This is true polar exploration—whether it’s attempting to penetrate the massive ice of east Greenland to reach Northeast Greenland National Park, marveling at the big ice of West Greenland, or cruising among the towering icebergs of UNESCO World Heritage-designated Ilulissat Icefjord. Each year in this incredibly remote region, our guests enjoy simply spectacular wildlife sightings, and cultural rewards as well.
And as the New York Times stated in a 2020 article listing Greenland as #4 among the Top 52 Places To Go In the World in 2020 (make that 2021 now, given the pandemic): “With that mile-thick ice sheet melting fast, and two new international airports slated to open in 2023, the time to explore an untrammeled, intact Greenland is now.”
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(7) Greenland Itineraries
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NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged. More details.
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$19,728
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Greenland
Fabled Lands Of The North: Greenland to Newfoundland
Duration
17 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$19,728
Top Highlights
Explore two UNESCO World Heritage sites alongside a team of experts: glide among soaring icebergs at the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord; and ponder the remains of the 11th-century Viking village at L’Anse aux Meadows
Meet Inuit artisans on Baffin Island and learn about their carving and weaving traditions
Join our naturalists to search for polar bears, caribou, arctic foxes, humpback and minke whales, walruses, and more in their natural habitat
Explore the untamed coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador, discovering spectacular fjords and cliffs on foot and by kayak and Zodiac
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$45,143
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
New and Noteworthy
Greenland
New
Gateway to the Northwest Passage: Greenland & Canada
Duration
25 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$45,143
Top Highlights
Travel well above 80º north into the fabled Northwest Passage and learn dramatic stories of the explorers and adventurers who sought this magnificent, icy frontier
Glide between soaring icebergs at the mouth of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Explore Ellesmere Island with binoculars at the ready to spot polar bears, walruses, ringed seals, belugas, bowhead whales, and the elusive narwhal
Visit the “Jewel of the North,” Pond Inlet, a small Inuit community known for its friendly community and world-renowned soapstone carvings
Marvel at the unique volcanic black sand beaches, hot springs, and waterfalls of Disko Island, a Greenlandic island often compared to Iceland
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
From
$19,237
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Iceland
Greenland
Iceland & Greenland: Edge of the Arctic
Duration
19 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
From
$19,237
Top Highlights
Hike the dramatic Dynjandi Waterfall in Iceland's remote Westfjords peninsula, and visit a farm that produces eiderdown
Explore Hvalsey and Brattahlíð, 10th-century Viking settlements founded by Eric the Red and his family in Greenland, and see the incredible Qilakitsoq mummies, preserved by freezing temperatures for some 500 years
Cruise among the dazzling icebergs calved by the Ilulissat Icefjord and encounter impressive tidewater glaciers in West Greenland
Experience local culture through visits to fishing villages and longhouses, folk performances, and tasting tours of traditional Greenlandic and Icelandic foods
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
Sep
From
$18,412
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Iceland
Greenland
Iceland's Wild West Coast to East Greenland
Duration
13 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
Sep
From
$18,412
Top Highlights
Discover the wild west coast of Iceland with its incredible geology, quiet coves, and majestic waterfalls
Explore the largest national park in the world—Northeast Greenland National Park—and search for polar bears, musk oxen, whales, and more
Sail into Scoresbysund, ice permitting, the world’s largest and longest fjord system and home to a remote Inuit community
Learn how to capture northern lights displays, conditions permitting, with our National Geographic photographer by your side
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jun
From
$19,269
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Iceland
Greenland
Svalbard, Iceland & Greenland's East Coast
Duration
17 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jun
From
$19,269
Top Highlights
Venture into little-known parts of the Arctic, using satellite imagery and the ice-strengthened hull of our ship to explore the ice
Focus on wildlife, with an itinerary driven by opportunities to observe walruses, whales, reindeer, and polar bears in their natural habitat
Glide between massive ice floes and encounter astonishing icebergs from water level while exploring by kayak and Zodiac
Go ashore with our naturalists to hike Svalbard’s vast tundra and explore remote Icelandic villages
Explore the dramatic coastline of West Greenland by water and on foot, kayaking stunning fjords and hiking across the tundra while on the lookout for wildlife
Delve into Greenlandic culture and history at the outstanding museum of Sisimiut and meet with residents of Uummannaq Island to learn about everyday life
Hike the Sermermiut Valley to a promontory overlooking the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord and take in extraordinary views of the iceberg-choked bay
Visit the archaeological site at Qilakitsoq, where remarkably well-preserved 500-year-old mummies were found in 1972
We venture high, deep, and far into both East and West Greenland lured by the chance to see mythic species: muskox, beluga whales, polar bears, killer whales, even the possibility of the elusive narwhal. And to log the exhilarating sightings of other iconic creatures—walrus, humpbacks, bearded and ringed seals—that our keen-eyed spotters reliably deliver each year.
It is a privilege to visit Greenland, and to this privilege, National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Resolution, and National Geographic Explorer add the luxury of comfort—a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.
You can thank Inuit hunters for kayaking. The "qajaq" or hunting boat is the predecessor to the modern kayak. Check out this video of qajaq rolling demonstration we experience in Greenland.
Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord
Icebergs dot the ocean in many parts of the Arctic, but from the walking trails that wind along the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Greenland, the icebergs are so concentrated that they fill the landscape.
As a fully-stabilized ice class Polar Code PC-5 vessel, the new be capable of safely exploring the most adventurous latitudes. On our East Greenland: Wild Shores of the High Arctic itinerary, National Geographic Endurance will land at one of the most remote national parks on Earth—a historic first for Lindblad. We break down this seldom-seen Arctic paradise by the numbers.
Emmett Clarkin, a marine ecologist based in the North West of Ireland and a naturalist and expedition diver with Lindblad, shares some of his top moments from these wild shores—and shows you how the region’s incredible facets keep this place etched on his memory.
Dr. Kathryn Sullivan Shares Her Stories About Space and the Arctic
Geologist, NOAA scientist, and NASA astronaut, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan has had a storied career that has taken her from the far reaches of outer space to the bottom of the world’s oceans. She was also a catalyst in the creation of Lindblad Expeditions’ unique undersea program.
At Brattahlid (“the steep slope”), Erik the Red’s estate in the Viking Eastern Settlement, Erik built the first Christian church on the North American continent. The first Greenlandic parliament was held here, and it is also where Leif Eriksson departed to go on to discover Newfoundland and Labrador.
I was fortunately able to share this experience with my wife, son (age 10) and daughter (age 13). It was one of those moments that will stick in our minds forever. My son’s love for photography started on this voyage, and my daughter wrote a beautiful essay about this trip that won an award at school.
Today we visited Isafjordur, the capital of the Westfjords of Northwest Iceland. It was wet and windy, but this did not deter us from a great morning. Guests were offered a range of activities. Some of us hiked to the Valagil Falls at the back of a huge valley filled with the colours of an arctic autumn, and some of us stopped to pick succulent blueberries along the way. Others went to explore one of the many large fjords in this part of Iceland and one of Iceland’s oldest arboretums at Skrudur, complete with a whale arch made from the jawbones of a large fin whale. Yet another group took a walking tour of the historic fishing port of Isafjordur, rounding off the morning in the local microbrewery. In the afternoon, we turned our thoughts to home and sailed south of Reykjavik after an amazing adventure in West Iceland and East Greenland.
The day started with an approaching storm bringing with it strong winds and whipping up the waves in the fjord. We decided to attempt our last landing in East Greenland by visiting the hot spring pool on the beach. After scouting the beach for bears, we disembarked guests on a windy and wet ride to shore. Most people came ashore to take advantage of the rare opportunity to bathe in Greenlandic hot springs. The landing time was not as long as usual because of inclement weather, but a good time was had by all. After an atmospheric visit to shore, all returned safely to enjoy lunch on the ship.
This morning we visited our first Greenlandic settlement on this incredible expedition. Ittoqqortoormiit, meaning “Big-House Dwellers,” has a population of roughly 345 people and is known for being one of the most remote settlements on the planet. We were free to roam this colorful little town. We visited the local museum, a beautiful church where we saw thread spun from muskox hair caught by the local villagers, and the tourist information center where some of the braver amongst us sampled muskox meat and had the opportunity to buy souvenirs from the gift shop. We even got to see the local Greenland working dogs getting fed seal meat close to our wet landing spot on the beach. A walk around this remote Greenlandic settlement allowed us to appreciate a very different way of living, which starkly contrasts to that of how most of us live and see the world.
Today we awoke on National Geographic Endurance to beautiful pink skies and icebergs passing by the ship as we sat down for breakfast. We enjoyed a nice cruise into the furthest northwestern fjord of Scoresby Sund. Today was a lovely day filled with ice and dramatic scenery, making it hard to walk away from the window for even just a moment.
Here in the North, the weather is fickle. It was only yesterday that we were racing to escape the strongest winds the ship has ever faced. Yet, in the early hours of the morning, we were rewarded with calm waters and clear skies. The most spectacular northern lights of the voyage welcomed us into this new fjord, churning and twisting like green and purple flames. It only takes a quick look up into the sky to realize why the belief in magic has endured in these latitudes. As soon as the aurora was replaced by the sun, the expedition rushed into the Zodiacs to cruise and explore the fjord. The glacier, flanked by the brownish traces of its past glory, towered above our boats like a giant. Only the peaks surrounding it seemed big enough to contain the glacier’s inexorable advance. Everyone aboard our fleet was mesmerized by the whites and blues of the frozen colossus. After gazing at it for hours, we reluctantly made our way back to the ship, where we enjoyed a well-deserved lunch. After a short break, our expedition headed back into the Zodiacs. This time, however, instead of cruising through the water of the fjord, we had the opportunity to go ashore. Setting foot on one of the oldest lands in the world is hard to convey in just a few words, even more so when one is walking under the gaze of the ancient geological layers present in every surface protruding from the water. Going back to the ship keeps getting harder and harder every time as the wonders of Greenland unravel before us.
Although space shuttles never fly directly over the Arctic, on a clear day we could see the lower 25% of Greenland with the fjords all cut in and incised and the stark white on blue of the ice sheet against the ocean. It was an oblique view, like a super-cool postcard picture of a place.
Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Geologist, NOAA Scientist, and NASA Astronaut