STYLE: Expedition Cruise
Trip Code: ACABDBU
DIFFICULTY RATING: 2 (light adventure)
Start: Reykjavík, Iceland
Finish: Reykjavík, Iceland
SHIP: Ocean Albatros
Greenland
08/08/2023, 15/08/2023
Cabin on board ship
On this unique, 8 day Greenland cruise, you'll experience the vast and remote beauty this part of the world offers from the comforts of the Ocean Albatros. As you travel, you'll learn more about life on the worlds largest island, half surrounded by Polar sea ice for most of the year. With fascinating insight into Inuit culture and modern-day life in Greenland, your adventure also includes daily shore excursions to the remote towns of South West Greenland. The natural landscape in this part of the world is spectacular, with fjords, glaciers, and colourful fishing villages to be seen around every turn.
Sharing the fjords and sea with whales, this dramatic landscape and Polar paradise includes an expedition to one of the most active glaciers in the world - Eqip Sermia. The ship will get close, but not too close, as waves and gigantic falling blocks of ice are a common sight here–have your cameras ready. Your adventure also includes time in Uummannaq, a historic village within the Acrctic Circle, situated on a small, mountainous island, known for its dramatic rock faces and snow-covered peaks.
You'll also have time to explore the town of Ilulissat and the settlement Itelleq, where you'll experience Inuit hunting culture. After passing through the extraordinary, 160-kilometer Kangerlussuaq Fjord, you'll disembark in Kangerlussuaq, just a short flight away from Reykjavik or Copenhagen.
Unforgettable experiences await you in Greenland, a region visited by few but beloved by all who venture to its shores.
Note: Return flights are included from Copenhagen or Reykjavik.
Arrive by flight from Reykjavik or Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq. Welcome to Greenland! On arrival you will be met by ground staff.
If you have booked the Reindeer Glacier excursion, you will be going out on an adventure immediately after landing (this optional tour is subject to an additional charge). If you are not participating in the excursion, you can take a stroll around the town on your own until embarkation time at 3 pm.
After finishing the day’s excursion, we will transfer to the harbour and board the ship by Zodiacs that ferry us in small groups to the ship anchored about one kilometre out into the fjord. After checking in, there will be a short safety demonstration before dinner is served. We then set sail on our voyage after dinner and begin our passage through the 160 km-long fjord and out into the ocean.
After breakfast, we arrive to the colourful town of Sisimiut, where we will get an idea of what modern Greenland looks like. With 5,400 inhabitants, it is considered Greenland’s second ‘city’. People have lived around Sisimiut on and off since 2,500 BC.
In 1756, Count Johan Ludvig Holstein, established a colony here and called it “Holsteinsborg”. The oldest part of Sisimiut’s historic quarter features town houses from this “Holsteinsborg” era, and the oldest house in town dates back to 1756. One of the most culturally significant buildings is the Blue Church, built in 1775.
Our city tour highlights include the historic colonial quarter, as well as the museum and the beautiful church. Additionally, we will pay a visit to the busy city centre for a glimpse of what daily life is like in 21st century Greenland. In the afternoon, our voyage will continue northward.
As evening falls, we will pass the Sisimiut Isortuat Fjord, the Nordre Strømfjord settlements of Attu and Ikerasaarsuk, and the small town of Kangaatsiaq. During the course of the bright night, we will pass Aasiaat and proceed into the southern waters of Disko Bay. Next, the ship’s heading will be set for Disko Island, known for its distinctive 1,000-meter/3,280 feet layered crags.
Our next sojourn lies on the southern tip of the Disko Island, where we anchor in a protected natural harbour, which is named Godhavn (‘Good Harbour’) in Danish, while its Greenlandic name, Qeqertarsuaq, means ‘The Big Island’.
Although topographically quite different from mainland Greenland due to the basalt characteristics of the Disko Island’s mountains, Qeqertarsuaq maintains a long, rich history and once served as one of the country’s important economic centres. From the 16th century, the community was relatively prosperous and, in fact, considered the most important town north of Nuuk until the mid-1900s, due in part to the area’s sizeable whale hunting population.
During our visit, we will wander through town, paying a visit to the characteristic octagonal church, nicknamed “God’s Inkpot”, as well as to a local community center that will be hosting a traditional Greenlandic “kaffemik”, which can be best described as a friendly gathering with coffee, cake and traditional dances and music.
When you wake up this morning, you will find yourself almost 600km north of the Arctic Circle, and in one of Greenland’s most beautiful and sunny regions. The ship has reached Uummannaq, situated on a small island. The impressive 1,175m high heart-shaped mountain that has given the town its name dominates the view (Uummannaq means ‘place where the heart is’). There is time to explore the city before heading back to the ship for lunch. From the town there is an extraordinary vista comprising the island’s 1,000-meter tall rock faces, the snow-covered peaks on Nuussuaq peninsula to the south, and out across the fiord. In the fiord, icebergs of all shapes and sizes majestically float by on a course set by wind and current. As much as 5 active glaciers at the bottom of the fiord ensure that we can observe plenty of icebergs.
Uummannaq was founded as a colony in 1758 on the Nuussuaq mainland, but shortly thereafter, in 1763, it was moved to the nearby island, as seal hunting was more bountiful here. On our walk along the town’s steep streets we visit the historic train-oil building, built in 1860. Inside its yellow walls, whale and seal blubber used to be stored. Because of the horrid stench, the blubber was not boiled here, but well outside town! Behind the train-oil storage we will find a peat hut, which was still in use a few years ago.
In the morning the cruise ship will have reached a magnificent natural highlight, the calving Eqip Sermia glacier. We enjoy lunch on the sun deck with this magnificent natural wonder in the background.
