Cruise to Arctic Circle – BD1021

Your Cruise to Arctic Circle or Northwest passage cruise expedition begins in Toronto. Explore this vibrant city on your own before spending the night at your well-appointed hotel.

This morning, board your charter flight to Resolute. Upon arrival, check out some of the town’s sites before Zodiac or helicopter transfer to the ship.

Wind your way around the remote islands of the Canadian High Arctic You will navigate the same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of long ago. They searched for the fabled Northwest Passage, the great sea route at the top of the world. Throughout your journey, your Expedition Team will work hard to give you a taste of the best the Arctic has to offer.

4th Day

There is no fixed itinerary. Our objective is to visit as many of the incredible highlights. Each day, your highly skilled Expedition Team will read the conditions and choose the best course to set. Each visit brings something new to discover. Enjoy daily Zodiac cruising and land excursions. There is a robust education program, complete with community visits and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Discover the ultimate polar expedition experience on one of our onboard helicopters. See stunning polar landscapes . Enjoy ultra-immersive activities like short sightseeing flights around your ship and surrounding areas. You can also fly to places not accessible on shore excursions.

5th Day

Moving through these remote landscapes you will be traveling through the ancestral homelands of this ancient culture, illuminated in person by Inuit guides onboard and ashore. Nunavut is an Inuktitut word meaning “our land” and the Nunavummiut (the people of Nunavut) are renowned for their incredible resourcefulness, hospitality, good humor, and a deep knowledge of the land and animals that has allowed them to thrive in the far north for millennia.

Navigate the waters and visit the historic sites in the area around Lancaster Sound that were key to the discovery of the Northwest Passage. You’ll also learn about the scientific, cultural, geopolitical and environmental aspects of the route from our world-class experts, guides and the local communities. Reaching remote lands that have lured adventurers for centuries and few have ever set foot on will be an experience you’ll never forget.

Wildlife sightings are almost guaranteed, as many of the areas we hope to explore are home to a surprising number of birds and mammals that thrive in this challenging environment. You’ll likely see polar bears, muskoxen and several bird species, such as gyrfalcons and dovekies. If you’re lucky, you may even spot the elusive narwhal or arctic wolf.

6th Day 

Coburg Island is a wildlife reserve for such birds as snowy owls and peregrine falcons. The impressive vertical cliffs of Prince Leopold Island are dotted with nesting seabirds like northern fulmars and black guillemots. The sheltered shores and steep cliffs of Arctic Bay, provide an ideal nesting habitat for various High Arctic birds such as snow geese, thick-billed murres (Brünnich’s guillemots) and kittiwakes.

Devon Island is another possible locale for wildlife encounters, as walrus, polar bears and muskoxen inhabit the area. Another exciting excursion your Expedition Team might offer, conditions permitting, is the opportunity to fly up to explore the Devon ice cap, one of the largest in the Canadian Arctic.

At the western end of Devon Island, windswept Beechey Island was a suitable stopover for Arctic expeditions. Pay your respects to the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845–46 at the small marked graves of three crew members on the island. The Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, also stopped here to pay his respects to Franklin. during his 1903–06 voyage. This voyage was the first successful transit of the Northwest Passage in history.

7th Day

History buffs will want to explore an abandoned Hudson’s Bay Company trading post at Fort Ross, at the southern end of Somerset Island. Nearby is the Bellot Strait. One of the goals of this expedition is to transit this famous channel, one of the most narrow and challenging of the passage.

Sail past Zenith Point, the northernmost point of continental North America. The strait separates Somerset Island from the Boothia Peninsula on mainland Canada. On Beechey Island, you can visit the memorial to Joseph Bellot, who disappeared during his search for Franklin.

Those looking for even more excitement may have the opportunity to cruise by Zodiac along the face of an active glacier near Croker Bay, Devon Island and possibly even witness the wonders of calving ice, at a safe distance. Listen closely for the steady crackle and loud roars as pieces of ice break off and crash into the water below. You’ll also want to be on the lookout for the walrus that are often seen in the area.

8th Day

After disembarking in Resolute, you’ll be transferred to your charter flight to Toronto, where you’ll spend the night at your included hotel.

Alas the Cruise to Arctic Circle or Northwest passage cruise ends today. Make your way to the airport to catch your homeward flights, or spend the day exploring this fascinating city.