Arrive at Reykjavik and make your way to your included hotel. Have the rest of the day to explore this vibrant city on your own.

In the morning, after breakfast, guests and their luggage will be transferred to the airport for their charter flight to the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk. This picturesque city of 17,000 is situated on a fjord with the Sermitsiaq mountain in the background. Upon arrival, guests will be transferred to their ship.

Today, head south along the spectacular west coast of Greenland on your way to the Westlands. Following in the footsteps of the Greenlandic Norse into the Western fjords, it’s easy to appreciate why Erik the Red chose this land as his home and gave Greenland its name: every direction you look rewards visitors with vistas of blue, ice-strewn waters set against a breathtaking backdrop of lush, verdant valleys and pastures bursting with blooms.

Unique to Greenland and indeed the entire Arctic, warm microclimates deep in the fjords have created a surprisingly fertile Arctic Garden of Eden. South Greenlandic farming traditions dating back to Viking days are still kept alive. Many families work their remote sheep farms along the shores of the fjords, their lives very much attuned to the seasons as they produce a variety of organic home-grown produce (such as potatoes, turnips, and kale).

Also in the west, you can find the perfect access points to the Greenland Ice Sheet, which you can reach by helicopter. Enjoy the most incredible views of the largest mass of ice in the northern hemisphere and the second largest in the world, flowing from the heights of the polar plateau to sea level. Become one of the very few people to ever set foot on this incredible body of ice during your included Greenland Ice Sheet Experience. Over these two days, you can have the opportunity to explore the Ice Sheet, hike the surrounding foothills, cruise or paddle through the azure ice-filled waters, and engage with the local friends and partners during the most meaningful and in-depth community experiences offered on any Quark Expeditions voyage.

Learn more about the history and culture of this region at the Kujataa UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a living history lesson in Viking farming. The team aims to provide the opportunity for a visit to charming Qassiarsuk, a small sheep farming settlement across the fjord from Narsarsuaq, where you can experience true South Greenland hospitality and gain insight into the fascinating lives of sheep farmers living at the edge of the Ice Sheet. It is suggested that you take time to explore the remains and replicas of Brattahlíð, Erik the Red’s estate, once the epicenter of the Greenland Norse Eastern Settlement.

The stunning maze of fjords, sounds, islets, inlets, and skerries (rocky islands) in and around Cape Farewell (Nunap Isua) at Greenland’s most southern tip possesses its own particular magic. Transiting the 100-km-long Prins Christian Sund (Ikerasassuaq)—one of the world’s most scenic fjords—will be truly unforgettable. You can then look forward to dramatic mountains and seascapes, with glaciers tumbling down to the sea and stunning vistas around every corner. Inhabiting this domain are Southern Greenlanders living on the frontier, a people as unique as the landscape they call home. This is where the migrating hunting peoples from the east finally settled around the European trading posts.

The few villages in this southern region have gained a level of fame thanks to the inhabitants, who remain steadfastly faithful to their hunting and fishing heritage. Visit Aappilattoq, perched on the shores of Prins Christian Sund (Ikerasassuaq), to introduce you to the team's friends and partners there. The team aims to offer you the opportunity to listen to their stories, hear their music, taste their food, learn about their hunting traditions, and perhaps even join a friendly game of soccer as a player or spectator.

If you are looking for the most iconic peaks of South Greenland, reach the Tasermiut Fjord in the heart of what’s known as “Arctic Patagonia,” where you can sign up for overnight camping (with local hosts) along the 70-km fjord. Marvel at the impressive Sermeq glacier at its head, with rivers of ice tumbling almost down to sea level and the imposing peaks of Nalumasortoq and Ulamertorsuaq dominating the skyline, making for the most scenic backdrops to your hike or helicopter-enabled excursions.

Set out for the wild fjords of the uninhabited east coast, one of which is Lindenow Fjord, also known by its Greenlandic name, Kangerlussuatsiaq. Thousands of years ago, groups of paleo-Inuit hunters and fishermen made their home in these isolated fjords, living off the land and surviving mostly on the resources the sea provided, before European explorers and the subsequent establishment of settlements prompted one of the biggest waves of migration in Greenland. Traces of these once-proud peoples can still be found today against the backdrop of cascading glaciers and steep-walled mountains.

These fjords are frequented by marine mammals. Rare sightings of polar bears are possible as they drift down from the north on sea ice floes propelled by the East Greenland current. Humpback whales are often sighted when entering fjords, as the shallowing seas bring an upwelling of nutrients to the surface. While you keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, the magnificent alpine terrain invites you to explore by sea, land, and air to immerse yourselves completely in the remote icescapes of the region. The wild east is ideal for heli landings, hiking, paddle excursions, Zodiac cruises, and shore landings.

After breakfast, transfer from the pier to the town. You can have time to wander the streets of the historic Old Nuuk neighborhood and see the Hans Egede Church and Hans Egede statue near the waterfront. You can also have the opportunity to visit the Greenland National Museum & Archives to view the collections and exhibitions and to better understand Greenland’s cultural heritage, such as the significance of the kayak, which is Greenland’s national symbol and can be traced back over 4,000 years.

There will also be an opportunity to visit the famous 500-year-old Greenlandic mummies. After a half-day of exploring Nuuk, meet at a designated spot in town for the transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Reykjavik.

After a restful night at your included hotel, make your way to Keflavik international for your onward flight, or continue your independent explorations of Reykjavik at your leisure.