Wilderness from Greenland to the East Coast of Canada

The name Kangerlussuaq means "Big Fjord" in the local Kalaallisut language. The settlement of about 500 people is located in western Greenland on flat land at the head of a fjord with the same name. Kangerlussuaq is the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport and most of the economy here is dependent on the air transportation hub and tourism. The rugged lands around the settlement support terrestrial Arctic fauna including muskoxen, caribou, and Gyrfalcons.

Located just north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut is the northernmost town in Greenland where the port remains free of ice in the winter. Yet it is also the southernmost town where there is enough snow and ice to drive a dogsled in winter and spring. In Sisimiut, travelling by sled has been the primary means of winter transportation for centuries. In fact, the area has been inhabited for approximately 4,500 years. Modern Sisimiut is the largest business center in the north of Greenland, and is one of the fastest growing Greenlandic cities. Commercial fishing is the lead economy in the town‘s thriving industrial base.

Sitting above the Arctic Circle, visit a land of wonderful extremes, where polar bears roam, and the vastness of scenery is all-encompassing. Taking its name from the Inuktitut word for Big Island - Qikiqtarjuaq, is a place of long, summer nights that feel eternal, and contrast with the inky depths of winter. These blackened nights are illuminated by the ethereal glow of the Northern lights dancing over huge mountain peaks. A small community resides in this remote and wonderful setting, on the sheltered western shore of Broughton Island, separated from Baffin Island by a relatively narrow channel. Across this gap, the majestic, staggeringly tall mountains of Auyuittuq National Park rise. These are some of the continent’s most spectacular peaks, of poetic form and grandeur. The icy waters surrounding Qikiqtarjuaq are strewn with icebergs beginning long journeys, earning the island its title as Nunavut’s ‘Iceberg Capital’. While ice floes drift serenely on the surface, giants move in the depths - and the waters are visited by wildlife such as narwhals, bowhead whales, seals, and orcas. The skies above, meanwhile, are often alive with seabirds, particularly the Northern Fulmar. Cruise along the beautiful shoreline and take to Zodiacs for a deeper level of exploration, seeking out the wonderful wildlife of the region with our expert team on hand to identify the animals and share their fascinating insights into this wonderful region.

Akpatok Island is the largest island in the middle of Ungava Bay, south of Baffin Island and north of Quebec. Its name is the local name for the Thick-billed Murre, which nests here in vast numbers. In fact, the entire island is designated a Canadian Important Bird Area. Other common wildlife are Polar bears, seals, and walrus. One of the most distinctive features of the island is the steep limestone cliffs ringing the shore. They rise 490 to 820 feet straight up from the sea to a flat plateau. Although is uninhabited today, remains of a Dorset settlement have been documents at the southern end of the island.

The Torngat Mountains National Park is situated on the eastern side of Labrador’s northernmost point and features mountains sometimes described as the “Eastern Rocky Mountains”. The park covers an area of 9,700 km2 (over 6,000 mi2) and is dotted with remnants of several cirque glaciers. Saglek Fjord has an outstanding array of geological features and the steep cliffs provide some of the best exposures to the earth’s geologic history. The name of the national park goes back to Torngarsoak, who was believed to control the life of sea animals and took the form of a huge polar bear. Polar bears hunt seals on the ice here in the winter months, and herds of Torngat Mountain and George River caribou migrate to and from their calving grounds in the warmer months. Inuit use the area to hunt, fish and travel throughout the year and many still have a strong spiritual connection to this “Place of Spirits”.

