Highlights 

 

• Engage with local communities and benefit from unrivalled hospitality, wisdom and expertise of the locals
• Venture on the Ice Sheet Excursions and welcome a range of local artists, craftspeople, musicians and chefs for an immersive cultural festival
• Enhance your knowledge of the most interesting birdlife, wildlife and geography on earth
• See a plethora of whales, penguins, seals and southern Antarctic birdlife - the ocean and continent teems with a myriad of interesting creatures not found anywhere else on earth
• Learn from a team of highly experienced Expedition Team - presentations are provided covering topics such as the wildlife you'll encounter, the geology and history of the area
• Educate and inform yourself by engaging with the Expedition Team - this is a cohort of highly interesting, engaged team members who will take care of you on expeditions
• Learn about South Greenland's agricultural economy at a local sheep farming community
• Explore Arctic Patagonia - home to stunning fjords, dramatic mountain and seascapes with glaciers tumbling down to the sea
• Exclusive Heli landing: Head to an exclusive heli-landing site where no ships can navigate and enjoy majestic scenery from the best vantage points
• Enjoy a one-time paddle excursion on a sit-on-top kayak to connect with the Polar Sea
• Northern Lights: All you need to do is come out to the deck in the early hours to witness this natural phenomena. The northerly location as well as the prevalence of clear night skies make this region of Greenland one of the best places to see this bucket list dream

 

 

Included

 

• Accommodation in Reykjavik for one night on a BB basis.
• Private cabin on board the ship
• All meals on board the ship - breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Lectures and Presentations informing you about the myriad of Arctic themes we will touch upon
• Experienced Professional Crew and Expedition Team to share the experience with
• Photography assistance and advice from our on board specialists
• Exclusive Heli Landing: Be transported above the shorelines to the best viewpoints in South Greenland
• Ice Sheet Experience: You'll enjoy views of the Ice Sheet very few other humans get to experience
• Paddle Excursion: Enjoy a one-time paddle on a sit-on-top kayak to connect with the polar sea

 

Not Included

 

• Drinks and other items you may purchase at the bar
• Some off-ship expeditions are optional extras
• Your flights to Reykjavik and back - book your own travel arrangements to the start point in Iceland
• Any activities you wish to engage in before, during or after your stay in Reykjavik. We may be able to help advise what activities are best for you - there are many in the area depending on your interests and activitiy level.
• Gratuities for the crew. We recommend $20 per person per day given the high level of service they provide and the speciality of their knowledge, skill and experience.

 

 

Full Itinerary

 

 

Day 1 - Arrive in Reykjavik

 

Arrive in the Icelandic capital and make your way to your included hotel. You will have the rest of the day to explore the city on your own.

 

Day 2 - Fly to Narsarsuaq

 

In the early afternoon we will transfer you to Keflavik Airport for our private charter flight from the Icelandic capital to Narsarsuaq, Greenland, where you’ll set sail on Ultramarine. A scenic community deep in Tunulliarfik Fjord, Narsarsuaq is the gateway to South Greenland. Originally established in the 1940s as a U.S. military base, the approximately 2,000–metre paved runway and small terminal are now managed by Mittarfeqarfiit (the Greenlandic Airport Authority).

 

Days 3-4 - The Wild East

 

Jagged peaks, tumbling glaciers, ice- laden landscapes, alpine vistas and the search for the King of the Arctic. We set out for the wild fjords of the uninhabited east coast, one of which is Lindenow Fjord, also known by its Greenlandic name, Kangerlussuatsiaq. Thousands of years ago, groups of paleo– Inuit hunters and fishermen made their home in these isolated fjords, living off the land and surviving mostly on the resources the sea provided, before European explorers and the subsequent establishment of settlements prompted one of the biggest waves of migration in Greenland. Traces of these once proud peoples can still be found today against the backdrop of cascading glaciers and steep–walled mountains.

These fjords are frequented by marine mammals. Rare sightings of polar bears are possible, as they drift down from the north on sea ice floes propelled by the East–Greenland current. Humpback whales are often sighted when entering fjords as the shallowing seas bring an upwelling of nutrients to the surface. While we keep our eyes peeled for wildlife, the magnificent alpine terrain invites us to explore by sea, land and air to immerse ourselves completely in the remote icescapes of the region. The wild east is ideal for heli landings and hiking, paddle excursions, Zodiac cruises and shore landings.

