded, bearded, and ringed.

We may take out our small boats (RIBs) to explore some of the more inaccessible parts of the shore. If the waters are favorable, we may even venture out in kayaks between the growlers and the icebergs. Or, we’ll head ashore at one of several possible locations to photograph the scenery, collect samples for examination in the Science Center, or do something else entirely.

The local conditions determine the final program and the range of activities that the Expedition Team offers. They are sure to select something that will be fun, interesting, and adventurous. At today’s end, the captain will turn MS Fridtjof Nansen around and we will start our southward journey.

Evighed Fjord translates as the ‘Fjord of Eternity’. Its sheer beauty will truly inspire the feeling that you’ve voyaged into a dreamlike realm that goes on forever. An ice cap feeds this magnificent fjord, which spews colossal white chunks of ice into the cold waters, which then emerge as icebergs. Some of the highest mountains in western Greenland surround us, with peaks reaching up to 6,600 feet.

The mountains are sometimes cloaked in mist, with only their black ‘skirts’ showing. This lends an even more ethereal feel to this magical place. The glacier meets the water as a series of crenelated white ridges, punctuated by enchanting crystal blue ice caves. Seen from above, the deep fissures harbor blue-tinted lakes that look like colored glass beads. This meeting of glacier and fjord seems stately and clean, as if set to classical music.

Sublime and foreboding, Evighed Fjord penetrates some 46 miles inland and its waters are up to 2,300 feet deep. Its source is the Maniitsoq ice cap, a huge block that’s cut off from the rest of the Greenland ice sheet. Due to the harsh nature of the terrain, the only settlements in this region are tiny fishing villages clinging to the shores.

As this is an expedition cruise, we’ll seek out the best places in the fjord based on the local weather and ice conditions. We’ll always be on the lookout for wildlife, including whales, seabirds, and land mammals, and aim to set out by foot on a nature walk. Conditions that day will determine the final program and the range of activities offered by the Expedition Team.

Nuuk sits at the mouth of a system of fjords. The first thing you’ll notice about Greenland’s capital is its colorful buildings, with red, green, blue, and yellow houses standing in stark contrast with the icy black and white backdrop of the mountains. Nuuk was founded in 1728, making it the oldest settlement in the nation. Even though it’s classified as a city, its population is under 18,000 people.

Today, Nuuk combines old and new traditions. The old picturesque buildings dotting the fjord’s edge give way to ultra-modern architecture in the Greenlandic Parliament and the wave-shaped Katuaq Cultural Centre, which was inspired by the Northern Lights. Visit the oldest building in Greenland at Hans Egede’s House, constructed in 1721 by the Norwegian missionary who is credited with founding the city.

The red-painted Nuuk Cathedral and its typical Lutheran clock tower and steeple is worth a visit, too. Drop by the Greenland National Museum to see the well-preserved Qilakitsoq mummies or admire local artists’ paintings at the Nuuk Art Museum, the only private arts and crafts museum in the country.

We also offer a long hike through Paradise Valley and around Mt. Lille Malene as part of an optional excursion. Follow a path formed by old reindeer tracks and you’ll be treated to splendid views of the Greenlandic coast, as well as pass by a small lake and natural springs.
There are a wide range of restaurants in Nuuk to satisfy all tastes, some of which feature local delicacies such musk ox, seal soup, and snow crab. Rather just have a coffee? There are several excellent cafés serving hot drinks and snacks such as burgers and Danish pastries.

Do you like to visit ghost towns? If so, Ivittuut is for you. This former mining outpost hosts long-forgotten locations, some old and some even older. Once a busy cryolite mining station, the only inhabitants you see today are musk oxen grazing the overgrown grass around the abandoned buildings.

In fact, Ivittuut once played a key role in history—arguably allowing the Allies to win World War II. Cryolite is a naturally occurring rare mineral used in the production of aluminum alloys. During this time of war, it was the largest cryolite mine in the world. When Denmark was invaded, the United States secretly stationed 500 troops here to prevent the supplies falling into German hands.

