IN THE ICE OF THE ARCTIC, GREENLAND TO SVALBARD
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17 DAYS
Sail to the lands beyond the Arctic Circle, pushing the boundaries of exploration. Set a course for the north-east of Greenland, inaccessible to traditional ships in early summer, before cruising to Svalbard and its untouched landscapes. You’ll progress through one of the hardest to reach areas in the Far North.
Whether from the exterior decks of your ship, during an outing in an inflatable dinghy or a kayak, or during a hike near blue-tinged icebergs, you’ll have multiples opportunities to get to know this wild and stunning world a little better.
In extreme conditions, at the end of spring when ice dots the barren landscapes, these remote parts reveal themselves to travellers. Despite the harsh climate and environment, the wildlife thrives here, offering the humble and patient observer the most wonderful of rewards.
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Reykjavik, Iceland | Embark in the evening, settle in and relax onboard starting your voyage |
| Day 2 | Denmark Strait | Sailing through the Denmark Strait |
| Day 3 | Ammassalik Region | Alpine mountains, snow-capped fjords, drifting icebergs |
| Day 4 | Blosseville Coast | Experience this wild and hard-to-reach place that few are lucky enough to explore |
| Day 5 | Ittoqqortoormiit Region | East Coast of Greenland, high alpine mountains, entrance to the longest system of fjords in the world, discover Inuit traditions from the Ittoqqortoormiit community |
| Days 6 - 9 | North-East Greenland | Immerse yourself higher up in the Arctic region, exploring unexpected riches of the sea ice, look out for polar bears |
| Days 10 - 11 | At Sea | Fram Strait, sea birds, relax taking advantage of onboard information sessions and ships facilities |
| Days 12 - 13 | Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve | Experience this polar desert in the Hinlopen Strait with imposing glaciers, birds and walruses |
| Day 14 | Hinlopen | Sailing Hinlopen Strait |
| Day 15 | Soraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve | Second largest nature reserve in Norway, rocky islets, mountain plateaux, tundra plains and ice floes. Svalbard reindeer, arctic foxes, polar bears and birds |
| Day 16 | Hornsund | Hornsund fjord, millenial glaciers and icebergs |
| Day 17 | Longyearbyen | Disembark early morning Longyearbyen |
Ship Offering This Itinerary
Le Commandant Charcot
Hailing as the world’s first hybrid luxury polar exploration vessel, the Le Commandant Charcot combines the top tier of luxury with sustainable development at the heart of the design. Equipped with 135 luxury staterooms featuring elegant and warm stone, wood and leather detailing’s to reflect the natural environment that the ship will be sailing in, the Le Commandant Charcot is setting a new level for opulence in the polar regions. Guests are spoilt for choice when it comes to places to relax and unwind on-board with an abundance of social areas to choose from ranging from two pools (indoor and outdoor), a beauty corner, theater, three different lounges, multiple reception areas and different restaurants to choose from.
Day 1 Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland’s capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the country. A museum located on ’Oskjuhlið hill, offers views of lush, green landscapes. A little further on spot the signpost showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church, and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two lively streets with charming small shops.
Just outside of the city there’s opportunity to visit the Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.
Embark in the evening, settle in and relax onboard to start your voyage.
Day 2 Denmark Strait
Lying between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the Red’s expeditions. In the Second World War, its waters were the theatre of a battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, on 24 May 1941. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this rich ecosystem.
Day 3 Ammassalik Region
Still almost unknown just a century ago, the east coast of Greenland remains the most authentic and majestic region. Here, the alpine mountains merge intimately with the sea, while the fjords are adorned with high snow-capped peaks and drifting icebergs. Follow in the wake of Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s famous ship, the Pourquoi Pas?, which set off with its crew to discover Ammassalik, a small island of primitive and wild beauty where the Inuit people chose to live. The name of this island is a reference to the capelin, a small flamboyant silver coloured fish, whose presence in the thousands announces to inhabitants the return of spring. A surprising discovery in a spectacular setting.
Day 4 Blosseville Coast
Aboard your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a French explorer and sailor. In 1833, aboard La Lilloise, he set off to discover this isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland and gave French names to various sites on the coast. The adventure probably has an unfortunate outcome, since the crew was never found. This uninhabited territory, which now bears his name, lies to the south of Scoresby Sund. Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pieces of pack ice, Blosseville Coast is one of these wild and hard-to-reach places that very few people are lucky enough to explore.
