Upon arrival at Toronto Airport, check in at your group hotel located nearby for an overnight stay. Visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage tags and connect with the ground operations team, who will provide essential details regarding pre-embarkation procedures and your charter flight to Nuuk the following day. Ensure your luggage tags are clearly labeled with your name and ship cabin number.

After breakfast at the hotel, board your charter flight to Nuuk, Greenland, where Sylvia Earle awaits. Upon arrival, settle into your cabin before attending the essential safety briefings. Join your expedition team and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks in the evening.

Greenland’s second-largest town, Sisimiut, is located approximately 54 kilometers (33.5 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, meaning that during the summer, you can experience the midnight sun here. The town is famous for the old blue church with a gate made of whalebone. In the cozy museum next door to the church, you can find an excellent reconstruction of an Inuit turf house and exhibits of local history and early life in Greenland.

Sisimiut offers hiking trails with various degrees of difficulty. The more accessible trails take you through the town, its outskirts, and into the mountains, where you can find spectacular vantage points.

Approximately 4,500 years ago, the Saqqaq culture arrived from Canada and settled there. They lived here for about 2,000 years, after which they mysteriously disappeared from the area. The Dorset culture came around 500 CE and stayed until the 1200s when the Thule culture replaced them, and today, most of the population of Sisimiut are descendants of the Thule culture.

In the afternoon, you arrive in Ilulissat. Known as the ‘birthplace of icebergs,’ this region produces some of the most dazzling icebergs in the Arctic. Hike past the husky sled dogs to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Icefjord and stand in awe at its immensity. Sermeq Kujalleq, also known as Jakobshavn Glacier, is the most productive glacier in Greenland and the entire Northern Hemisphere. It produces 20 million tonnes of ice daily, floating into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay. 

Explore the northern stretches of West Greenland, home to traditional settlements and enormous icebergs that Greenland is famous for. Possibilities include Zodiac cruises, hikes, and visits to small communities dotted along the coast. Kayakers can enjoy paddling among the icebergs and keeping watch for whales that frequent the area.

The team of experts entertain you with informative talks about wildlife, geology and epic tales of early explorers such as Franklin and Amundsen.

After clearance into Canada, you hope to visit Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik), a captivating Inuit community nestled on the northern tip of Baffin Island. Surrounded by towering ice-capped mountains, vast glaciers, and pristine fjords, this remote outpost offers an unparalleled wilderness experience. As you step ashore, be greeted by the warm hospitality of the local Inuit, whose deep connection to the land is evident in their culture and lifestyle. Immerse yourself in their traditions through engaging cultural encounters and gain insights into their unique perspective on life in the Arctic.

You are now truly in the High Arctic at a latitude of almost 75° degrees north. Here, nutrient-rich waters support abundant wildlife, giving the area the moniker ‘wildlife superhighway’ of the Arctic. Devon Island (Tallurutit) is the largest uninhabited island on Earth and features stunning geology, with flat-topped mountains and glacial valleys, giving it its unique character. You hope to visit Dundas Harbor to enjoy offers of walks on undulating tundra and perhaps some birdwatching. A dilapidated Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost and remnants of a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post can be found here. In the bay, walruses are often present. Other possible places that you might visit include Croker Bay and Maxwell Bay.  

At the western end of Devon Island lies Beechey Island (Iluvilik), where you plan to land. The island is a designated Canadian National Historic Site named after Frederick William Beechey. During the Franklin expedition of 1845–46, Franklin attempted to sail through the Northwest Passage with HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, with perilous results – three of his men are buried here. Roald Amundsen landed at Beechey Island in 1903, during the first successful voyage by ship to fully transit the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. 

Just a short distance away, Radstock Bay offers a captivating contrast to the open sea. Here, disembark via Zodiac onto a beach strewn with remnants of the past. Explore the ruins of a Thule village nestled beneath the imposing Caswell Tower, where well-preserved stone dwellings coexist with artifacts from later explorers. Witness the stark beauty of this remote bay, characterized by its dramatic cliffs, gravelly beaches, and the scattered remains of whale skeletons that have shaped the landscape and the lives of those who called it home.

In genuine expeditionary style, your itinerary for the following days heavily depends on weather conditions and unpredictable sea ice. The following places are some that you hope to visit.

Prince Leopold Island (Appait)

On the southern side of Lancaster Sound from Beechey Island lie the towering bird cliffs of Prince Leopold Island (Appait), a historical site where 1848 English explorer James Clark Ross overwintered during the search for the missing Franklin expedition. Prince Leopold Island is the most important bird sanctuary in the Canadian Arctic, with approximately 500,000 birds nesting here in summer. Ringed seals are often spotted on the sea ice around the island, and polar bears often lurk nearby.

Port Leopold

Port Leopold, a barren, windswept bay on the northeastern corner of Somerset Island (Inuktitut Kuuganajuk), is steeped in history. Here, the crews of HMS Enterprise and Investigator were forced to endure a harsh winter while searching for the lost Franklin expedition. Their presence is indelibly marked on a rock engraved with "1849" and the ships' initials. A lone Hudson Bay Company hut, a failed trading post from the 1920s, punctuates the desolate landscape. Hikers can explore the coastline, discovering the historic Hudson Bay Company house and intriguing Inuit archaeological sites. Be amazed by the otherworldly formations shaped by the region's freezing and thawing cycles, which your expedition team will detail during the recap. Nearby, a cairn marks where Ross's rescue expedition left vital supplies.

