14-day Tale of Two Ice Lands

Departure: July 16, 2010

When you embark on an Iceland and Greenland tour with us, you'll go places other cruising vacations just don't go. Experience unusual ports of call through South Greenland and Disko Bay. See, first hand, the mysteries of the Arctic wildernesses, offering you some of the most spectacular and unspoiled scenery anywhere on Earth. From the diverse and picturesque Snaefellsnes peninsula in western Iceland to the Inuit towns of southern Greenland and vast, thinly populated expanses of Disko Bay, you'll find yourself transported — literally and figuratively — as the MS Fram cruises from scenic highlight to scenic highlight. You'll discover an expedition that's a little bit Viking, a little more Inuit, and a whole lot of vacation.

Your Iceland Tour Itinerary:

Begin your tour of Iceland in Reykjavik, the world's northernmost capital city, home to 171,514 people. Despite its small size, the cosmopolitan Icelandic capital boasts a vast selection of restaurants, museums, and shops. In relative proximity to Reykjavik, you also will find glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, and mountains. Set sail from Reykjavik aboard the luxurious MS Fram to South Greenland, Disko Bay and beyond.

The small town of Grundarfjordur, with a population of no more than 4,100, lies in the north of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, in Iceland's West Fjords region. Snaefellsnes is sometimes called "Iceland in a Nutshell" thanks to its diverse, picturesque landscape of lava and rock formations, glaciers, volcanoes, and hot and cold springs, as well as the richness of local the local bird population. The peninsula is dotted with tiny fishing harbors protected by dark cliffs of columnar basalt. All the colors of the northern summer seem to be caught between the ever-undulating ocean and the pristine glacier slopes of Snæfellsjokull glacier.

While crossing the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland, you follow in the wake of the great Norse explorers and settlers who left the shores of Iceland and Norway more than 900 years ago.

Greenland's southern shores contain some of the most culturally and scenically diverse regions of the island. Enjoy breathtaking scenery as we navigate dramatic Prins Christian Sund, a narrow, often ice-choked, 70-mile-long channel across the southernmost point of Greenland. Huge glaciers tumble down from the ice cap.

Immerse yourself in the small communities of southern Greenland. In this area, you will find traces of Greenland's unique Viking history, historical sites, arts and crafts, and majestic scenery with the multiple colors of the autumn.

Depending upon weather and ice conditions you will experience different things. One possible landing site will be Qassiarsuk, population 56, where Erik the Red founded his Brattahlid estate. Here, you'll find reconstructions of his farm, his longhouse and the church that his wife Tjodhildur made him build. You may join a guided walk through the settlement, where you will learn more about the history of the region. The walk will also include a visit at the church used today.

The capital of Greenland is home to about 15,000 people. The political and social center of the country, Nuuk is also its oldest town, founded by Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede in 1728. The name Nuuk means "peninsula" and it is an accurate description of the city's location: on the tip of a large peninsula at the mouth of one of the largest and most spectacular fjord systems in the world. Today, the town is a mix of old and new, from picturesque, historical buildings in "Kolonihaven" to the ultramodern structure housing the Greenland Home Rule government. Nuuk also boasts a university, a teachers training college, several churches, and the Greenland National Museum, where the famous mummies from Qilakilsoq are to be found.

Qeqertarsuaq is the only large town located on the old volcanic island of Disko. The metropolitan population is around 1,100, about 60 of whom live in the neighboring settlement of Kangerluk. Qeqertarsuaq means "Big Island," and the most important industry in town is fishing and seal-hunting, although whaling once played a vital role. The town, set in wonderful surroundings at the foot of impressive Basalt Mountains, is home to Copenhagen University's Arctic Station, dedicated to the study of Greenland's flora and fauna. There will be PolarCirkel boat transfer from the ship to Qeqertarsuaq where you will enjoy a walking tour led by your Iceland tour's Expedition Team leaders. A small local café will be open for you during the stay.

Uummannaq The town of Uummannaq lies in scenic surroundings at the foot of a 3,800-foot-high, heart-shaped mountain. The municipal borough of Uummannaq has a population of about 2,650, of whom 1,400 live in town and the remainder reside in seven nearby settlements. Hunting and fishing are the main trades and the town's halibut-processing factory is its major source of employment. You may tour Uummannaq, with its magnificent church and an old turf house that was lived in until 1989.

