Exploring The Garden Of Greenland (Westbound)

Discover Iceland’s modern capital.Your expedition cruise starts in Reykjavík – a laid-back city of art, culture and history. It is well worth spending some time exploring this delightful city.Take a stroll along city’s main street Laugavegur with its boutiques and outdoor shops, gaze in awe at the striking Hallgrímskirkja  Church, and drop in on the fascinating Reykjavík Art Museum.  Your expedition ship awaits you in Reykjavík Harbour. After being welcomed aboard and collecting your complimentary expedition jacket, it’s time to settle into your cabin before enjoying your first dinner on board.If you have the time, we recommend booking a Pre-Program with us and discovering some of Iceland’s natural highlights before your cruise begins.

In the wake of Vikings We leave Iceland behind and sail to Greenland across the Denmark Strait. These days at sea offer time to relax and settle into the ship. Perhaps keep watch for whales and seabirds from the deck, mingle with fellow travellers in the Explorer lounge, or enjoy the wellness facilities.  The Expedition Team will give presentations about the protocols of respectfully visiting the fragile natural areas and indigenous Arctic communities. Now is the time to book excursions and maybe learn a few words of Greenlandic. 

In the wake of Vikings We leave Iceland behind and sail to Greenland across the Denmark Strait. These days at sea offer time to relax and settle into the ship. Perhaps keep watch for whales and seabirds from the deck, mingle with fellow travellers in the Explorer lounge, or enjoy the wellness facilities.  The Expedition Team will give presentations about the protocols of respectfully visiting the fragile natural areas and indigenous Arctic communities. Now is the time to book excursions and maybe learn a few words of Greenlandic. 

Discover ice-carved landscapes, Norse heritage, and remote communities Over the next four days we fully embrace expedition mode, navigating South Greenland's maze of channels and scenic fjords. Local weather and ice conditions will determine where and when we land, but the Captain and Expedition Team know these waters well and will seek out the best the region has to offer. Southern Greenland's rugged mountain ranges tower above scattered green meadows and fjords, a landscape sculpted by ice over billions of years. The Norsemen settled here over a thousand years ago, drawn by the same beauty, though harsh conditions eventually drove them away after just four centuries. Today this vast, mostly unpopulated wilderness offers a rare sense of tranquillity. We may visit Norse ruins at Brattahlíð, step ashore in colourful Qaqortoq with its beautiful lake, or simply gaze in wonder at the spectacular mountainous scenery unfolding around us.  

Discover ice-carved landscapes, Norse heritage, and remote communities Over the next four days we fully embrace expedition mode, navigating South Greenland's maze of channels and scenic fjords. Local weather and ice conditions will determine where and when we land, but the Captain and Expedition Team know these waters well and will seek out the best the region has to offer. Southern Greenland's rugged mountain ranges tower above scattered green meadows and fjords, a landscape sculpted by ice over billions of years. The Norsemen settled here over a thousand years ago, drawn by the same beauty, though harsh conditions eventually drove them away after just four centuries. Today this vast, mostly unpopulated wilderness offers a rare sense of tranquillity. We may visit Norse ruins at Brattahlíð, step ashore in colourful Qaqortoq with its beautiful lake, or simply gaze in wonder at the spectacular mountainous scenery unfolding around us.  

Discover ice-carved landscapes, Norse heritage, and remote communities Over the next four days we fully embrace expedition mode, navigating South Greenland's maze of channels and scenic fjords. Local weather and ice conditions will determine where and when we land, but the Captain and Expedition Team know these waters well and will seek out the best the region has to offer. Southern Greenland's rugged mountain ranges tower above scattered green meadows and fjords, a landscape sculpted by ice over billions of years. The Norsemen settled here over a thousand years ago, drawn by the same beauty, though harsh conditions eventually drove them away after just four centuries. Today this vast, mostly unpopulated wilderness offers a rare sense of tranquillity. We may visit Norse ruins at Brattahlíð, step ashore in colourful Qaqortoq with its beautiful lake, or simply gaze in wonder at the spectacular mountainous scenery unfolding around us.  

Discover ice-carved landscapes, Norse heritage, and remote communities Over the next four days we fully embrace expedition mode, navigating South Greenland's maze of channels and scenic fjords. Local weather and ice conditions will determine where and when we land, but the Captain and Expedition Team know these waters well and will seek out the best the region has to offer. Southern Greenland's rugged mountain ranges tower above scattered green meadows and fjords, a landscape sculpted by ice over billions of years. The Norsemen settled here over a thousand years ago, drawn by the same beauty, though harsh conditions eventually drove them away after just four centuries. Today this vast, mostly unpopulated wilderness offers a rare sense of tranquillity. We may visit Norse ruins at Brattahlíð, step ashore in colourful Qaqortoq with its beautiful lake, or simply gaze in wonder at the spectacular mountainous scenery unfolding around us.  

