Northwest Passage – Westbound – 15 Days

Voyage Overview

Experience an Arctic journey shaped by ice, human ingenuity and centuries of polar ambition.

Follow waterways long travelled by Inuit, whose knowledge of seasons, wildlife and sea ice made life—and later exploration—possible in this immense region. Along the way, encounter places associated with Franklin, Amundsen and the RCMP schooner St Roch, while archaeological sites reveal far older stories of Inuit adaptation and movement. Wildlife remains wonderfully unpredictable: watch for polar bears, walrus, musk oxen, seals, whales and Arctic birdlife as our route responds to weather and sea ice.

Trip Details

Duration: 15 Days

Ship: Sylvia Earle, Premium Ship, 130 Guests

Start: Reykjavik, Iceland

End: Calgary, Canada

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Reykjavík
On arrival in Reykjavík, 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. Accommodation: Reykjavík airport hotel (to be advised).

Day 2: Fly to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and embark
Transfer to Keflavik Reykjavík Airport and board our charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. On arrival, transfer to your ship, waiting at the head of the 190-kilometre (118-mile) Kangerlussuaq Fjord. Settle into your cabin and join the mandatory safety briefings before meeting your Expedition Team and crew. As we sail through the long fjord, steep mountains and glacially carved valleys provide a dramatic introduction to Greenland.

Day 3: Sisimiut
North of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut brings together a remarkably long human history and the energy of modern Greenland. Archaeological evidence records waves of settlement by Saqqaq, Dorset and later Thule cultures, while today the town remains an important centre for fishing, hunting, education and outdoor life. We hope to explore the historic quarter around the old blue church and museum, where turf-house reconstructions and local collections reveal how generations adapted to this demanding environment.

Day 4: At sea and Ilulissat
Spend the morning on deck as we cross Disko Bay, watching for humpback and minke whales and for the first immense icebergs drifting south from Ilulissat Icefjord. The Expedition Team will introduce the geology, wildlife and human history of the region as we approach Ilulissat.

In the afternoon, we hope to step ashore in Ilulissat, where people have lived beside the icefjord for more than 4,000 years. Walk across tundra and exposed rock towards viewpoints over the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ilulissat Icefjord. Here, ice calved by Sermeq Kujalleq moves towards Disko Bay in a constantly changing procession of bergs. The nearby Sermermiut valley preserves traces of successive Inuit cultures and adds a powerful human story to this extraordinary glacial landscape.

Day 5: Sukasset and Aappilattoq Icefjord
Today we aim to explore the remote coast of northwest Greenland. A landing at Sukasset may offer the chance to walk across trackless tundra and examine the small details of the Arctic landscape, from hardy plants and patterned ground to signs of foxes or grazing animals.

Later, we hope to ship cruise through the waters of Aappilattoq Icefjord. Ice conditions will shape our route as we navigate among islands, fjords and drifting ice. Scan the shoreline and water for seals, whales and seabirds, while the Expedition Team shares stories of Greenlandic life in a region where travel, hunting and community connections have long depended on the sea.

Day 6: At sea
Our crossing of Baffin Bay is an expedition experience in its own right. Spend time on deck scanning for whale blows, fulmars and kittiwakes, or join talks that place the Northwest Passage in context—from Inuit travel routes and knowledge systems to the ambitions and hardships of European polar expeditions. As we approach Nunavut, sea ice and weather will begin to determine the opportunities ahead.

Day 7: Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik)
After completing Canadian clearance formalities, we hope to visit Mittimatalik, known in English as Pond Inlet, on northern Baffin Island. Framed by mountains, glaciers and the waters of Eclipse Sound, the community is a gateway to Tallurutiup Imanga and a place where Inuit knowledge, language, art and harvesting traditions remain central to daily life. A locally guided visit may introduce community stories and contemporary life in the High Arctic. In the surrounding waters, we remain alert for narwhal, beluga, seals and seabirds, although all wildlife encounters are determined by season and chance.

Day 8: Dundas Harbour and Croker Bay
On Devon Island (Tallurutit), we hope to land at Dundas Harbour. The remains of an RCMP post and a former Hudson’s Bay Company presence speak to a comparatively recent chapter, while nearby archaeological features point to a much older Inuit use of this coastline. Walk across rolling tundra with views towards Lancaster Sound, watching for musk oxen, Arctic hare and birdlife.

