Greenland's Northern Lights

Day 1
Our journey begins in Reykjavik where we will overnight in a hotel - pack your bathing suit, so you can relax in a pool heated by geothermal activity near the hotel where you will spend the night.

Day 2
We'll embark the ice-strengthened Adventure Ship, Akademik Sergey Vavilov, in the late afternoon; this journey is an adventure to one of the most remote areas on the planet - the eastern coast of Greenland. Access to the region is possible only by air or sea.

Day 3 - 4
We transit the Denmark Strait, the body of water that separates Iceland from Greenland. While at sea, the Expedition Team will deliver illustrated presentations about the wildlife and cultures we will encounter in Greenland. The naturalists assist with seabird identification from the deck of the ship. Weather in the Strait is variable - to say the least - but we'll want to be on deck to watch for icebergs. From the glaciers that calve them, they float south on the cold eastern Greenland current that flows through the strait.

Day 5 - 7
Fjords and flower meadows punctuate the scenery of Greenland National Park, where Arctic fox and Musk oxen roam free. Out days will be spent exploring and learning about the unique history and geology of Greenland.
King Oscar Fjord is a hiker's paradise. We may walk across the delicate flower-and-berry-strewn tundra at Holm Bay, Zodiac-cruise through spectacular Alepfjord or take a more challenging climb to the top of nearby Ella Island for spectacular views.
From Ella Island we head to the Antarctic Sound, in the Arctic. The area is home to beautiful purple and gold colored rocks with Ymer Island and Blomsterbugten, the 'Bay of Flowers', ready to explore in the distance.
Keeping a constant eye out for wildlife, we will then head south along the Liverpool Coast. Weather conditions are variable here, but we'll aim to visit Storefjord and the 'warming island' of Uunartoq Qeqertaq, which was only discovered in 2005.

Day 8 - 11
Arriving at Scoresbysund, we'll be mesmerized by the largest, longest, and - some say - most beautiful fjord system in the world. This area was named for William Scoresby, who charted the east coast of Greenland in 1822.
At the start of the sound, Itoqqortoormitt is East Greenland's most northerly community and one of the world's last remaining examples of a living hunter society. With clear skies, we'll have a great opportunity to see the Northern Lights here. You can also support the local Inuit artisans by purchasing unique handicrafts. Our time here is spent bonding with the Inuit people and gaining an appreciation of their way of life. Sailing on, deeper into Scoresbysund, we'll encounter massive icebergs and an ancient Thule settlement as we approach Sydkap and Ofjord. The scenery here is something beyond imagination, with towering mountain sides and hundreds of apartment size icebergs playing tricks with your sense of perception.
Pushing onward, this expedition will come to Rypefjord and Kap Hofmann Halvo. We will keep our eyes peeled for sightings of rare blue icebergs, which are more normally seen in the Antarctic. With binoculars in hand, birders should keep watch for wheatears, Snow buntings and ravens at Rypefjord.
At Cape Hofmann Halvo we'll have our best chance for closer encounters with grazing Musk oxen and enjoy a final hike out on the colourful tundra.

Day 12 - 13
Our homeward journey takes us back across the Denmark Strait, where you may spot White-beaked dolphins, and Humpback, Minke and even Blue whales. Birders should keep watch for kittiwakes, gannets, guillemots, fulmars and razorbills. Take a last look at the stunning Aurora Borealis on your final two evenings in magical Greenland!

Day 14
This expedition disembarks where it began, in Iceland's vibrant capital of Reykjavik.