Greenland - The Ultimate Fjord Expedition

Your adventure starts in the world’s northernmost capital. Reykjavik has traditional charm coupled with a cosmopolitan outlook. This small, safe city is the perfect size for a walking tour, and is packed full of art, culture and history. We recommend you make the most of being here before embarkation, if you have the time.

Take a stroll along Laugavegur, the main shopping street, with its boutiques and outdoor shops, or head to the architecturally striking Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. Art lovers can visit the Reykjavik Art Museum, the National Gallery and the many smaller galleries and museums dotting the city. Stopping off at the National Museum, the Saga Museum and the Maritime Museum will fill you in on Iceland’s history. Pack your swimsuit if you fancy a dip in one of the city’s 18 swimming pools, many of which have saunas and hot tubs.

MS Fram awaits you in Reykjavik Harbour. After you check in and collect your complimentary expedition jacket, you’ll have time to settle in your relaxed and stylish cabin. There is a mandatory safety drill just before departure after which you can walk around and explore your new home-from-home and enjoy and the premium onboard experience.

The welcome dinner in the evening ends with a toast by the Captain, wishing everyone an enjoyable adventure. You’ll then meet the Expedition Team and key members of the crew who’ll provide you with information about what to expect on your exciting journey to Greenland.

From Reykjavik you’re just hours away from geysers, glaciers, hot springs and waterfalls – the name actually means ‘Smoky Bay’ due to the rising steam from the surrounding geothermal features. Why not book a Pre-Programme with us and spend some extra days discovering Iceland’s famed Golden Circle, a circuit of natural highlights including waterfalls, national parks and geysers.

As we leave Iceland behind, we’ll sail across the Denmark Strait towards the shores of Greenland. This is the same route that was taken by the Vikings when they migrated there some 1,000 years ago. In fact, we’re following in the wake of Erik the Red, who is said to have been the first European to settle in Greenland, having gone there with his father at age 10.

You’ll have time to relax, get to know your Expedition Team, and check out the onboard facilities of MS Fram, your comfortable ‘expedition base-camp’. In the Science Center there will be lectures on a range of topics, preparing you for the adventure ahead. While you’re there, check out the library and the scientific equipment that is there for you to make use of throughout your cruise.

They’ll also talk you through important guidelines from AECO, the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators. You'll learn how you can help protect wildlife habitats, and the best ways to keep a safe distance from animals so as not to disturb them.

If you’re feeling active, you can hit the fitness facilities and get your pulse up. The panoramic sauna offers ‘sightseeing as you sweat’ and there are hot tubs on deck.

Later, why not enjoy a drink in the panoramic Explorer Lounge & Bar and get to know some of your fellow adventurers, or just settle into a sofa and watch the rhythmic ocean waves roll by outside.

Scoresbysund is a fjord system spreading like the branches of a tree over an area of around 24,000 square miles. The scenery is simply spectacular, with white and blue icebergs floating in mirror-like waters surrounded by stark black and brown mountains which loom up around us. It’s the world’s largest fjord system and you’ll feel a deep sense of serenity over the next nine days exploring this vast pristine wilderness.

The area’s steep basalt mountains, some reaching 6,500 ft., not only create a stunning backdrop but also provide shelter from the chilling Arctic winds. Furthermore, vast stretches of open water at the wide fjord system’s mouth, as well as areas that remain ice-free even in winter have made this a haven for an abundance of Greenland’s iconic wildlife. You might be able to spot muskoxen, Arctic foxes and mountain hares.

Birdlife thrives here. Little auks, Atlantic Puffins, Fulmars, Snowy Owls, the Greenlandic Gyrfalcon, and Great Black-backed Gulls are just some of the species that we’ll be hoping to see. Additionally, various types of seal can be seen on the shores or lounging on ice floes. Keep a lookout too for whales, which can be spotted in the waters around here.

The Captain and Expedition Team will guide us to the most favourable spots daily as this is an expedition cruise. We’ll make the best of the conditions, ensuring we can pack in as many shore landings, nature walks, kayaking tours and wildlife sightings as possible. As you explore and learn about this precious ecosystem, you’ll come to feel at one with the vast Scoresbysund fjord region.

Cruising silently on the water, you’ll scan for wildlife, photograph the flora and icebergs, and appreciate the silence of this vast wilderness. There’s also the opportunity to participate in our Citizen Science projects, which will help preserve the region for the wildlife and future generations.

On your expedition you’ll visit Ittoqqortoormiit – the gateway to the Scoresbysund fjord system and the only permanent settlement in the region. Located on a stunning peninsula that is encased by sea ice for nine months of the year, Ittoqqortoormiit is the most remote inhabited community in the western hemisphere.

Ittoqqortoormiit was founded in 1925 as a hunting and fishing town. Today, the trapping culture is very much alive. Less than 500 hardy souls call this remote outpost home, and they’ll be proud to show you around.

If conditions allow, we will attempt to sail north of Scoresbysund, towards the ever changing East Greenland sea-ice edge to scout for wildlife, before we set course back to Iceland.

After exploring the remote beauty of Greenland, we set our course back for Iceland. Spend the days at sea recapping your experiences with new friends, studying nature in the Science Center, sitting in on a lecture or two, or just relaxing on deck. Look out for the sea birds which follow our ship, or maybe see if you can spot some whales.

The route back ‘home’ is likely the same one those last Vikings took when they abandoned their experiment living on Greenland in the 15th century. Why did they leave? Historians can’t agree, but it seems likely they tried to live like European farmers in an environment that wouldn’t support their cows, sheep and pigs. If only they had taken advice from the Greenlanders, their descendants might still be there today.

As you reflect on your cruise, you may now appreciate what a precious place Greenland is. From the delicate ecology of the fjord systems, and the ethereal elegance of the floating ice and glaciers, we hope that the beauty you encountered has left its mark on you.

We say a fond farewell to MS Fram as we end where we started in the fabulous city of Reykjavik. You’ll now have an opportunity to see all the places you missed out on when you arrived. If you want to conclude your adventure on a high, you’re in the right place to do it. Reykjavik's galleries, restaurants and spas are some of the best anywhere.

If you want to explore more of Iceland, why not spend a few extra days in Reykjavik and experience the surrounding geothermal attractions. As a way of signing off your adventure, few things would top soaking yourself in relaxing volcanic water surrounded by beauty.

We’re sure you’ve had a fantastic experience sailing along Greenland’s east coast with us. We hope to see you again in the future for more adventures.

Why not add one of our Post-Programmes before heading home? You can take in the stunning scenery of Iceland’s south coast and visit the spectacular Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls. You’ll also see the famous Reynisfjara beach, with its jet-black pebble sands and distinctive basalt column formations – truly a great end to an epic journey.