East Greenland, Scoresby Sund, and Aurora Borealis
9 Days/8 Nights
From $4,600 per person
(Dbl. Occupancy, Not Incl. Airfare)
Select September Departures
Overview
Intro Goes Here…
Lodging and Meals: This tour includes accommodations for 8 nights aboard the ship and 23 meals (8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 8 dinners).
Best Time to Go: August-September.
Destinations: The Arctic, Europe, Greenland, and Iceland.
Interests: Adventure, Culture & History, Expedition Cruising, Sea Kayaking, Whale Watching, and Wildlife Viewing.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Please Note: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with AECO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of our vessel is 10.5 knots.
Day 1: On the Iceland road.
Your journey begins in the morning, where, by request, you can transfer via chartered bus from the city hall of 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.
Meals: Dinner
Note: This transfer must be booked and paid for in advance. In the early evening, the ship departs from the port of Akureyri, sailing north toward the Denmark Strait.
Day 2: Sailing to east Greenland.
While sailing north you’re likely to see fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, and common guillemots. You then cross the Arctic Circle, possibly spotting whales. By evening, the first icebergs flash into sight with your approach to the east Greenland coast, near Brewster.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 3: Inuit neighborhood of yesteryear.
Today you reach Scoresbysund, 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. The afternoon goal is to visit Danmark Island, where you find the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned around 200 years ago. The circular stone tent rings indicate the summer houses, while the winter houses can be seen closer to a small cape. The sites are well preserved, with easy identifiable entrances, bear-proof meat caches, and grave sites. In the evening you continue sailing the berg-crowded fjords to the west.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Colors of the cape.
The goal is a Zodiac cruise near Røde Ø, one of the world’s most cherished iceberg attractions: The austere blue-white of the icebergs sets sharp against the brooding red backdrop of the sediment slopes. The afternoon plan is to sail through the northern parts of Røde Fjord, with the chance to see musk oxen and warm autumnal foliage.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 5: Enormous bergs, Arctic hares.
In the morning you encounter colossal icebergs, some over 100 meters (328 feet) high and more than a kilometer (.62 mile) long. Most of them 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.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 6: Settlement at Scoresbysund.
Today you make a tundra landing on Liverpool Land, in Hurry Inlet. The afternoon stop is Ittoqqortoormiit, the largest settlement in Scoresbysund at about five 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 and musk oxen. In the afternoon you sail south, passing the picturesque landscapes of the Blosseville Coast.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 7: Remote shores.
Turner Sound and Rømer Fjord grant you the opportunity to sail far inland, as they have no glacier front at the head and are not clogged with ice. In this location, you may get the opportunity to spot narwhals.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 8: Sea life under the northern lights.
A sea day grants you the opportunity to spot whales and seabirds – and at night, the magical northern lights.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 9: Journey’s end at Akureyri.
Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You disembark in Akureyri, where on request you can transfer by chartered bus (a six-hour drive that you must book in advance) to the Reykjavik city hall, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
Meals: Breakfast
Itinerary Map
Prices & Dates
Price per Person
| Departure Dates | Quad Porthole |
Triple Porthole |
Twin Porthole |
Twin Window |
Twin Deluxe |
Superior | Junior Suite | Grand Suite (Pvt. Balcony) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plancius Sep 2, 2023 |
$4,600 | $6,400 | $6,400 | $6,900 | $7,300 | $8,300 | n/a | n/a |
| Hondius Sep 9, 2023 |
$4,600 | $6,400 | $6,400 | $6,900 | $7,300 | $8,300 | $8,850 | $10,300 |
** The prices shown above are in U.S. Dollars. See the cost of this tour in your currency at xe.com.
Notes:
- The above prices are valid until September 9, 2023.
- The single supplement is 1.7 times the Twin/Superior price.
- Singles willing to share a cabin pay the Twin/Triple, or Quadruple price.
- Upon request, children under 16 with parents may receive a 40% discount in Grand Suite, Superior, Triple (sharing with 2 parents/adults) and Quadruple Cabins (sharing with 3 parents/adults).
What's Included
Price Includes
- South American Vacations’ expert pre-departure planning services and documentation.
- Pre-scheduled group transfers and baggage handling between the airport and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen.
- Accommodation on board the M/V Plancius or M/V Hondius.
- All meals scheduled on board, including snacks, coffee, and tea.
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
- AECO fees and governmental taxes.
- Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
Price Does Not Include
- International airfare.
- Domestic airfare.
- Hotel nights before/after the cruise.
- Bus shuttle transfer from Reykjavik (Iceland) to the ship in Akureyri (Iceland) ($130).
- Bus shuttle transfer from the ship in Akureyri (Iceland) to Reykjavik (Iceland) ($220).
- Meals not indicated on the itinerary.
- Passport/visa expenses.
- Government arrival and departure taxes.
- Gratuities to ship crew and guides (Suggested $00/per/day for the naturalist guides and crew).
- Bar, telecommunication charges, gifts, and personal items.
- Travel insurance.
We will be happy to quote the cost of airfare, land services, and travel insurance and to make these arrangements for you.
Additional Details
Group/Private: All services included in this tour are operated on a group basis.
Elevations: N/a.
Passport/Visa: U.S., Australian, and Canadian citizens require a valid passport (with at least six months of validity from your departure date) and return ticket for stays of up to 90 days. EU nationals do not need to show a national ID card or passport, but it is still highly recommended to take them.
Travel Insurance: In order to protect your travel investment from unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. We offer Allianz Global Assistance’s Classic Comprehensive and other plans. The Benefits and Coverage Limits are summarized on our Travel Insurance page. Call your travel counselor if you have any questions or to purchase a plan.
To Book This Trip: Call or email us to confirm the availability of the ship for your desired dates of travel. Once we have confirmed availability, you will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of $000 per person. The balance of the trip cost is due 00 days prior to departure.