This strategy prevented the German forces from using the rare cryolite to manufacture their fighter planes, giving the Allies the upper hand at a pivotal point in the war. The cryolite was instead shipped to the U.K. and used to manufacture aircraft that fought in the Battle of Britain. If it were not for this move, the outcome of the war could have been very different.

Rewinding history to long before the miners arrived, Norsemen settled the area more than a thousand years ago. Unfortunately, no traces of them remains. Ivittuut is believed to have been the last Viking settlement in Greenland, but was also the first to be abandoned, for reasons subject only to speculation.

Visiting Ivittuut is an unforgettable experience. The abandoned buildings and lonely cemetery contrast starkly with the surrounding natural beauty. These eerie (yet photogenic) ruins feature decaying structures and scattered, rusting machinery. It’s difficult to imagine how crucial this small outpost was at a key point in history.

Witness some of the most incredible landscapes on the planet as we cruise into Prins Christian Sound. The 60-mile waterway is surrounded by sharp granite mountains, some reaching up to over 7,200 feet high. Marvel at the maze of geological patterns in the rock faces, from deep cracks and crevasses to lines of black lichen that seem to seep from the mountain like paint.

The mountains’ muted grays and rusted greens stand in stark contrast to the bright white of the glaciers. These slow-moving ice masses grind their way from the enormous Greenland Ice Sheet and flow straight into the sound, calving icebergs of all sizes, shades of white-blue, and shapes. You’ll understand why 15th century Italian explorer John Cabot famously described Prins Christian Sound as ‘a river of melted ice’.

Only two signs of human life remain here: The weather station built by the U.S. during World War II and now used by civil aviation, and the colorful houses of the 100 residents of Aappilattoq, which means ‘sea anemone’. You may spot ringed seals and bearded seals on the ice. Look up to the steep cliffs, where you might find nesting Glaucous Gulls and Black Guillemots. Minke and humpback whales may also make an appearance, although they tend to not swim into the narrow stretches of the sound, preferring the wider sections at the entrance.

Navigating Prins Christian Sound is only possible in the summer, when the sea ice goes down. However, depending on the day, ice could still block our route. If that happens, don’t worry—this sort of thing is commonplace on an expedition into a true wilderness area like this. Instead, we may sail toward Nunap Isua (also known as Cape Farewell), the southernmost point of Greenland.

After exploring the remote beauty of Greenland, we’ll set our course back for Iceland. Spend the days at sea recapping your experiences with new friends, studying nature in the Science Center, sitting in on a lecture or two, or just relaxing out on deck watching the beautiful scenery sail by. Track the seabirds following our ship and see if you can spot some whales.

Our route back is likely the same one the last Vikings took when they abandoned their experiment of living on Greenland by the 15th century. Why did they leave? Historians don’t all agree, but it seems likely they tried to live like European farmers in an environment that couldn’t support their cows, sheep, and pigs. If only they had taken advice from the indigenous people of Greenland, perhaps their descendants might still be there today!

Before we arrive in Reykjavík, treat yourself to a visit to the Wellness Center and Spa or spend time in the sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to sea. Of course, there’s always the hot tubs and heated swimming pool out on deck, if you feel like taking a dip. With three restaurants on board, there’s surely something you haven’t tried yet. Drop by and give your tastebuds one last treat this evening.

As you reflect on your expedition cruise, you’ll now understand and fully appreciate the precious nature of Greenland. From the delicate ecology of the fjord systems to the ethereal elegance of the ice and glaciers, we hope that this beauty has impacted you and that your expedition cruise has been a life-changing experience.

Estimated time of arrival is 6:00 AM

MS Fridtjof Nansen arrives back in the Icelandic capital early in the morning. After disembarking, check out some of the things you may have missed before our cruise began in this charming, compact city.

You’ll have surely had an incredible experience exploring Greenland’s west coast with us. We hope to see you again for another adventure in the future.

Want to discover more of Iceland? Tack on a Post-Program before heading home or simply extend your stay to enjoy Reykjavík and the surrounding geothermal attractions.