Heart of the Arctic

Visit three distinct Arctic regions on this voyage aboard the Ocean Endeavour.  This spacious, ice-strengthened vessel features twenty Zodiacs, advanced navigation equipment, and stabilisers. A doctor, paramedic, medical clinic, and enhanced health regime offer peace of mind. Roomy facilities offer comfortable travel with plenty of breathing room for all.

Meet the artists in South Baffin Island’s Inuit famous art-making communities and explore Nunavik, the Arctic coast of Quebec. Cross the Davis Strait in the wake of the explorers. Explore the deep fjords and vibrant communities of Greenland.

Board a Zodiac to seek whales, birds, bears, and caribou. Journey with scientists, historians, Inuit artists, and culturalists to the heart of the Arctic!

Highlights include:

• Visiting the art-making communities of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland
• Seeking marine mammals, and seabirds in the rich Arctic environments
• Appreciating Inuit life in Greenland, Nunavut, and Nunavik
• Travelling with local experts in geology to botany, archeology to art, climate change to language and heritage, yoy learn as we go

DEPARTURE DATE: 21 July - 2 August 2022

PRICE PER PERSON: £7,229 per person based on two sharing, 

PRICE INCLUDES: one night in Ottawa, charter flight from Ottawa to Iqualuit and Kangerlussuaq to Toronto, 12 night cruise with all on-board meals, activities, sightseeing, community visits, entertainment, park fees, port charges and taxes.

PRICE EXCLUDES: International flights, commerical and charter flights, pre and post trip hotel accommodation, tips and gratuities, any items of a personal nature

IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO COMBINE THE HIGH ARCTIC EXPLORER WITH THE HEART OF THE ARCTIC TRIP TO MAKE A LONGER TRIP AND SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10%

Day 1 - Iqaluit, NU, Canada

Iqaluit, at the head of Frobisher Bay, is Nunavut’s capital. A population of nearly 8,000 calls Iqaluit home. Local attractions include the territorial Legislature, igloo-inspired St. Jude’s Cathedral, art shops, and more.

You will transfer by Zodiac to Ocean Endeavour through Iqaluit harbour.

Day 2 - Frobisher Bay

Today you will be on the lookout for wildlife, of course, and the geologists will have you raving about rocks. Expect compelling scenery, and soak up the Arctic splendour as you go!

Day 3 - Kimmirut (Lake Harbour)

Kimmirut means “the heel” in Inuktitut, referring to an outcrop of marble across the bay from the community.

Art aficionados may know the hamlet as Lake Harbour, home to one of the first Hudson's Bay Company outposts on Baffin Island. Art has played a major role in putting Kimmirut on the map. The hamlet with a population of approximately four hundred is known for its ivory scrimshaw and jewellery making. The blooming tundra offers easy walking.

Day 4 - Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Kinngait was ground zero for the Inuit art market. In 1959, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative was established—the oldest professional Inuit printmaking studio in Canada. Old and new generations of outstanding artists, carvers, and printmakers continue to make Kinngait a proud centre for Inuit art. You will visit studios and meet the artists here—an opportunity to purchase outstanding and original works of art.

Day 5 - Hudson Strait

Today you will navigate the icy, fast-moving waters of Hudson Strait. Join the expedition staff on deck, scanning for polar bears, walrus, whales, seals, and seabirds.

Day 6–7 - Ungava Peninsula, QC

Along the Ungava Peninsula, you will explore an area of treeless tundra rich in geology and flora. You will enjoy hiking and a Zodiac cruise.

Day 8–9 - Ungava Bay

Large and shallow, Ungava Bay is a rich ecosystem and home to a variety of wildlife, including an endangered beluga population and Canada’s largest number of breeding Thick-billed Murres. Here you will travel by Zodiacs to scout the shorelines and any outlying ice with hopes of seeing polar bears, walrus, and other marine life.

Pay a visit to uninhabited Akpatok Island, the biggest island in Ungava Bay, at over nine hundred square kilometres. It’s named for the akpat—the Thick-billed Murres—that nest on ledges of Aktpatok’s lofty cliffs.

Day 10 - At Sea – Davis Strait

The resource staff will deepen your understanding of the Arctic as you steam across the Davis Strait towards Greenland. Enjoy workshops, watch a documentary—and get out on deck!  Keep your binoculars ready for minke and humpback whales, as well as the seabirds that are sure to accompany the ship.

Day 11 - Nuuk, Greenland

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, bridges old and new. The old harbour includes many buildings dating from Danish colonial days, while contemporary Nuuk is known for art, shopping, pubs and cafes and is a great place to bag a souvenir to take home.

The Greenland National Museum is one of Nuuk’s many outstanding features; the world-famous Qilakitsoq mummies are housed here.

Day 12 - Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord

West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways include glaciers, islands and fjords against a towering mountain backdrop. The waters are relatively warm here, due to the West Greenland Current and the sub-Arctic location. We’ll explore this sublime landscape by ship, and by Zodiac.

Day 13 - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

In the early morning we’ll complete our overnight journey up Sondre Stromfjord—a 168-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, bisected by the Arctic Circle.

Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at its head is a former US Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub. We’ll transfer to shore by Zodiac, then bus to the airport for our charter flight to Toronto, ON and onward flight to UK.