Arctic, Greenland, New and Noteworthy

60° 8′ N 45° 14′ W

A guest views the large glaciers in the bay by the rocky shore in the light of the setting sun in Greenland
ExpeditionsUi Arrow rightSouth Greenland Exploration: Fjords, Waterfalls, and Fishing Villages

South Greenland Exploration: Fjords, Waterfalls, and Fishing Villages

Skip to

Highlights

Guests explore the towering Icebergs Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland.
  • Experience the ice floes and deep fjords of southern Greenland by Zodiac, kayak, and hiking excursions

  • Navigate the spectacular majesty of Prins Christian Sund, flanked by soaring snow-topped mountains, rock-strewn cliffs, and icebergs

  • Discover the Western and Eastern Settlements of Erik the Red, the great Norse explorer credited with naming Greenland

  • Discover Inuit tradition and history along the southern fjords in Qaqortoq and Nanortalik through music, food tastings, and demonstrations

  • Witness the volcanic landscapes and breathtaking waterfalls of Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Day by Day

Starts at

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Ends at

Reykjavík, Iceland

Download Itinerary

Days 1-2

U.S. / Reykjavík, Iceland

Depart on an overnight flight to Reykjavík. Upon arrival, take a tour to see Iceland’s hot springs, beautiful Icelandic horses, and a fascinating power plant. After lunch, check into our centrally located hotel.

Days 1-2

U.S. / Reykjavík, Iceland

Depart on an overnight flight to Reykjavík. Upon arrival, take a tour to see Iceland’s hot springs, beautiful Icelandic horses, and a fascinating power plant. After lunch, check into our centrally located hotel.

Day 3

Reykjavík, / Kangerlussuaq, Greenland / Embark

Enjoy the morning at leisure followed by lunch and a tour of the city ending at the National Museum. Transfer to the airport for a chartered flight to Greenland and embark our ship at the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, a 120-mile-long waterway whose name means “large fjord” in Greenlandic.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

Reykjavík, / Kangerlussuaq, Greenland / Embark

Enjoy the morning at leisure followed by lunch and a tour of the city ending at the National Museum. Transfer to the airport for a chartered flight to Greenland and embark our ship at the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, a 120-mile-long waterway whose name means “large fjord” in Greenlandic.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Kangaamiut and Evighed Fjord

In the early morning, the ship enters Evighed Fjord, which winds picturesquely past steep mountains and stunning tidewater glaciers. Take a Zodiac cruise along the face of one of the many glaciers or hike over glacial moraines to a waterfall. In the afternoon, visit the small fishing community of Kangaamiut. Climb the small mountain behind the village to take in the views or walk through the village and photograph the colorful houses clustered on the seaside slope.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Kangaamiut and Evighed Fjord

In the early morning, the ship enters Evighed Fjord, which winds picturesquely past steep mountains and stunning tidewater glaciers. Take a Zodiac cruise along the face of one of the many glaciers or hike over glacial moraines to a waterfall. In the afternoon, visit the small fishing community of Kangaamiut. Climb the small mountain behind the village to take in the views or walk through the village and photograph the colorful houses clustered on the seaside slope.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Nuuk

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 18,000 inhabitants. Watch for harp seals as we enter the harbor and take a walking tour with 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.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Nuuk

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 18,000 inhabitants. Watch for harp seals as we enter the harbor and take a walking tour with 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.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

At Sea / Tunulliarfik Fjord

Today we sail along the southeastern coast of Greenland from the “Western Settlement” to the “Eastern Settlement” areas of the Vikings in Greenland. Follow the waterway known as Tunulliarkfik to Brattahlíð, where Erik the Red established his farm in 982 AD after his exile from Iceland. Erik’s wife, Þjódhild, built the first Christian church in the western hemisphere here. Visit replicas of the church and Erik the Red’s longhouse and see the shores from which their son, Leif Eriksson, launched the first voyages to North America—500 years before Columbus.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

At Sea / Tunulliarfik Fjord

Today we sail along the southeastern coast of Greenland from the “Western Settlement” to the “Eastern Settlement” areas of the Vikings in Greenland. Follow the waterway known as Tunulliarkfik to Brattahlíð, where Erik the Red established his farm in 982 AD after his exile from Iceland. Erik’s wife, Þjódhild, built the first Christian church in the western hemisphere here. Visit replicas of the church and Erik the Red’s longhouse and see the shores from which their son, Leif Eriksson, launched the first voyages to North America—500 years before Columbus.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