Situated approximately 50 nautical miles north of Ilulissat, the Eqip Sermia Glacier is renowned for its jaw-dropping beauty. Legendary arctic explorers selected this location as a base for their studies. One such explorer, the acclaimed Swiss glaciologist, Alfred de Quervain, used the location as a base for his expeditions onto Greenland’s inland ice sheet over a century ago. We will sail as close as possible to the ice’s edge – but at a safe distance to avoid plunging blocks of ice and violent waves that often result from the calving glacier.
In the afternoon we head for Ilulissat, where we berth in the evening and go for an evening walk to the Sermermiut plain.
Ilulissat is possibly the most well located town in Greenland. The name simply means ‘icebergs’ in Greenlandic, and the town’s nickname is rightly ‘the Iceberg Capital’.
In Disko Bay, which is located just off the coast of Ilulissat, gigantic icebergs linger in the freezing waters. These icebergs come from the Icefjord, which is located a half hour’s hike south of Ilulissat. These impressive frozen structures are born some 70km/43,5 miles deeper into the fjord by the enormous Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. This 10km/6 miles-wide glacier is the most productive glacier outside of Antarctica; Whereas most glaciers only calve at a rate of approximately a metre/three feet a day, the Ilulissat glacier calves at a rate of 25m/82 feet per day. The icebergs produced by the glacier represent more than 10% of all icebergs in Greenland, corresponding to 20 million tonnes/22 million us tons of ice per day! These facts, together with the fjord’s unforgettable scenery, have secured the Icefjord a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Today you will have the opportunity to join a boat trip to the Icefjord (not included). The journey takes about two and a half hours in total, a great opportunity to take a closer look at the amazing ice-sculpted scenery. The trip is definitely something out of the ordinary and a great natural experience that you will remember for years to come – but be sure to have warm clothing on!
If a hike or a trip by boat does not present enough excitement, there is also an opportunity to arrange a flightseeing ride over the Icefjord (not included).
Please note the boat and flightseeing excursions to the Icefjord are not included in the general tour price. Furthermore, the flightseeing excursion must be booked in advance. Please ask for more information if you are interested.
In the evening, we will cruise southward from “the Iceberg Capital”, leaving lovely Disko Bay behind us as we part.
The settlement of Sarfannguit, which translates into "the place of the little stream” an appropriate name for a settlement nestled at the foothills of the mountains and glaciers in the distant backcountry. The settlement’s slightly more than 100 residents live off hunting, trapping and fishing, most often in pursuit of arctic char, reindeer and musk oxen.Although Sarfannguit is quite remote, it lies within a few hours from Sisimiut, the second-largest town in Greenland. The accessibility to such a large town provides an indispensable economic benefit to a small community like Sarfannguit.
A stroll through the settlement offers insight into rural life in today’s Greenland, where modern conveniences and technological advancements, such as internet and smart phones have become commonplace, yet locals still place great value on important customs and preserving their traditions and their Inuit heritage.
We will continue our journey toward the fjord of Kangerlussuaq, also known as Sondre Stromfjord. Especially the first part of the fjord gives a great opportunity to enjoy an impressive passage with panoramic views of high mountains and deep valleys.
During the night, we will have completed our passage through the 160-kilometer/100 mile Kangerlussuaq Fjord. After breakfast aboard the ship, we will bid farewell to the ship's staff and the Zodiac boats will shuttle us to shore.
Return by flight from Kangerlussuaq to Reykjavik or Copenhagen.
Deploying in November 2022 the Ocean Albatros will feature the latest in X-Bow hull technology. With a total of 95 comfortable staterooms and suites, all with unobstructed views, the Ocean Albatros will be one of the most popular expedition vessels in polar waters. Featuring two restaurants, a wellness area, Nordic bar, an open deck dining facility, modern lecture lounge and a number of other state-of-the-art amenities, the Albatros will provide the ultimate expedition experience. Boasting 50% less emissions than traditional polar vessels, the Albatros provides peace of mind in regard to comfort and sustainability for our guests. The Albatros will also come with a unique panorama sauna and a total of 12 dedicated solo travel cabins without single supplement.
Ice Class:
Length: 104.4m
Breadth: 18.4mMax
Draft: Cruising
Speed:
Electricity: Passenger
Capacity:189
View Ship Details
We believe that appropriate accommodation should add to the authentic travel experience, as well as providing utmost enjoyment. For that reason our accommodation is scrutinised by our staff on the ground frequently, ensuring the properties adhere to our high standards. This key will help you understand the levels of accommodation available on this tour.
Comfortable properties with dependable facilities and service.
Comfortable properties with dependable facilities and service.
Luxurious properties with impeccable facilities and service.
Optional Activities vary for each itinerary. Limited spaces available. Contact your Destination Specialist for pricing & availability.
Experience the unforgettable thrill and serenity of kayaking in Antarctica as part of a small, expertly guided paddling group.
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08 Aug 2023 | 15 Aug 2023 | 8 | AUD 10,290 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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15 Aug 2023 | 22 Aug 2023 | 8 | AUD 10,290 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All meals during cruise
accommodation in shared inside/outside cabins
English speaking expedition team
Shore landings by Zodiac
Complimentary use of boots
all port fees taxes and tariffs
Charter flights to/from Greenland
EXCLUSIONS
International flight
Travel Insurance
Visa and reciprocity fees (if applicable)
Tips and gratuities
Any activities not mentioned as included in itinerary
Available upon request, contact us for more details.
Please note this itinerary may be subject to change depending on weather and ice conditions
Return flights are included from Copenhagen or Reykjavik.
Departure date, seasonality and availability