Expedition to the Thule Region

The name Kangerlussuaq means "Big Fjord" in the local Kalaallisut language. The settlement of about 500 people is located in western Greenland on flat land at the head of a fjord with the same name. Kangerlussuaq is the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport and most of the economy here is dependent on the air transportation hub and tourism. The rugged lands around the settlement support terrestrial Arctic fauna including muskoxen, caribou, and Gyrfalcons.

Located just north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut is the northernmost town in Greenland where the port remains free of ice in the winter. Yet it is also the southernmost town where there is enough snow and ice to drive a dogsled in winter and spring. In Sisimiut, travelling by sled has been the primary means of winter transportation for centuries. In fact, the area has been inhabited for approximately 4,500 years. Modern Sisimiut is the largest business center in the north of Greenland, and is one of the fastest growing Greenlandic cities. Commercial fishing is the lead economy in the town‘s thriving industrial base.

Disko Bay is a large bay located on the western coast of Greenland, opening into the Baffin Bay. It is known for its dramatic Arctic landscapes, floating icebergs, and cold, clear waters. The bay is surrounded by glaciers and coastal settlements, with Ilulissat being one of the most well-known towns nearby. Disko Bay is famous for the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where massive icebergs calve from the Greenland Ice Sheet. It is also an important area for Arctic wildlife, including whales and seals, and is a popular destination for polar tourism and scientific research.

Located within the vast, ice-sculpted landscape of West Greenland, Akulleq invites you to witness the stark beauty of an abandoned settlement where colorful wooden houses still stand as silent witnesses to a bygone hunting and fishing era. You can navigate the deep, sapphire waters of the surrounding fjords by boat, weaving through a majestic procession of massive icebergs that have calved from the nearby glaciers. For a truly immersive Arctic experience, wander the rocky, tundra-covered hillsides to spot local wildlife like muskoxen and arctic foxes, or simply soak in the profound silence of this remote northern wilderness under the ethereal glow of the midnight sun.

In AD 850, the Vikings established their parliament in Tórshavn, a name which translates as "Thor's harbor." It was named after Thor, the god of thunder and lightning in Norse mythology. The town became a center of trade for the island, and in fact was designated as the only legal place for the islanders to sell and buy products. This trade monopoly was abolished in 1856. Today it is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands, with fish-processing plants, a shipyard, and woolen products making up. It is considered to be one of the oldest capitals in Northern Europe.

In AD 850, the Vikings established their parliament in Tórshavn, a name which translates as "Thor's harbor." It was named after Thor, the god of thunder and lightning in Norse mythology. The town became a center of trade for the island, and in fact was designated as the only legal place for the islanders to sell and buy products. This trade monopoly was abolished in 1856. Today it is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands, with fish-processing plants, a shipyard, and woolen products making up. It is considered to be one of the oldest capitals in Northern Europe.

Located in northern Baffin Island, Pond Inlet is a small, predo¬minantly Inuit community, with a population of roughly 1,500 inhabitants. In 1818, the British explorer John Ross named a bay in the vicinity after the English astronomer John Pond. Today Pond Inlet is considered one of Canada's "jewels of the North" thanks to several picturesque glaciers and mountain ranges nearby. Many archaeological sites of ancient Dorset and Thule peoples can be found near Pond Inlet. The Inuit hunted caribou, ringed and harp seals, fish, polar bears, walrus, narwhals, geese, ptarmigans and Arctic hares, long before European and American whalers came here to harvest bowhead whales. Pond Inlet is also known as a major center of Inuit art, especially the printmaking and stone carving that are featured in the town’s art galleries.

As the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest in the world, Baffin Island is a majestic Arctic wilderness defined by towering granite cliffs, sweeping fjords, and the ancient ice caps of the Penny Highlands. This rugged landscape serves as a vital cultural heartland for the Inuit people, whose vibrant communities like Iqaluit blend modern life with deep-rooted traditions of hunting and artistry. From the world-renowned climbing walls of Auyuittuq National Park to the drifting ice floes where polar bears and narwhals roam, the island offers one of the most raw and awe-inspiring natural experiences on the planet.

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.

Evighedsfjorden, also called “Eternity Fjord,” is a dramatic fjord located on the eastern coast of Greenland. It features steep, glaciated cliffs and deep, icy waters, typical of Greenland’s rugged fjord landscapes. The fjord is largely uninhabited and remote, offering pristine scenery and opportunities to observe Arctic wildlife such as seals, seabirds, and occasionally whales. Its isolation and striking natural beauty make it a destination primarily for adventurous explorers and scientific research.

The name Kangerlussuaq means "Big Fjord" in the local Kalaallisut language. The settlement of about 500 people is located in western Greenland on flat land at the head of a fjord with the same name. Kangerlussuaq is the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport and most of the economy here is dependent on the air transportation hub and tourism. The rugged lands around the settlement support terrestrial Arctic fauna including muskoxen, caribou, and Gyrfalcons.