Arctic Express: Greenland’s Northern Lights

September 2018

Arctic Express: Greenland’s Northern Lights
Hike and cruise the wilds of Greenland on this in-depth Arctic adventure, flying in and out of Reykjavik. Taking in both the world’s largest national park and its longest fjord system, this trip makes no compromise on size as far as nature is concerned. And with return flights in and out of Greenland from Reykjavik, you’ll be seeing as much of it as possible in a relatively shorter space of time. Arriving in Constable Point, you’ll spend a day drifting through the iceberg-potted waters of Apelfjord, cruising about in search of Arctic fox and musk ox by Zodiac and sizing up the gigantic Walterhausen Glacier. Landings at Blomsterbugten, Ella Island and Ittoqqortoormiit will provide the chance of hikes through tundras, visits to ancient Thule settlements and encounters with local Inuit culture. Both figuratively and literally, this voyage will feel like a journey to the ends of the earth.
Peregrine Adventures Trip Notes

 

I have just returned from a wonderful Journey to the Arctic, including this amazing once in a lifetime experience. I will post photos and stories over the next few weeks and look forward to sharing this experience with you. We arrived at Constable Point as a storm was brewing and only just made the zodiac transfer to the ship. The storm continued for the whole week out in the open ocean so we didn’t follow the trip itinerary (apparently they rarely do) but explored Scoresby Sound in great depth, including making it right up to the Dauggaard-Jensen Glacier which drains the Greenland Ice Sheet and is in the world’s largest national park.

Greenland is the largest island in the world but largely uninhabited. It is covered by an ice cap the size of Spain that covers three-quarters of the country and has the world’s largest (and remotest) National Park. Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. The population is less than 56,000 in total (55,877 as at 1 Jan 2018 according to Wikipedia), the majority of whom are Inuit and live around the edges of the island, eking out a living through mainly fishing and hunting. Most of the population live in western Greenland – we visited the remote north eastern parts and the only village we saw had 380 people (381 if you count one of our crew members who lives there part of the year).

My wishes for this trip were to see the aurora borealis, a polar bear in the wild, and to go dog-sledding. I managed to get 2.5 out of 3: we saw the northern lights on 3 nights with some spectacular displays; we saw 9 polar bears including a mother with 2 cubs; and although I didn’t get to go dog-sledding, I did sit on a dog sled and play with some puppies.

Please join me over the next several posts as I take you on our Journey to the Arctic (and more).

The Joy of Business Class

Copenhagen Stopover Day 1
Copenhagen Stopover Day 2

Arctic Express: Northern Lights
Day 1: Copenhagen to Reykjavik
Day 2: Reykjavik to Constable Point, Greenland
Day 3: Scoresby Sund: Frederiksdal & Flyvefjord
Day 4: Scoresby Sund: Nordvestfjord & Ingmikortilaq
Day 5: Scoresby Sund: Eskimobugt & Immikkeerikajik
Day 6: Scoresby Sund: Danmark Island & Vikingsbugt
Day 7: Scoresby Sund: Cap Hope & Ittoqqortoormiit
Day 8: Scoresby Sund: Steward Island & Constable Point
Day 9: Constable Point back to Reykjavik

Iceland Discovery
Day 1: Reykjavik: Blue Lagoon
Day 2: Golden Circle
Day 3: South Coast
Day 4: Jokulsarlon
Day 5: Eastern Fjords & Moorudalur Valley
Day 6: Moorudalur Valley & Lake Myvatn
Day 7: Akureyri & Trollaskagi Peninsular
Day 8: Grabrok Volcano & Snaefellsnes Peninsular
Day 9: Snaefellsness to Reykjavik

Toronto, Canada
Day 1: Reykjavik to Toronto
Day 2: Toronto to Port Perry
Day 3: Lake Muskoka
Day 4: Millbrook
Day 5: Back to Toronto
Day 6: Toronto
Day 7: Niagara Falls

 

 

 

---

For this and other similar tours see:

Explore Europe with Intrepid Travel (a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)

Peregrine Adventures (Comfort tours)

Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)

Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites.  So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more .

---