Compare Arctic Express: Greenland’s Northern Lights (Cruise North, Fly South) by Quark Expeditions vs Arctic Sights and Northern Lights: East Greenland by Poseidon Expeditions

Day 1 — Reykjavik, Iceland

Your adventure begins with an overnight stay in thoroughly modern Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital city.

Day 2 — Embarkation Day in Akureyri

You’ll fly from Reykjavik to the northern Icelandic town of Akureyri to begin your expedition to Greenland. As you sail out to sea, your first wildlife sightings will be seabirds above and whales below. Get ready for a great adventure!

Days 3 and 4 — At Sea

Sail through the Denmark Strait en route for mysterious Greenland. Your on board Expedition Team will keep you informed and entertained with presentations about Greenland’s wildlife, history and geography.

Day 5 — Brogetdal and Waltershausen Glacier

Brogetdal means “multicolored valley,” and here you’ll view multi-hued mountains surrounding this lovely basin and unusual geology. You’ll also journey to the rarely visited Waltershausen Glacier, an imposing ice floe at the head of Nordfjord with a span of 6.8 miles (11 km). This stunning landmark was named after German explorer Baron Wolfgang Sartorius von Waltershausen, after his failed 1869 attempt to reach the North Pole via East Greenland.

Day 6 — Blomsterbugten and Renbugten

The valleys of Blomsterbugten and Renbugten are considered some of the most scenic in Greenland, and delight with unexpected icy blues, brazen golds, fiery reds and mossy greens. These scenic plains will charm you with their panoramic vistas and unusual rock formations. Be sure to be on the lookout for arctic hare and muskoxen.

Day 7 — Antarctic Sund and Ella Oya (Ella Island)

Renowned for its stunning landscapes, the oddly-named Antarctic Sund is a marine channel surrounded by ice-choked waters, azure icebergs, and craggy, colorful cliffs. At Ella Oya, a hiker’s paradise, you can challenge yourself with a climb to the top of the island, where you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

Day 8 — Apelfjord

You’ll cruise through spectacular Alpefjord, a wonderland of fjords and sounds, and through a multitude of dazzling icebergs in countless shapes and sizes.

Day 9 — Hall Bredning and Ittoqqortoormiit

Larger than football fields, the icebergs crossing Hall Bredning in the inner reaches of Scoresbysund are some of the most magnificent in the world. The geology and topography of the area will fascinate you.

At the start of the sound, Itoqqortoormiit is East Greenland’s most northerly community and boasts a blend of traditional and modern lifestyles. With clear skies, you’ll have a great opportunity to see the northern lights. You can also support local Inuit artisans by purchasing unique handicrafts. Your time here is spent bonding with the Inuit people and gaining an appreciation of their way of life.

Day 10 — Rypefjord and Rodefjord

Pushing onward, your expedition will come to Rypefjord. With binoculars in hand, birders should keep watch for wheatears, snow buntings and ravens. At Rodefjord, you’ll encounter a shallow area trapping hundreds of icebergs, known as the Iceberg Graveyard. You’ll drift leisurely by these icebergs, a photographer’s paradise.

Day 11 — Frederiksdal and Sydkapp

Sailing on deeper into Scoresbysund, you’ll encounter massive icebergs and an ancient Thule settlement as we approach Sydkap. The scenery here is something you can’t even imagine, with towering mountain sides and hundreds of apartment-sized icebergs playing tricks with your sense of perception.

Day 12 — Disembarkation at Constable Point

We arrive at Constable Point to board our charter flight to Reykjavik, the largest city in Iceland, and home to marvels of architecture and nature. Explore the area’s many must-see attractions, or discover its more hidden gems. Highlights of the region include a vibrant downtown and harbor, geothermal parks and beaches, and numerous natural wonders.

Tonight you’ll overnight in your comfortable and well-appointed Reykjavik hotel.

Day 13 — Depart Reykjavik

Transfer to the airport for your return flight home, or a bit more time exploring this fascinating city.

Important reminder: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy – and excitement – of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish.

Day 1: Arrival in Reykjavík, Iceland (hotel night)

Welcome to Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland and starting point of our Arctic expedition! The drive from the Keflavik International Airport to the city center takes around 45 minutes by airport shuttle or taxi. After checking into your hotel, which has been arranged by us and is included in the price of the itinerary, you will be free to explore this attractive, friendly and quintessentially Nordic city.

For an excellent overview of Iceland’s history and culture, we recommend starting at the superb National Museum and Culture House. You will also want to visit the iconic Hallgrímskirkja church, Reykjavík’s most famous landmark. For those interested in natural history, we recommend the Whales of Iceland museum, which houses full-sized models of the 23 species of whale found around Iceland. For dinner, Reykjavík offers countless options for an authentic Icelandic meal.

Day 2: Welcome Aboard!

After breakfast at your hotel, the morning is yours to enjoy Reykjavík. Take a leisurely stroll through a peaceful garden or a relaxing soak in a thermal bath. Nature lovers will appreciate the abundant birdlife at Tjörnin, a placid lake in the heart of the city. You can also take advantage of shopping for souvenirs or some last-minute necessities such as cold-weather gear. Just remember, you will soon receive your very own parka to keep and waterproof boots to borrow on board the ship.

