Scoresby Sund - Iceland, Aurora Borealis, Fly & Sail

POR FAVOR TENGA EN CUENTA: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. The on-board expedition leader determines the final itinerary. Itineraries may mention places that require permission to land, which must be granted by the relevant national authorities. Such permission is not granted prior to the publishing of these itineraries. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. Willingness to compromise on comfort is a basic requirement on board of a historic traditional sailing vessel. Important information about the sailing program: the boat is equipped with sails and these will be used in good conditions (open sea, water depth, appropriate wind conditions, time availability). This is not guaranteed. The captain decides whether to use the sails or the engine. There is no claim to one or other propulsion method. If sails are used, they are operated by the crew. Guests follow the safety instructions of the team. Average cruising speed for s/v Rembrandt van Rijn is 6.5 knots.

The Scoresby Sund cruise travels into the largest fjord system in the world. The expedition visits historic Inuit sites, sails through sensational scenery and tops it all off with a night-time sky filled with the Northern Lights.

Day 1: Push-off at Constable Pynt

You arrive by chartered plane from Keflavik and land at Constable Pynt, the airfield at the head of Hurry Inlet. This area is known for its remarkably rich geological history.

Day 2: Sailing among the glaciers

Enjoy the sights as you sail the glaciated Volquart Boons Coast. Here you may set out a Zodiac cruise along one of the shoreline glacier fronts, with your first activity near Månegletcher or Vikingebugt.

Day 3: Inuit neighborhood of yesteryear

You visit Danmark Island, where you find the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned around 200 years ago. The circular stone tent rings indicate the summer houses, while the winter houses can be seen closer to a small cape. The sites are well preserved, with easy identifiable entrances, bear-proof meat caches, and grave sites. During the afternoon, you sail along the east side of Milne Land amid a number of scattered icebergs.

Day 4 - 6: Mountain-Fringed Fjord

Today marks a visit to the east entrance of one of the most impressive fjords in the world: Ø Fjord is almost 40 nautical miles long (74 km, 46 miles), with mountains on each side up to 2,000 meters high (6,562 feet), and icebergs that drift over depths of more than 1,000 meters (3,281 feet). Your aim is to land at Jyttehavn and hike the tundra in mythic surroundings. Near Sydkap you can see colossal icebergs, some over 100 meters high (328 feet) and more than a kilometer long (.62 mile). Most of these bergs are grounded, as the fjord is only about 400 meters deep (1,312 feet). You may also view the remains of the Thule winter houses. As many as twenty people lived here, hunting Greenland whale and building houses out of their vertebrae.

Day 7: Settlement at Scoresbysund

Today’s stop is Ittoqqortoormiit, the largest settlement in Scoresbysund at about five hundred inhabitants. At the post office you can buy stamps for your postcards, or just stroll around to see the sled dogs and drying skins of seals and musk oxen.

Day 8: Remains of the Thule culture

Your next stop is Stewart Island, an important hunting location for the people of Scoresbysund. It is also a possible area to see narwhals – locals hunt them here – and more houses from the ancient Thule culture. Some tent rings here are possibly from even earlier Inuit cultures than the Thule.

Day 9: Narwhal waters, polar bear shores

Turner Sound and Rømer Fjord grant you the opportunity to sail far inland, as they have no glacier front at the head and are not clogged with ice. In this location, you have your best shot at spotting narwhals and polar bears.

Day 10 - 11: Under the auroras

If there is not too much cloud cover, today you can marvel at the magical lightshow of the aurora borealis.

Day 12: Journey’s end in Akureyri

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You arrive at Akureyri, transferring by chartered bus (six-hour drive) to Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, Adalstraeti 16, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.