Fjords, glaciers, and ghostly mining towns  The stretch of coast between the fjord systems of southern Greenland and Nuuk is as wild as can be. Long distances separate the few scattered settlements. And although the climate is still mild by Arctic standards the topography is rough, segmented by high mountain ranges half covered by ice and cut through by deep turquoise fjords. With very few inside passages, travelling here has been a challenge since ancient times. And it still is. Mother Nature is in charge here, meaning it’s the perfect adventure playground for modern explorers. On our way north, and always adapted to the local conditions, we’ll get to know the landscapes of the so-called Mellembygden – the Middle Settlement of the Norse settlers. We’ll also look for the ghostly mining town of Ivittuut, where the historically important mineral cryolite was mined, but where today the only inhabitants are shy musk oxen. And we’ll sail into great fjords carved out over millennia by massive glaciers cascading down from the ice cap.  Wildlife thrives in this isolated region. Join our Expedition Team on their wildlife watches either on board or on land, and keep your camera and binoculars ready for seabirds, nesting colonies, and whales feeding at sea. If we’re lucky, we may even see one of the few musk ox herds living on the west Greenland coast.

Fjords, glaciers, and ghostly mining towns  The stretch of coast between the fjord systems of southern Greenland and Nuuk is as wild as can be. Long distances separate the few scattered settlements. And although the climate is still mild by Arctic standards the topography is rough, segmented by high mountain ranges half covered by ice and cut through by deep turquoise fjords. With very few inside passages, travelling here has been a challenge since ancient times. And it still is. Mother Nature is in charge here, meaning it’s the perfect adventure playground for modern explorers. On our way north, and always adapted to the local conditions, we’ll get to know the landscapes of the so-called Mellembygden – the Middle Settlement of the Norse settlers. We’ll also look for the ghostly mining town of Ivittuut, where the historically important mineral cryolite was mined, but where today the only inhabitants are shy musk oxen. And we’ll sail into great fjords carved out over millennia by massive glaciers cascading down from the ice cap.  Wildlife thrives in this isolated region. Join our Expedition Team on their wildlife watches either on board or on land, and keep your camera and binoculars ready for seabirds, nesting colonies, and whales feeding at sea. If we’re lucky, we may even see one of the few musk ox herds living on the west Greenland coast.

Fjords, glaciers, and ghostly mining towns  The stretch of coast between the fjord systems of southern Greenland and Nuuk is as wild as can be. Long distances separate the few scattered settlements. And although the climate is still mild by Arctic standards the topography is rough, segmented by high mountain ranges half covered by ice and cut through by deep turquoise fjords. With very few inside passages, travelling here has been a challenge since ancient times. And it still is. Mother Nature is in charge here, meaning it’s the perfect adventure playground for modern explorers. On our way north, and always adapted to the local conditions, we’ll get to know the landscapes of the so-called Mellembygden – the Middle Settlement of the Norse settlers. We’ll also look for the ghostly mining town of Ivittuut, where the historically important mineral cryolite was mined, but where today the only inhabitants are shy musk oxen. And we’ll sail into great fjords carved out over millennia by massive glaciers cascading down from the ice cap.  Wildlife thrives in this isolated region. Join our Expedition Team on their wildlife watches either on board or on land, and keep your camera and binoculars ready for seabirds, nesting colonies, and whales feeding at sea. If we’re lucky, we may even see one of the few musk ox herds living on the west Greenland coast.

Return to Greenland’s capital   Today, as we arrive at Nuuk, you will say a fond farewell to MS Fridtjof Nansen, the crew, the Expedition Team and the new friends you will have made. After disembarkation, board a small boat for a scenic journey into the spectacular Nuuk Fjord. Your destination is a remote, abandoned settlement, where you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch surrounded by breathtaking Arctic landscapes. Returning to Nuuk in the afternoon, visit Colonial Harbour, known locally as Kolonihavnen. This charming historic district is home to some of the city’s oldest buildings, including the Hans Egede House, built in 1728 and now preserved as a historic monument. Later, check in to your hotel, your home for the night, where you’ll enjoy dinner and time to relax. 

Transfer from pier to hotel, incl. excursion and lunch

At Hotel

Transfer from hotel to airport in Nuuk

Flight from Nuuk to Newark