Northwest Passage – Eastbound – 15 Days

Voyage Overview

Get a glimpse into the icy world that captivated early explorers.

Journey east from the western Canadian Arctic to Greenland on a late-season expedition through the Northwest Passage. Inuit history provides the essential thread: from the copper-working traditions of the Inuinnait and the oral knowledge that helped reveal the fate of Franklin’s ships, to Greenlandic communities whose lives remain closely connected to ice, sea and wildlife. Explore sites associated with European polar ambition, including King William Island and the storied waters of Bellot Strait, while watching for polar bears, walrus, musk oxen, seals, whales and the returning northern lights. Every day is shaped by weather, sea ice and opportunity.

Trip Details

Duration: 15 Days

Ship: Sylvia Earle, Premium Ship, 130 Guests

Start: Calgary, Canada

End: Toronto, Canada

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Calgary
On arrival in Calgary, you will be met by a representative and transferred to the included group hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.

Day 2: Fly to Kugluktuk and embark
Transfer to Calgary Airport and board our charter flight to Kugluktuk, Nunavut. Kugluktuk, meaning ‘place of moving water’, stands near the mouth of the Coppermine River in the homeland of the Inuinnait. Copper gathered in this region was fashioned into tools for generations, giving rise to the historical English name ‘Copper Inuit’. Transfer to your ship, settle into your cabin and join the mandatory safety briefings before meeting your Expedition Team and crew.

Day 3: Port Epworth and at sea
We hope to begin with a Zodiac cruise or landing at Port Epworth, on a coast shaped by ancient geology and a long record of Inuit travel and seasonal use. Depending on conditions, we may explore the shoreline and search for archaeological traces that reveal how people moved through and lived within this western Arctic landscape. Later, we set a course east. Watch from deck for seals, whales and migrating birdlife as the Expedition Team introduces the human and natural history of the Northwest Passage.

Day 4: Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq) and at sea
Iqaluktuuttiaq, or Cambridge Bay, means ‘place of many fish’ and reflects the rich waters that have long drawn Inuit families to this part of Victoria Island. Today it is a vibrant regional centre where Inuinnaqtun language, harvesting traditions and contemporary northern life meet. The harbour is also linked with Roald Amundsen’s ship Maud, which remained here for decades after becoming trapped in ice and sinking. A locally guided visit may explore community history and culture before we return to the ship and continue east.

Day 5: King William Island
We aim to explore the western side of King William Island, known to Inuit as Qikiqtaq. This landscape is central to the Franklin story, but its history is far older and richer than the European search for a passage. Inuit travelled, hunted and camped throughout the region for generations, developing knowledge that later proved crucial to understanding the fate of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. Weather and sea ice will determine our landing place. On shore, the Expedition Team may interpret archaeological features, expedition relics and the oral histories that connect this coast with one of polar exploration’s most enduring mysteries. We will also watch for caribou, Arctic foxes, seals and polar bears.

Day 6: Bellot Strait region
Bellot Strait is one of the most storied waterways of the Northwest Passage. Barely two kilometres wide at its narrowest point, it separates Somerset Island from the Boothia Peninsula and is swept by strong tides and shifting ice. Safe conditions may allow us to transit or explore in the vicinity of Fitzroy Inlet, Bellot Strait or Strzelecki Harbour. Zodiac cruises and tundra walks reveal an austere landscape of cliffs, coves and tidal channels. This was a formidable obstacle for early navigators, yet part of a well-known homeland and travel network for Inuit. Scan the shore and water for polar bears, seals, beluga and seabirds.

Day 7: Radstock Bay
At Radstock Bay, beneath the limestone mass of Caswall Tower, archaeological remains reveal generations of Inuit life. Stone house foundations, caches and whale bones speak to sophisticated hunting practices, food storage and seasonal movement through the region. We hope to hike across raised beaches and tundra while our guides bring these traces into context. Wildlife also shapes our plans. Walrus may use parts of this coast as haul-out habitat, and access can be restricted to protect them. Musk oxen, Arctic hare, foxes and polar bears are also possible in the wider area, so the Expedition Team may select an alternative site on northwestern Somerset Island if required.

