Zodiac cruising Illulissat

© Dennis Minty

Itinerary and Pricing Small-Ship Expedition Cruise
Into the Northwest Passage

August 27 to September 12, 2024

From $13,995 to $28,495 USD

per person based on double occupancy

Save 15% until May 31, 2023

Applies to berth cost only

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Into the Northwest Passage

Map

Into the Northwest Passage 2024 Map
  • Day 1: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
  • Day 2: Sisimiut Coast
  • Day 3: Ilulissat
  • Day 4–5: Western Greenland
  • Day 6: At Sea — Davis Strait
  • Day 7: Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), NU, Canada
  • Day 8–10: Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound) & Devon Island
  • Day 11: Beechey Island
  • Day 12–13: Prince Regent Inlet
  • Day 14–16: Kitikmeot Region
  • Day 17: Kugluktuk, NU, Canada

Itinerary

  • Ship sailing Kangerlussuaq

    © Steven Rose

    Day 1: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
    Cross the Arctic Circle

    After your charter flight from Toronto, ON, you’ll transfer to the Ocean Endeavour by Zodiac.

    Begin your journey by sailing down Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord), a 190-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, and cross the Arctic Circle on your way.

    Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at the head of the fjord, is a former US Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub.

  • Zodiac cruise Sisimiut coast

    © Steven Rose

    Day 2: Sisimiut Coast
    Witness Stunning Glaciers, Islands, and Fjords

    Explore West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways that includes glaciers, islands, and fjords against a towering mountain backdrop, with plentiful opportunities for hiking and Zodiac cruising.

    Learn about the Saqqaq, Dorset, Thule, and modern Inuit cultures that have called the Sisimiut region home for the past 4,500 years.

    The waters are relatively warm here, due to the West Greenland Current and the subarctic location.

  • Zodiac cruise near iceberg

    © Steven Rose

    Day 3: Ilulissat
    Take a Zodiac Cruise Around Towering Icebergs

    Visit the town of Ilulissat, with splendid museums, cafés, craft shops, and a busy fishing harbour.

    View the icebergs from shore on a hike along the boardwalk at this UNESCO World Heritage Site, then board a Zodiac to cruise your way among them!

    Ilulissat translates literally to “iceberg”—an apt name for this site at the mouth of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, a source of many of the icebergs in the North Atlantic.

  • Hike the tundra in beautiful greenery

    © Steven Rose

    Day 4–5: Western Greenland
    Hike the Tundra

    Choose the activity you like best during an expedition landing on Greenland’s stunning west coast.

    Whether you prefer hiking, walking, photography, or sitting contemplatively, you’ll be delighted!

    Admire the mighty mountains and the tiniest tundra flowers—a stop in this area will offer many outstanding features to pique your interest. 

  • James Raffan reads book ice walker

    © Steven Rose

    Day 6: At Sea — Davis Strait
    Learn Onboard

    Deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we steam across the Davis Strait towards Nunavut, Canada.

    Enjoy workshops and presentations, watch a documentary, and get out on deck with your binoculars to look for whales, seabirds, and marine wildlife.

  • Inuit in Mittimatalik Pond Inlet

    © Jen Derbach

    Day 7: Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), NU, Canada
    Experience Inuit Culture

    Attend a cultural performance put on by the talented Tununiq Arsarniit Theatre Group, featuring drum dancing, throat singing, and storytelling.

    Mittimatalik is a busy Arctic community in a beautiful setting—the views of nearby Bylot Island are stunning!

    Enjoy exploring the town and take the opportunity to purchase unique handcrafted mementos when available, too.

  • Polar bears laying on ice

    © Jen Derbach

    Day 8–10: Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound) & Devon Island
    Seek Whales, Seabirds, and Polar Bears

    Spend three fun-filled days exploring Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound), one of Canada's newest National Marine Conservation Areas.

    Cruise by ship and by Zodiac in search of narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales that transit and feed in this area.

    Admire Devon Island’s unique geological character, with its flat-topped mountains, glacial valleys, and substantial ice cap. At the northern edge of Tallurutiup Imanga, it’s the largest uninhabited island on Earth at over 50,000 square kilometres.

    Hike the tundra, cruise a glacier face, and keep your eyes peeled for polar bears and other wildlife from ship and from shore.

    Visit archaeological sites with expert interpretation to learn about the human history of Inuit and their ancestors who once lived on this now-abandoned island.

    Then catch a glimpse of more recent history when you visit the remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Hudson's Bay Company site at Dundas Harbour.

