Coming head to head with Greenland’s centuries-old glaciers is way simpler to handle than you assume. Whereas that is perhaps laborious to imagine about some of the untouched locations on the planet, Greenland isn’t out of attain. These 4 routes imply you may start an Arctic journey from accessible hubs like Toronto or Ottawa in Canada and Reykjavik in Iceland. Any one among these journeys is a chance to create a core reminiscence stuffed with surroundings that solely the bare eye can recognize.
Picnic on the foot of Greenland’s most stunning fjord
The West Greenland Gems: Fjords, Icebergs and Tradition journey from Reykjavik lasts 12 days. You may hop on a flight to Iceland and head over Arctic waters in direction of Greenland the subsequent day.
Uummannaq is simply one of many many locations which are simply accessed on this journey. It’s thought-about the soul of north Greenland and is understood for its heart-shaped mountain.
Few individuals on the planet can say they’ve had an opportunity to discover Ummannaq Fjord – a 100-mile-long fjord system with winding valleys and channels certain to awe. The encircling city will play proper into the Greenland of your creativeness: brightly colored properties dotted alongside the shoreline, icebergs floating within the background and sleeping below the northern lights.
Different locations on this journey embody Disko Bay, a preferred space for iceberg gazing and whale watching. The explorer in you’ll recognize stopping off at in any other case distant landmarks: The Sermeq Kujalleq glacier (a UNESCO World Heritage Website) and the Torsukatak Fjords.
You’ll additionally bask in native tastings in Sisimiut – Greenland’s journey and mountain climbing hub. And break bread over a picnic with the townspeople of Manitsoq, which is residence to Eternity Fjord. Whereas this journey has many highlights, this fjord is taken into account Greenland’s most stunning, and the grand finale earlier than heading residence.
Go to sleep below a luminous sky
Uncover Norse ruins and thousand-year-old traditions
The Greenland Explorer: Sail and Soar the Alpine Arctic journey provides some severe bang in your buck. In 11 days, you’ll uncover every part that makes Greenland what it’s in a single clear swoop. Suppose iced spectacles, stretches of shoreline, a gradual stream of Arctic wildlife and a little bit style of native historical past, tradition and village life.
After being transferred to Keflavik Airport in Reykjavik, you’ll fly out to Narsarsuaq. A mountain climbing haven due to all of the valleys, this settlement has a inhabitants of about 123 individuals. It’s thought-about the gateway to south Greenland’s Norse ruins, glaciers and considerable wildlife. Positioned on the fringe of the Greenland Ice Sheet, this southern area is one other UNESCO World Heritage web site, due to historical Norse and Innuit farming traditions.
All through the journey, you’ll enterprise from east to west, cruising by areas just like the Arctic Patagonia. As you discover fjords, islets, inlets and different pure landmarks, you’ll study in regards to the communities that after lived amongst them. For instance, hundreds of years in the past, Lindenow Fjord – identified by its Greenlandic identify, Kangerlussuatsiaq – was residence to teams of Inuit hunters and fishermen.
As you make your manner by the fjords and villages of Arctic Patagonia and meet the locals, you’ll expertise traditions like searching and fishing by their tales, music and meals.
Gape at glaciers all day lengthy
For those who name Toronto residence, you’re already one step nearer to Greenland. If not, Toronto is a brilliant handy metropolis you may rapidly get to immediately from many locations in Europe and North America. The 13-day Excessive Arctic Explorer: Greenland to Canada pairs Greenland with Canada and kicks off with a direct flight to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland. This tiny city has a inhabitants of simply 500. Right here, you’ll hop onboard Intrepid’s Ocean Endeavour and start your crossing of the Arctic Circle surrounded by snowy mountains and glaciers.
There are some spectacular stops deliberate on this journey. The Sisimut Coast is a stretch of fjords, islands and mountains that may fill your cup greater than as soon as. Higher but, reap the benefits of getting off board and stretching your sea legs with a hike alongside the shoreline’s pure websites whereas studying about Saqqaq, Dorset, Thule and trendy Inuit individuals who have known as the Sisimiut area residence for 4500 years.
After exploring Greenland, you’ll see a facet of Canada away from metropolis life. This second half of the journey will take you to locations like Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), a small Inuit neighborhood. Mittimatalik is residence to Tununiq Arsarniit Theatre Group, artists who inform tales with drum dancing and throat singing. After that, you’ll spend 5 days exploring landscapes round Tallurutiup Imanga Nationwide Marine Conservation Space (Lancaster Sound) whereas preserving a watch out for narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales who wish to feed round right here.
Ilulissat at sundown
Maple syrup meets iceberg sightseeing
The Excessive Arctic Explorer: Canada to Greenland journey begins in Ottawa and takes you to lots of the identical spots because the journey above, however saves Greenland in direction of the tip with an opportunity to discover Ilulissat. This vibrant coastal city is a UNESCO web site famend for icebergs and views. For those who’ve been dreaming of Greenland, Ilulissat is probably going the image you will have in your head.
Ilulissat means icebergs, and even for those who’ve seen loads of icebergs earlier than, likelihood is you haven’t seen something like the large ones that come by right here – some as much as a kilometre tall!
Illulissat Icefjord is the place the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier calves into the ocean. Studied for over 250 years, it’s some of the lively glaciers on the planet. In consequence, greater than 35 billion tonnes of ice cross by this spot yearly, creating the world’s quickest ice stream. The mix of all this culminates in an precise phenomenon.
Illusiat can also be wealthy in Inuit tradition and has a budding meals scene for people whereas being a preferred feeding spot for whales.