At Croker Bay, a glacier descends towards a broad Arctic inlet. Conditions may favour a Zodiac cruise among sculpted ice or a shore landing beneath Devon Island’s flat-topped mountains. Ringed seals and walrus may be encountered in these productive waters, and polar bears are always a possibility in the wider region.

Day 9: Prince Leopold Island and Port Leopold
Prince Leopold Island (Appait) rises abruptly from Lancaster Sound. Its cliffs form one of the Canadian Arctic’s most important seabird breeding sites; by September many birds may already have departed, but northern fulmars, kittiwakes and thick-billed murres can still be seen offshore. Seals in the surrounding waters may also attract polar bears.

Across the sound, Port Leopold recalls the many expeditions sent in search of Sir John Franklin. HMS Enterprise and HMS Investigator wintered here in 1848–49, and the remains of later commercial activity add further layers to the site. If conditions permit, we hope to walk the coast and consider this history alongside evidence of Inuit presence that long predates the explorers.

Day 10: Beechey Island and Radstock Bay
Beechey Island (Iluvilik), a Canadian National Historic Site, is one of the most poignant places in the story of the Northwest Passage. Franklin’s expedition wintered here in 1845–46, and the graves of three crew members remain on the shore. Later search parties, including those following Inuit testimony, returned repeatedly to this stark landscape. A guided walk will help place the site within both the Franklin story and the broader history of Arctic exploration.

At Radstock Bay, beneath the imposing limestone mass of Caswall Tower, archaeological remains reveal generations of Inuit life. Stone house foundations, food caches and whale bones speak to skilled use of local resources and extensive movement through the region. We may hike across the raised beaches while watching for musk oxen, Arctic hare and signs of foxes.

Day 11: Bellot Strait region
Bellot Strait is one of the most dramatic and technically challenging waterways in 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. Our transit and activities will depend entirely on safe conditions.

We hope to explore in the vicinity of Fitzroy Inlet, Bellot Strait or Strzelecki Harbour. These sheltered waterways and austere shores invite Zodiac cruising and tundra walks, while their position at the northern edge of mainland North America evokes the navigational challenges faced by earlier expeditions. We will watch for polar bears, seals, beluga and seabirds along the ice edge and coast.

Day 12: Pasley Bay and expedition cruising
An early visit to Pasley Bay may connect us with the story of the RCMP schooner St Roch and its pioneering Northwest Passage voyages under Henry Larsen. Inuit knowledge, local assistance and Arctic seamanship were essential to such journeys, just as they remain central to safe travel here today.

Later, we continue west through the maze of channels around Prince of Wales and Prince William islands. If conditions allow, a Zodiac excursion may take us towards a remote cairn or unplanned landing. These unscripted opportunities are at the heart of expedition travel, with the possibility of wildlife sightings and traces of earlier journeys revealed by the day’s route.

Day 13: At sea and Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq)
As we sail towards Victoria Island, join the Expedition Team for presentations on Inuit archaeology, polar exploration and the wildlife of the western Arctic. Time on deck may bring sightings of seals, whales or migrating birds.

Later, we hope to visit Iqaluktuuttiaq, or Cambridge Bay, whose Inuinnaqtun name means ‘place of many fish’. This important western Nunavut community has long been a gathering place, supported by rich fishing and hunting grounds. Its more recent polar history includes Roald Amundsen’s ship Maud, which spent years in the area after becoming trapped in ice and eventually sank in the harbour. A community visit offers insight into contemporary Inuit life and the enduring connections between people, land and sea.

Day 14: Cape Barrow and expedition cruising
Our final full expedition day takes us into the western channels of the passage. We hope to explore around Cape Barrow and a remote island to its north, where low tundra, gravel ridges and broad sea views create opportunities for a final landing or Zodiac cruise. Musk oxen, Arctic foxes, seals and passing whales may be present, while the open landscape encourages reflection on the distances travelled by Inuit families, traders and polar expeditions.

Tonight, gather with fellow travellers and the Expedition Team to celebrate a journey shaped by ice, history and the many communities and cultures of the Arctic.

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

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

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 a guide only and is subject to change due to weather, ice, sea state, local regulations and permitting, and other conditions beyond our control.