Explore the largest fjord system on Earth

You’ll spend the next days exploring the vast wilderness of Scoresby Sund, the world’s largest fjord system. 

Cruising peacefully against a backdrop of looming mountains, blue icebergs and mirror-like waters, you’ll seek out wildlife such as whales and Greenlandic Gyrfalcons. Making the most of the conditions, we’ll pack in as many shore landings, nature walks, kayaking tours and wildlife sightings as possible.  

You’ll visit Ittoqqortoormiit, the most remote inhabited community in the Western Hemisphere. And if conditions allow, we’ll sail towards the ever-changing sea ice edge to scout for wildlife. 

If you want to do your bit, you can participate in Citizen Science projects that help scientists understand how this region is changing.

Scoresbysund is the ultimate fjord system; likely the longest, largest and deepest of any in the world. The massive fjord is tucked into the eastern coast of Greenland and on the icy western edges of the Greenland Sea. Scoresbysund’s scale deserves several days to explore, especially while plying the waters between castle-sized icebergs as they gently drift under the persuasion of the Arctic waters in the mighty fjord. Scattered in the remote bays and smaller fjords are places to discover old Inuit settlements, slowly growing over with Arctic willow and dwarf birch. The lower slopes of many mountains are draped in the herbs and grasses favoured by muskox, Arctic fox, lemmings, Ptarmigan, Barnacle Geese, and Snowy Owls. Tundra walks give impressive views of landscape, flora and fauna. Not to be neglected, the waters of Scoresbysund warrant a vigilant eye for sightings of whales, seals, narwhals, beluga whales and walrus.

Heading back to Iceland

After exploring the remote beauty of Greenland, we set our course back for Iceland. Spend the time at sea recapping your experiences with new friends, studying nature in the Science Centre, listening to a lecture or two, or just relaxing on deck. Look out for the seabirds that follow our ship and keep an eye out for whales.  

As you reflect on your cruise, from witnessing the delicate ecology of the fjord systems to the ethereal elegance of the floating ice, east Greenland’s beauty is sure to have left its mark on you.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.