Name: Northern Lights cruise from Greenland to Canada
Brand: Swan Hellenic
SKU: V2526090314

Itinerary

Home to more than a third of Greenlanders, the capital of Nuuk has a thriving arts scene. Nuuk has a busy old Colonial Harbour with Nuuk Cathedral, colourful wooden houses and avant-garde architecture. It also serves as the gateway to Inuit experiences and natural adventures on the fjords among the icy seas and spectacular mountains.

Kayaking with Expedition team

Optional

The northernmost city in Greenland, just north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut remains ice free in winter and is known as an adventure sports hub. Inhabited for more than 4,500 years by the Inuit, Dorset and then Thule people, dog sled remains a common form of transport. Abandoned settlements lie between Sisimiut and the Thule district to the north. The area is home to humpback whales, walrus, and Arctic foxes in their summer coat.

Known for its Inuit culture, whales and icebergs, Disko Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Western Greenland. The bay is also home to the Ilulissat Icefjord, one of the fastest-moving glaciers in the world. First visited by Europeans in 1596, in search of a Northwest Passage to Asia, it has been an Inuit home for millennia. The village of Qeqertarsuaq embodies thriving Inuit traditions, preserving the cultural legacy.

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

The views of snow-capped mountains have given Pond Inlet in northern Baffin Island the name of Canada’s ‘jewel of the north’ and the area is a prime breeding ground for narwhals - toothed whales with a distinct large tusk. The traditional Inuit community living in the hamlet of Mittimatalik are renowned for their craft skills from printmaking and stone carving. Nearby at Qulalukat the thousand-year-old Inuit sod houses, or qarmaq, merit a visit.

Gracing the eastern high Arctic, Croker Bay, a mesmerising Arctic waterway, carves its way into Devon Island within the vibrant Qikiqtaaluk Region. This deep inlet, an extension of Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait, unveils a landscape of captivating beauty. The Devon ice cap feeds the huge South Croker Bay Glacier that calves into the bay.

This area is closely associated with the exploration of Canada’s High Arctic and the Northwest Passage. Much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago was mapped while searching for the missing crew of British explorer Sir John Franklin’s fateful 1845-46 Northwest Passage Expedition. Radstock Bay sits below the mighty Caswall Tower mountain and hides many secrets, with evidence of sledge tracks, camps and food tins that may help reveal what happened.

Beechey Island Sites, five historical sites in Canada's High Arctic, mark where British explorer Sir John Franklin wintered in 1845-46 during his fateful Northwest Passage Expedition. Much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago was mapped while searching for the crew. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen paid his respects to Franklin in 1903 before successfully discovering the Northwest Passage.

Port Leopold is a place of raw, rugged natural beauty and landscapes that evoke a sense of awe and wonder. The pristine wilderness and untouched terrain create a feeling of remoteness and isolation, while the Arctic wildlife that calls this place home adds a touch of wildness and unpredictability. The area's history as a former Hudson's Bay Company trading post also lends a sense of nostalgia and intrigue.

Crossing Lancaster Sound to Elwin Bay, the ship passes Prince Leopold Island, hosting over 500,000 nesting pairs of thick-billed murres, black guillemots, northern fulmars, and black-legged kittiwakes. Beluga whales moult in shallow gravel beds, while in Prince Regent Inlet, polar bears hunt ringed seals on sea ice.

The Bellot Strait, named in honour of the French explorer Joseph-René Bellot, is a narrow, 2.3-km-wide, and 25-km-long waterway. It separates Somerset Island to the north from the Boothia Peninsula to the south. This strait played a historical role during an expedition to locate Sir John Franklin's lost expedition, tragically marked by Bellot's death in the area in 1853.

The ship sails past Fort Ross, on Somerset Island, the northernmost fur trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Near the Bellot Strait, it was eventually abandoned due to harsh ice conditions. The strait separates Somerset Island from Boothia Peninsula, home to Point Zenith, the northernmost continental point of the Americas. It's also where Sir James Clark Ross located the Magnetic North Pole during Sir John Ross's 1829 Arctic expedition.

Choked up by ice in winter, Peel Sound is a 125-mile-long channel separating Prince of Wales Island to the west and Somerset Island to the east. The icebound arctic waters thwarted several 19th-century explorers - Sir John Franklin in 1846, Francis Leopold McClintock in 1858 and Allen Young in 1875. Today, Peel Sound still remains a challenging waterway, but is also home to abundant wildlife, including polar bears, seals and whales.

Coningham Bay, on Prince of Wales Island in the heart of the Northwest Passage, holds historical and cultural significance and serves as a haven for Arctic wildlife. The nutrient-rich waters attract beluga whales, sustaining the well-fed local polar bear population. The bay's rich history is intertwined with Arctic exploration, as Captain James Cook charted it in 1778 during his final voyage through the Northwest Passage.

Buchan Gulf, a remote Arctic fjord on Baffin Island's northeastern coast, is one of the world’s most important nesting sites for northern fulmars, who roost on the towering cliffs and rocks. Polar bears roam the shores of Icy Arm, a narrow fjord with the relics of an ancient Thule semi-subterranean home sitting on the edge of the boggy tundra. Pods of narwhals are at home in the deep waters of this glacial fjord system on eastern Baffin Island.

Qikiqtarjuaq is a remote, beautiful Baffin Island community surrounded by towering mountains and glaciers. The rugged landscape and pristine wilderness offer endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, from kayaking to wildlife watching. The town's Inuit culture and traditions are still alive. But what sets Qikiqtarjuaq apart is the warmth and hospitality of its people, who welcome visitors and share their rich history and traditions with pride.

This itinerary provides general information about each destination. Also, please be aware that some of the venues and highlights mentioned may not be open or accessible on the day we visit. For the most accurate tour program, we recommend contacting your Swan Hellenic agent or travel agent closer to your departure date.

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YOUR SUITE TYPE

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Number of Guests:

Oceanview D4

20 m²

Oceanview Staterooms measure 20m²(215ft²) and can accommodate two guests. They feature two single beds or a double bed, bedroom with living room area, a flame-effect fireplace and a luxurious bathroom.

Oceanview M4

20 m²

Balcony D5

25 m²

Balcony Staterooms measure 25m² (269ft²) – including a 5m² (54ft²) private balcony – and can accommodate two or three guests. They feature two single beds or a double bed, bedroom with living room area, a flame-effect fireplace and a luxurious bathroom.

Balcony M5

25 m²

Balcony D6

25 m²

Suite

40 m²

Suites feature a king size bed, and have a separate living room, with a flame-effect fireplace. There’s also a luxurious ensuite bathroom – with separate bath tub and walk-in shower – and a 10m² (108ft²) private balcony.

Premium Suite

47 m²

Premium Suites have a king size bed, separate living room, and flame-effect fireplace. There’s also a luxurious ensuite bathroom – with separate bath tub and shower – walk-in wardrobe, and a 12m² (129ft²) private balcony.