East Greenland: Wild Shores of the High Arctic

Days 1-2

U.S. / Oslo, Norway

Fly overnight to Oslo. Upon arrival, check in to the Hotel Bristol. In the afternoon, explore this charming city. Stroll among the famed Vigeland sculptures—hundreds of life-size human figures set in terraced Frogner Park. Visit the Fram Museum, dedicated to the wooden ship sailed by Norwegian explorers Nansen and Amundsen. The evening is at leisure. Lunch is included on Day 2.

Day 3

Oslo / Tromsø / Embark Ship

Depart Oslo on a chartered flight to Tromsø and embark National Geographic Endurance.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Tysfjorden

Explore the dramatic, glacier-carved Norwegian coastline of Tysfjorden, where the fjord’s almost-vertical walls surround the ship. By Zodiac and kayak, get closer views of the birch forests, tumbling waterfalls, and small villages on the rocky shore. Nearby, the U-shaped valley of Hellmobotn cuts nearly to Sweden and has a trail to hike almost to the border.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 5-6

Nordfjord / Svartisen

Svartisen National Park consists of a large ice field of the central Norwegian coast. We enter the park on a beautiful fjord called Nordfjord. As we cross the park boundary, the sheer walls of the fjord tower above the ship. The captain anchors the ship near the mouth of a glacier-fed river flowing down from a hanging glacier off the main ice field of Svartisen. Our morning is spent marveling at the scenery, taking walks ashore in the birch meadows, and possibly kayaking in the protected waters. Zodiac cruising along the shores is always popular to view the numerous waterfalls cascading down the rock walls. Be on deck as we cruise into one of the most famous fjords in Norway, the compact yet dramatic Trollfjord, and search the cliffs for Norway’s mythical beings: trolls.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

Lofoten Islands

Start your day on deck as we glide into Trollfjorden, one of Norway’s most dramatic fjords. The Lofoten archipelago boasts an enchanting landscape of picturesque villages framed by jagged, granite peaks that rise straight from the sea. Explore the many islets, and go ashore at Værøy to hike and kayak. Seek out Atlantic puffins, razorbills, and guillemots on a Zodiac cruise.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 8-9

At Sea / Jan Mayen, Norway

Spend the day at sea, enjoying the ship’s amenities, as we cruise toward our next destination. Listen to talks given by our naturalists, head to the bridge to watch for whales, or relax in the sauna or library. The following day, take the rare opportunity to visit Jan Mayen, a remote Norwegian island with a small military and weather station that holds the settlement’s only residents. The seldom-visited isle is presided over by the ice-capped crater of Beerenberg, the world’s northernmost active above-ground volcano.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 10-12

East Greenland, Scoresbysund / Exploring

With flexibility and exploration as our priorities, we head just south of the national park to Scoresbysund, the largest fjord in the world, where we watch for the elusive narwhal, Atlantic walrus, and beluga whales. On the nearby shore sits the brightly colored Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland. The town is blocked by sea ice for most of the year, and its inhabitants—fewer than 500 of them—survive by hunting and fishing the surrounding waters. This is also the time of year where, with luck, it is possible to view the Northern Lights and our staff are available to help guests photograph the experience.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 13-16

Exploring Northeast Greenland National Park

Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world, is a pristine swath of Arctic wilderness in the northeast corner of Greenland. It is home to towering mountains, glacial lagoons, and tremendous wildlife—polar bears, musk oxen, and walrus. National Geographic Endurance, with its PC 5 ice class, makes it possible to navigate the region’s dense pack ice and explore up close the coastline and inlets of the park.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 17-18

Westfjords of Iceland

Explore the beautiful and peaceful Westfjords region of Iceland. Perhaps take a hike to a remote waterfall, explore the remote fjords by kayak, or a Zodiac cruise alongside stunning scenery and wildlife. Enter Ísafjarðardjúp and capture stunning wildlife from the bow alongside your National Geographic Photography Expert, as well as stroll the streets of the capital of the Westfjords, Ísafjörður.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 19

Westman Islands

The Westman Islands were formed by undersea volcanoes between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago and are among the youngest of the world’s archipelagos. In 1963, the world witnessed on film the birth of its newest island, Surtsey—a UNESCO World Heritage site—which we see as we cruise past the coast. In 1973, Heimaey was threatened by lava flows that nearly closed off its harbor. We visit the crater, where the earth is still hot, and have amazing views of areas that had been engulfed by lava.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 20

Reykjavík / Disembark Ship / Home

Disembark in Reykjavík with options to visit either the Blue Lagoon thermal baths or the Reykjanes Peninsula to view the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, prior to the flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch