In-Depth Exploration of Greenland's Culture & Coasts | Venture

Upon arrival in Reykjavik, you will be met by a representative and transferred to the hotel included in your package. Spend the evening exploring the city while preparing for your adventure in the Arctic.

Steeped in history and bursting with contemporary flair, Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, was founded around 870 C.E, marking the birth of the first permanent settlement on this island nation. Today, it is home to approximately 200,000 inhabitants, making up nearly 60% of Iceland's population. Reykjavík holds the title of the world's northernmost national capital, and it takes pride in its reputation as one of the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities globally. Its commitment to sustainability and eco-consciousness is evident in every corner, from its energy-efficient buildings to its pollution-free skies.

Today, you will be transferred from your hotel to the airport in due time for your charter flight from Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq. Upon arrival in Kangerlussuaq, you will be met by a representative and transferred to the cruise ship for embarkation.

In October, 1941 the United States Army Air Force constructed an airbase at the site of Kangerlussuaq. It served as a refuelling stop for single-engine military aircraft being flown to Britain during World War II. From their last port of call, Goose Bay, Labrador, it was 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to Kangerlussuaq until they could refuel. Kangerlussuaq fjord (‘Big Fjord’), is 170 kilometers (105 miles) long and was often shrouded in fog, providing a serious navigation problem for those aircrews.

Today, with the use of modern technology, navigation is no longer an issue. The landscape was ideal for the site of an airport. A large alluvial plain, deposited by the nearby glacial-outflow river, provided a perfectly flat environment for an airport. Kangerlussuaq is the largest commercial airport in Greenland and supports a population of 500. A little known fact, from 1971 to 1987, 33 missiles from various countries, were fired from Kangerlussuaq for upper atmospheric scientific research.

Located 24 miles (40 km) north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut is “rough, real and remote.” These three words cut to the core of Sisimiut’s reputation as an outdoor adventure-travel hub. It’s the second-largest city in Greenland with 5,600 inhabitants and was founded in 1756 under the leadership of the Danish missionary, Hans Egede. The name is Greenlandic meaning ‘place of fox dens.’ The area has been inhabited for 4,500 years, first by the Inuit peoples of the Saqqaq culture, Dorset culture, and then the Thule people, whose descendants comprise the majority of the current population.

One of the most picturesque towns in Greenland, Sisimiut is set in a tranquil fjord perched on bare outcrops of rock. Mount Nasaasaaq, 2,572’ (784 m) tall, is the backdrop for the town, where colorful houses of bright red, yellow, green and blue stand out in stark contrast to a landscape of gray and white. The Sisimiut Museum hosts a traditional Greenlandic peat house and the remains of an 18th century kayak.

Eternity Fjord, situated in the remote wilderness of Greenland, is a breathtaking natural wonder known for its awe-inspiring beauty and dramatic landscapes. Carved by ancient glaciers, the fjord is flanked by towering snow-capped peaks and sheer cliffs that plunge into crystal-clear Arctic waters, creating a majestic spectacle of contrasting colors and textures. The serenity of the fjord is punctuated by the occasional crack and groan of the icebergs as they calve and drift slowly towards the sea. This pristine and untouched environment offers a glimpse into the raw, untamed beauty of the Arctic, captivating visitors with its sense of timeless grandeur and an overwhelming feeling of being in the presence of an unspoiled, primordial masterpiece of nature.

Greenland’s capital Nuuk, is a city of vitality and Greenlandic culture. It’s here that old traditions and modern influences combine to create a diverse population. Nuuk is the home of the University of Greenland with its 650 students and the Greenland National Museum with is its extensive historical archives and cultural displays. Also of interest are the Nuuk Art Museum and the Kayak Museum. The Art Museum holds a body of 300 paintings primarily featuring the work of traveling European artists, while the Kayak Museum houses a very impressive collection of sealskin kayaks and traditional hunting artifacts. The modest wooden frame of the Nuuk Cathedral, built in 1849, is a recognizable landmark on Nuuk’s skyline.

The site of Nuuk was occupied as far back as 2,200 B.C.E. by ancient pre-Inuit peoples from Canada. It was settled again in the 10th century by Viking explorers. The current city was founded in 1728 by Danish missionary Hans Egede. A statue of Egede stands adjacent to the cathedral.

Set along a quiet inlet near Cape Desolation in southwestern Greenland, Ivittuut is a place defined as much by absence as by history. What remains today is an abandoned settlement: weathered buildings, scattered machinery, and the open outline of a former mining site, all set against low tundra and still water.