Qaqortoq

Our exploration of Erik the Red’s Eastern Settlement continues in the fjords around Qaqortoq. The Sissarluttoq World Heritage Center is dotted with ruins of Inuit and Norse farm, stables, and storerooms made of sandstone and granite blocks, allowing you to imagine what farming was like on the edge of the ice cap over 1,000 years ago. Explore the ruins of the 14th-century Hvalsey Church and venture deep into the fjord to witness how these ancient remnants create the backdrop for daily farming life in southern Greenland. Continue to Qaqortoq, inhabited since the Viking era and now the largest town in South Greenland with just over 3,200 residents. Stroll through the town square and visit the museum, where Greenlandic kayaks, hunting equipment, and local art and handicrafts are on display. Sample traditional Greenlandic food this afternoon.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

Qaqortoq

Our exploration of Erik the Red’s Eastern Settlement continues in the fjords around Qaqortoq. The Sissarluttoq World Heritage Center is dotted with ruins of Inuit and Norse farm, stables, and storerooms made of sandstone and granite blocks, allowing you to imagine what farming was like on the edge of the ice cap over 1,000 years ago. Explore the ruins of the 14th-century Hvalsey Church and venture deep into the fjord to witness how these ancient remnants create the backdrop for daily farming life in southern Greenland. Continue to Qaqortoq, inhabited since the Viking era and now the largest town in South Greenland with just over 3,200 residents. Stroll through the town square and visit the museum, where Greenlandic kayaks, hunting equipment, and local art and handicrafts are on display. Sample traditional Greenlandic food this afternoon.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Nanortalik / Tasermuit Fjord

After we anchor off the small fishing village of Nanortalik, go ashore to explore Greenland’s most southerly town and meet some of the residents for a performance of local folk music and dance. Visit reconstructed longhouses and learn about the construction of traditional umiaks and kayaks.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Nanortalik / Tasermuit Fjord

After we anchor off the small fishing village of Nanortalik, go ashore to explore Greenland’s most southerly town and meet some of the residents for a performance of local folk music and dance. Visit reconstructed longhouses and learn about the construction of traditional umiaks and kayaks.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Southeastern Greenland Fjords

Sail through the dramatic fjords of Prins Christian Sund, marked with retreated glaciers, as we make our way through the southern fjords to the eastern shores of Greenland. The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest body of ice in the world after Antarctica and covers roughly 80% of Greenland’s surface. The island’s coast is etched with thousands of fjords which play host to calving glaciers and ice flows. Spend the day exploring the islands and inlets of the eastern coast, using our underwater cameras and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to discover marine life and fascinating underwater geology. Venture deep into Skjoldungen Fjord and take a Zodiac or a kayak for a foray among the icebergs.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Southeastern Greenland Fjords

Sail through the dramatic fjords of Prins Christian Sund, marked with retreated glaciers, as we make our way through the southern fjords to the eastern shores of Greenland. The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest body of ice in the world after Antarctica and covers roughly 80% of Greenland’s surface. The island’s coast is etched with thousands of fjords which play host to calving glaciers and ice flows. Spend the day exploring the islands and inlets of the eastern coast, using our underwater cameras and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to discover marine life and fascinating underwater geology. Venture deep into Skjoldungen Fjord and take a Zodiac or a kayak for a foray among the icebergs.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

Crossing the Denmark Strait

Sail away from the shores of Greenland as we voyage across the Denmark Strait to the Westfjords of Iceland. Known as the world's largest waterfall, the Denmark Strait contains underwater cataracts that fall as deep as 10,000 feet as the cold Arctic water sinks below warmer water flowing northward. Listen to talks by our experts, review your expedition photos with our Certified Photo Instructors, or enjoy the observation deck and keep an eye out for wildlife.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

Crossing the Denmark Strait

Sail away from the shores of Greenland as we voyage across the Denmark Strait to the Westfjords of Iceland. Known as the world's largest waterfall, the Denmark Strait contains underwater cataracts that fall as deep as 10,000 feet as the cold Arctic water sinks below warmer water flowing northward. Listen to talks by our experts, review your expedition photos with our Certified Photo Instructors, or enjoy the observation deck and keep an eye out for wildlife.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Arrive at the Snaefellsnes Peninsula today, known for its volcanic landscape, colorful fishing villages, and breathtaking waterfalls. Visit the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall for a breathtaking view of Kirkjufell, one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Arrive at the Snaefellsnes Peninsula today, known for its volcanic landscape, colorful fishing villages, and breathtaking waterfalls. Visit the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall for a breathtaking view of Kirkjufell, one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12

Reykjavík / Disembark Ship

Today we complete our voyage, disembarking the ship in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík for the transfer to the airport and flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 12

Reykjavík / Disembark Ship

Today we complete our voyage, disembarking the ship in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík for the transfer to the airport and flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Download Itinerary

Dates & Rates

Newsletter

Be the first to get intriguing travel stories, new destination alerts, tips and special offers

Ships

Ship National Geographic Endurance.

