Nuuk to Nuuk

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 19,000 inhabitants experiencing tremendous cultural and economic growth. Watch for harp seals as you enter the harbor, and hear from local residents to learn how the community has changed over the generations. At the National Museum, examine the extraordinary 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies found near Uummannaq—a discovery that was featured in a National Geographic magazine cover story in 1985. The Arctic ice preserved these mummies so well that researchers have been able to study their tattoos, their medical conditions and even what they ate.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and catch up with what you've been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale-watching, catching up on your reading, or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shoreside.

Iqaluit is the capital of Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut, which is Inuktitut for “our land”. The community is located at the head of Frobisher Bay, an inlet of the North Atlantic extending into southeastern Baffin Island. The Bay is so long that it was first taken to be the possible entrance of a Northwest Passage. In Iqaluit, the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum and the Nunavut Legislative Assembly Building both house incredible collections of Inuit artwork with interesting local prints for sale in the museum shop.

Located west of Nunavut’s Frobisher Bay, Halford Island forms part of Baffin Island’s eastern Arctic coastline, emerging from northerly waters of drifting sea ice. Forged by millennia of glacial erosion and exposure to ice and freezing water, the small island’s rocky shores feature bare rock and tundra — explore this distant island with Silversea’s Expedition team.

The Lower Savage Islands are a small group of islands off of the southeastern tip of Baffin Island, and a common location for polar bears to be found during the summer months. With plenty of land to roam while giving each other a wide berth, plus opportunities to feed, it seems perhaps bears can be found here as the ice vanishes with the summer season’s warming temperatures.

Discover the untouched beauty of High Bluff Island - a remote island waiting in the icy waters of the Hudson Strait. Rising from the frigid seas, just south of one of the world’s largest islands, Baffin Island, a visit to this uninhabited land promises a unique Arctic experience. Whether you're capturing the sights and scenery through the camera lens or taking in the distant wonders by foot or Zodiac, there’s much to discover on and around this tiny isle. The island’s closest neighbor, Big Island, lies to the west, while a series of rocky outcrops can be found to the south. Along the upper coastline, 330-foot-tall precipices rise, looking out across North Bay’s vast waters toward Baffin Island. Watch for Arctic wildlife, including marine mammals, as you explore and embark on expedition activities. Silversea’s expert expedition team will be on hand throughout to help you identify wildlife and the unique features of this isolated Arctic island. Part of the Kimmirut Inuit Owned Land, the official name for High Bluff Island has now been changed to Qikiqtarjuarusiq, in recognition of the Inuit ownership and connection with these lands. The nearest town, Kimmirut, lies to the north, tucked into an inlet on Baffin Island’s southern coastline.

Monumental Island in Davis Strait was named by Arctic explorer Charles Francis Hall as a tribute to the memory of Sir John Franklin who died in his quest to find the Northwest Passage. The island is offshore of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago of the territory of Nunavut. Around the shoreline scores of Black Guillemots dive and fish for little Arctic cods and capelins. Successful birds fly off with a minnow grasped tightly in their beaks. On a far larger scale, it is possible to find groups of walruses with their impressive tusks along the shores of the island. However, the coup de grâce is to spot a polar bear’s white silhouette against the dark background of the bedrock on Monumental Island.

Named in honour of Sir John Franklin’s widow, the lonely and uninhabited Lady Franklin Island lies off of Baffin Island’s Hall Peninsula at the entrance to Cumberland Sound. The island is named for the wife of Sir John Franklin, the Arctic explorer who died trying to discover the Northwest Passage. The geology of the island is striking with vertical cliffs of Archean rocks, likely to be some of the oldest stone in Canada. The waters around Lady Franklin Island offer an abundance seabirds, ducks, seals, and walrus. With a bit of luck it is possible to see Atlantic Puffins here and perhaps even a rare Sabine’s Gull.

The Inuit hamlet of Pangnirtung promises a warm welcome to all - regardless of the crisp temperatures outdoors. Known as 'The place of Bull Caribou,' the people here have hunted and fished these lands for thousands of years. The low, brightly-painted buildings are set against dramatic and snow-capped mountain scenery, which gives Switzerland's finest a run for their money. A little further north the jagged mountains and glaciers of Auyuittuq National Park wait - offering adventures on skis, hiking trails, and climbing ropes, as well as awe-inspiring views of Mount Thor's distinctive hammerhead granite formation. Crystal-clear waters on Cumberland Sound reflect the fresh snow on majestic peaks, and are filled with large, Arctic char and turbot. Marine mammals also call by, with bowhead whales, beluga, and narwhal among the visiting cast. Located just a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, Pangnirtung basks in glorious, extended summer daylight - a time of extended activity, as snowmobiles and dog sledges dart across the landscapes, and hikers traverse crunchy trails along fjords and rivers. Local creatives draw rich inspiration from the natural setting and their ancestral lands - crafting beautiful sculptures, prints and tapestries. Visit the Center for Arts and Crafts to browse handcrafted wares from local artisans. You'll want to seek out a much-coveted, crocheted Pang Hat too - which is sure to keep you toasty, warm, and on-trend during your time in the far north.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and catch up with what you've been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale-watching, catching up on your reading, or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shoreside.