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the pier where we will warmly welcome you aboard the deluxe expedition vessel M/V Sea Spirit. Get settled in your spacious suite and explore the ship that will be your comfortable home during the extraordinary adventure to come. After getting underway, a full schedule of events kicks off with informative briefings and introductions from your expedition staff. After the first of many delicious dinners on board, step out onto the open decks to admire the views as we sail through Faxaflói, where it is possible to encounter our first whales.

Day 3: Across Denmark Strait

As we sail north across the Denmark Strait to East Greenland, we celebrate our crossing of the Arctic Circle. We keep a continuous lookout for great whales and flocks of seabirds feeding in the productive waters near the sharp rise of Greenland’s continental shelf. After nightfall, we have our first of many opportunities to see the aurora borealis overhead.

Day 4-8: Scoresby Sund, East Greenland

The itinerary for this part of our voyage focuses on the spectacular fjords, coasts and islands of Scoresby Sund, also known as Kangertittivaq in the Greenlandic language. This area contains some of the world’s most impressive scenery and Greenland’s best wildlife viewing. As with any true polar expedition, our exact schedule and route will be shaped by weather and ice. At this late stage of the season, we expect our explorations will be minimally affected by sea ice. However, we will be alert for icebergs from surging glaciers, which can present interesting navigational challenges. Our experienced captain and expedition leader will continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant in this wild and remote corner of the Arctic.

Scoresby Sund is one of the longest and most visually stunning fjord systems in the world. Almost totally devoid of human habitation, it is also one of the most pristine natural environments on Earth. In this epic wilderness, the forces of nature have shaped a landscape of incomparable grandeur. Deep fjords and narrow passages are framed by sheer rock walls up to 2,000 meters high. Colossal icebergs—calved by immense glaciers and sculpted by wind and water into fantastic shapes—drift throughout the intricate fjord system in striking contrast to sparkling blue waters and polychromatic mountains capped with fresh snow. From verdant coastal plains to ice-clad peaks all the way to the glaciated heart of Greenland, a trip through Scoresby Sund sets a new standard for “scenic”.

Our area of exploration includes part of Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest and most northerly national park in the world. This vast Arctic landscape is a paradise for hikers who appreciate astounding views of untouched tundra wilderness. Across hillsides emblazoned with autumnal red and yellow, a flash of white reveals the flight of a snowy owl or a startled mountain hare. Tufts of the finest fleece ensnared in polar willows underfoot point the way to a nearby herd of shaggy musk oxen. You may hear the crack of horns colliding as bulls engage in fearsome battles of strength. Boreal fowl of every description are preparing to migrate south with their newly fledged chicks. All throughout the waterways of Scoresby Sund, we are on constant watch for polar bears and other marine mammals, including a variety of seals, walrus and narwhal, which can be spotted at any time.

Ancient Thule archeological sites remind us of humankind’s age-old relationship with this austere yet life-sustaining environment. For a look at how this tradition has been carried forward, we plan to visit the modern Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the only permanent settlement in the region and one of the most remote communities in the world. The village boasts a wonderful museum, a bookstore, handmade crafts for sale, a post office, and an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs.

In September, at the equinox, day and night are given equal opportunities to astound you. As night falls, the darkening sky becomes a stage for nature’s greatest celestial performance: the Northern Lights. East Greenland is one of the very best places in the Arctic to view this otherworldly natural phenomenon. In addition to being at the perfect latitude for strong aurora displays, the skies above Scoresby Sund are often cleared by katabatic winds rolling down from the nearby Greenland Ice Sheet. Lights dancing from horizon to horizon are mirrored in calm waters while the silhouettes of gigantic icebergs and serrated mountains add to the romantic splendor of the experience.

This itinerary offers a deep dive into one of the Arctic’s most scenic and soulful environments. From dawn to dusk and beyond, your days will be filled with incredible shore excursions, world-class Zodiac cruising, and enough stunning scenery to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions. Hikers will live their wilderness dreams and sea kayakers will be rewarded with some of the finest paddling on the planet.

Day 9: Back to Iceland

After our amazing time in Scoresby Sund, we head back across the Denmark Strait toward Iceland. Presentations and workshops by our expert staff, as well as our range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. Seabird viewing and whale sightings can be enjoyed from panoramic open decks and balconies.

Day 10: Westfjords, Iceland

Our last expedition day is spent in the beautiful Vestfirðir (Westfjords) of Iceland. This remote and sparsely populated region of crenulated coastlines, voluminous waterfalls and rugged mountains sees only 10% of Iceland’s visitors. Deep fjords are home to whales while estuaries abound with seals and birdlife.

Day 11: Disembarkation in Reykjavík, Iceland

After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on board, we bid you a fond farewell in Reykjavík. We provide transfers to Keflavik international airport or to the city center in case you plan to extend your stay in Iceland.