East Greenland Explorer 2013

Trip Length	Trip Code
14 days	PPEG13

Maximum Passengers
112 people

Countries Visited
Greenland, Iceland

Start City	End City
Reykjavik

If your bucket list includes firsthand sightings of the majestic Aurora Borealis – the Northern Lights – this is the tour for you! There are few places on earth where nature’s most spectacular light show can be better seen than in the autumn and winter skies above Greenland’s eastern coast. This tour is also perfect for those who enjoy plenty of walking and hiking. One of the best ways to experience new landscapes and cultures is by getting out on the land and exploring it firsthand. This tour offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to hike some of the most pristine wilderness areas on the planet.

There’s also a cultural element to exploring Greenland with Peregrine. Our longstanding relationships with Inuit elders mean you’ll be welcomed as new friends to Ittoqqortoormiit with its fascinating blend of native culture and modern life.

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1: Reykjavik - Iceland

Your adventure begins with an overnight stay in Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital city.

Day 2: Embarkation and departure for Greenland

Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

After a leisurely morning exploring Reykjavik on your own, we provide a transfer to Reykjavik’s port, and board your ship – polar adventure vessel Sea Spirit. Linger on deck with your camera or binoculars, and scan the sky for seabirds, and the horizon for breaching whales.

Day 3-4: At Sea

Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

Sail through the Denmark Strait en route to Greenland. Your onboard Expedition Team will keep you informed and entertained with presentations about Greenland’s wildlife, history and geography. You’ll also receive several important safety and operational briefings.

Day 5-7: King Oscar Fjord and Ella Island

Meals included: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners

Fjords and flower meadows punctuate the scenery of Greenland National Park, where Arctic Fox and Musk Oxen roam free. Your days will be spent exploring and learning about the unique history and geology of Greenland. King Oscar Fjord is a hiker’s paradise. You may walk across the delicate flower-and-berry-strewn tundra at Holm Bay, Zodiac-cruise through spectacular Alepfjord or challenge yourself with a climb to the top of nearby Ella Island (the views are worth it.) From Ella Island you’ll head to the Antarctic. Yes, curiously, there is an Antarctic Sound in the Arctic. The area is home to beautiful purple and gold coloured rocks with Ymer Island and Blomsterbugten, the “Bay of Flowers”, ready to explore in the distance. Keeping a constant eye out for wildlife, you will then head south along the Liverpool Coast. Weather conditions are variable here, but we’ll aim to visit Storefjord and the “warming island” of Uunartoq Qeqertaq, which was only discovered in 2005.

Day 8-11: Scorsbysunfjord

Meals included: 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners

Arriving at Scoresbysund, you’ll find yourself mesmerized by the largest, longest, and – some say – most beautiful fjord system in the world. This area was named for William Scoresby, who charted the east coast of Greenland in 1822. At the start of the sound, Itoqqortoormitt is East Greenland’s most northerly community and one of the world’s last remaining examples of a living hunter society. With clear skies, you’ll have a great opportunity to see the Northern Lights here. You can also support the local Inuit artisans by purchasing unique handicrafts. Our time here is spent bonding with the Inuit people and gaining an appreciation of their way of life. Sailing on, deeper into Scoresbysund you’ll encounter massive icebergs and an ancient Thule settlement as we approach Sydkap and Øfjord. The scenery here is something you can’t even imagine, with towering mountain sides and hundreds of apartment size icebergs playing tricks with your sense of perception. Pushing onward, your expedition will come to Rypefjord and Kap Hofmann Halvø. We will keep our eyes peeled for sightings of rare blue icebergs, which are more normally seen in the Antarctic. With binoculars in hand, birders should keep watch for Wheatears, Snow Buntings and Ravens at Rypefjord. At Cape Hofmann Halvø we’ll have our best chance for closer encounters with grazing Musk Oxen and enjoy a final hike out on the colorful tundra.

Day 12-13: At Sea

Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

Our homeward journey takes us back across the Denmark Strait, where you may spot white-beaked dolphins, and humpback, minke and even blue whales. Birders should keep watch for kittiwakes, gannets, guillemots, fulmars and razorbills.