Beneath this quiet surface lies a site of global significance. Ivittuut was once the world’s only commercial source of cryolite, a rare mineral essential to early aluminum production. Discovered in the late 18th century and mined for more than a century, the deposit here helped shape modern industry far beyond Greenland. During World War II, its strategic importance led to a guarded Allied presence along this remote coast.

Long before mining began, this area formed part of the Norse Middle Settlement, a lesser-known chapter of Greenland’s early European history. Traces of those farms remain, though little is recorded of the people who lived here.

Today, the landscape feels still and exposed. Rusted equipment rests where it was left, and the mine’s pale excavation cuts sharply into the surrounding terrain. With no active community, the experience is one of quiet observation, where history, industry, and isolation meet in a setting that feels both remote and unexpectedly significant.

Norse farmers settled in this area in the 10th century, the earliest type of farming to the Arctic. It was from the Brattahlið (Qassiarsuk) farmstead that Leif Eriksson (Eric's the Red's Son) set sail and discovered Vinland, reaching the North American continent at Newfoundland and Labrador. UNESCO has included Brattahlið and other nearby sites as part of a World Heritage Site.

Qaqortoq is the largest city in Southern Greenland with 3,300 inhabitants. The town rises steeply above the natural small-boat harbor with its fish, shrimp and fur processing plants. It was founded in 1775 by the Dano-Norwegian trader Anders Olsen, working on behalf of the General Trading Company.

Qaqortoq is best known for its open-air art exhibition. The Stone & Man project, designed to transform the town into an outdoor gallery, had the participation of 18 Nordic artists from Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Greenland. Initially 24 stone sculptures were created using the existing rock faces and boulders in the town. Now there are over 40 sculptures celebrating Greenlandic culture.

Other points of interest include Mindebrønden, the oldest fountain in Greenland, the Qaqortoq Museum and The Saviors Lutheran Church. Eighteen kilometers northwest of town are the famous remains of the Viking church of Hvalsey. It represents the last written record of the Greenlandic Norse, who attended a wedding there in A.D. 1408. Hvalsey is the most prominent Norse site in Greenland.

The immense scale of the peaks around this village dwarfs anything built there. Still, the tall white steeple of the church juts up with a spirit of endurance and perseverance that matches the character of those who make this arctic outpost their home. It also echoes the shape of icebergs floating in the surrounding seas, shed from the immense icefields that cover much of the island.

The transit of the Prins Christian Sund is one of the highlights of cruising in Greenland. The approximately 60-mile sound cuts between the mainland and an archipelago of islands from east to west, under the southern edge of the massive Greenland Ice Sheet, which covers 80 percent of the island. The sound is narrow, sometimes as little as 1500 feet across, and numerous glaciers reach the sea on its shores, calving icebergs into the sound. High, barren and sharply defined peaks tower on both sides. The only indications of humanity to be seen are the Ikerassasuaq weather station (using the Greenlandic name for the sound) where the ship enters, and the small village of Appilattoq, housing approximately 100 people. Animal life is more abundant, with minke, fin and blue whales seen frequently, as well as ringed and bearded seals that haul out on the floating ice. It is a breathtaking display of natural splendor in the severe, rugged vernacular of rock, ice and sea that is unique to the arctic realm.

On the King Frederick VI Coast of Greenland’s southeast quadrant, the semi-circular Umivik Bay is carved out just north of the Denmark Strait. Unlike the sheer cliffs and rugged terrain presented by much of the coastline, the shores inside the bay are smooth and the massive Greenland Ice Sheet comes right down to the shore in undulating slopes. This profile persuaded Fritjof Nansen to select the bay as the starting point of his successful 1888 expedition to cross Greenland over the ice sheet. There are several large islands in the bay, including Uppernattivik Island smack in the middle. There are calving glaciers to survey and a landing is possible here as well.

In Greenland, nature is big and almost overwhelming! You will be awed by towering mountains, huge distances, epic adventures, harsh weather and challenges that loom and beckon even in summer. The people of the Saqqaq culture arrived here from the north, the first to reach this part of Greenland. The Viking Norse first became familiar with this area when they made it their first landfall on the voyage from Iceland's Snæfellsnes peninsula to Greenland. Today that location is known as Tassilaq, and it is the largest town in Eastern Greenland with 2,000 inhabitants. The island where Tasiilaq is located was formerly known as Angmagssalik in Greenlandic, meaning ‘the place with capelin.’

Walking through Tassilaq is, in many ways, like walking through time. You will likely see many of the town’s over 1,000 sled-dogs, as well as wooden dog-sledges, skin covered kayaks, fish air-drying on racks and maybe even the hides of seals and polar bears, just as in eras long past.