 

Days 5-7 - Arctic Patagonia

 

The stunning maze of fjords, sounds, islets, inlets and skerries (rocky islands) in and around Cape Farewell (Nunap Isua) at Greenland’s most southern tip possesses its own particular magic. Transiting the 100–km long Prins Christian Sund (Ikerasassuaq)—one of the world’s most scenic fjords—will be truly unforgettable. Guests can then look forward to dramatic mountain and seascapes with glaciers tumbling down to down to the sea, and stunning vistas around every corner. Inhabiting this domain are Southern Greenlanders living on the frontier, a people as unique as the landscape they call home. This is where the migrating hunting peoples from the east finally settled around the European trading posts. The few villages in this southern region have gained a level of fame thanks to the inhabitants who remain steadfastly faithful to their hunting and fishing heritage. We hope to visit Aappilattoq, perched on the shores of Prins Christian Sund (Ikerasassuaq), to introduce you to our friends and partners there. We hope to offer you the opportunity to listen to their stories, hear their music, taste their food, learn about their hunting traditions, and perhaps even join a friendly game of soccer as a player or spectator. If you are looking for the most iconic peaks of South Greenland, you’ll be in your glory when we reach the Tasermiut Fjord in the heart of what’s known as “Arctic Patagonia,” where guests can sign up for overnight camping (with local hosts) along the 70–km fjord. Marvel at the impressive Sermeq glacier at its head with rivers of ice tumbling almost down to sea level, and the imposing peaks of Nalumasortoq and Ulamertorsuaq dominating the skyline, making for the most scenic backdrops to your hike or helicopter–enabled excursions.

 

Days 8-10 - The Westlands

 

Following in the footsteps of the Greenlandic Norse into the Western fjords, it’s easy to appreciate why Erik the Red chose this land as his home and gave Greenland its name: every direction you look rewards visitors with vistas of blue, ice–strewn waters set against a breathtaking backdrop of lush, verdant valleys and pastures bursting with blooms. Unique to Greenland, and indeed the entire Arctic, warm microclimates deep in the fjords have created a surprisingly fertile Arctic Garden of Eden. South Greenlandic farming traditions dating back to Viking days are still kept alive. Many families work their remote sheep farms along the shores of the fjords, their lives very much attuned to the seasons as they produce a variety of organic home– grown produce (such as potatoes, turnips and kale). Also in the West, we find the perfect access points to the Greenland Ice Sheet, the largest mass of ice in the northern hemisphere and second largest in the world, flowing from the heights of the polar plateau to sea level. Become one of the very few people to ever set foot on this incredible body of ice during our included Greenland Ice Sheet Experience. Over these two days you will have the opportunity to explore the Ice Sheet, hike the surrounding foothills, cruise or paddle through the azure ice–filled waters, and engage with our local friends and partners during the most meaningful and in–depth community experiences offered on any Quark Expeditions voyage. Before you depart on your charter flight back to Reykjavik in the early evening of day 10, we plan to spend the day visiting the sites surrounding Narsarsuaq, including the Kujataa UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a living history lesson in Viking farming. We hope to offer you the opportunity to visit charming Qassiarsuk, a small sheep farming settlement across the fjord from Narsarsuaq, where you can experience true South Greenland hospitality and gain insight into the fascinating lives of sheep farmers living at the edge of the Ice Sheet. We suggest you take time to explore the remains and replicas of Brattahlíð, Erik the Red’s estate, once the epicenter of the Greenland Norse Eastern Settlement, before heading back across the bay to Narsarsuaq to visit the museum, hike to Signal Hill for a panoramic view, and enjoy the frontier–town ambience. Before our early evening charter flight, we will celebrate our voyage with a ‘Farewell to Greenland’ dinner ashore at the iconic Hotel Narsarsuaq. Upon landing back at Reykjavik’s international airport in the evening, you will be transferred to a hotel in nearby Keflavik.

 

Day 11 - Depart Reykjavik

 

Today, you can make your way home at your leisure or continue your independent explorations of Iceland.