  • Beechey Island graves

    © Dennis Minty

    Day 11: Beechey Island
    Visit a Franklin Expedition Historical Site

    Pay your respects at this haunting memorial to Sir John Franklin’s failed expedition.

    Learn the compelling history of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror’s attempts to sail through the Northwest Passage.

    Franklin’s crew overwintered at Beechey Island, where three of his men died, and numerous search parties later used the spot as a depot and rendezvous. Thomas Morgan of the HMS Investigator was buried here in 1854 alongside Franklin’s men.

    Visit their graves and the ruins of nearby Northumberland House while contemplating the poignant history.

  • Arctic bird carrying a feather

    © Steven Rose

    Day 12–13: Prince Regent Inlet
    Enjoy Birdwatching & Zodiac Cruising

    Search this area rich in marine and avian life for the thick-billed murres, ivory gulls, beluga, narwhal, and bowhead whales who reside in the ice-strewn waters.

    Delve deeper into the exploration of the Northwest Passage and the mercantile efforts of the Hudson's Bay Company at intriguing expedition landing sites.

  • Into the northwest passage

    © Dennis Minty

    Day 14–16: Kitikmeot Region
    Sail the Northwest Passage

    Navigate the ice-strewn waters of this infamous waterway in search of wildlife. Although this is Nunavut’s least-populated region, wildlife abounds here both in the sea and on land.

    Listen to the stories shared by locals of Roald Amundsen, who overwintered in the bay for two years while searching for the Northwest Passage. Amundsen became the first European to cross the Northwest Passage, thanks to the knowledge and largesse of Inuit.

  • Zodiac approaching Ocean Endeavour ship in fog

    © Steven Rose

    Day 17: Kugluktuk, NU, Canada
    Wave a Fond Farewell

    Say your goodbyes to the Arctic in Kugluktuk, the westernmost community in Nunavut, located at the mouth of the Coppermine River.

    Known for many years as Coppermine, the community reverted to its original Inuinnaqtun name—meaning “place of moving waters”—on January 1st, 1996.

    Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU, is an alternate disembarkation point, and may be used based on sea, ice, and weather conditions.

    Disembark the Ocean Endeavour and transfer by Zodiac to shore for your charter flight to Yellowknife, NT.

Pricing and Cabins

Canadian residents may opt to use our in-house exchange rate (fixed quarterly) and pay for their voyage in Canadian dollars. Contact your preferred travel advisor for more details.

Ship

Ocean Endeavour Labrador

Ocean Endeavour

Our spacious, ice-strengthened vessel features twenty Zodiacs, advanced navigation equipment, and stabilizers. 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.

Learn more about Ship name

Details

  • Small-Ship Expedition Cruise

    Into the Northwest Passage

    August 27 to September 12, 2024

    From $13,995 to $28,495 USD

    per person based on double occupancy

    Save 15% until May 31, 2023

    Applies to berth cost only

  • Single Supplement: No single supplement on a limited quantity of cabins in categories 3 to 7!

    Once these cabins are sold, the single supplement fee is 1.5 times the berth cost.

  • Starts: Toronto, ON, Canada

    Ends: Yellowknife, NT, Canada

  • Flights

    • Northbound Charter Flight: Toronto, ON, Canada to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Early-morning departure.

      Price: $1,375 USD

    • Southbound Charter Flight: Kugluktuk (Coppermine), NU, Canada to Yellowknife, NT, Canada. Evening arrival.

      Price: $1,320 USD

Inclusions and Exclusions

Included:

  • Passage aboard the Ocean Endeavour
  • Applicable taxes and credit card fees
  • Complimentary expedition jacket
  • Contribution to Adventure Canada’s Discovery Fund
  • Special access permits, entry, and park fees
  • Expert expedition team
  • Guided activities
  • Sightseeing and community visits
  • All Zodiac excursions
  • Port fees
  • Pre-departure materials
  • Educational program
  • Photo Equipment Trial Program
  • Interactive workshops
  • Evening entertainment
  • All shipboard meals

Not Included:

  • Commercial and charter flights
  • Program enhancements/optional excursions
  • Gratuities
  • Personal expenses
  • Mandatory medical evacuation insurance
  • Additional expenses in the event of delays or itinerary changes
  • Possible fuel surcharges and administrative fees
  • Pre- and post-trip hotel accommodation

Into the Northwest Passage with Dennis Minty webinar cover

Watch Webinar

Into the Northwest Passage

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Adventure Canada itineraries may be subject to change without notice due to weather, ice, and sea conditions