Baffin Bay Secrets

From Paris / Kangerlussuaq to Kangerlussuaq / Paris
  • All Arctic Cruises
  • Iceland and Greenland
  • Canadian Arctic & Alaska
  • Small Ship Cruising
  • Wildlife and Nature
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Tour Description

Discover the incredible beauty of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic on this 14-day Arctic adventure.

You will embark in Kangerlussuaq for an unforgettable journey in the heart of the most magnificent Arctic landscapes.

The first destination is the west coast of Greenland which will welcome you with its majestic icebergscolourful villages encircled by mountains and its basalt formations. This is the ideal opportunity for meeting the local population and learning about Greenland Inuit culture.

Further north, Baffin Bay will reveal its remote villages of peat houses where the last bear hunters and narwhal fishers live in accordance with their ancestral traditions in the middle of the Arctic tundra. You will also see the remains of ancient Inuit civilisations and will discover Savissivik, the largest ‘iceberg graveyard’ in Greenland.

During the last part of your cruise, you will be able to enjoy really exploring Baffin Bay; you will look for the ice floe and try to spot polar bears. You will head south to reach Evighedsfjorden, which means the “eternity fjord” in Danish, where the landscapes made up of glaciers, tundra and jagged cliffs will help you end this journey on a high.

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Encounter unique wildlife of the region including polar bears, Arctic terns, walruses, whales, musk oxen.

Experience stunning landscapes: ice floes, jagged mountains, icebergs, ice caps, steep-sided valleys, sheer cliffs, huge glaciers

Explore Disko Bay, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see the Northern Hemisphere’s largest icebergs.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Paris to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Embarkation

Today you will meet at Paris Airport for your charter flight to Kangerlussuaq. We recommend arriving in to Paris at least 1 or 3 days prior to departure.
Upon arrival in to Kangerlussuaq you will embark on group transfers to the port.

From 1941 to 1992, the town of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland was home to an American military base. Nowadays, thanks to its international airport, it has become a transit point for travellers seeking adventure in the Far North. Located to the north of the Arctic Circle, this town is the starting point of magnificent discoveries surrounded by unspoiled nature. Indeed, just a few dozen kilometres from there it is possible to get close to the Greenland ice sheet, the largest body of ice in the Northern Hemisphere. From Kangerlussuaq, admire also the superb landscapes of tundra in autumnal colours, where Arctic hares, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, reindeer, falcons and eagles live.

Dinner is included tonight

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin.

Day 2
Sisimiut

During your cruise, we invite you to discover Sisimiut, founded in 1756 and the second largest town in Greenland. This small town is typical of Greenland, boasting bewitching panoramas: here and there, colourful stilt houses dot the undulating landscape, and the small fishing port stands as the gateway to an icy realm. As for the town centre, it is home to a number of historic buildings, a small church and a museum which retraces the history of the Inuit people, as well as many craft shops. When your ship drops anchor here, you will set out to meet the locals in a typically arctic atmosphere.

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 3
Disko Bay

To the east of Baffin Bay, discover Disko Bay, scattered with countless icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From your ship, admire the majestic ballet of these ice giants as they slowly drift across the dark waters. This site is a natural marvel of Greenland, and is also renowned as an observation point for the region’s many humpback whales. The encounters with wild fauna and stunning landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile nature will be pure moments of wonder for you.

3 Possible Optional Excursions: Limited availability and additional costs apply.
Iceberg Cruise / Evening Cruise / Sermermiut and The Ice Fjord
Please ask your travel adviser for more details

All meals included

Overnight onboard your cruise in your chosen cabin

Day 4
Qeqertarsuaq

On the southern coast of Disko Island, Qeqertarsuaq is one of just two small villages on this island the size of Corsica. Its isolation makes it an observation post popular among naturalists since the beginning of polar exploration and the set-up, in 1906, of the Arctic Centre research facility. During a zodiac cruise you will have the chance to explore the natural wonders of Greenland, meet its wildlife such as the humpback whale and contemplate the basaltic organ landscapes that offer pure moments of wonder for you. In the heart of this spectacular and fragile nature, enjoy the breath-taking views of the grandiose and varied landscapes of Disko Island and Disko Bay.

Day 5
Paul-Emile Victor Base Camp, Eqi Glacier

"The most beautiful place in the Arctic" is how Paul-Émile Victor described Greenland, a land of great icebergs and of towering ice formations calved by the giant glaciers of the polar ice cap. The Eqi Glacier is one of the region’s most impressive sights. Here, the silence is broken only by the roaring and cracking of the ice. It is impossible to know if one is shivering from cold or from the sheer thrill of being here... Imagine the vast outline of a glacier, its translucent crystals glowing with an ice-blue fire in the sunlight. Paul-Émile Victor’s shelter cannot be overlooked; it was from here that the French Polar Expeditions’ anthropological and geographic explorations set off in the 1950s.

Day 6
Akulleq

In the curve of Uummannaq Bay, opposite a narrow passage between two islands, you will discover the moonscape of the small desert island of Akulleq. The ochre yellow and orange of this mineral site look ablaze under the sunshine of the polar summer. From the island’s summit you will be able to contemplate a panoramic view of the bay’s magical landscape and its huge icebergs with surprising shapes.