Expect huge adventure in eastern Greenland, home to the world’s biggest fjord system and the largest nature reserve on earth. Scoresbysund’s massive fjord network — which branches out from the 70-mile-long main fjord — extends some 14,700 square miles across and more than 200 miles in depth. Its towering basalt walls reach 6,500 feet in some spots, while calving glaciers often match the size of the Empire State Building. Scoresbysund remained an Inuit secret until English explorer William Scoresby first navigated the system in 1822; its only town, tiny Ittoqqortoormiit, sits at the sound’s northern entrance. The town also serves as gateway to Greenland National Park, which comprises the entire northeastern corner of the country — a mind-numbing 375,000 square miles. (Texas clocks in at a mere 269,000.) Greenland’s sole national park is mostly covered by its ice sheet, and has no human inhabitants save a few meteorologists and members of the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol.

Your Seabourn expedition voyage spends five full days exploring this fantastical labyrinth of fjords, one of the last wild and untouched places on the planet. Anticipate vast, seemingly endless arctic landscape teeming with wildlife, including great colonies of Atlantic puffin and other seabirds. Muskoxen and reindeer are often seen grazing below the coastal cliffs, while the fjord’s deep waters attract beluga whales, narwhals, and the ever-elusive Greenland shark. This is also the best region in Greenland for polar bear sightings.

Your time in eastern Greenland is entirely expedition focused with no set itinerary, although highlights may include:

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Ittoqqortoormiit: Around 400 hardy souls inhabit Scoresbysund’s only town, a blend of Inuit and Danish cultures with colorful, kit-style buildings scattered about the rocky bluff.

Sydkap (South Cape): Situated along Scoresbysund’s northeastern coast and set against a breathtaking alpine backdrop, this sloped headland boasts some of the area’s most impressive tundra flora.

Bear Islands: Ruins of ancient Thule stone houses can be found amongst this small cluster of low-lying rocky islands, located at the head of Øfjord.

Rødefjord (Red Fjord): Deep within Scoresbysund lies this spectacular fjord walled entirely by red sandstone cliffs. Your Zodiac navigates a small sea cave on monolithic Røde Ø (Red Island) and, conditions permitting, lands for a chance to survey the colorful panorama.

INCLUDED EXPEDITIONS:

Zodiac Cruises

Regular Zodiac cruises with your Expedition Team often provide the best vantage to admire East Greenland’s grand landscape, huge icebergs, and glacier fronts. While encounters with fascinating marine life are possible, your Zodiac can also be a good platform for watching birds overhead and grasping the immensity of this beautiful land.

Nature Hikes

Set out on foot across the stark, seemingly barren tundra landscapes as your Expedition Team members point out delightful small plants and flowers that thrive in this hostile environment. Encounters with arctic foxes, muskoxen, or interesting bird species are always possible, as is the rare polar bear sighting. Whether seen as a tiny white speck in the distance or ambling slowly along a shoreline, a glimpse of this “king of the Arctic” is always awe-inspiring. Rest assured that all walks are carefully monitored by Bear Guards, who work to maintain the safety of visitor and bear alike.

OPTIONAL EXPEDITIONS:

Kayaking

Join your Kayak Team for a paddle along the shores wherever your expedition stops in East Greenland.

Spend your day at sea enjoying the facilities available onboard and soak in the incredible views along the way.

The charming small fishing village of Grundarfjörður is located in the middle of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and thus provides easy access to Stykkishólmur, Snæfellsbær and the Snæfellsnes National Park. Its best-known landmark is undoubtedly the peak of Mt. Kirkjufell. Translated as ‘church mountain,’ Kirkjufell is the most easily recognizable peak, and one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland. During summer months a Viking Village is built in the center of town where Viking re-enactments occur quite regularly. During the Á góðri stund town festival in July, the town’s 900 residents decorate their houses in red, blue, yellow, and green, transforming the town into a spinning kaleidoscope of color.

The town first began trade in 1786, and around 1800, French merchants came to Iceland and settled in Grundarfjörður, where they constructed a church and a hospital. The town has prospered through the fishing industry for a long time. The surrounding sea is rich with birdlife & marine life throughout the year.

Steeped in history and bursting with contemporary flair, Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, was founded around 870 C.E, marking the birth of the first permanent settlement on this island nation. Today, it is home to approximately 200,000 inhabitants, making up nearly 60% of Iceland's population. Reykjavík holds the title of the world's northernmost national capital, and it takes pride in its reputation as one of the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities globally. Its commitment to sustainability and eco-consciousness is evident in every corner, from its energy-efficient buildings to its pollution-free skies.