The Northwest Passage

From Kangerlussuaq to Kugluktuk OR From Kugluktuk to Kangerlussuaq
  • Canadian Arctic & Alaska
  • Iceland and Greenland
  • Small Ship Cruising
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Tour Description

Sail the infamous Northwest Passage, on a 17 day voyage from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, to Kugluktuk, Canada or vice versa.

Traverse one of the world’s most mythical and celebrated ocean routes in the comfort of an ice-class expedition vessel. Along the way learn about the fascinating history of the area, including the famed site where the ill-fated Franklin Expedition overwintered from 1845–1846. 

Marvel at enormous icebergs at Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the fastest-calving glacier in the world, which spills thousands of enormous icebergs into the spectacular Ilulissat Icefjord in Disko Bay, Greenland every year. View the icebergs from the shore on a hike along the boardwalk—then board a Zodiac to cruise your way among them! 

Enjoy the warmth of an Inuit welcome as drum dancers, throat singers, and cultural ambassadors share their stories, songs, and connections to the land. 

And cruise pristine natural areas to spot amazing Arctic wildlife including polar bears.

You can opt to take this itinerary in either direction - "Into the Northwest Passage" or "Out of the Northwest Passage"

 

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Enjoy an Inuit cultural welcome in a Nunavut community with drum dancing, throat singing, and storytelling, get to know local residents and learn about their ways of life.

Navigate the ice-strewn waters of the Northwest Passage which is home to a variety of wildlife including polar bear, narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales, and also rich in history.

Visit the fastest-calving glacier in the world, which spills thousands of enormous icebergs into the spectacular Ilulissat Icefjord in Disko Bay, Greenland every year.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Kangerlussuaq

After your charter flight from Toronto, ON, you’ll transfer to the Ocean Endeavour by Zodiac.

Begin your journey by sailing down Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord), a 190-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, and cross the Arctic Circle on your way.

Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at the head of the fjord, is a former US Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub.

Day 2
Sisimiut Coast

Explore West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways that includes glaciers, islands, and fjords against a towering mountain backdrop, with plentiful opportunities for hiking and Zodiac cruising.

Learn about the Saqqaq, Dorset, Thule, and modern Inuit cultures that have called the Sisimiut region home for the past 4,500 years.

The waters are relatively warm here, due to the West Greenland Current and the subarctic location.

Day 3
Ilulissat

Visit the town of Ilulissat, with splendid museums, cafés, craft shops, and a busy fishing harbour.

View the icebergs from shore on a hike along the boardwalk at this UNESCO World Heritage Site, then board a Zodiac to cruise your way among them!

Ilulissat translates literally to “iceberg”—an apt name for this site at the mouth of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, a source of many of the icebergs in the North Atlantic.

Day 4-5
Western Greenland

Choose the activity you like best during an expedition landing on Greenland’s stunning west coast.

Whether you prefer hiking, walking, photography, or sitting contemplatively, you’ll be delighted!

Admire the mighty mountains and the tiniest tundra flowers—a stop in this area will offer many outstanding features to pique your interest. 

Day 6
At Sea

Deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we steam across the Davis Strait towards Nunavut, Canada.

Enjoy workshops and presentations, watch a documentary, and get out on deck with your binoculars to look for whales, seabirds, and marine wildlife.

Day 7
Mittimatalik

Attend a cultural performance put on by the talented Tununiq Arsarniit Theatre Group, featuring drum dancing, throat singing, and storytelling.

Mittimatalik is a busy Arctic community in a beautiful setting—the views of nearby Bylot Island are stunning!

Enjoy exploring the town and take the opportunity to purchase unique handcrafted mementos when available, too.

Day 8-10
Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound)

Spend three fun-filled days exploring Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound), one of Canada's newest National Marine Conservation Areas.

Cruise by ship and by Zodiac in search of narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales that transit and feed in this area.

Admire Devon Island’s unique geological character, with its flat-topped mountains, glacial valleys, and substantial ice cap. At the northern edge of Tallurutiup Imanga, it’s the largest uninhabited island on Earth at over 50,000 square kilometres.

Day 11
Beechey Island

Pay your respects at this haunting memorial to Sir John Franklin’s failed expedition.

