West Greenland Explorer by Aurora

Day 1 – UK to Copenhagen

Leave the UK and arrive in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. You will have some time explore the city before overnighting in your pre cruise hotel in the city.

Day 2 – Copenhagen to Nuuk

In the morning you will fly from Copenhagen and arrive in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, located on the mid-west coast of Greenland. You will be transferred to the hotel and will have the rest of the day to visit the area at your own pace.

Day 3 – Embark the Greg Mortimer

Nuuk is the northernmost capital in the world and was founded in 1728 by the Norwegian missionary Hans Egede. Today, the capital has more than 17,000 inhabitants and lies at the mouth of its very own fjord system. The fjord system is the second largest fjord system in the world.

You will go on an introductory and learn more about Nuuk’s beautiful old buildings and colourful houses. Many places can be visited from the cathedral built in 1849 to the National Museum and the award-winning culture centre Katuaq.

Day 4-11 Exploring Greenland’s West Coast

During the next days, you will discover the natural beauty of West Greenland. The expedition team will plan to explore the following places:

Sisimiut is the second largest town of Greenland and the only place where you can enjoy an open-air public swimming pool, or visit the famous blue church with its gate made of whale bones. Sisimiut’s museum allows you to discover local history and how people were living back then. You can also venture into the mountains and appreciate breath-taking views.

The ship will navigate to the town of Ilulissat located further north. There, you will see imposing icebergs drifting from glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere and out into Disko Bay. South of the town is Ilulissat Icefjord, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and home to one of the most actively calving glaciers in the world, Sermeq Kujalleq. You will enjoy a Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the fjord and be able to kayak through sea ice and icebergs. The location provides hiking trails and offers sublime views of the icebergs, a pristine place for taking pictures!

You will continue towards the Eqip Sermia Glacier. It is only reachable by sea and one of the most active glaciers in Greenland. While it is smaller than Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, it is more accessible. You will Zodiac cruise and approach the glacier, close enough to hear the sound of the ice breaking off from the glacier before hitting the water. There is also a hike to the glacier that can be planned for an alternative view at this unique scenery.

The next destination will be the town of Uummannaq. It is surrounded by many islands. You can sport many icebergs coming from the Qarajaq Glacier. This area is also a great place for hiking, kayaking and Zodiac cruising.

The ship will set sail to Disko Island – a volcanic island that results from the continental split where Iceland is now located. The island is filled with majestic mountains, hot springs and offers excellent hiking trails. You will observe remarkable wildlife like humpback, fin, minke and bowhead whales.

Day 11 At Sea

The ship will sail back to Nuuk. You can take this time to enjoy the ship’s facilities and be on the lookout for whale blows and seabirds flying over your head. It is also the moment to share and exchange photos with your fellow passengers, and appreciate the scenic views of the coastline as you navigate south.

Day 12 Nuuk                                                             

Arrive back in Nuuk where you disembark and farewell your crew, expedition team and fellow travellers. A transfer to downtown or to the airport is included.