Having made your way to Toronto, check in at our group hotel located near the airport for an overnight stay. At our welcome briefing this evening, enjoy a drink and meet fellow expeditioners. Please visit the AE Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags and to speak with our ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation procedures and also the charter flight to Nuuk tomorrow. You will receive AE Expeditions cabin tags for your luggage. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number.
Accommodation: Westin Toronto Airport Hotel
Please ensure that your luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. Your luggage will be delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board.
After breakfast at the hotel, board our charter flight to Nuuk, where the Sylvia Earle awaits. After boarding, there is time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings. This evening, meet your expedition team and crew.
Greenland’s second largest town, Sisimiut is located approximately 54 kilometres (33.5 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, meaning that during summer, you can experience the midnight sun here. The town is famous for the old blue church with the gate made of whale bone. In the cosy museum next door to the church, you will find an excellent reconstruction of an Inuit turf house as well as exhibits of local history and early life in Greenland.
Some 4,500 years ago, the Saqqaq culture arrived from Canada and settled in the area. They lived here for approximately 2,000 years, after which they mysteriously disappeared from the area. The Dorset culture arrived around 500 CE and stayed until the 1200s until they were replaced by the Thule culture, and today, most of the population of Sisimiut are descendants of the Thule culture.
This compelling island seems to have more in common with Iceland than Greenland — a geological wonder shaped by ancient volcanic activity. While much of its interior is dominated by rugged mountains and creeping glaciers, its dramatic shorelines reveal striking black sand beaches, hot springs, unusual basalt columns, and fascinating lava formations that tell the story of its fiery origins. Admire the dramatic basalt columns that stand like sentinels over the sea, and soak in sweeping views of Disko Bay — always keeping an eye out for the blow of a whale or the splash of a passing pod just offshore.
Over the coming days, we hope to explore some of Northwest Greenland’s most remote and breathtaking coastal wilderness. Our planned route may take us through the starkly beautiful Pamiagdlua area on Akulleq Island, where a polar desert landscape meets echoes of ancient Inuit life — stone ruins stand as reminders of the people who once thrived in this challenging environment. Throughout these days, we’ll aim for multiple wilderness landings, giving us the chance to hike across tundra valleys and rocky headlands, or paddle our kayaks through sheltered inlets where icebergs drift silently by.
As we navigate the deep, dramatic fjords of Uummannaq and Amitsuatsiaq, and thread our way towards Laksefjorden and Bjørneborg, we’ll be immersed in an area where glaciers calve ice into glassy bays and towering mountains rise sharply from the sea. These rich Arctic waters are alive with marine life — keep watch for minke whales, fin whales, or even the elusive narwhal. Seals often haul out on ice floes, while colonies of seabirds wheel overhead, including kittiwakes, fulmars, and the occasional sighting of Greenland’s iconic white-tailed eagles.
Continuing along the Nugssuaq Peninsula and into the rugged maze of Upernavik Isfjord, Kullorsuaq, and the traditional hunting village of Niaqornat, we hope to discover even more dramatic coastal scenery shaped by millennia of shifting ice. This region is a kayaker’s dream — calm fjord arms, brash ice, and the chance to approach glaciers and bird cliffs from water level. With luck, we may step ashore on wild headlands carpeted in arctic flora or drift quietly among icebergs, truly embracing the spirit of expedition in one of the most untouched corners of Greenland.
In Qeqertarsuaq, we enjoy a Zodiac excursion through the iceberg-strewn waters of Disko Bay — a breathtaking natural amphitheatre where massive ice sculptures drift past and marine life often makes an unforgettable appearance. Keep your eyes peeled for humpback, fin, minke, and even bowhead whales feeding in these rich waters, with seabirds wheeling overhead and seals occasionally popping up to investigate. Back on shore, take time to wander through this charming settlement, perhaps pausing to sip local tea brewed from fresh Arctic herbs or to chat with friendly locals about life in Greenland’s remote west. Perhaps visit the small but fascinating museum to learn about Qeqertarsuaq’s whaling heritage and volcanic geology, then follow the black sand beach as it curves around the coastline, past colourful colonial-era buildings and stunning views of the dramatic Disko Island landscape.
Known as the ‘birthplace of icebergs’, this region creates some of the most dazzling icebergs to be found anywhere on earth. In Ilulissat, we’ll visit the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre and hike to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Icefjord, where we can stand in awe of its vast scale and beauty. Sermeq Kujalleq — also known as Jakobshavn Glacier — is the most productive glacier not only in Greenland but in the entire Northern Hemisphere, calving an astonishing 20 million tonnes of ice each day into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay. In the afternoon, we hope to enjoy whale watching at sea and, conditions permitting, make a landing to explore the remains of an old whaling centre.
Ukivik, once the original settlement of what is now Sisimiut, holds a special place in Greenland’s history. Traditionally, this coastal site was an important summer gathering place for Inuit communities, who came together here to trade, socialise, and hunt whales when the sea ice receded. Remnants of the old Inuit settlement, including house ruins, stone foundations, and the remains of a historic whaling station, can still be seen today — offering a rare glimpse into centuries-old subsistence practices and communal life on Greenland’s rugged coast. As we walk among the ruins, we can imagine the bustling seasonal camps that once thrived here, connecting us directly to the rich cultural heritage of this resilient Arctic community.
In the afternoon, we hope to visit Nipisat Island, located just south of Sisimiut in western Greenland, and a remarkable archaeological site that offers a glimpse into the region's ancient human history. The island was once inhabited by the Saqqaq people, Greenland's earliest known culture, who lived here between approximately 2500 and 800 BCE. Excavations have uncovered over 70,000 bone fragments and around 1,000 artifacts, including stone tools unique to the Saqqaq culture, providing invaluable insights into their way of life.
In the 18th century, Nipisat became a focal point for European colonial ambitions. Danish settlers established a trading post and mission on the island in 1723, but the settlement was short-lived, abandoned just a few years later after being destroyed by Dutch whalers.
Today, Nipisat Island is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Aasivissuit – Nipisat: Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea," recognised for its 4,200 years of human history and its testament to the resilience of Arctic cultures. Here you can explore the island's tundra landscape, dotted with ancient ruins and rich in Arctic flora, offering a unique opportunity to connect with Greenland's deep and enduring heritage.
Evighedsfjorden, or Eternity Fjord, is one of the more spectacular fjord complexes in west Greenland due to its forested landscape. Witness hills become towering snow-capped mountains as countless glaciers pour down from sheer cliff walls. Occasionally, the thunderous sound of a calving glacier breaks the silence in a place where you are unlikely to see another soul.
Disembark in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, where you farewell the crew and expedition team before enjoying a city tour and lunch before transferring to the airport for our charter flight to Toronto.
Accommodation: Westin Toronto Airport Hotel
After breakfast, check out of your room and continue your journey. Make your own way to Toronto Airport with the hotel complimentary shuttle.
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