Learn the compelling history of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror’s attempts to sail through the Northwest Passage.

Franklin’s crew overwintered at Beechey Island, where three of his men died, and numerous search parties later used the spot as a depot and rendezvous. Thomas Morgan of the HMS Investigator was buried here in 1854 alongside Franklin’s men.

Visit their graves and the ruins of nearby Northumberland House while contemplating the poignant history.

Day 12-13
Prince Regent Inlet

Search this area rich in marine and avian life for the thick-billed murres, ivory gulls, beluga, narwhal, and bowhead whales who reside in the ice-strewn waters.

Delve deeper into the exploration of the Northwest Passage and the mercantile efforts of the Hudson's Bay Company at intriguing expedition landing sites.

Day 14-16
Kitikmeot Region

Navigate the ice-strewn waters of this infamous waterway in search of wildlife. Although this is Nunavut’s least-populated region, wildlife abounds here both in the sea and on land.

Call in at Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven), home of the Guardians of Terror Bay.

Listen to the stories shared by locals of Roald Amundsen, who overwintered in the bay for two years while searching for the Northwest Passage. Amundsen became the first European to cross the Northwest Passage, thanks to the knowledge and largesse of Inuit.

Visit the excellent cultural centre, well-known for carvings and wall hangings.

Day 17
Kugluktuk, NU, Canada

Say your goodbyes to the Arctic in Kugluktuk, the westernmost community in Nunavut, located at the mouth of the Coppermine River.

Known for many years as Coppermine, the community reverted to its original Inuinnaqtun name—meaning “place of moving waters”—on January 1st, 1996.

Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU, is an alternate disembarkation point, and may be used based on sea, ice, and weather conditions.

Disembark the Ocean Endeavour and transfer by Zodiac to shore for your charter flight to Yellowknife, NT.

Day 1
Kugluktuk, NU, Canada

Kugluktuk (Coppermine), NU, Canada
Begin Your Adventure
After your charter flight from Yellowknife, NT, you’ll transfer to the Ocean Endeavour by Zodiac.

Begin your journey in Kugluktuk, the westernmost community in Nunavut, located at the mouth of the Coppermine River.

Known for many years as Coppermine, the community reverted to its original Inuinnaqtun name—meaning “place of moving waters”—on January 1st, 1996.

Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU is an alternate embarkation point that may be used based on sea, ice, and weather conditions.

Day 2-4
Kitikmeot Region

Navigate the ice-strewn waters of this infamous waterway in search of wildlife. Although this is Nunavut’s least-populated region, wildlife abounds here both in the sea and on land.

Call in at Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven), home of the Guardians of Terror Bay.

Listen to the stories shared by locals of Roald Amundsen, who overwintered in the bay for two years while searching for the Northwest Passage. Amundsen became the first European to cross the Northwest Passage, thanks to the knowledge and largesse of Inuit.

Visit the excellent cultural centre, well-known for carvings and wall hangings.

Day 5
Prince Regent Inlet

Search this area rich in marine and avian life for the thick-billed murres, ivory gulls, beluga, narwhal, and bowhead whales who reside in the ice-strewn waters.

Delve deeper into the exploration of the Northwest Passage and the mercantile efforts of the Hudson's Bay Company at intriguing expedition landing sites.

Day 6
Beechey Island

Pay your respects at this haunting memorial to Sir John Franklin’s failed expedition.

Learn the compelling history of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror’s attempts to sail through the Northwest Passage.

Franklin’s crew overwintered at Beechey Island, where three of his men died, and numerous search parties later used the spot as a depot and rendezvous. Thomas Morgan of the HMS Investigator was buried here in 1854 alongside Franklin’s men.

Visit their graves and the ruins of nearby Northumberland House while contemplating the poignant history.

Day 7-8
Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound)

Seek Whales, Seabirds, and Polar Bears
Spend two fun-filled days exploring Tallurutiup Imanga  (Lancaster Sound), one of Canada's newest National Marine Conservation Areas.

Cruise by ship and by Zodiac in search of narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales that transit and feed in this area.

Admire Devon Island’s unique geological character, with its flat-topped mountains, glacial valleys, and substantial ice cap. At the northern edge of Tallurutiup Imanga, it’s the largest uninhabited island on Earth at over 50,000 square kilometres.

