Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland - M/V Greg Mortimer
From CAD $24,700
Guarantee
Small Group
Unknown
Rating
(1 reviews)
Experience Overview
This voyage combines Spitsbergen and Greenland, with a taste of Iceland. Enjoy Spitsbergen's rugged east coast, crossing a major polar bear migration route as we search out bear on the moss-laden tundra. While crossing the icy waters of the Greenland Sea, our onboard experts will share their knowledge of the region's plants, animals and history, preparing you for your landings. Greenland's remote east coast shows off the immensity of the icecap, fantastic icebergs and a fairytale landscape of granite spires rising 1000 m above exquisite fjords. Enjoy the local culture and look forward to a warm welcome as we visit remote Inuit settlements along the way.
Experience complete wilderness - in remote Northeast Greenland
Arctic highlights - experience three Arctic regions in one voyage
Sail to the Land of Ice and Fire - Iceland
Highlights
Experience complete wilderness - in remote Northeast Greenland|Arctic highlights - experience three Arctic regions in one voyage|Sail to the Land of Ice and Fire - Iceland|Discover prolific birdlife - ivory gulls, guillamots and puffins to name a few|Photography - fantastic opportunities for photography in the light of the Midnight Sun
Trip Details
Product Code: 20382
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: M/V Greg MortimerZodiac
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: GMGI
Starts: Greenland
Finishes: Greenland
Duration: 15 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Unknown
Includes
- Expedition Crew
- Naturalist(s)
Accommodation
- Hotel in Oslo to be confirmed
- M/V Greg Mortimer
- Hotel in Reykjavik to be confirmed
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $24,700 ($1,647 /day)
Itinerary
Arrive into Oslo (OSL) where you will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Upon arrival, please visit the Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags. Enjoy free time at your leisure.
Accommodation:
- Type - Hotel
- Accommodation Name - Hotel in Oslo to be confirmed
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - No
- Breakfast Provided - No
- Dinner Provided - No
- Lunch Provided - No
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: None
This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the airport for our charter flight to Longyearbyen for embarkation. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day.\u8239?In Longyearbyen, explore the town on a guided excursion tour.
On the drive to Camp Barentz, located in the Advent Valley, your guide will give you an introduction to Longyearbyen's fascinating history. Once at Camp Barentz, enjoy a presentation in the large 'lavvo' - a traditional building common in northern Norway. You will also have the opportunity to meet the friendly huskies and perhaps pick up some souvenirs. A visit to the Svalbard Museum is included back in town before embarking the vessel in the late afternoon.
After the tour, you will be transferred directly to the pier for embarkation in the late afternoon. Settle into your cabin before the important safety briefings. We will set sail in the early evening.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Over the next few days, the Svalbard Archipelago is yours to explore. Our experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design our voyage from day to day. This allows us to make best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. Because we are so far north we will experience nearly 24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish. We will generally make landings or Zodiac excursions a few times a day; cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whale that are feeding near the surface, making landings for hikes.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountains ranges and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walrus hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, stretch your legs on walks across tundra, dotted with brightly-coloured wildflowers. We visit towering cliffs, noisy with nesting guillemot and puffin, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard's largest little auk colonies. Most memorable are encounters with the majestic polar bear on pack ice. Your expedition team is just as keen as you are to find them and they will be on constant watch to spot these inspiring creatures.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have an opportunity to enjoy that activity when conditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable, you will hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip - a memory you will savour for years to come.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
As we cruise west across the Greenland Sea - the main outlet of the Arctic Ocean - we may encounter whales feeding in the productive waters of the north. Sightings of fin whale are common and blue whale have been seen in more recent years. As we begin to approach Greenland, we will likely encounter the East Greenland pack ice and if we are lucky, we will see polar bear hunting for prey. The strong icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seal and whale. Climatic conditions and the concentration of ice in the vicinity, often create thick morning fog that vanishes with the onset of the midday sun. Our experts will inform and entertain us with fascinating discussions on plants, animals, ice, and early explorers like Nansen, Andree and Scoresby.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The approach to Jan Mayen is spectacular. The huge 2,277 metre (7,470 foot) Beerenberg volcano is the northernmost active volcano in the world, and it last erupted in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great place to look for whales and dolphins and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea. If the weather is favourable, we will try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island's west coast.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
In the coming days, a host of choices are available to us, depending on ice and weather conditions. We will attempt to enter Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration within the Northeast Greenland National Park. Cruising through Kong Oskar Fjord, we will marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains, and land in a few places to explore the landscape and wildlife of Greenland. We will then head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions and will aim to reach Scoresbysund, the world's largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Be prepared to experience ice - and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic's most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers\ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Explore Scoresbysund, the world's largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacular place that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer, near the fjord. Look skyward and you could catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven and common eider.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
We will attempt to enter Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration, located within the Northeast Greenland National Park.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cruising through Kong Oskar Fjord, we marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. We will then head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by Inuit. We may see musk ox, arctic hare and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of the elusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
In the Denmark Strait, we sail towards Iceland. Keep a lookout for whale blows and the many seabirds that trail our ship in the ever-present Arctic winds. Enjoy the time to reflect on your recent adventures, share and exchange photos, and soak in the fresh ocean air. As we near Iceland, you will find we are returning to the rest of the world, as
we encounter fishing vessels working the coastal waters.
Accommodation:
- Type - Boat
- Accommodation Name - M/V Greg Mortimer
- Grade - Premium
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - Yes
- Lunch Provided - Yes
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
During the early morning, we cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8 am. Transfer to your downtown hotel or to Keflavik airport for onward travel.
Accommodation:
- Type -
- Accommodation Name -
- Grade -
- All Inclusive - No
- Any Meal Provided - Yes
- Breakfast Provided - Yes
- Dinner Provided - No
- Lunch Provided - No
- Meal Name - Meals Provided: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Patrick - Traveled, August 2024
Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland - M/V Greg Mortimer GREENLAND, SPITSBERGEN- TRIP CODE GMGI August 2024 We joined the Greg Mortimer in Svalbard having spent the night in a hotel in Longyearbyen. The ship is modern, clean and bright. Our cabin was on the 6th deck with a balcony accessed by a sliding door with room to sit out so long as we put enough clothes on. It had ample storage space, a wonderful en-suite with a heated floor, sheer luxury! All types of plug were catered for so recharging batteries was easy. The first 3 days were spent round Svalbard looking at the wildlife and scenery. Leaving the ship on the zodiacs was very easy and well thought out. We ended up wearing 5 layers to stay warm. Sitting in the zodiac for a couple of hours could get very cold with out the right gear. The ship itself is well appointed with plenty of observation space, both indoor and outdoor. The lecture theatre is excellent and, if you don’t want to attend, you can watch the proceedings from your cabin on the TV. The food was very good, Buffet style lunches and a good menu in the evenings. Crossing the Greenland Sea on the 4th day was a little rough but the ship has stabilisers which worked well. There was a noticeable lack of people in the dining room on the first night though. Reaching Greenland, the itinerary was adjusted based on the weather and conditions. Each day we generally had two zodiac trips with landings when we could. The supplied Wellington Boots were comfortable and warm although we did supplement them with a thermal sole insert and two pairs of socks. The landscape is fantastic with towering cliffs and glaciers coming down to the sea. The scale is hard to describe as there is not much to compare it with but some mountains like the Devil’s Castle loom over the ship at some 1100m. Very impressive. Each day was at a different site with the ship moving overnight. We did get to see a couple of Polar Bears, seals, walruses, musk ox and plenty of birds. All in all, a wonderful trip full of fantastic scenery and wildlife on a comfortable ship designed for the job. The crew were excellent and always helpful as were the very knowledgeable Expedition staff. If you want to see a mostly untouched wilderness with stunning views and wildlife, we can recommend this trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/09/2024
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