Arctic and Antarctic Holidays
 

West Greenland - Whale Safari

Nuuk to Ilulissat via Disko Island and Jakobshavn Isfjord

This tour includes: Nuuk (Godthåb) •Søndre Isortoq • Evighedsfjord • Sydbay (Ukivik) • Diskø Island • Jakobshavn Isfjord (World Heritage Site) • Ilulissat;

Your Itinerary

Thursday 24th May
Your flight from London Heathrow leaves Terminal 1 at 1300 hours. Upon arrival at Keflavik you take the Flybus to Reykjavik's domestic airport. Your onward flight to Nuuk (Godthåb) in Greenland leaves at 1945 hours, arriving at 2130 hours.Upon arrival you'll be taken straight to the ship which will sail directly after embarkation has been completed.

Friday 25th May
Our route takes us north along the west coast of Greenland with its dramatic scenery and always plenty of chances to see whales. In Søndre Isortoq at Ivnnarssuaq in the Manitsoq area we visit a large colony of Kittiwakes and Brünnich's Guillemots.

Saturday 26th May
Passing the island town of Maniitsoq, we reach the fantastic landscapes of the Evighedsfjord. - the Fjord of Eternity. Here we'll visit a large seabird colony at Taaterat and then sail along the nearby glacier front.

Sunday 27th May
We arrive at Sydbay (Ukivik), where the 18th Century whalers traded with the Eskimo's at the occasion of the yearly Assivik for which people from a large area come together on a beautiful sandy beach. We land also at nearby Isortoq where remains of houses from the Thule culture can be found. In this area we may also see Reindeer.

Monday 28th May
The island groups of Hunde Ejland and Kronprinsens Ejland, in the mouth of Disko Bay, are surrounded by rich waters which attract both seabirds and whales and we'll have good opportunities to watch foraging Greeland Whales in the mouth of Disko Bay. On the cultural side we'll call at the small settlement on Hunde Eijland where old dwellings of Greenlands's Thule culture dating from the 11th Century can be seen, along with graves from 18th Century Dutch whalers. Later we will make Zodiac excursions in the beautiful narrows of the Kronprinsens Ejland archipelago.

Tuesday 29th May
Another day of opportunities to see Greenland Whales as we sail to Disko Island. Here we'll land at Engelskmandens Havn and Fortunebay near the island's only city, Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn). Unusually for Greenland, hot springs are found here - not something normally associated with permafrost areas.

Wednesday 30th May
Today we find ourselves just south of the large Jakobshavn Glacier with its enormous ice-bergs. We climb the hill at Avangnardlit from where we have a fantastic view across the Jakobshavn Isfjord, which is a World Heritage Site. In the evening we sail along the front of the glacier and the ice-bergs to Ilullissat, where we will spend the night.

Thursday 31st May
Ilulissat (5000 inhabitants) is an important West Greenland town and its most popular tourist destination. It is therefore well supplied with museums, bookshops and quality souvenir shops. with museums, institutes bookstores, etc. At mid-day we fly from Ilulissat to Reykjavik by chartered plane, arriving at 1845 hours. The FlyBus will transport you to Hotel Cabin.

Friday 01st June
You'll have a free morning in Reykjavik before taking the Flybus to Keflavik to connect with our flight back to London departing at 1610 hours* and getting in to London Heathrow Terminal 1 at 2010 hours. If you would like to extend your stay in Iceland we would be happy to advise and book. * If you prefer, you can take the early morning flight - please ask for details.

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