Hike the tundra, cruise a glacier face, and keep your eyes peeled for polar bears and other wildlife from ship and from shore.

Visit archaeological sites with expert interpretation to learn about the human history of Inuit and their ancestors who once lived on this now-abandoned island.

Then catch a glimpse of more recent history when you visit the remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Hudson's Bay Company site at Dundas Harbour.

Day 9
Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord)

Experience Inuit Culture
Feel welcomed into Ausuittuq, where you will have a chance to meet members of the community, learn about their way of life, and hear their stories.

The hamlet, whose name means “place that never thaws,” sits 1,150 kilometres above the Arctic Circle.

Learn about the significance of the origin of Canada’s northernmost community; during the Cold War in 1953, Inuit from Inukjuak, Québec and Mittimatalik were relocated under false pretences by the Canadian government with the aim of asserting Canadian sovereignty.

Be sure to talk a walk up to the touching sculpture memorializing the community’s history.

Day 10-11
Smith Sound

Break your personal record of latitude in Smith Sound, an ancient Inuit travel route that divides Ellesmere Island from Greenland.

Learn the stories of Adolphus Greely, Sir George Nares, Elisha Kent Kane, and other explorers and adventurers searching for the North Pole, who travelled these waters with varying degrees of success.

Day 12
At Sea

Learn On Board
Deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we steam towards Greenland.

Enjoy workshops and presentations, watch a documentary, and get out on deck with your binoculars to look for whales, seabirds, and marine wildlife.

Day 13-14
Northwest Greenland

Choose the activity you like best during an expedition landing on Greenland’s stunning northwest coast.

Whether you prefer hiking, walking, photography, or sitting contemplatively, you’ll be delighted!

Admire the mighty mountains and the tiniest tundra flowers—a stop in this area will offer many outstanding features to pique your interest. 

Day 15
Ilulissat

Take a Zodiac Cruise Around Towering Icebergs
Visit the town of Ilulissat, with splendid museums, cafés, craft shops, and a busy fishing harbour.

View the icebergs from shore on a hike along the boardwalk at this UNESCO World Heritage Site, then board a Zodiac to cruise your way among them!

Ilulissat translates literally to “iceberg”—an apt name for this site at the mouth of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, a source of many of the icebergs in the North Atlantic.

Day 16
Itilleq Fjord

Witness Stunning Glaciers, Islands, and Fjords
Explore the west Greenland coastline, a rich mixture of islands and complex coastal waterways.

The tundra foliage will be in gorgeous colour during your visit in the Arctic autumn.

Enjoy one last expedition landing here to explore the landscape of wild Greenland.

Day 17
Kangerlussuaq

Cross the Arctic Circle
Complete your journey up Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord), a 190-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, and cross the Arctic Circle one last time on your way.

Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at the head of the fjord, is a former US Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub.

Transfer by Zodiac to shore, then ride to the airport by bus for your charter flight to Toronto, ON.

What’s Included

Accommodation
  • Included Copy 20 Cabin accommodation on board the Ocean Endeavour
  • Included Copy 31 Cabin upgrades available
Food
  • Included Copy 20 All shipboard meals
Fees & Services
  • Included Copy 20 Expert expedition team
  • Included Copy 20 Guided activities, sightseeing and community visits
  • Included Copy 20 Port fees and applicable taxes
  • Included Copy 20 Educational program & Interactive workshops & evening entertainment
  • Included Copy 20 Complimentary expedition jacket
  • Included Copy 7 International flights, visas, Gratuities, Laundry, bar, beverage and other personal expenses
  • Included Copy 7 Mandatory medical evacuation insurance
  • Included Copy 31 No solo supplement (select cabins), 30% discount for under 30 year olds, family friendly
  • Included Copy 31 Charter flights additional
Transportation

Ocean Endeavour

200 Passengers

Activities

  • Included Zodiac cruising and walks ashore
  • Included Experience Inuit Culture
  • Included Visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Included Bird watching including thick-billed murres and ivory gulls
  • Included Wildlife spotting - search for polar bear, narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales
  • Included Workshops and Presentations including photo workshops
Click here for dates & prices
Duration

17 days

Price from

$12,995 USD

Per person, sharing

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