Arctic Highlights Northbound

This extraordinary voyage links three iconic Arctic regions in one seamless expedition, beginning in Iceland’s charismatic capital and ending deep inside the High Arctic. From Reykjavík, you’ll trace the famed Golden Circle—walking between tectonic plates at Thingvellir National Park and feeling the spray of Gullfoss—before boarding the purpose-built Greg Mortimer and setting course across the Denmark Strait toward Greenland’s remote east coast.

Few places on Earth rival East Greenland for sheer scale and drama. Here, within the boundaries of Northeast Greenland National Park—the largest national park on the planet—you’ll weave through labyrinthine fjords framed by jagged peaks rising 2,000 metres above iceberg-laden waters. In the legendary realm of Scoresbysund and beyond, the tundra reveals musk oxen, Arctic hare and reindeer, while ancient Thule sites and weathered trappers’ huts speak to millennia of human resilience. A visit to Ittoqqortoormiit offers a rare cultural connection, an opportunity to meet local Inuit residents living on the edge of the sea ice, where tradition and isolation shape daily life.

Sailing north and east through the Greenland Sea, you’ll be immersed in the rhythm of expedition life—scanning for whale blows from deck, attending engaging presentations by polar experts, and venturing ashore by Zodiac for hikes across flower-dotted tundra or kayaking among sculpted icebergs. Depending on conditions, you may glimpse ringed seals hauled out on pack ice, narwhal threading Arctic waters, or even a polar bear patrolling the floe edge.

Your journey culminates in Svalbard, a polar desert of stark mountains, fossil-rich plains and towering seabird cliffs. Here, walrus rest on beaches, little auks swirl in their thousands, and the Arctic wilderness feels vast and primeval. Optional kayaking and the invigorating polar plunge add a dash of adrenaline to an already unforgettable adventure.

Traveling in the peak Arctic season, when sea ice retreats to open hidden waterways and wildlife activity surges, maximizes your opportunities for exploration and sightings. This voyage is ideal for seasoned travelers, photographers, and true adventurers eager to push beyond the ordinary—those who dream of standing in places few ever reach and journeying across some of the wildest frontiers on Earth.

By the time you disembark in Longyearbyen for your onward flight to Oslo, you’ll have crossed a sweeping expanse of the Arctic, followed in the wake of explorers, and ventured into landscapes that redefine perspective. It is the kind of expedition that leaves you feeling humbled, exhilarated and forever connected to the far north.