Ukkusissat
In the evening you will call at Ukkusissat. This settlement is nestled amid wonderful scenery between the magnificent mountains of Uummannaq. There are about 190 inhabitants in the settlement, all of whom make a living from hunting and fishing. Ukkusissat was also a starting point of German scientist Alfred Wegener's early 20th century expedition with horses. "Life in a small village" is the topic for our Ukkusissat walk. Going ashore in Ukkusissat requires the use of the ship's PolarCirkel boats.

The glacier Eqip Sermia has a front edge about three miles long that calves icebergs into the open ocean. Today, you have an outstanding opportunity to experience a glacier up close and sense the greatness of nature. You will use the ship's tender boats to go ashore in this beautiful area near the glacier. Passengers in relatively good physical condition will be able to hike in the area. All who want to go ashore are welcome to attend a BBQ dinner with a terrific view over the glacier.

Icebergs are called "ilulissat" in Greenlandic, and it comes as no surprise to anyone who has been here that this is the town's name. Ilulissat is the third-largest town in Greenland, with a population of about 5,000. It is set in marvelous surroundings on the Ilulissat Isfjord, which in 2004 was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. Here, enormous icebergs run aground at the mouth of the fjord, just outside of town. They originate from the Jakobshavn Glacier, one of the most productive glaciers in the northern hemisphere. Ilulissat is the metropolitan center of the Disko Bay area and this aspect will be the theme of the settlement visit, together with the town's long history. The most important trades in Ilulissat are fishing and tourism. The conditions will determine whether the MS Fram will dock at quayside in Ilulissat or passengers will shuttle ashore via PolarCirkel boats. Our Expedition Team will be at your disposal at various points of interest.

Sisimiut, with a population of about 5,200, is the second-largest town in Greenland. The main industry is fishing, and the town boasts a large fleet of trawlers, a shipyard, and a fish factory. Sisimiut is the southernmost of the towns on the western coast of Greenland where sleigh dogs can be found. It is set in rolling countryside and the town center lies at the foot of a steep hill. Participation in excursions from Sisimiut, apart from the boat trip, requires reasonably good physical condition. The settlement visit will focus largely on the old part of the town by the harbor, which is the local center of activity. Our Expedition Team will be at your disposal at different locations of the settlement. The MS Fram normally docks quayside in Sisimiut.

In the early afternoon, your tour takes you to the small settlement Itilleq. Itilleq means "the hollow." The town was founded in 1847 on another island, but was later moved just over a half-mile east to its present location. The village is located about 31 miles south of Sisimiut in the head of the Itilleq Fjord. Around 130 people live here, mainly engaged in hunting and fishing. The island has no fresh water; thus Itilleq boasts a seawater desalinization facility. The church here has an interesting history: It was built in Thule (Umanak, in North Greenland) in 1930 and moved to Itilleq in 1963. As its name suggests, Itilleq is situated in a hollow, majestically surrounded by high mountains and glaciers. It could, in truth, be called the Arctic Circle Village, as the Arctic Circle indeed lies just 655 feet to the south.

Kangerlussuaq lies at the end of the Kangerlussuaq Fjord. The settlement/airport is located just north of the Arctic Circle and is one of the best places to observe native wildlife. In the early 1960s, Musk oxen were introduced to Kangerlussuaq from northeast Greenland; today, they number more than 5,000. You will leave the MS Fram in the morning to discover Kangerlussuaq on a bus tour to the nearby ice cap. A perfect way to end your Arctic tour.

Single supplement 50%

*Cabin category H is equipped for physically challenged guests.

Single supplement 50%

*Cabin category H is equipped for physically challenged guests.

USD cruise only and air/sea rates valid for North American residents only. Early Booking Rates are cruise only or air/sea as noted, capacity controlled and subject to withdrawal without notice. Rates include round-trip one-way air between Copenhagen and Kangerlussuaq. Cruise fuel surcharge is additional and will be advised at time of booking.

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