Day 5 Ittoqqortoormiit Region
On the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region, you will have the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of isolated scenery and exploring the beauty of its landscapes. The high alpine mountains stand out in the sky, revealing dark rock edges. The region is home to the longest fjord system in the world, Scoresby Sound. On the edge of the fjord, the eponymous village is considered one of the most remote inhabited places in the world. The colourful houses, so typical of Greenland, dot the landscape with small red, yellow and blue patches that stand out against the surrounding arid landscape. Immersing yourself in this region will allow you to discover the ancestral way of life of the last hunters of the polar region. This will be a veritable deep-dive into the lives of the Arctic’s inhabitants.
Days 6 – 9 North-East Greenland
Set sail for North-East Greenland to immerse yourself further and up higher in the Arctic region to explore the unexpected riches of the sea ice, where traditional ships cannot travel at this time of the year. As the light shifts and the moods of the sky change, the different states of the ice and the infinite diversity of its textures create an exceptionally stunning tableau. With patience and humility, you will sail amid the pearl-white floating cathedrals and the ice carried by the Transpolar Drift. En route, icebergs have their journey halted by ice and pressure ridges reveal their sharp edges. In the midst of this icy vastness, beauty is found in the detail and the magic of the moment. In the realm of polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot is a reassuring cocoon built for polar exploration and offers you wonderful opportunities to observe these lords of the ice when you happen upon them. You may even get the chance to admire the moving sight of a mother and her cub travelling across the immaculate icy expanse.
Days 10 – 11 At Sea
Spend exceptional moments sailing the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Your ship is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research discovering together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
Days 12 – 13 Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve
The Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve has been protecting the northernmost and coldest part of the archipelago, Nordaustlandet , since 1973. This vast polar desert covered by two ice caps is the second largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Protected by the Gulf Stream, the fjords and cliffs in the west and north are home to large colonies of birds and walruses. The landscapes in the colder east and south are dominated by imposing glaciers that calve majestic icebergs in the vast Hinlopen Strait. Large colonies of thick-billed murres have taken up residence on the sheer cliffs depending on nesting and migration period. You may even get the chance to see a bear or an Arctic fox roaming in the vicinity.
Day 14 Hinlopen
Sailing in the Hinlopen Strait, in the heart of the Arctic Ocean, between the Norwegian islands of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet promises an unforgettable experience. This territory of the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve offers breathtaking panoramas, with magnificent basalt formations and the ice cap stretching as far as the eye can see, diving into the sea. The shore line cut by the fjords moving inland composes a magical landscape in which icebergs float here and there, the result of the calving of the surrounding glaciers. This place, today a popular spot to observe the seabirds nesting in the enormous cliffs, polar bears and walruses, was once intrinsically linked to the history of the whalers who frequented the region from the 17th century. Indeed, it was one of them, Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen, then director of a Dutch whaling company, who gave the strait its name. Later on, Russian trappers, European explorers, scientists and even mountaineers roamed this region, as hostile as it is sublime.
Day 15 Soraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve
The Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve is the second largest protected area in Norway. Established in 1973, this nature conservation area stretching over more than 21,000 km2 will offer you stunning panoramas including coastal landscapes, rocky islets, mountain plateaux, vast tundra plains, and ice floes. With a little luck, you will be able to observe a wide variety of seabirds, given the site is listed as an Important Bird Area, as well as cetaceans, Svalbard reindeer, or even Arctic foxes. Among other things, Edgeoya Island is renowned for providing shelter to a number of polar bears during the breeding season.
Day 16 Hornsund
Nestling between millennial glaciers and carved mountains, and considered to be “the crown of Arctic Norway”, Spitsbergen is a place that never sees the night. Your ship will take you closer to this fascinating archipelago and, more particularly, the Hornsund fjord. Considered to be Svalbard’s southernmost fjord, it is especially reputed to be its most stunning: at the end of its vast bay, 8 great glaciers slowly make their way down to the sea before giving way to the many icebergs elegantly drifting along its cold and mysterious waters.
Day 17 Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.