Baffin Bay Secrets

From Paris / Kangerlussuaq to Kangerlussuaq / Paris
  • All Arctic Cruises
  • Iceland and Greenland
  • Canadian Arctic & Alaska
  • Small Ship Cruising
  • Wildlife and Nature
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Tour Description

Discover the incredible beauty of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic on this 14-day Arctic adventure.

Majestic icebergs, the vast Greenland ice sheet and the surreal beauty of Ilulissat Icefjord are all waiting to greet you as you set sail from Kangerlussuaq. Greenland is the land of immense table icebergs, towering ice formations and remote villages where the last bear hunters and narwhal fishers reside. Learn about the Inuit culture amongst the remains of ancient Inuit civilisations and marvel at the magical iceberg graveyard of Savussivik.

Then on to the Canadian Arctic to explore Baffin Island and Ninginganiq Wildlife Area, home to bowhead whales, ringed seals, narwhals and polar bears. Stunning landscapes, enthralling wildlife and fascinating culture make this a trip of a lifetime.

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Encounter unique wildlife of the region including polar bears, Arctic terns, walruses, whales, musk oxen.

Experience stunning landscapes: ice floes, jagged mountains, icebergs, ice caps, steep-sided valleys, sheer cliffs, huge glaciers

Explore Disko Bay, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see the Northern Hemisphere’s largest icebergs.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Paris to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Embarkation

Today you will meet at Paris Airport for your charter flight to Kangerlussuaq. We recommend arriving in to Paris at least 1 or 3 days prior to departure.
Upon arrival in to Kangerlussuaq you will embark on group transfers to the port.

From 1941 to 1992, the town of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland was home to an American military base. Nowadays, thanks to its international airport, it has become a transit point for travellers seeking adventure in the Far North. Located to the north of the Arctic Circle, this town is the starting point of magnificent discoveries surrounded by unspoiled nature. Indeed, just a few dozen kilometres from there it is possible to get close to the Greenland ice sheet, the largest body of ice in the Northern Hemisphere. From Kangerlussuaq, admire also the superb landscapes of tundra in autumnal colours, where Arctic hares, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, reindeer, falcons and eagles live.

Dinner is included tonight

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin.

Day 2
Sisimiut

During your cruise, we invite you to discover Sisimiut, founded in 1756 and the second largest town in Greenland. This small town is typical of Greenland, boasting bewitching panoramas: here and there, colourful stilt houses dot the undulating landscape, and the small fishing port stands as the gateway to an icy realm. As for the town centre, it is home to a number of historic buildings, a small church and a museum which retraces the history of the Inuit people, as well as many craft shops. When your ship drops anchor here, you will set out to meet the locals in a typically arctic atmosphere.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 3
Disko Bay

To the east of Baffin Bay, discover Disko Bay, scattered with countless icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From your ship, admire the majestic ballet of these ice giants as they slowly drift across the dark waters. This site is a natural marvel of Greenland, and is also renowned as an observation point for the region’s many humpback whales. The encounters with wild fauna and stunning landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile nature will be pure moments of wonder for you.

3 Possible Optional Excursions: Limited availability and additional costs apply.
Iceberg Cruise / Evening Cruise / Sermermiut and The Ice Fjord
Please ask your travel adviser for more details

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 4
Paul-Emile Victor Base Camp, Eqi Glacier

"The most beautiful place in the Arctic" is how Paul-Émile Victor described Greenland, a land of great icebergs and of towering ice formations calved by the giant glaciers of the polar ice cap. The Eqi Glacier is one of the region’s most impressive sights. Here, the silence is broken only by the roaring and cracking of the ice. It is impossible to know if one is shivering from cold or from the sheer thrill of being here... Imagine the vast outline of a glacier, its translucent crystals glowing with an ice-blue fire in the sunlight. Paul-Émile Victor’s shelter cannot be overlooked; it was from here that the French Polar Expeditions’ anthropological and geographic explorations set off in the 1950s.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 5
Akulleq and Karrat Fjord

Akulleq:
In the curve of Uummannaq Bay, opposite a narrow passage between two islands, you will discover the moonscape of the small desert island of Akulleq. The ochre yellow and orange of this mineral site look ablaze under the sunshine of the polar summer. From the island’s summit you will be able to contemplate a panoramic view of the bay’s magical landscape and its huge icebergs with surprising shapes.

Karrat Fjord:
During your cruise along the Greenland coast, we invite you to discover the Karrat Fjord. Located in the north of the famous Uummannaq Bay, it stretches out towards the ice sheet. As you sail in this exceptional setting, take the time to admire the beautiful icebergs that surround you, as well as the sheer cliffs that tower along the fjord

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 6
Kullorsuaq

Well beyond the Arctic Circle, in the majestic landscapes of Greenland’s Northwest, you will find the village of Kullorsuaq, the last bastion of Greenland’s traditional hunters. Here is where you will find Greenland’s true character… Vast mineral expanses, sumptuous mountains, impressive glaciers and, above all, the local population which still lives off fishing and seal or bear hunting. Hospitality and respect for nature are essential elements in the daily lives of these men, who live an austere life. When we drop anchor in this remote part of the world, set off to discover these friendly people who are also talented craftsmen, deftly sewing the furs and skins of marine mammals. This will be a unique and authentic experience