Hazard Inlet (Qariaraajuk)

You hope to visit an Inuit site inhabited by bowhead whale hunters during the 15th and 16th centuries. The remains of over 100 bowheads are scattered across the village and beach, a testament to the community's reliance on this marine giant. Excavations have uncovered around 20 sod houses, though evidence suggests there may have been as many as 40. The cliff face behind the site holds community burial grounds, while caches, kayaks, and umiak stands line the shore. This remarkable site offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of these Inuit families, who worked cooperatively to hunt bowhead whales for sustenance and building materials. It's an extraordinary privilege to experience this piece of history firsthand.

Point Zenith
 
Point Zenith, a rocky promontory jutting into the ocean, offers breathtaking panoramic views. You can feel a profound sense of isolation and wonder as you step ashore. This is where time seems to stand still, and the only sounds are the wind and the crunch beneath your boots.

King William Island (Qikiqtaq)

Remains attributed to the Franklin expedition have been found at 35 locations on King William Island (Qikiqtaq) and nearby Adelaide Peninsula. South of Cape Felix, in Victoria Strait, you hope to Zodiac close to where the wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were eventually found in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq)

The administrative and transportation hub of the region, Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq), is the largest stop for passenger and research vessels traversing the Northwest Passage and unofficially marks the midpoint for voyages of the Northwest Passage. Zodiac ashore to explore this Inuit settlement located in the high Arctic. Enjoy a walk through the village, where you can visit the local church visitor center and support the local community by purchasing locally made handicrafts.

Your experienced expedition team will create your day-by-day itineraries based on sea ice and weather conditions. Apart from Franklin, other heroic explorers, including Amundsen, explored this territory, and you may visit the same places as early explorers. You hope to meet the resilient locals who make the extremely far north their home.

Below are some of the places in the area that you may visit:

Johansen Bay, Edinburgh Island (Egloovikan)

You hope to enjoy a Zodiac excursion within an estuary at the northeast end of Johansen Bay and up the river towards the lake. Wildlife including caribous, reindeer, arctic foxes, hares, and peregrine falcons frequent the area.

Nearby, Edinburgh Island (Egloovikan) is a small and uninhabited island in Canada’s Nunavut region. The scenery consists of colorful flowering shrubs and beaches tinged in stunning ochres, while the surrounding cliffs are shaded in rich, deep tones. A possible walk to a lookout overlooking the lake offers spectacular views over lakes, sea, and mountains.

Port Epworth (Kugluktoalok)

The Tree River area on the mainland — also known as Port Epworth — provides a spectacular backdrop for your possible exploration, with its river and shallow lakes, striking sedimentary rock outcrops, and bright autumnal tundra colors. This area is also known for its stromatolites – the petrified remains of ancient mounds of algae, formed some two billion years ago by the same microorganisms responsible for producing the oxygen you breathe today.

Smoking Hills (Ingniryuat), Franklin Bay

The Smoking Hills (Ingniryuat) in Canada’s Northwest Territories have been smoldering, sending gas plumes across the landscape, for centuries. Technically, sea cliffs, you would be forgiven for thinking that the multicolored fiery natural phenomenon is the set to an apocalyptic movie depicting the end of the world. The smoke is caused by layers of combustible, sulfur-rich lignite (brown coal) that ignites and emits sulfurous gas into the air when exposed to erosion and landslides, which also creates a dazzling coloration of the rocks.

Excitement builds as you sail the Beaufort Sea. Whether out on deck or in the comfort of one of the observation lounges, watch as the captain navigates your state-of-the-art vessel through these waterways, which are frozen for most of the year. Keep a close eye on wildlife, including Beluga whales and polar bears, which are often seen here.

Cruising further west, you hope to go on a Zodiac cruise (subject to permitting) to Herschel Island. This historic island, inhabited by the Thule people for over a millennium, was first charted by Sir John Franklin in 1825. It later transformed into a bustling whaling station during the late 19th century, supporting a winter community of hundreds and a fleet of ships. However, the industry's decline in the early 20th century led to the island's gradual abandonment. Today, protected as a territorial park, Herschel Island offers a unique glimpse into the region's rich history and stunning Arctic wilderness. 

At Prudhoe Bay, you farewell Canada and enter the United States.

As you sail westwards to Nome, along the northern coast of Alaska, where the U.S. and Russia are only 100 km (60 miles) apart, separated by the Bering Sea, there is ample time to reflect on your adventures while scanning the water for marine life. Share, edit, and submit pictures in the photo competition and attend final lectures from your team of onboard experts. You hope to get permission to ship cruise near Point Hope, Little Diomede, and King Islands in Alaska.

During the early morning, you cruise into Nome and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell to your expedition team before transferring to the airport for a charter flight to Anchorage for an overnight stay.

Transfer to the airport for your onward journey.