Northwest Passage: Epic High Arctic – Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Calgary International Airport independently. Book your own flights rather than through a tour operator to save significantly. Spend the afternoon exploring Calgary's lively downtown — visit the Calgary Tower for panoramic views or wander through the Beltline neighbourhood. Stay at a central budget hotel or hostel such as HI Calgary City Centre hostel (~£30/night). Stock up on any last Arctic kit at MEC (Mountain Equipment Company) nearby.

🚌International flights to Calgary booked independently (not included in cost estimate below)

🛏HI Calgary City Centre Hostel or budget hotel (~£30–50/night)

• →Explore downtown Calgary independently
• →Visit Calgary Tower for panoramic views
• →Kit check and last-minute gear shopping at MEC

Take your pre-booked charter or scheduled flight from Calgary to Resolute Bay (YRB) via First Air or Canadian North — book well in advance as seats are very limited. Resolute Bay is one of the most remote communities in Canada, with a population of around 200. Walk around the small hamlet, visit the community centre, and take in the stark, treeless tundra landscape. Board your independently booked expedition ship in the afternoon — companies such as Quark Expeditions, Hurtigruten Expeditions or Aurora Expeditions offer berths on Northwest Passage voyages that can be booked directly, often at lower per-berth rates than through resellers.

🚌Scheduled or charter flight Calgary–Resolute Bay (~£500–700 one way, book directly with Canadian North)

🛏Expedition ship cabin (included in cruise booking)

• →Charter flight Calgary to Resolute Bay (book via Canadian North or First Air)
• →Explore Resolute Bay hamlet
• →Embark expedition vessel and attend safety briefing
• →First Zodiac transfer to ship

Your expedition ship navigates toward Beechey Island, a Canadian National Historic Site and the haunting final resting place of three men from Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition. Land by Zodiac on the remote windswept beach to see the famous graves and cairns. Independent expedition cruise bookings include Zodiac operations and landings as standard — verify this when booking directly. Keep binoculars handy for Arctic fox and seabirds on the cliffs.

🚌Ship navigation + Zodiac operations (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Zodiac landing on Beechey Island
• →Visit Franklin expedition graves (Canadian National Historic Site)
• →Wildlife spotting: Arctic fox, seabirds, ringed seals

Radstock Bay is a key research site for polar bears, which congregate here in summer. Zodiac cruise along the coastline scanning for bears on the ice and tundra — this is one of the best accessible polar bear viewing locations in the world. The bay also features a remarkable Thule archaeological site with tent rings and food caches left by pre-Inuit peoples thousands of years ago. Your ship's onboard naturalists will provide context — a major advantage of expedition cruises booked directly is that expert staff are always included.

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Zodiac cruise for polar bear spotting
• →Visit Thule archaeological site
• →Guided tundra walk with onboard naturalist

Go ashore at Arctic Bay, inhabited by Inuit people for almost 5,000 years and surrounded by dramatic cliffs thick with nesting seabirds. Walk through the hamlet, visit the local co-op store and speak with residents about traditional hunting and contemporary Arctic life. Look for thick-billed murres, black-legged kittiwakes and glaucous gulls on the cliffs above. Respect community protocols — ask before photographing residents.

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Zodiac landing and shore visit to Arctic Bay community
• →Seabird cliff viewing (murres, kittiwakes)
• →Cultural exchange with Inuit residents
• →Visit local co-op

A packed day of exploration at the eastern end of Lancaster Sound. Trek along the beach at Dundas Harbour to the old Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost — a poignant relic of Canada's sovereignty efforts in the High Arctic. Zodiac cruise at Croker Bay past towering calving glaciers, watching for walrus in the water. End the day at Grise Fiord (Aujuittuq), Canada's northernmost civilian settlement, home to ~150 mostly Inuit residents. Visit the monument to the first settlers, forcibly relocated here from Quebec in 1953.