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 7
Savissivik

Some places in this world are so magical that their beauty cannot be described in words… Savissivik, a small Inuit village with less than a hundred inhabitants, is one such place. Rightly considered to be the biggest iceberg graveyard in Greenland, it is a stunning sight to behold. During your Zodiac® outing, you will sail between these icy giants. Once on land, you can hike to a viewpoint from which to enjoy breathtaking views over these icebergs, which come in an incredibly diverse range of shapes and colours. Photographers will love it. Savissivik Bay attracts many bears and is also known for having been the home of one of the world’s biggest meteorites, but the latter has now been moved to a museum in New York.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 8
Pond Inlet, Nunavut

On Baffin Island, located in northern Canada at the mouth of the famous NorthWest Passage, there is a small Inuit settlement at the very bounds of infinity. To get there, cross the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line that separates man from lands of mystery and wonder. It’s not so much the way of life that sets Pond Inlet’s inhabitants apart, so much as the setting. Snow-capped mountains, fjords and glaciers combine in a dazzling natural environment that fills space and expands time. Some discoveries change you forever: this is one of them.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 9
Icy Arm Fjord

The east coast of Baffin Island is a real lacework of fjords. Among them, in the north, is the spectacular Icy Arm fjord. As you sail these parts, you’ll be dazzled by the immense cliffs that are sometimes over 1,000 metres high. This is a paradise for base jumping (parachute jumping from the top of the cliffs). During your stop here, you will have the opportunity to hike at the feet of these mountains and within the glacial valleys. Keep your eyes open when you get back on your boat: you’ll probably get the chance to observe marine mammals, such as whales, orcas and even narwhals.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 10
Isabella Bay - Ninginganiq

Welcome to the kingdom of the cetaceans! Here, those who love the giants of the Arctic won’t know where to look. Isabella Bay is in fact part of the Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area, one of the finest places to observe bowhead whales. From your ship, watch the sumptuous ballet performed by these impressive mammals. With undersea faults over 300 metres deep, Isabella Bay, located on the north-east coast of Baffin Island, attracts cetaceans which come here to feed. In addition to the bowhead whales, the uncontested stars of these parts, the Ninginganiq Wildlife Area is also home to ringed seals, narwhals, polar bears, king eiders, little auks and northern fulmars.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 11
Sam Ford Fjord, Nunavut

All around you is a raw landscape of spectacular beauty. Nothing seems to want to disturb the silence. You are in the Sam Ford Fjord, on the east coast of Baffin Island. Located only a few kilometres away from the Inuit community of Clyde River, this fjord has the kind of world’s end appearance that only the Arctic lands can offer. From your ship, allow yourself to be dazzled by the series of vertiginous cliffs plunging into the waters of the fjord. These impressively high walls of rock, known worldwide to climbing enthusiasts, are reflected in the waters of the fjord, as though to completely shift perspectives and blur the lines between land and sea.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 12
At Sea

During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 13
Evighedsfjorden

Your ship glides slowly along the water towards the west coast of Greenland, to enter Evighedsfjorden, just a few kilometres south of Kangerlussuaq. Evighedsfjorden means “the fjord of Eternity”, and for good reason: just when you think you’ve reached the end of this stretch of sea measuring over 100 kilometres in length, it seems to go on forever, as though to bring even more pleasure to those sailing in it. The spectacular scenery ranges from glaciers to tundra with an abundant flora, and jagged cliffs where numerous bird species have taken up residence. Take the time to observe the white-tailed eagles and the colonies of seagulls and black-legged kittiwakes flying overhead in the area.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 14
Disembarkation in Kangerlussuaq - Fly to Paris

Disembarkation after breakfast this morning. You will be transferred to the airport for your onward charter flight to Paris which is included in your cruise package.
We recommend staying in Paris for 1 or 2 nights post-cruise before continuing on to your next destination

NOTE:
We are privileged guests in these remote lands where we are at the mercy of weather, ice, tidal and current conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the AECO.

What’s Included

Accommodation
  • Included Copy 20 13 nights in a superior cabin
  • Included Copy 31 Cabin upgrades available
Food
  • Included Copy 20 All meals whilst on board including snacks
  • Included Copy 20 Open bar & room service 24 hours (conditions apply)
Fees & Services
  • Included Copy 20 All tours mentioned with professional English speaking guide (subject to weather conditions)
  • Included Copy 20 Parka to keep & boots to Loan while on the cruise
  • Included Copy 20 Return charter flights from Paris to Kangerlussuaq / Kangerlussuaq to Paris
  • Included Copy 31 Optional activities: Helicopter Flight, Iceberg Cruise, Evening Cruise (Additional cost)
  • Included Copy 7 International flights, Travel Insurance, Gratuities / Tips are not included
Transportation

L'Austral

264 (200 in Antarctica) Passengers

Activities

  • Included Wildlife: polar bears, Arctic terns, walruses, whales, musk oxen.
  • Included Hiking opportunity.
  • Included Zodiac Expeditions
  • Included Disko Bay, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see the Northern Hemisphere’s largest icebergs
  • Included Optional Iceberg cruise (limited availability, additional cost apply)
  • Included Optional Helicopter flight over the glacier (limited availability, additional cost apply)
  • Included Optional Evening Cruise (limited availability, additional cost apply)
  • Included Sermermiut and the Ice Fjord Tour (Included)
  • Included Visit traditional villages and encounter the Inuit people.
Click here for dates & prices
Duration

14 days

Price from

$14,811 USD

Per person, sharing

Based On Lowest Cabin

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