East Greenland and Scoresby Sund

Your journey begins in the morning, where, by request, you can transfer via chartered bus (T) from the bus stop Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre at Austurbakki, Reykjavik (the meeting point) to the ship in Akureyri (the embarkation point). You arrive in the afternoon after a six-hour drive through northern Iceland.

PLEASE NOTE: This transfer (T) must be booked and paid for in advance. In the early evening, the ship departs from the port of Akureyri, sailing north toward the Denmark Strait.

While sailing north across the Denmark Strait, you’re likely to see fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, and common guillemots. You then cross the Arctic Circle, possibly spotting whales. By evening, as snow-capped peaks appear on the horizon, the first icebergs flash into sight with your approach to the east Greenland coast, near Kap Brewster and the mouth of Scoresby Sund.

In the morning, you’ll likely encounter colossal icebergs, some over 100 meters high and more than a kilometer long; most of them are grounded, as the fjord is only about 400 meters deep. The aim is to land at Tyskit Nunat (Greenlandic for Germany), where, in 1930-31, a party of Alfred Wegener’s research team wintered and performed scientific observations. Wegener himself perished on the ice cap that winter.

In the early afternoon, you land at Saakattaakajik, where you see the remains of Thule summer houses with whale vertebrae incorporated into the construction. From there, you may make a good walk in the direction of Sydkap (12 km), where you also may arrive by Zodiac, depending on weather and sea conditions. In the early evening, you sail by the Bjørne Øer (Bear Islands) archipelago at the eastern mouth of Øfjord.

After having sailed through narrow and breathtaking Øfjord, surrounded by mountains in excess of 2000 m high, including the spectacular Grundtvigskirken, you arrive at the Hoffman Peninsula, where muskoxen are often seen. Here, excellent opportunities for long hikes present themselves, crossing the tundral peninsula from Harefjord to Rypefjord. Non-long walkers will be offered excursions on the south side of the peninsula in the morning and on the north side in the afternoon. In the early evening, you once again enjoy the spectacular views of Øfjord as we retrace our route past Grundtvigskirken.

On the Volquart Boons Kyst, you may enjoy a Zodiac cruise in Vikingebugt near its glacier front, where you have good chances to see polar bears, on the ice shoals in the sea. A walk on the striking basalt columns at Helgenaes provides fantastic views back across towards Øfjord and the distant shores of Jameson Land, and opportunities to see good examples of patterned ground. In the evening, the plan is to sail some way westward along more of the many glacier fronts on Volquart Boons Kyst.

In the morning, the aim is to land at Hurry Inlet, in Liverpool Land. The landing site will likely be on the east side of Hurry Inlet, close to a historic hunter’s cabin, which was erected by the Romanian Dumbrava in 1930. In autumn, the residents of Ittoqqortoormiit fish for sea trout in the surrounding lakes. Walks along the coast provide excellent views over Neils Klinter (Cliffs) at the opposite side of Hurry Inlet, famous for Jurassic fossils. An alternative could also be Hareelv, where we often meet muskoxen.

Your afternoon stop is Ittoqqortoormiit, the largest settlement in Scoresbysund, with about five hundred inhabitants. At the post office, you can buy stamps for your postcards, or stroll around to see the sled dogs and drying skins of seals and musk oxen. The church may also be open, where information about the history of Ittoqqortoormiit is available. In the afternoon, you sail south, passing Kap Brewster and the picturesque landscapes of the Blosseville Coast.

The island of Steward Ø is an important hunting area with cabins for the people of Scoresby Sund, with well-preserved remains of dwellings from the Thule people from centuries ago. The hill behind these cultural remains provides superb views of the glaciers nearby. This is a good area to spot polar bears among the glacier ice, narwals, and different species of seals.

The exciting narrow Turner Sound with strong currents, where walruses are occasionally spotted, and Rømer Fjord, both grant you the opportunity to sail far inland, as they have no glacier front at the head and are not clogged with ice. Here, you may again get the chance to spot narwhals. Halfway into Rømer Fjord on the south side, there are also warm springs. This stretch of coastline is rugged and magnificent – a true example of the ancient beauty of Greenland.

A sea day grants you the opportunity to spot whales and seabirds, and at night, the magical northern lights. On your journey back towards Akureyri, you may pass the tiny islet of Kolbeinsey and the Icelandic island of Grimsey. As you approach Iceland as evening falls, the skies may glimmer with the aurora one final time.

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You disembark in Akureyri, where, on request, you can transfer by chartered bus (a six-hour drive that must be booked in advance) to the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre at Austurbakki, Reykjavík.