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Trek to former RCMP outpost at Dundas Harbour
• →Zodiac cruise at Croker Bay glaciers
• →Walrus spotting
• →Shore visit to Grise Fiord community and settler monument

The ship pushes north into Smith Sound, the dramatic uninhabited strait between Ellesmere Island and Greenland. Cruise along the Ellesmere Island coastline, one of the most remote and wild places on Earth. Watch for muskoxen on the tundra slopes, narwhal in the sound, and bowhead whales. Spend time on deck with binoculars — the ship's expedition team will call wildlife sightings over the PA. Attend an onboard lecture on Arctic exploration history.

🚌Ship navigation (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Scenic cruising in Smith Sound
• →Wildlife watch: muskoxen, narwhal, bowhead whale
• →Onboard lecture: history of Arctic exploration
• →Photography from deck

Cross into Greenlandic waters and cruise along the eastern side of Smith Sound. The landscape here is staggering — sheer cliffs plunge into the dark Arctic ocean, glaciers spill down from the ice cap, and the silence is profound. Watch for polar bears hunting along the ice edge and listen for the thunderous crack of calving ice. Your onboard team of polar experts lead evening presentations on Greenlandic Inuit culture to prepare you for the community visits ahead.

🚌Ship navigation (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Scenic cruising along Greenland coast
• →Ice edge wildlife watching: polar bears, seals
• →Onboard cultural presentation: Greenlandic Inuit traditions
• →Zodiac cruise conditions permitting

Arrive at Qaanaaq, one of the northernmost towns on Earth (~600 residents) and your first Greenlandic community stop. Go ashore and visit the local museum, which documents the history of the Polar Inuit people and the controversial 1953 forced relocation of residents to make way for the US Thule Air Base. Speak with hunters and fishers at the harbour — dog sledding is still central to life here. Buy locally made crafts directly from artisans to support the community.

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Zodiac landing and shore visit to Qaanaaq
• →Visit Qaanaaq Museum
• →Meet local Polar Inuit hunters and fishers
• →Purchase locally made Inuit crafts

A full day at sea as the ship heads south along Greenland's spectacular west coast. Take advantage of the ship's amenities and attend expert lectures on glaciology, Arctic ecology and Greenlandic history. Spend long hours on deck scanning for humpback and fin whales, which are frequently spotted in Davis Strait. The ship's naturalists will be out on deck with you, spotting and narrating. A great day to rest, read and absorb the magnitude of where you are.

🚌Ship navigation (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Whale watching from deck (humpback, fin whales)
• →Attend onboard glaciology and ecology lectures
• →Photography workshop with expedition team
• →Relax and enjoy ship amenities

Land at Nuussuaq (formerly Kraulshavn), the only mainland community in the Upernavik Archipelago. Founded in 1923 as a trading station, it remains one of Greenland's most traditional hunting and fishing villages. Walk through the colourful wooden houses, chat with locals and observe the old ways of life that persist here — dog sledding, seal hunting and fishing remain the backbone of the economy. A humbling reminder of human resilience in the High Arctic.

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Shore visit to Nuussuaq community
• →Walk through traditional fishing village
• →Observe sled dog teams
• →Cultural exchange with local residents

Arrive at Uummannaq, arguably the most photogenic settlement in Greenland, dramatically overlooked by a red heart-shaped mountain. Wander through the vibrantly painted wooden houses and visit the 1860s stone church. Nearby, Zodiac across to the archaeological site of Qilakitsoq, where eight remarkably preserved Inuit mummies dating to 1475 CE were discovered in 1972 — replicas and information boards explain the extraordinary find (the originals are at the Greenland National Museum in Nuuk).