Day 14: Disembarkation - Reykjavik (Iceland)

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Your Greenland Northern Lights tour ends where it began, in Iceland’s vibrant capital. From here you’re free to fly home or extend your trip.

Your Trip

What's Included

• Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping.
• All breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks on board throughout your voyage. (Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals.)
• All shore landings per the daily program.
• Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities.
• A daily program of lectures by noted naturalists
• All Zodiac transfers and cruising per the daily program.
• Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and Special Guests as scheduled.
• Photographic Journal on DVD, documenting the voyage.
• A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings.
• An official expedition parka to keep.
• Coffee, tea and cocoa available around the clock.
• A selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages.
• Hair dryer and bathrobe in every cabin.
• Comprehensive pre-departure materials, including a map and an informative Arctic Reader.
• All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program.
• All luggage handling aboard ship.
• On disembarkation day, group transfer from the ship to the airport or other local designated drop-off location.
• Emergency Evacuation Insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of USD $100,000 per person
• 1 complimentary night pre-expedition hotel accommodation in Reykjavik with breakfast, as indicated in the itinerary. (The number of guests per room is the same as cabin occupancy on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in standard rooms at the hotel.)
• On embarkation day, group transfer from the host hotel to ship.

Summary of accommodation, transport & meals

Accommodation

12 nights Expedition Voyage
1 night Hotel

Meals

13 breakfasts
11 lunches
12 dinners

Not Included

• Government arrival and departure taxes.
• All airfares
• Pre and post voyage accommodation
• Visa and passport fees, airport departure taxes
• Any pre-voyage or post-voyage hotel accommodation
• Laundry, postage, telephone calls, drinks, medical expenses
• Travel insurance, emergency evacuation charges
• Gratuities to staff and crew
• For some specified departures, the purchase of arrival transfer packages and charter or domestic flights in conjunction with the expedition is mandatory.
• The applicable per-person cost is indicated on the Dates and Rates summary.
• Passport and any applicable visa expenses.
• Any meals ashore with the exception of breakfast at the host hotel before embarkation, when applicable.
• Baggage, cancellation, interruption, and medical travel insurance.
• Excess baggage charges.
• Laundry and other personal charges.
• Telecommunications charges.
• The voluntary gratuity at the end of the voyage for shipboard staff and crew.
• On icebreakers, any private helicopter flying time that may be available for optional flights can be purchased at an hourly rate to be announced on board.

What to know

Vaccinations

Vaccinations may be required for this trip. Talk to your doctor about the up-to-date information for this region.

Visas and Permits

It is your responsibility to ensure you have all required visas for your trip. Rules and regulations governing the issuance of visas are constantly changing, and vary for different nationalities and you should check visa requirements with your travel agent or relevant consular authority well before travel.

Greenland
Visa not required for stays up to 90 days, need onward flight ticket and sufficient funds during stay. This applies to Australians, New Zealanders, Brits, Canadians and Americans.

Insurance

You are required to have travel insurance before heading off on a Peregrine trip. Insurance can be organised by your Peregrine representative or your travel agent.

Responsible Travel

Our Responsible Travel ethos is at the heart of everything we do, from getting the basics right like respecting local cultures and the environment, to initiating projects that make positive contributions to communities, to our staff’s fundraising efforts and offsetting our carbon emissions.
Please visit our Responsible Travel (http://www.peregrineadventures.com/rt) page for more information.

Customs and Culture

Our Pre Departure Information or Travel Dossier (provided upon booking a trip) provides tips on how you can show respect for the local customs and culture in the country you are travelling in.

The information listed above is a brief description of some things you may need to consider when booking a trip. Once a tour is booked you will be provided with a link to your Travel Dossier which will contain detailed Pre Departure information.

About this Information

The information provided here is given in good faith and has been compiled with all reasonable care. However, things change and some of the information may become out of date. Please keep this in mind when you read it and check with us if you want to be sure about something. The document was correct at time of printing, but you can check online for the most up to date version. If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent or our staff in Australia. We are here to help you!

Last Updated

30 April 2012