Iceland to Greenland: Total Solar Eclipse

Arrive in Reykjavik and transfer independently to your included hotel for the night. Depending on your arrival time, you may wish to explore sites of the fascinating capital of Iceland.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to your ship, the technologicallyadvanced Ultramarine. Today we set sail for what’s often referred to as “Iceland’s best-kept secret”—the Westfjords. This rugged peninsula, on the remote northwestern tip of Iceland, is a stunning region of mountains and fjords, hence its anglicized name, Westfjords. Mountains slope down to the sea in a dramatic fashion, providing plenty of opportunities for incredible landscape photography. We’ll spend the day exploring the fjords and shores of one of Iceland’s oldest regions (home to volcanic rocks dating back 16 million years) by Zodiac and ship, and during guided shore landings.

The views are diverse: dramatic cliffs, gushing waterfalls, colorful beaches, rolling green hills, high moorlands dotted with rocky outcrops and tiny lakes. You’ll likely spot Icelandic ponies and shaggy sheep grazing the hillsides. A few outposts of civilization include small fishing communities nestled on the edges of the fjord and along the shores of the Denmark Strait. These modest settlements preserve a maritime heritage that dates back to the heady days of the Viking era. Possible community visits include Vigur Island in Safjarðardjúp fjord, and the little town of Ísafjörður, noted for its wooden houses, fishing boats, and hospital-turned-community center.

As we sail north across the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland, your Expedition Team will prepare you for the exciting adventures ahead—both on and off-ship. Our team of polar experts will present on a wide range of topics, including Arctic history, wildlife, geology, and climatology. The team will also search for seabirds soaring about the ship—and they’ll most certainly alert you whenever there’s a whale sighting.

Navigating within the boundaries of the Northeast Greenland National Park—the planet’s largest national park at 972,000 square kilometers—we will sail into Kangerluk Kong Oscar, also known as King Oscar Fjord, on the northern border of Scoresby Land peninsula. This major f jord system, poplar for its famously bright sandstone, stretches 110 kilometers long and 10 to 25 kilometers wide. When conditions allow, guests will have the opportunity to hike in Skipperdal Valley, where mineral deposits have painted the hills red and magenta—so landscape photographers take note.

As we prepare to position the ship in order to maximize views of the solar eclipse on Day 7, we’ll also have the opportunity to visit Blomsterbugten (also known as Flower Bay) on Ymer Island. The floral name was chosen by noted archeologists Gunnar Seidenfaden and Arne Noe-Nygaard during the Lauge Koch expedition in 1929 upon discovering an abundance of specimens for their botanical collection. Blomsterbugten is also home to a little hut known as “Varghytten” (the wolf hut). Built in 1929, the small hut is still used by the Sirius Patrol, a specialized military unit of the Danish Armed Forces. It’s possible we’ll also hike to the seldom-visited Noa Lake. There will be a palpable sense of excitement in the air as anticipation builds for our much-awaited eclipse viewing. Behind the scenes, your Expedition Leader, guest eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler and the Ship Captain will work closely together— monitoring sea and ice conditions and atmospheric forecasts—to strategically position Ultramarine in the best location possible to maximize your views of the solar eclipse. Relatively few humans get to experience the awe of a polar expedition—but even fewer get to combine the wonders of an Arctic expedition with a solar eclipse viewing.

Expect presentations by our two special guests, eclipse experts David Baron and Michael Zeiler, in the leadup to the August 12 Solar Eclipse. (See profiles, page 20). These veteran eclipse enthusiasts will draw on their vast knowledge to ensure you have an eclipse viewing like no other.

On the evening of Day 6, guest expert David Baron will deliver a keynote presentation titled “Scientific America: The Eclipse That Enlightened A Nation,” during which he’ll delve into the societal impacts of eclipses. Baron will discuss how epic events such as a solar eclipse have spurred societies—and specific individuals—to achieve scientific greatness.

Ultramarine will sail further into King Oscar Fjord where the team will identify the most optimal viewing point along the path of totality. With the total eclipse of the sun lasting 2 minutes and 17.2 seconds, this region of the Arctic provides the longest duration of totality along the entire eclipse path. The eclipse will begin at 2:34 pm; totality will begin at 3:34 pm and end at 3:36 pm. The eclipse viewing experience, a duration of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 3 seconds, will conclude at 4:35 pm. This 2026 eclipse is part of Saros series 126, which is a cycle of solar eclipses that repeats approximately every 18 years. It’s worth noting that total solar eclipses in Polar Regions are relatively rare due to the smaller land area and the fact that the sun only illuminates each pole for part of the year. To reiterate, the last total solar eclipse observable north of the Arctic Circle was 2015. The Quark Expeditions team and guest eclipse experts have been and will continue to research the geography of this region as we prepare for the event. Right up until the day of the eclipse itself, our team will study the mountainous terrain, the angles of the sun in the sky, and weather patterns to determine the best possible viewing experience. Your Expedition Leader will outline the day’s agenda in the days and hours leading up to the total eclipse.

As we begin to make our way home— still overwhelmed no doubt by the previous day’s eclipse experience—we’ll visit Scoresby Sound (Scoresby Sund), a large fjord system on the eastern coast of Greenland. Except for a small population of Inuit at Ittoqqortoormiit, near the mouth of the fjord, Scoresby Sund is largely uninhabited. Warm water polynyas (areas of open water surrounded by sea ice) near the mouth of the fjord support diverse ecosystems of f lora and fauna, which is unusual for the Arctic. Numerous mountains, valleys and glaciers line the fjords, giving rise to a spectacular collection of icebergs. We also plan to journey through Bjornar (Nannut Qeqertaat), a group of islands (also known as Bear Islands) located northeast of Milne Land, named during the 1891-92 Den Østgrønlandske (East Greenland) expedition. The collection of 11 main islands fascinates visitors with its maze of channels, steep cliff faces and fascinating geology.

While exploring this area, you’ll enjoy Zodiac cruises and shore visits to several locations. We’ll also watch for grazing muskoxen as 40 percent of the world’s population lives in Northeast Greenland National Park. Sailing through spectacular Scoresby Sund, where many icebergs are birthed, you’ll immediately appreciate why previous visitors have described it as the most beautiful fjord system on the planet. We’ll visit sites such as Vikingbukta, known for its shoreline of basalt columns, and Sydkap, where you can explore the colorful tundra and remains of ancient Thule settlements.

Our Arctic adventure winds down as we sail back across Denmark Strait, southbound this time. We invite you to use your remaining time onboard to attend an educational presentation by one of our experts, share your photos, book a massage in Ultramarine’s Tundra Spa, sip an icy cocktail in the bar—or ask any questions you may have for our enthusiastic Expedition Team, who will also alert guests of any wildlife sightings.

You’ll disembark in Reykjavik, Iceland’s bustling capital, at the end of your journey. If you have booked postexpedition accommodation, we provide a transfer to a central downtown location.