Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route

Voyage Overview

Retrace the steps of Franklin, experience Arctic culture and search for unique wildlife on this extraordinary journey.

Winding your way through the icy channels of the legendary Northwest Passage is history brought to life during this expedition in the Canadian High Arctic and Greenland. On this compelling 17-day trip aboard a new vessel Ocean Explorer, passengers retrace the steps of the intrepid Franklin Expedition, which left the shores of England in 1845 in search of the last unexplored section of the Northwest Passage—only to become permanently icebound. Its discovery more than a century and a half later by Norwegian Roald Amundsen was a much-celebrated moment in polar history.

Explore colorful Inuit villages, and shop for traditional Inuit handicrafts. Hike the endless Arctic backdrop and marvel at the vast, colorful tundra. Keep your eyes peeled for the elusive and majestic creatures that make their home in this wilderness, such as whales, walrus, muskoxen and polar bears.

Trip Details

Duration: 17 Days

Ship: Ocean Explorer, Premium Ship, 138 Guests

Start: Reykjavik, Iceland

End: Calgary, Canada

Trip Itinerary Overview:

Day 1: Arrive Reykjavik, Iceland

Day 2: Fly to Nuuk, Greenland & Embark

Day 3 – 4: Exploring West Greenland

Day 5: Crossing the Davis Straight

Day 6 – 15: Exploring the Canadian High Arctic

Day 16: Disembark in Resolute & Fly to Calgary

Day 17: Depart Calgary

View Full Itinerary details

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Reykjavik, Iceland
Your Arctic adventure begins in Reykjavik. Explore this vibrant city on your own before spending the night enjoying the comfort and amenities of your designated hotel. 

Day 2: Fly to Nuuk, Greenland and Embark
In the morning after breakfast, guests and their luggage will be transferred to the airport for their charter flight to the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk. This picturesque city of 17,000 is situated on a fjord with the Sermitsiaq mountain in the background. Upon arrival, guests will be transferred to their ship.

Day 3 – 4: Exploring West Greenland
Cruising around the remote regions of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic aboard Ocean Explorer, you’ll navigate the same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of long ago. Designed to give polar adventurers unprecedented access to the hardest-toreach places on the planet—this oneof-a-kind ship will take you beyond the familiar in polar exploration. Throughout your journey, your Expedition Team will keep an eye toward immersing you in the best the Arctic has to offer at the top of the world. Locals call Maniitsoq the Venice of Greenland, as it’s situated in an archipelago intersected by natural canals. Soaring, snow-capped mountains surround the small, rocky town, whose name means “the uneven place.” Playful humpback whales spend summer in the waters around here.

Day 5: Crossing the Davis Strait
Say goodbye to Greenland’s shores as you traverse the Davis Strait in pursuit of the Canadian Arctic. Presentations by on-board experts will prepare you for the adventures that lie ahead.

Day 6 – 15: Exploring Canada’s High Arctic
Visit towering fjords, historical sites and Inuit communities as you follow in the footsteps of famous explorers from long ago in the Canadian High Arctic. At the southern tip of the Cumberland Sound, you’ll visit Cape Mercy, which was named by British explorer John Davis (yes, he of the Davis Strait), who sailed through it in 1585. This is the site of an old Distant Early Warning Line installation, dating back to the Cold War. These and many other stations were set up to detect Soviet bombers. It’s an ideal spot to go ashore for a hike.

As icebergs travel down the Davis Strait, they’re naturally trapped at Qikiqtarjuaq (formerly known as Broughton Island). The icy waters here are also home to ring and harp seals. A hike up to the hilltop inuksuk rewards with spectacular views of the community. Inuksuks are stone figures or cairns that traditionally call attention to the location for navigation, abundant harvesting or spiritual significance.

Cruising further north along the mountainous east shore of Baffin Island, we’ll approach Isabella Bay, an important summer and fall feeding area for the largest concentration of bowhead whales in Canada. Bowheads are a truly a remarkable arctic leviathan that research has revealed may live more than 200 years of age – the oldest mammal. At the northern tip of Baffin Island, near the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage, is the Inuit hamlet of Pond Inlet, surrounded by scenic mountains, fjords, glaciers and icebergs. Many in the community still follow a nomadic lifestyle and hunt for their food.

At the top of Baffin Island sits Lancaster Sound, a true arctic oasis. Known by the Inuit and their predecessors for thousands of years, this channel and the surrounding lands are extremely rich in wildlife and history, both indigenous and European. The area around Lancaster Sound affords several hiking opportunities. At Dundas Harbour, on Devon Island, you’ll visit an abandoned beachside outpost of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. At nearby Croker Bay, cruise in a Zodiac (at a safe distance) along the face of an actively calving glacier. Your Expedition Team will also keep its eyes peeled for walrus that are known to visit the bay. Farther west, some of the best ancient Thule remains in the Arctic are at Radstock Bay, beside the soaring Caswell Towers.

At the western end of Devon Island, the windswept Beechey Island is steeped in history. Named after famed British explorer Frederick William Beechey, it’s a Canadian National Historic Site. You’ll visit the small marked graves of three crew members who died during Sir John Franklin’s tragic 1845–46 expedition. Over 150 years later, Roald Amundsen landed here in 1903, during the first successful voyage by ship through the Northwest Passage.

Sailing down the east coast of Somerset Island, you may be fortunate to spot beluga whales and if you’re very fortunate, narwhals, as they feed at Creswell Bay. An Important Bird Area, the bay also attracts such species as black-bellied plovers, king eiders and white-rumped sandpipers. You’ll also have time to explore Fort Ross, where the Hudson’s Bay Company established a now-abandoned trading post in 1937. At the midpoint of the Bellot Strait, the narrow channel that separates Somerset Island from mainland North America, you’ll reach the northernmost area of the continental landmass, Zenith Point.

Day 16: Disembark in Resolute, Canada and Fly to Calgary
After disembarking in Resolute, you’ll be transferred to your charter flight to Calgary, where you’ll spend the night at your included hotel.

Day 17: Depart Calgary
Today, make your way to the airport to catch your homeward flights, or spend the day exploring this fascinating city.

EXPEDITION SPIRIT: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your Expedition Team  must  consider  the sea, ice and weather to guide the route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you may experience on this voyage; please  be  aware  that  no  specific  itinerary can be guaranteed. By the same  token,  wildlife  encounters  as  described  are  expected,  but  not  guaranteed.  Your  Expedition  Team  will  use  their  considerable  experience to seek out wildlife in known habitats, but the presence of any particular species of bird or marine wildlife is not guaranteed.