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Shore visit to Uummannaq village
• →Visit historic stone church
• →Zodiac excursion to Qilakitsoq archaeological site
• →Photography of heart-shaped mountain and icebergs

One of the most awe-inspiring moments of the entire voyage: a Zodiac cruise along the massive calving front of Eqip Sermia glacier. The blue-tinged ice cliff towers above the water as thunderous roars and explosive cracks signal the birth of new icebergs. Keep a safe distance as instructed by the ship's team, but close enough to feel the cold air radiating from the ice. You may also go ashore to hike across the tundra with views back to the glacier front.

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Zodiac cruise along Eqip Sermia glacier front
• →Watch and listen to glacier calving
• →Optional tundra hike near glacier
• →Iceberg photography

The undisputed highlight of the voyage. Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord, home to Sermeq Kujalleq — the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere, calving up to 46 cubic kilometres of ice per year. Young icebergs the size of apartment buildings drift out into Disko Bay. Go ashore in Ilulissat town (population ~4,500) and hike the Arctic Circle Trail boardwalk out to the icefjord viewpoint for panoramic views. Ilulissat was the birthplace of Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen — visit his restored childhood home, now a museum (entry ~£8, book on site).

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Zodiac cruise at the mouth of Ilulissat Icefjord
• →Watch iceberg calving from Sermeq Kujalleq glacier
• →Hike Arctic Circle Trail boardwalk to icefjord viewpoint
• →Visit Knud Rasmussen Museum in Ilulissat (~£8 entry)

Visit Sisimiut, Greenland's second-largest town, for a traditional kayaking demonstration — the kayak (an Inuit word) has been a symbol of Greenlandic culture for millennia. Walk through the historic 18th-century colonial district including the oldest surviving church in Greenland. Then call at tiny Itilleq, just above the Arctic Circle on a small island — the southernmost community where Greenlandic sled dogs are permitted. Experience kaffemik, the Greenlandic tradition of welcoming visitors in for coffee, cake and conversation.

🚌Ship + Zodiac (included in cruise)

🛏Expedition ship cabin

• →Traditional kayaking demonstration in Sisimiut
• →Walk historic colonial district and oldest church in Greenland
• →Shore visit to Itilleq community
• →Experience kaffemik (traditional Greenlandic coffee hospitality)

Final Zodiac ride to shore at Kangerlussuaq. From here, board your pre-booked flight to Reykjavik — Air Greenland operates the Kangerlussuaq–Reykjavik (KEF) route; book directly at airgreenland.com well in advance (~£300–500). On arrival in Reykjavik, check into a central guesthouse or hostel such as Kex Hostel or Loft Hostel — both excellent budget-friendly options in the heart of the city (~£35–55/night in a private room). Grab dinner at a Reykjavik food hall to celebrate the end of an extraordinary voyage.

🚌Air Greenland flight Kangerlussuaq–Reykjavik (~£300–500, book direct at airgreenland.com)

🛏Kex Hostel or Loft Hostel, Reykjavik (~£35–55/night private room)

• →Final Zodiac landing and ship disembarkation at Kangerlussuaq
• →Flight Kangerlussuaq to Reykjavik (book via airgreenland.com, ~£300–500)
• →Check into Reykjavik guesthouse/hostel
• →Celebratory dinner in Reykjavik food hall

Your final morning in the Arctic world. Walk up to Hallgrímskirkja church for panoramic city views (lift ~£8), explore the colourful old harbour and browse the flea market at Kolaportið (weekends only, free entry). Grab a famous Icelandic hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (~£4) for a classic budget Reykjavik experience. Make your way to Keflavik International Airport by FlyBus (~£20, book at re.is) for your international flight home — or extend your stay to explore the Golden Circle independently.

🚌FlyBus Reykjavik–Keflavik Airport (~£20, book at re.is)

🛏Check-out — flights home booked independently

• →Walk to Hallgrímskirkja and take the lift to the top (~£8)
• →Explore Reykjavik old harbour and Kolaportið flea market
• →Try an Icelandic hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (~£4)
• →FlyBus to Keflavik Airport (~£20, book at re.is)