8 Day Tour Sailing in Greenland
Sailing on a schooner in the biggest fjord system in the world on Greenland’s east coast. Live aboard a traditional sailing ship for 7 amazing days on a once in a lifetime tour… that you will want to do again!
Highlights
- Scoresby Sund – the largest fjord on earth
- Magnificent views of icebergs and glaciers
- Hekla Havn
- The narrow Føhnfjord
- Granite mountains of Milne Land
- Trek the Hjørnedal
- Rødefjord and Harefjord
- Scouting for Muskoxen
- Fishing for Arctic Char
- Hike with views of Renland and the Inland Ice
- Ruins of an old Inuit settlement
- Ittoqqortoormiit village
- Sailing with schooner
Daily itinerary
Day 1 (Wednesday)
Depart Reykjavík for a flight to Constable Point in Greenland, a small airfield west of Hurry Inlet in Jameson Land. Embark the Schooner and get an introduction and a safety briefing by the crew and then sail towards the village of Ittoqqortoormiit where the evening is spent with locals in perhaps the most isolated village of the world.
Ittoqqortoormiit was founded in the 1925s by people from Ammassalik island. It is the most northerly settlement on the east coast of Greenland. The 450 inhabitants make their living mostly by subsistence hunting of seals, Narwhals, Muskoxen and Polar Bear. The quaint little houses dot the rocky slopes of south Liverpool Land with magnificent views of Kap Brewster and the Volquart Boon Coast to the south.
* This is a rough schedule. If the conditions do not allow for visiting Ittoqqortoormiit on the first day, it will be done on the last day.
Day 2 (Thursday)
Sail west between whole palaces of icebergs that gently drift under the influence of the currents in the Arctic waters after calving from the parent glaciers originating in the Inland Ice. Anchor at Hekla Havn, on Denmark Ø, the site of an old Inuit settlement and wintering camp of the first scientific expedition to Scoresby Sund over a hundred years ago. The day ends with a short evening walk exploring Hekla Havn and the surrounding area.
Day 3 (Friday)
Sail west through the narrow Føhnfjord with the majestic basalt mountains of Gåseland on the port side and 2000 metres high sheer granite cliffs of Milne Land on the Starboard side. After being up close to the peculiar looking Red Island and even landfall at the red sandstone shore, the tour continues to the north through Rødefjord which is often filled with both larger icebergs and ice crust from icebergs that are breaking up. We will arrive in Harefjord in the late afternoon where anchors are set for two nights.
Day 4 (Saturday)
Make sure to pack your hiking boots because the whole day is spent ashore in Harefjord scouting for muskoxen, snow hares, grouse, geese and other wildlife, which normally graze on the south-facing slopes. This easy to moderate approx. 6-hour hike takes us on top of a ridge where we will have lunch with a breathtaking view over Harefjord, where the terrain drops down on each side and the glacier tongues descend into the sea. Those who prefer less exercise can stroll at the coast or stay on board enjoying the view.
Day 5 (Sunday)
The sailing continues eastwards through the awesome Øfjord. This is one of the most spectacular parts of the trip. Terrific mountain peaks and granite walls tower 200 meters up from the sea just as if the Cerro Torre (one of the majestic mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America) and Fitzroy river (in Queensland, Australia) had been moved to the Arctic: A true feast for the eyes. Usually, the sea breeze in the Øfjord during the middle of the day allows sails to be set. A close look at some of the most amazing cliffs and a glacier front. This day ends by setting anchors in Jyttes Havn Bjørneøe in the late afternoon.
Day 6 (Monday)
The day is spent hiking in and around Jytteshavn in Bear Islands as this is possibly one of the nicest and most picturesque anchorages in Scoresby Sound. There are two options of a longer or shorter hike in the Bear Islands, or on the northernmost tip of Milneland, a short zodiac ride away. Jytteshavn is the place to try your skills at sea swimming at 71°N and temperatures can be as surprising as 13°C in the summertime. In the evening we offer a nice meal on board and then a cosy bonfire on the beach with storytelling or singing.
Day 7 (Tuesday)
Sailing the channel between the Bear Islands and Milne land with a breathtaking view of the spectacular archipelago. As we sail into the last evening and night of the trip, it is likely that well be experiencing sights of the largest and the most fascinating icebergs of the journey. This provides a fantastic opportunity for photographs of the majestic and impressive icebergs that are often found in this particular area. When we wake up the next morning, we are anchored at the airstrip in Constable Point.
* If conditions do not allow for visiting Ittoqqortoormiit on the first day, it will be done on this day.
Day 8 (Wednesday)
The last morning we will enjoy a good breakfast together, write in the diary on board and share contact information. Then we will disembark the schooner for the last time and board the aircraft at Constable Point airport and fly back to Iceland. Arrival at Keflavik
Dates & prices
Departures 2022
The tour starts and ends on Wednesdays.
Departures on sailing ship Opal (maximum 12 pax):
27 July – (sold out)
3 August (sold out)
10 August (sold out)
17 August (sold out)
24 August (sold out)
31 August (sold out)
7 September (sold out)
Departures on sailing ship Hildur (maximum 9 pax):
17 August – (sold out)
24 August – Available
31 August – Available
7 September – Available
Departures on sailing ship Donna Wood (maximum 12 pax):
27 July – (sold out)
3 August (sold out)
10 August (sold out)
17 August (sold out)
24 August (sold out)
31 August (sold out)
7 September (sold out)
Price 2022
€ 6.100 per person
Departures 2023
The tour starts and ends on Wednesdays.
Departures on sailing ship Opal (maximum 12 pax):
26 July
2 August
9 August (sold out)
16 August
23 August (sold out)
30 August (sold out)
6 September
Departures on sailing ship Hildur (maximum 9 pax):
16 August
23 August
30 August
6 September
Departures on sailing ship Donna Wood (maximum 12 pax):
26 July
2 August
9 August
16 August (sold out)
23 August (sold out)
30 August (sold out)
6 September (sold out)
Price 2023
€ 6.400 per person
Included:
- International flight Reykjavík – Constable Point – Reykjavík.
- Return transport between the airport and the sailboat in Constable Point.
- Accommodation on board in made up bunks/beds with shared facilities.
- All meals on board the sailing ship.
- Services of the crew, hiking excursions (as per itinerary) and arrangements
Not included:
- Airfare to and from Iceland.
- Visas or Individual travel insurance.
- Excess baggage charges.
- Laundry charges and items of personal nature.
- Alcoholic beverages (available for extra charge & to be paid upon departure with cash money).
- Optional pre or post tours in Iceland
Possible to book optional pre- or post tours in Iceland by Nonni Travel at nonni@nonnitravel.is.
Good to know
Warm clothes and walking shoes.
Note: The itinerary is subject to change for reasons beyond our control, such as changes in airline schedules, flight and ship delays, strikes, weather, sea and ice conditions, government restrictions or emergencies for which we cannot be held responsible. If pack-ice conditions do not permit the planned itinerary to be completed, the captain and expedition leaders will work out the best possible alternative. We reserve the right to change or alter the program if necessary.
