Fabled Lands Of The North: Greenland to Newfoundland

Arrive in Reykjavík, the world’s northernmost capital, which lies just below the Arctic Circle. Transfer from the airport to the city and spend the day exploring at your own pace. Check in with the hospitality desk this afternoon to make final arrangements before your charter flight the following day.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 19,000 inhabitants experiencing tremendous cultural and economic growth. Watch for harp seals as you enter the harbor, and hear from local residents to learn how the community has changed over the generations. At the National Museum, examine the extraordinary 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies found near Uummannaq—a discovery that was featured in a National Geographic magazine cover story in 1985. The Arctic ice preserved these mummies so well that researchers have been able to study their tattoos, their medical conditions and even what they ate.

Over these next three days, sail into deep fjords and witness the powerful glaciers that reach back to the famed Greenlandic Ice Cap.  Zodiac cruise along glacier faces or hike along moraines recently left by retreating glaciers. Along the way, arrive to Sisimiut, a former whaling port, and enjoy your choice of guided walks through the sights and sounds of the village, including Dog Town or Sallinnguit, a portion of the Arctic Circle Trail that leads into the Greenlandic backcountry, or visit local entrepreneurs and artists. Finally, explore Disko Bay, filled with icebergs calved off of the most active glacier in the world, Sermeq Kujalleq, and take advantage of expedition activities as you explore Disko Island and the surrounding fjords, weather permitting.

Baffin Bay is a vast Arctic waterway known for its dramatic ice formations, towering glaciers, and extraordinary polar wildlife. Located between Canada and Greenland, it offers rare opportunities to witness icebergs, whales, seals, and migrating seabirds in a remote and pristine environment. Its raw beauty and ever-changing sea ice create a powerful sense of exploration at the edge of the Arctic world.

Spend four days tracing the rugged, wild coast of Labrador, with expedition activities such as Zodiac cruising and kayaking along the islands, fjords and inlets that create this dynamic landscape. Keep a watchful eye on the Bridge as the ship navigates along the coast, which is dotted with icebergs flowing down from Greenland and the North Pole. Visit the fjords of Torngat National Park, and delve into the region’s Inuit history with your onboard archeologist. Stop at deserted outposts, watch for peregrine falcons and other birds soaring over the rocky shorelines of the spectacularly narrow Mugford Tickle, and take in the impressive Kaumajet Mountains. Head into the tiny fishing settlement of Indian Harbour to observe vast colonies of common murres along the sea cliffs before continuing on to scenic Battle Harbour to discover the legacy of this historic fishing village.

Cliffs, fjords and beaches grace the northeastern tip of Newfoundland. Hike, kayak and Zodiac cruise along this stunning coastline while keeping a watchful eye for migrating birds and whales as the ship sails south.

Today, disembark in St. John's and transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Old meets new in the province's capital (metro-area population a little more than 200,000), with modern office buildings surrounded by heritage shops and colorful row houses. St. John's mixes English and Irish influences, Victorian architecture and modern convenience, and traditional music and rock and roll into a heady brew. The arts scene is lively, but overall the city moves at a relaxed pace.For centuries, Newfoundland was the largest supplier of salt cod in the world, and St. John's Harbour was the center of the trade. As early as 1627, the merchants of Water Street—then known as the Lower Path—were doing a thriving business buying fish, selling goods, and supplying alcohol to soldiers and sailors.