Day 1: Akureyri - On the Iceland road Your journey begins in the morning. By request, you can transfer via chartered bus (T) from bus stop Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre at Austurbakki, Reykjavik (the meeting point) to the ship in Akureyri (the embarkation point). You arrive in the afternoon after a six-hour drive through northern Iceland. PLEASE NOTE: This transfer (T) must be booked and paid for in advance. In the early evening, the ship departs from the port of Akureyri, where, we often see whales at the mouth of the fjord. At night, we cross the Arctic Circle. Day 2: Sailing to East Greenland While sailing north, you’re likely to see fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, common guillemots, and possibly whales. By evening, the first icebergs flash into sight as you approach the east Greenland coast near Kap Brewster. The scent of adventure is in the air. Day 3: Arriving at Earth’s largest fjord Today, you reach Scoresby Sund, sailing along the glaciated Volquart Boons Kyst. You may also enjoy a Zodiac cruise past one of the glacier fronts, along with a visit to the basalt columns and ice formations of Vikingebugt. In the afternoon, we plan to sail by the east coast of Milne Land among a multitude of giant icebergs. If we can also land at Charcot Havn, we may walk to the Charcot Glacier. We will then continue by Bjørneøer, a small group of islands – Bear Islands in English. Day 4: Enormous icebergs & Arctic hares In the morning, you will likely encounter colossal icebergs, some over 100 meters (328 feet) high and more than a kilometer (.62 mile) long. Most are grounded, as the fjord is only about 400 meters deep (1,312 feet). You then land near Sydkap, with fine views of Hall Bredning and a good shot of seeing Arctic hares. Today’s long walk goes from Sydkap to Nordøstbugt (12 km, 7.5 miles to the northeast), where the river coming from Holger Danskes Briller flows into the sea. We plan to walk south along the shore to Satakajik, seeing whale vertebrae and the remains of Thule summer houses. Passengers who opt out of the long walking group will join us at this location for their second excursion of the day. Day 5: Landfall at Ittoqqortoormiit The morning stop is at Ittoqqortoormiit, the only settlement in Scoresby Sund with about four hundred inhabitants. At the post office, you can buy stamps for your postcards or just stroll around to see the sled dogs and drying skins of seals, polar bears, and musk oxen. In the afternoon, you sail north, passing the picturesque landscapes of Liverpool Land. In the night, we sail into Kong Oscar Fjord. Day 6: Alpefjord’s lofty peaks Today, you will enter Segelsällskapets Fjord, with the striped slopes of the Berzelius Mountains bordering the north side. You will land on the south shore, where ancient sedimentary formations lie at your feet. A hike takes you near a small lake with good chances to see musk oxen, Arctic hares, and ptarmigans. Alternatively, the ship ventures into Alpefjord, which is aptly named for the spire-like peaks that thrust up around it. You may then embark on a Zodiac cruise around Gully Glacier, which once blocked access to the interior of these waters. Continuing deep into the fjord, you experience a definitive Greenland adventure. Day 7: The islands of Antarctic Sound In the early morning, you pass by the islands of Ruth, Maria, and Ella. Then you arrive at Teufelschloss (Devil’s Castle), a mountain with impressive layered geology. Blomsterbugt and the intended landing site are on the other side of the fjord. In the afternoon, you sail, among icebergs, through the majestic Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord and Mackenzie Bugt. Day 8: Remains of Thule Culture at Eskimonaes We hope to land at Eskimonaes on the southern shore of Clavering Ø, where Douglas Clavering met a small group of Thule culture people in 1823. This group represents the only living Thule people ever seen in Northeast Greenland. The remains of their existence can be found across Greenland. Day 9: Islands with polar history From early in the morning until late in the day, we sail by a choice of islands, where more than a century ago, the first polar expeditions set feet on land: Sabine Ø and Bass Rock (Pendulum Islands), where Edward Sabine did his Pendulum experiments in 1823, and cabins built by the Baldwin-Ziegler Polar Expedition were constructed. In the night, we will pass Shannon Ø. Day 10: Store Koldewey This long island was named by the second German Polar Expedition of Koldewey 1869 –’70. We will try to land on historical Kap Alf Trolle or Kap Ahrend. We are now well into the High Arctic climate regime. The landscape is getting lower and rounded, being much less alpine than more to the south. We may encounter heavier sea ice streaming south. Proposed landing sites may be given up due to sea ice, and others may be reachable. Day 11: Germania Land Today, we could land at Thoms Thomsen Naes, Fyrretyvekilometersnaesset, or another site in Germania Land, an area with musk oxen and sometimes a lonely wolf. The landing sites depend on ice and weather conditions and wildlife opportunities. Day 12: Through or around the sea ice When sailing eastward through and along the jagged edge of the Northeast Greenland sea ice, we keep watch for whales, seals, polar bears, and migrating seabirds. This is a landscape of constant change, and a real frontier for many species found in the Arctic. Day 13: Approaching Spitsbergen At open sea now, we sail eastward in the northernmost branch of the warm Gulf Stream toward Spitsbergen. If time allows, we may land late in the day at the walrus haul-out at Poolepynten. Day 14: Longyearbyen In Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, you may enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum are fascinating attractions. Alternatively, you can board the first plane to Oslo for your onward journey. Next voyage joins here: Day 1: Longyearbyen - Largest town, biggest island You touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum are fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred plant species have been recorded here. In the early evening, the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where we might spot the first minke whale of the voyage. Day 2: Spectacular Hornsund We start the day by quietly cruising the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area in southern Spitsbergen, enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks. The mountain of Hornsundtind rises to 1,431 meters (4,695 feet), while the peak of Bautaen testifies to why early Dutch explorers gave this island the name Spitsbergen, meaning "pointed mountains." There are 14 magnificent glaciers in the area, and we have a chance of encountering seals and polar bears. The bird cliffs are now mostly quiet, with many species having departed aside from some first-year fulmars. Day 3: Isolated Bear Island We arrive at the southeastern end of Bear Island, an excellent place for viewing the high cliff faces and "Perleporten." Northward, in Kvalrossbukta, the opportunity to land and visit the remains of a whaling station from early in the previous century should present itself. We might also land in a shallow valley, such as Rendalen. Day 4 - 5: Toward Norway, Aurora Borealis Sailing southward, we are likely to see whales in the surrounding sea, and when night falls again, we have a good chance to see the Aurora Borealis in the skies above. Day 6: Arrive in Tromsø (Norway) Tromsø, also known as the gate to the Arctic, has been an important town from where Arctic expeditions set out to the north for centuries. From here, one can fly to Oslo and beyond