Day 8: Maxwell Bay
Maxwell Bay (Tasiujaq) cuts deeply into Devon Island and offers a choice of sheltered inlets, including Graham Harbour and Custance Inlet. By late September the tundra has taken on autumn tones and early snow may sharpen the island’s flat-topped mountains and glacial valleys. We may explore by Zodiac or on foot, watching for musk oxen, Arctic hare and foxes on land, and seals or walrus in the water. Polar bears move throughout this region, although every sighting is a matter of chance. Archaeological remains and historic sites may also reveal how Inuit travellers, traders and later government patrols used these protected waters.

Day 9: Croker Bay and Dundas Harbour
At Croker Bay, a glacier descends towards a broad Arctic inlet. Conditions may favour a Zodiac cruise among sculpted ice or a landing beneath Devon Island’s distinctive mountains. Ringed seals and walrus may be present, with polar bears occasionally travelling the coast.

We also hope to visit Dundas Harbour, where the remains of an RCMP post and former Hudson’s Bay Company activity represent a recent layer of history. Nearby archaeological features point to much older Inuit use of this coast. A tundra walk may bring encounters with musk oxen, Arctic hare and late-season birdlife.

Day 10: At sea
We leave Nunavut and cross Baffin Bay towards Greenland. Spend time on deck scanning for whale blows, seals and fulmars, or join presentations that connect the two sides of the passage—from shared Inuit cultural roots and long-distance travel to the ambitions of European explorers and the realities of navigation through ice. As darkness returns to the Arctic night, clear skies may also offer a chance to see the northern lights.

Day 11: Kullorsuaq and the Devil’s Thumb
Our return to Greenland begins at Kullorsuaq, a small community set among islands, mountains and ice in the Upernavik Archipelago. The settlement takes its name from the distinctive mountain nearby: Kullorsuaq, or ‘the Big Thumb’, known in English as the Devil’s Thumb. A community visit may offer insight into life in one of Greenland’s northern settlements, where hunting and fishing remain closely tied to sea ice, weather and seasonal wildlife. Offshore, icebergs drift through intricate channels used by seals and whales, and the surrounding cliffs may hold ravens and seabirds.

Day 12: At sea and Nuussuaq
A morning at sea allows time to watch the Greenland coast unfold and to learn more about its geology, wildlife and human history. Humpback and minke whales may be encountered in these waters, while changing ice and weather guide our progress. Later, we hope to explore around Nuussuaq. The peninsula’s immense basalt mountains and broad valleys preserve evidence of ancient movement and settlement along a coast that has supported Inuit communities for thousands of years. A late-day landing may offer a tundra walk, Zodiac cruise or community visit, subject to conditions and local arrangements.

Day 13: Ilulissat
Today’s plans will be shaped by ice, weather and local conditions. We hope to visit Ilulissat, where people have lived beside the icefjord for more than 4,000 years. A walk towards the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ilulissat Icefjord reveals a constantly changing procession of bergs calved by Sermeq Kujalleq. The nearby Sermermiut valley preserves traces of successive Inuit cultures and adds a powerful human story to this extraordinary glacial landscape.

Day 14: Ukivik and Nipisat
At Ukivik, open tundra and an indented coast may offer a final wilderness walk, shaped by weather, wildlife and local conditions. Later, we hope to visit Nipisat, part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Aasivissuit–Nipisat: Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea. Archaeological layers document more than 4,000 years of human history and reveal how successive cultures adapted to seasonal resources between the Greenland Ice Sheet and the coast. It is a fitting place to reflect on Inuit resilience, knowledge and continuity at the end of our passage.

Day 15: Disembark in Kangerlussuaq and fly to Reykjavík
In Kangerlussuaq, farewell the crew, Expedition Team and fellow travellers before transferring to the airport for our charter flight to Reykjavík. The voyage concludes on arrival at Reykjavík Airport.

Note: Our arrival time in Reykjavík depends on the allocated charter-flight slots, which we expect to receive in March 2028. We recommend allowing flexibility when arranging onward travel.

This voyage is operated in remote and challenging environments, and in the spirit of expedition travel, we encourage you to adopt a flexible and adventurous attitude when joining our voyages. This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change due to weather, ice, sea state, local regulations and permitting, and other conditions beyond our control.