Iceland & East Greenland: Under the Northern Lights

Voyage Overview

Experience the Arctic’s autumn colors & spectacular landscapes in the remote fjords of East Greenland.

An exploration like no other; this one-of-a-kind voyage of discovery heads into the vast landscapes of Eastern Greenland and Iceland’s Westfjords. The only guarantee is a genuine voyage of exploration and adventure. Wild Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord beckons exploration, where glaciers offload icebergs the size of small cities into deep fjords, and where kittiwakes, arctic terns and glaucous gulls plunge the water surface for zooplankton amidst collapsing ice. In Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system in the world, we watch bergs drift silently against autumnal vegetation, revealing arctic hares, musk oxen and elusive ptarmigan. True exploration awaits us.

Trip Details

Duration: 11 Days

Ship: Douglas Mawson, Premium Ship, 130 Guests

Start: Reykjavik, Iceland

End: Reykjavik, Iceland

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Reykjavik
Having made your way to Reykjavik, you will be met and transferred to our group hotel. The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.

Day 2: Embarkation
Today we follow the path of one of Reykjavik’s most popular seismic attractions – the Golden Circle. Stops along our route include Thingvellir National Park, accredited as the site of Iceland’s first parliament. A shaky start to the new nation, it is also the point where the Eurasia and North American tectonic plates meet as an open fissure. Our next stop is Gullfoss waterfall. This impressive water feature tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá River, offering a popular photographic opportunity. Next we explore the geothermal fields and geysir’s for which Iceland is famous. The variety of hot springs and bubbling pools are mesmerising as the sheer capacity of water and steam erupting from the ground makes you ponder just how much power is beneath your feet. Late afternoon we return to Reykjavik to board the Douglas Mawson. After boarding, there’s time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings before we ‘throw the lines’ to begin our Greenland adventure. This evening, meet your expedition team and crew at the Welcome Dinner.

Day 3: Dyjandi Waterfall / At Sea
Immerse yourself in the tranquillity of morning as we take in breathtaking landscapes and keeping a watchful eye for whales. Later, we’ll embark on a Zodiac landing to witness the awe-inspiring power of Dynjandi waterfall.

Days 4-9: East Greenland
In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is ours to explore. Our experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor our itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows us to make best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. We generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.

East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) high. Gigantic icebergs calved from glaciers drift throughout the fjord system creating breathtaking scenery. The landscape is filled with multi-coloured tundra home to musk oxen and arctic hare. Throughout the area are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and modern Inuit hunters’ cabins.

A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 500 inhabitants. Here you can explore the village, the fascinating museum or sit in the beautiful Lutheran Church. The locals are friendly, and from underneath their Arctic fox-fur jackets, the shy young children are keen to say hello and practice their English. The community boasts an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and the opportunity to meet Inuit people.

Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil mountains that protects areas from the strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from muskox and arctic foxes to mountain hares and even reindeer near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds including common eider, glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, and arctic terns gracefully gliding or plunging into icy bays for zooplankton.

North of Scoresbysund, we hope to visit Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer, near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.

There are great hiking options in the area, where flowering tundra plants, scattered bones of whales and muskox from centuries of hunting by the Inuit and fumaroles can be found. These are areas where heated groundwater boil to the surface creating bubbling pools and mineral formations as the water reacts with the atmosphere.

The area also boasts some of the most striking sedimentary sandstone, shale, and siltstone formations imaginable. The layers of sediment here are estimated to have taken about 4,000 years to be laid down, and the alternating colours and patterns in the layers of rocks are stunningly beautiful.

Day 10: At Sea
As we cross the Denmark Strait to Iceland, we begin our series of informative and entertaining onboard lectures from our team of experts.

Day 11: Disembarkation in Reykjavik
During the early morning, we cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell your Expedition Team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys. Transfer to Keflavik airport. Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we recommend booking flights departing after 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.   

In true expedition style we encourage exploration and adventure, offering flexibility in challenging environments in a way that puts you among the action to see and do as much as possible. This itinerary is only a guide and subject to change due to ice and weather conditions.