National Geographic Endurance

Guests

138

Cabins

76

The most advanced ice-class expedition ship afloat offering unprecedented access to polar regions

The first new polar build in Lindblad’s 50-year history, National Geographic Endurance is named to honor explorer Ernest Shackleton and his legendary Transantarctic Expedition. A fully-stabilized vessel of ice class PC5 Category A, she will enable adventurous guests to go where few have or can. National Geographic Endurance’s most striking exterior feature is her distinctive profile, the patented X-Bow®, a game-changing design that guarantees the smoothest, most comfortable ride in all kinds of conditions; and since it eliminates bow impact, a quieter ride, as well.

Book now and join us on an unforgettable journey

Make a reservation

Book now

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

Expedition Extensions

People relax in the geothermal hot springs at Blue Lagoon. Iceland

Reykjavik’s Golden Circle & Blue Lagoon Pre-Voyage Extension

3 Days

From

$1,830

/ per person

Explore

Expedition Team

Over 50+ years of exploring, Lindblad Expeditions’ veteran staff and the quality companionship they provide has established the company’s reputation. From expedition leaders to naturalists, most hold advanced degrees and are established authorities in their fields. Some join a few expeditions each year to explore the same sites, some of them spending some time in the field away from rigorous academic work. And others lead expeditions all around the world—with many guests saying, “Where you’re going, we’re going,” and returning time after time to travel with them. Browse our team directory to discover the full cast of expedition staff.

Captain Andrew Cook with guests and Staff on the Bridge of National Geographic Venture, Baja California, Mexico

Special Offers

Book before Jun 30

20% SAVINGS

Book before Jun 30

CHILDREN TRAVEL FREE

Book before Jun 30

SOLO TRAVELER SAVINGS

Book before Jun 30

TRAVEL TO BOTH POLES AND SAVE 20% OFF YOUR SECOND VOYAGE

Take advantage of our additional offers

A  young traveler enjoys the sun setting and casting a spectrum of warm hues across the sky on the ship National Geographic Orion, Java Sea

BRINGING THE KIDS

Family fun!

Guests toast to the sunset on the ship National Geographic Quest/Venture

CELEBRATE LIFE'S MILESTONES

Expedition leaders take guests to explore daily by skiff in the Amazon

TRAVELING AS A GROUP

Guests from the Lindblad Expedition ship National Geographic Explorer take the Polar Plunge off ice floe in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, Southern Ocean.

COMBINING OFFERS

Combine now and save!

View our brochures for more details

Breathtaking photos and details on expeditions—view online or by mail for free

Polar Discovery: Voyages to Antarctica & the Arctic 2023-25


Blanketed in ice and carved by glaciers, Greenland is a dazzling tableau of the Arctic’s epic glory. Witness the centuries of tradition and ingenuity of Arctic farmers, from the ruins of Bratthlid, the estate of Eric the Red, to the modern landscape of Kukataa, the UNESCO World Heritage region of Southern Greenland. Explore these storied fjords as the ship cruises through the dramatic cliffs of Prins Christian Sund and Skjoldungen Island, and experience them up close through hikes and kayaking alongside locals. This is an expedition deep into wilderness, rich Inuit culture, and Norse lore.

From

$13,770

/ per person

Does not include flight

Book Now
dates
Aug
duration
12 Days
starts at
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
ends at
Reykjavík, Iceland
Book before Jun 30

20% SAVINGS

See all offers

View our brochures for more details

Breathtaking photos and details on expeditions—view online or by mail for free

Polar Discovery: Voyages to Antarctica & the Arctic 2023-25

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

+1.800.397.3348

From

$13,770

/ per person

Book Now
dates
Aug
duration
12 Days
starts at
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
ends at
Reykjavík, Iceland

View our brochures for more details

Breathtaking photos and details on expeditions—view online or by mail for free

Polar Discovery: Voyages to Antarctica & the Arctic 2023-25

From

$13,770

/ per person

Book Now
dates
Aug
duration
12 Days
starts at
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
ends at
Reykjavík, Iceland
Book before Jun 30

20% SAVINGS

See all offers

View our brochures for more details

Breathtaking photos and details on expeditions—view online or by mail for free

Polar Discovery: Voyages to Antarctica & the Arctic 2023-25