Expedition to the Thule Region

Kangerlussuaq Havn is the eastern Greenlandic gateway to the Scoresby Sund — the world's longest fjord system — where sheer basalt cliffs, colossal icebergs, and one of Earth's most isolated Inuit communities await expedition vessels from Ponant and Hapag-Lloyd. Visit July through September for muskox encounters, midnight-sun ice photography, and the Arctic in its most concentrated and demanding form.

Sisimiut is Greenland's adventure capital, a colourful Arctic town of 5,500 people just north of the Arctic Circle on the west coast. Must-dos include hiking the Arctic Circle Trail, whale watching for humpbacks and narwhals, and exploring the colonial-era museum. Summer brings midnight sun and hiking conditions, while winter offers dog-sledding, skiing, and northern lights.

Disko Bay is Greenland's monumental iceberg gallery, where the world's most prolific glacier discharges bergs of hundred-meter scale into a UNESCO-adjacent bay that functions as a constantly refreshed Arctic sculpture garden. Navigate July through August via Hapag-Lloyd or Ponant for zodiac cruises between towering icebergs, humpback whale bubble-net feeding, and the Inuit cultural encounters that provide human context for life at 69°N latitude.

Eqi Glacier is a spectacular five-kilometre-wide tidewater glacier in western Greenland where visitors can witness enormous icebergs calving in real time with thunderous crashes into the fjord. The approach through iceberg-strewn waters reveals a glacier face over two hundred metres high, with humpback whales often feeding nearby. July and August offer the best conditions for visiting, with access from Ilulissat or expedition cruise ships.

Akulleq, Greenland in Greenland offers dramatic Nordic landscapes where fjords, glaciers, and pristine wilderness create scenes of remarkable natural grandeur. The essential experience is immersion in the outdoor environment—hiking, wildlife watching, and savoring the region's exceptional seafood in settings of extraordinary beauty. Best visited June through August, when the midnight sun bathes the landscape in golden light for nearly twenty-four hours. Cruise lines including Ponant feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Kullorsuaq, Greenland is a distinctive port city where deep cultural heritage meets authentic local atmosphere, featured on itineraries by Ponant. Must-do experiences include exploring the historic quarter to absorb centuries of architectural heritage, and sampling the distinctive northern cuisine that transforms local ingredients into refined dining experiences. The optimal time to visit is June through September, when brief summer window offers navigable waters and extraordinary light.

Savissivik, Greenland is a distinctive port city where deep cultural heritage meets authentic local atmosphere, featured on itineraries by Ponant. Must-do experiences include exploring the historic quarter to absorb centuries of architectural heritage, and sampling the distinctive northern cuisine that transforms local ingredients into refined dining experiences. The optimal time to visit is June through September, when brief summer window offers navigable waters and extraordinary light.

Old Thule in Greenland offers dramatic Nordic landscapes where fjords, glaciers, and pristine wilderness create scenes of remarkable natural grandeur. The essential experience is immersion in the outdoor environment—hiking, wildlife watching, and savoring the region's exceptional seafood in settings of extraordinary beauty. Best visited June through August, when the midnight sun bathes the landscape in golden light for nearly twenty-four hours. Cruise lines including Ponant feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) is an Inuit community on Baffin Island's northern coast, one of the world's most reliable locations to observe narwhal pods at the Arctic floe edge, surrounded by the glaciers of Bylot Island and 4,000 years of Inuit hunting culture. Must-dos include narwhal watching at the floe edge, experiencing Inuit throat singing, and Zodiac cruising among icebergs in Eclipse Sound. Visit July for 24-hour daylight and peak narwhal activity.

Baffin Island is the fifth-largest island on Earth, a vast Canadian Arctic wilderness of mountains, glaciers, and tundra that has been home to Inuit peoples for over 4,000 years. Must-dos include visiting the renowned Inuit art community of Kinngait (Cape Dorset), watching for narwhals and polar bears, and experiencing the dramatic landscape of Auyuittuq National Park. The expedition season runs July through August for the best wildlife activity and most navigable Arctic conditions.

Nuuk, Greenland's diminutive capital, is a city of vivid contrasts — colourful colonial houses against Arctic granite, Inuit heritage alongside contemporary Nordic culture, and world-class museums steps from untamed fjords. Visitors should not miss the Greenland National Museum's Qilakitsoq mummies and a Zodiac excursion into the surrounding iceberg-studded fjord system. The prime cruising season runs from June through September, when extended daylight illuminates the landscape in an ethereal sub-Arctic glow and waters remain navigable for expedition vessels.

Evighedsfjorden is Greenland's 'Fjord of Eternity' — a seventy-five-kilometer passage flanked by ice-capped peaks and tidewater glaciers that provides one of expedition cruising's most profound Arctic landscape encounters. Navigate July through August via Ponant or Seabourn for midnight-sun glacial photography, humpback whale encounters echoing off cliff faces, and a passage so vast it transforms the concept of eternity from abstraction to sensory reality.

Kangerlussuaq Havn is the eastern Greenlandic gateway to the Scoresby Sund — the world's longest fjord system — where sheer basalt cliffs, colossal icebergs, and one of Earth's most isolated Inuit communities await expedition vessels from Ponant and Hapag-Lloyd. Visit July through September for muskox encounters, midnight-sun ice photography, and the Arctic in its most concentrated and demanding form.