Kronprinsen Ejland is a small group of islands located off the west coast of Greenland, in the Qeqertalik municipality, near Disko Bay. Also known by names such as “Crown Prince Islands” and historically “Whalefish Islands,” it lies in a remote Arctic marine environment characterized by cold waters, drifting ice, and rugged coastlines.

The islands are low-lying and rocky, surrounded by tundra landscapes and icy seas. Like much of western Greenland, the region experiences a harsh Arctic climate, with long winters and short, cool summers when limited vegetation appears.

Historically, the area had a small settlement established in 1781 as a whaling station by European traders. This settlement was eventually abandoned and fully depopulated by 1968, leaving the islands uninhabited today.

Wildlife in the s

Scattering chunks of sea ice like confetti, Eqip Sermia Glacier’s 2-mile-wide wall of ice is alive with thrilling activity. Known as the Calving Glacier, this immense formation towers up to 550 feet above the surface. Cracks and rumbles echo through the air from Eqip Sermia Glacier, one of the most active in the Northern Hemisphere. Enjoy the show, as dramatic collapses send mini-icebergs tumbling across the surface and the ship rolls gently on the ensuing waves. Explore this incredible glacier up close, immersed in pure silence, with only the calls of seabirds and the murmurings of the ice breaking the quiet. Eqip Sermia Glacier is retreating quickly, and this rapid movement drives the frequency of its calving events. Found at the terminus of Eqi Fjord, the compacted flow of ancient ice mass spills down through black and white mountains from its roots in the Greenland Ice Sheet - the second-largest body of ice in the world after Antarctica, covering 80% of the island. The deep blues and turquoise hues are caused by centuries of compression. Icy sculptures from Eqip Sermia Glacier and nearby Jakobshavn Glacier and Kangilerngata Sermia Glacier drift toward Disko Bay, where fin, humpback, and minke whales breach and roll through the lively waters.

Ataa Sound is a remote Arctic waterway located in western Greenland, in the Disko Bay region. It forms a long, narrow channel between the Greenland mainland and Alluttoq Island, creating a dramatic and isolated marine landscape.

Stretching roughly 35–40 km in length, the sound is bordered by steep mountains, rugged cliffs, and glacial terrain. Its waters are often filled with drifting icebergs calved from nearby glaciers, adding to the striking polar scenery.

The sound connects with surrounding fjord systems, including branches that lead toward inland valleys and ice fjords, making it part of a complex Arctic coastal network.

Wildlife in the area includes seabirds, seals, and occasionally whales, while the surrounding land remains largely uninhabited. Near its shores lies the abandoned settlement of Ataa, which adds a subtle historical presence to the otherwise untouched environment.

Known as the birthplace of icebergs, the Ilulissat Icefjord produces nearly 20 million tons of ice each day. In fact, the word Ilulissat means “icebergs” in the Kalaallisut language. The town of Ilulissat is known for its long periods of calm and settled weather, but the climate tends to be cold due to its proximity to the fjord. Approximately 4,500 people live in Ilulissat, the third-largest town in Greenland after Nuuk and Sisimiut. Some people here estimate that there are nearly as many sled dogs as human beings living in the town that also boasts a local history museum located in the former home of Greenlandic folk hero and famed polar explorer Knud Rasmussen.

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.

Evighedsfjord (Eternity Fjord) is a large fjord northeast of Kangaamiut in southwest Greenland. The fjord has a length of 75 kilometers and several branches with numerous glaciers coming down from the Maniitsoq Ice Cap to the north can be seen. The Evighedsfjord has several bends and whenever the ship reaches the supposed end the fjord continues in another direction and seems to go on forever. Qingua Kujatdleq Glacier is at its southeastern end. At the northwestern end, a U-shaped valley has seven glaciers coming down from the mountains but not reaching the water. The glaciers had their maximum extent around the year 1870 and have gone through several cycles of advance and retreat. The mountains on either side of the fjord can reach in excess of 2,000 meters and the fjord has a depth of up to 700 meters. Evighedsfjord’s snowline is at 1,100 meters and the Evighedsfjord region is famous as one of Greenland’s best heli-skiing areas.

Perched on the seaside in the shadow of ice-capped Sermitsiaq Mountain, Nuuk is the world’s smallest capital city by population, with some 19,000 inhabitants experiencing tremendous cultural and economic growth. Watch for harp seals as you enter the harbor, and hear from local residents to learn how the community has changed over the generations. At the National Museum, examine the extraordinary 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies found near Uummannaq—a discovery that was featured in a National Geographic magazine cover story in 1985. The Arctic ice preserved these mummies so well that researchers have been able to study their tattoos, their medical conditions and even what they ate.