August 2, 2023

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

At Reykjavik Harbour, MS Fram 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.

Pre-Program

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.

August 3, 2023

As we leave 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 here 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 on the MS Fram, your comfortable ‘expedition base camp’. 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 you 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 so as not to disturb them.

Feeling active? Get your pulse up at one of the fitness facilities. The sauna offers ‘sightseeing as you sweat’ and there are hot tubs on deck.

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

August 4, 2023 - August 12, 2023

Scoresbysund is a fjord system that spreads out like branches on a tree over an area of around 24,000 square miles. The scenery is simply spectacular. White and white-blue icebergs float in the mirror-like waters, surrounded by black and brown mountains looming around us. This is the world’s largest fjord system – feel a deep sense of serenity over the next nine days as you explore this vast pristine wilderness.

The area’s steep basalt mountains, some reaching up to 6,500 feet, create both a stunning backdrop and provide shelter from the chilling Arctic winds. This area is a haven for an abundance of Greenland’s iconic wildlife given the vast stretches of open water at the mouth of the wide fjord system and areas that remain ice-free, even in winter. You might be able to spot musk oxen, Arctic foxes, and mountain hares.

Birdlife thrives here. Little Auks, Atlantic Puffins, fulmars, Snowy Owls, the Greenlandic Gyrfalcon, and Great Black-backed Gulls are just some of the species we’ll be hoping to see. Additionally, various types of seal can be seen on the shores or loafing on ice floes. Keep a lookout for whales, which are often spotted in the waters around here.

As this is an expedition cruise, the Captain and Expedition Team will guide us to the most favorable spots daily. We’ll make the most of current conditions, ensuring we can pack in as many shore landings, nature walks, kayaking tours, and wildlife sightings as possible. As you explore and learn about this precious ecosystem, you’ll come to feel as one with the vast Scoresbysund fjord region.

Cruising silently on the water, you’ll scan for wildlife, photograph the flora and icebergs, and appreciate the silence of this vast wilderness. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in our Citizen Science projects, which will help preserve the region for wildlife and future generations.

On your expedition, you’ll visit Ittoqqortoormiit – the gateway to the Scoresbysund fjord system and the only permanent settlement in the region. Located on a stunning peninsula that is surrounded by sea ice for nine months of the year, Ittoqqortoormiit is the most remote inhabited community in the western hemisphere.

Ittoqqortoormiit was founded in 1925 as a hunting and fishing town. Today, the trapping culture is very active. Less than 500 brave souls call this remote outpost home, and they’ll be proud to show you around.

If conditions allow, we will attempt to sail north of Scoresbysund towards the ever-changing East Greenland sea-ice edge to scout for wildlife before heading back to Iceland.

August 13, 2023

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

The route back ‘home’ is likely the same one the last Vikings took when they abandoned their experiment of living on Greenland in 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 Greenlandic peoples, their descendants might still be there today.

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.

August 14, 2023

We bid a fond farewell to MS Fram as we end where we started: in the fabulous city of Reykjavík. Now you’ll have another opportunity to see the places you may have missed when you arrived. Want to end your expedition on a high note? You’re in the right place. Reykjavik’s galleries, restaurants, and spas are some of the best in the world.

If you want to explore more of Iceland, spend a few extra days in Reykjavik and discover the surrounding geothermal attractions. Nothing rounds out your adventure like a relaxing soak in warm, milky-blue waters surrounded by black lava and gorgeous nature.

We’re confident you’ve had a fantastic experience sailing along Greenland’s eastern coast with us. We hope you join us again for more adventures.

Post-Program:

Why not add one of our Post-Programs to your trip before heading home? You can take in the stunning scenery of Iceland’s southern coast and visit the spectacular Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls. You’ll also see the famous Reynisfjara beach with its jet-black pebble sands and distinctive basalt column formations – a truly great end to an epic journey.