Day 7
Orpit

To the north-west of Greenland, on the shores of Baffin Bay, Orpit will reveal itself in an exceptional environment. A jumble of fjords and islets, the rolling topography of this territory offers hiking possibilities for discovering the tundra, this unique ecosystem in the high latitudes. If conditions allow it, an outing in a zodiac dinghy will also let you explore this faraway land via the sea, getting as close as possible to the wildlife.

Day 8
Kullorsuaq

Well beyond the Arctic Circle, in the majestic landscapes of Greenland’s Northwest, you will find the village of Kullorsuaq, the last bastion of Greenland’s traditional hunters. Here is where you will find Greenland’s true character… Vast mineral expanses, sumptuous mountains, impressive glaciers and, above all, the local population which still lives off fishing and seal or bear hunting. Hospitality and respect for nature are essential elements in the daily lives of these men, who live an austere life. When we drop anchor in this remote part of the world, set off to discover these friendly people who are also talented craftsmen, deftly sewing the furs and skins of marine mammals. This will be a unique and authentic experience

Day 9
Melville Bay

Classed as a protected area since 1977, Melville Bay – called Qimusseriarsuaq in Greenlandic – is specially dedicated to the protection of belugas, narwhals, seals and polar bears. Throughout this part of Greenland, the ice sheet reaches the sea in the form of large glaciers several kilometres wide that calve icebergs whose tip can reach a height of 50 metres (164 feet). The coast is formed by the fronts of these glaciers, which are very difficult to approach due to the sea being covered in icebergs interconnected by brash ice. From aboard your ship, admire the beauty of these extraordinary landscapes and the spectacular sight of the icebergs and the edge of the ice sheet under the midnight sun.

Day 10
Cape York

A few kilometres to the west of Savissivik, in Greenland, your ship will pass Cape York, a place that is brimming with history and marked by the conquest of the North Pole. Indeed, it is here, at the end of the 19th century, that the American explorer Robert Peary discovered fragments of one of the biggest meteorites ever found to this day. He had them sent back to the United States and later sold them to a New York museum, where they are still on display. Despite Robert Peary’s disputed achievements and his sometimes controversial attitude towards the Inuit populations, a memorial was erected in his honour at Cape York. Constructed in the 1930s, the memorial still stands today.

Day 11-12
Baffin Bay Exploration

In the icy waters of Baffin Bay, you will sail into the heart of the scattered sea floe. You will be captivated by icebergs in dreamlike shapes as your ship takes you into the ice of the Far North. Everything comes in shades of white here and, if you watch closely, you may get a glimpse of the lord of this kingdom, the polar bear. This fascinating animal finds its food in the heart of the ice, so this is where you have more chances of spotting it. The polar light gives a shine to the ice floe that you sail along as you explore Baffin Bay, leaving you with memories of unforgettable moments.

Day 13
Evighedsfjorden

Your ship glides slowly along the water towards the west coast of Greenland, to enter Evighedsfjorden, just a few kilometres south of Kangerlussuaq. Evighedsfjorden means “the fjord of Eternity”, and for good reason: just when you think you’ve reached the end of this stretch of sea measuring over 100 kilometres in length, it seems to go on forever, as though to bring even more pleasure to those sailing in it. The spectacular scenery ranges from glaciers to tundra with an abundant flora, and jagged cliffs where numerous bird species have taken up residence. Take the time to observe the white-tailed eagles and the colonies of seagulls and black-legged kittiwakes flying overhead in the area.

Day 14
Disembarkation in Kangerlussuaq - Fly to Paris

Disembarkation after breakfast this morning. You will be transferred to the airport for your onward charter flight to Paris which is included in your cruise package.
We recommend staying in Paris for 1 or 2 nights post-cruise before continuing on to your next destination

NOTE:
We are privileged guests in these remote lands where we are at the mercy of weather, ice, tidal and current conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the AECO.

What’s Included

Accommodation
  • Included Copy 20 13 nights onboard
  • Included Copy 31 Cabin upgrades available
Food
  • Included Copy 20 All meals whilst on board including snacks
  • Included Copy 20 Open bar & room service 24 hours (conditions apply)
Fees & Services
  • Included Copy 20 All tours mentioned with professional English speaking guide (subject to weather conditions)
  • Included Copy 20 Parka to keep & boots to Loan while on the cruise
  • Included Copy 20 Return charter flights from Paris to Kangerlussuaq / Kangerlussuaq to Paris
  • Included Copy 7 International flights, Travel Insurance, Gratuities / Tips are not included
Transportation

Le Boréal

264 (200 in Antarctica) Passengers

Le Lyrial

260 (200 in Antarctica) Passengers

Activities

  • Included Wildlife: polar bears, Arctic terns, walruses, whales, musk oxen.
  • Included Landscapes: ice floes, jagged mountains, icebergs, ice caps, steep-sided valleys, sheer cliffs...
  • Included Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
  • Included Disko Bay, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see the Northern Hemisphere’s largest icebergs
  • Included Visit traditional villages and encounter the Inuit people.
  • Included Orpit, meaning “trees" in Greenlandic, featuring surprising vegetation for these latitudes.
Click here for dates & prices
Duration

14 days

Price from

$15,574 USD

Per person, sharing

Based On Lowest Cabin

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