Nain, the northernmost permanent settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador, is a gateway to the vast wilderness of Labrador. This small Inuit community offers a glimpse into Indigenous culture and traditions that have thrived here for centuries. Surrounded by rugged coastline, fjords, and boreal forests, Nain is a place where nature and heritage come together, inviting visitors to experience authentic Arctic life and stunning natural beauty

Around the year 1000, Vikings from Greenland and Iceland founded the first European settlement in North America, near the northern tip of Newfoundland. They arrived in the New World 500 years before Columbus but stayed only a few years and were forgotten for centuries. Since the settlement's rediscovery in the last century, the archaeological site has brought tourism to the area. Viking themes abound but so do views, whales, icebergs, fun dining experiences, and outdoor activities. L'Anse Aux Meadows on the northern tip of the island of Newfoundland is a remote community of just 40 people, with St Anthony, 40 minutes away, having a population of only 3,500. The region is locally famous for springtime polar bears, nesting eider ducks, the northern extreme of the Appalachians at nearby Belle Isle, numerous spring and summer icebergs, and a rich ocean fishery. L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site is the UNESCO World Heritage Site that tells the story of Leif Erickson and the first Europeans in the new world. This site is often the keystone attraction for cruises themed around the Vikings. Discovered in 1960, it is the site of a Norse village, the only known one in North America outside of Greenland. The site remains the only widely-accepted instance of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact, and is notable for possible connections with the attempted colony of Vinland established by Leif Ericson around 1003, or more broadly with Norse exploration of the Americas. The root of the name "L'Anse aux Meadows" is believed to have originated with French fishermen in the area during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, who named the site L'Anse aux Meduses, meaning 'Jellyfish Bay'.

Twillingate is the self-proclaimed ‘Iceberg Capital of the World’, although icebergs will be a more likely occurrence in the winter months. The community is home to the “Prime Berth Museum”, which is best described as a commercial fishing heritage site highlighting the glory “salt fish days” before the cod fishery moratorium in the mid-1980s. Several historic buildings packed with artifacts are located near the shoreline, in addition to an impressive skeleton of a Sei whale and the two giant racks of its baleen on display.

Old meets new in the province's capital (metro-area population a little more than 200,000), with modern office buildings surrounded by heritage shops and colorful row houses. St. John's mixes English and Irish influences, Victorian architecture and modern convenience, and traditional music and rock and roll into a heady brew. The arts scene is lively, but overall the city moves at a relaxed pace.For centuries, Newfoundland was the largest supplier of salt cod in the world, and St. John's Harbour was the center of the trade. As early as 1627, the merchants of Water Street—then known as the Lower Path—were doing a thriving business buying fish, selling goods, and supplying alcohol to soldiers and sailors.

A taste of France awaits on the windswept shores of Saint-Pierre, the capital of a small archipelago and French overseas territory just off the coast of Newfoundland. The island exhibits its French flair in narrow streets, baguette-filled bakeries, and charming cafés. Take a stroll along the waterfront and visit local museums that reveal Saint-Pierre’s unique heritage, including its time as a smuggler’s haven during the Prohibition era in America. Shop duty-free for French fare such as fine wines and cheeses, or venture out onto the water in search of the region’s vibrant marine life, including whales, seals, dolphins and puffins.

At the entrance of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, not far from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Miquelon is one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago and will delight those with a love of wide open space. Connected by a sand isthmus, with Miquelon in the north and Langlade to the south, this wild land is famous as the home to France’s only boreal forest and has sublime scenery of hills, dotted with ponds, woods and bogs, and ringed by lagoons and steep cliffs. The rich and varied wildlife will guarantee fine encounters, whether inland, which is populated with white-tailed deer and bald eagles, or on the coast, refuge to many seabirds and common seals.

At the entrance of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, not far from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Miquelon is one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago and will delight those with a love of wide open space. Connected by a sand isthmus, with Miquelon in the north and Langlade to the south, this wild land is famous as the home to France’s only boreal forest and has sublime scenery of hills, dotted with ponds, woods and bogs, and ringed by lagoons and steep cliffs. The rich and varied wildlife will guarantee fine encounters, whether inland, which is populated with white-tailed deer and bald eagles, or on the coast, refuge to many seabirds and common seals.

Halifax exudes a fine European air and lies along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors by sea are greeted by the 1758 Sambro Island Lighthouse, the oldest surviving beacon in North America. In the harborside Historic Properties district, grand and charming stone buildings built in the 18th and 19th centuries grace the cobblestone streets. The city grew up around Citadel Hill, where Fort George protected the harbor. The fortress, along with the adjacent stately Halifax Town Clock, has been gloriously restored and preserved.