HIGHLIGHTS
- With
featured guest Cindy Miller Hopkins, American Photo Ambassador.
- Be
among the few people in the world to set off in search of the
Geographic North Pole, and explore the west coast of Svalbard, the
Ittoqqortoormiit region and the Blosseville Coast.
- Enjoy
the unique experience of sailing through the heart of the ice floe and
discover the endless variety of forms and states of the ice.
- Exploring
the region of Ittoqqortoormiit, where the last hunters of the polar
region live.
- At
this time of the year and depending on the opportunities provided by
the weather conditions, the possibility of observing the phenomenon of
the Northern Lights.
- The
landscapes: patches of ice floe drifting from the North Pole, hummocks,
striped mountains, fjords, glaciers, icebergs. In Spitsbergen, jagged
mountains, steep-sided valleys, sheer cliffs.
- The
wildlife: blue and humpback whales, polar bears, narvals, seals,
muskoxen, Arctic foxes, orcas, Northern fulmars, ivory gulls.
- Many
brand-new activities*: kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, polar plunge.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Sep 26, 2026 | 46,200 |
47,660 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Sep 26, 2026 | 46,200 |
47,660 |
ITINERARY
Day
1 : Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
Longyearbyen
is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on
Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial
capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below
40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply
breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye
can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re
in completely unexplored territory.
Day
2 : Templefjord, Spitsbergen
Day
3 : Magdalenefjorden (Magdalena Bay), Spitsbergen
Nestling
in north western Spitsbergen, Magdalena Bay is one of
Svalbard’s unmissable sites. In a spectacular landscape of
snow-topped Alpine mountains, deep fjords, beaches and majestic
glaciers, it offers multiple opportunities for wonderment. We will not
be surprised to observe whales, walruses, seals, common eiders, terns,
polar bears and Arctic foxes there. The site of Gravneset, located in
Magdalenafjorden, is home to the remnants of a former whaling station
used during the 17th century, as well as the graves of many sailors
buried here up until the end of the 18th century. Not far from here,
the Gully Glacier offers a magnificent view, a delight for
photographers.
Day
4-7 : Navigating through the sea ice
Enjoy
the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice
floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are
constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos
of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these
naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is
thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments
in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity
to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.
Day
7-8 : Geographic North Pole
Defined
by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the
Earth’s rotational axis, at the intersection of all
meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit
by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site,
permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated
generations of explorers. So far, only a very few people have ever
reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard Le
Commandant Charcot.
Day
9-11 : Navigating through the sea ice
Enjoy
the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice
floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are
constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos
of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these
naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is
thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments
in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity
to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.
Day
12 : Sailing ice floes along Greenland
The
north-east of Greenland is renowned for being home to one of the oldest
and thickest layers of ice on the planet. Aboard your ship, you will
have the unique opportunity of sailing to the heart of this icy
wilderness, many thousands of years old, and will travel along one of
the world's most isolated coasts, between drifting ice and blue
icebergs.
Day
13-14 : Exploration of Ittoqqortoormiit Region
On
the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region that is
covered with snow and ice for nine months of the year, you will have
the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of an isolated
territory and exploring the beauty of its infinite polar whiteness. The
high alpine mountains punctuate the sky and gradually reveal their dark
rock edges beneath a coat of snow. Located at the entrance to the
longest system of fjords in the world, sits the village of
Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the northernmost inhabited places on the East
coast. Its name means ‘great house’ in Greenlandic
and it is home to the last hunters of the polar region, whose ancestral
way of life you will encounter. As soon as the thickness of the ice
floe allows it, the hunters set out on the trail of walruses, seals,
narwhals, musk oxen and polar bears, travelling by traditional dog
sleds. On these expanses of immaculate snow, the silence is broken only
by the sounds of the dogs, the grating of a sled coming back from a run
or of footsteps on the ice. You will discover Inuit traditions through
privileged and festive moments on the ice floe and in the village.
Day
15 : Exploring the Blosseville Coast
Aboard
your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a
French explorer and sailor. In 1833, he set off to discover this
isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland aboard La Lilloise,
an adventure with a fatal outcome. The uninhabited territory that bears
his name lies to the south of Scoresby Sound. Surrounded by ice,
icebergs and pack ice - thin or thick, flat or pronounced - as far as
the eye can see, Blosseville Coast is a wild and distant place to which
very few people have access. Exploring it means a slow immersion into
the heart of a frozen, almost unreal desert, where the variations in
light transform one’s perception of the landscape. In the
kingdom of the polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot, a silent ship open
to the exterior, will offer exceptional moments observing Arctic
wildlife, through a series of encounters.
Day
16 : At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
17 : Reykjavík
Iceland’s
capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the
country. Perlan, the “Pearl of
Reykjavík”, a museum located on
’Oskjuhlið hill, offers a panoramic view of the lush,
green landscapes. A little further, one can easily spot the signpost
showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church,
and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the
Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two
lively streets with charming small shops. For some relaxation just
outside of the city, visitors have the opportunity to visit the
Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.
Le Commandant Charcot (Luxury Expedition, 270-guests)
Le Commandant-Charcot welcomes you to an intimate and refined atmosphere. Equipped with just 135 staterooms including 31 suites with balconies and outside views, the ship offers outstanding gastronomy in its two restaurants, relaxation in the indoor pool surrounded by its winter garden, relaxation in the well-being area with sauna and Snow Room... Like on a private yacht, each of our guests is unique.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Flight Paris/Nuuk and Nuuk/Paris selected by PONANT in
economy class.
- Transfer mentioned in the programme.
- English-speaking assistance.
Excluded
from this voyage:
- Personal expenses.
- Any other service not mentioned in the programme.
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS :
- Kayaking - Le Commandant Charcot
- Hiking or Snowshoeing
- Polar Plunge
