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Arrive
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Day 1 Arrive in Toronto
Arrive in Toronto at any time today and make your own way to the airport hotel. A welcome letter will be waiting for you detailing the timings and arrangements for your charter flight tomorrow morning. If you arrive early in the day, you may wish to take a taxi into the city centre to discover Toronto's markets, galleries and cosmopolitan waterfront.
Overnight: Airport Hotel
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Day 2 Charter flight to Greenland & cruise embarkation
This morning you will return to the airport to board your charter flight to Greenland with the other guests. Arrive in Kangerlussuaq, a small town located on the shores of an 118-mile long fjord, and transfer to your cruise ship by Zodiac. Take some time to settle into your new surroundings, enjoy a first meal on board and then head out on deck to enjoy the views as the Ultramarine sets sail.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 3 Cruising west Greenland
Greenland is remarkable in so many ways, not least because over three-quarters of the island are blanketed by a vast sheet of ice. Around the small pockets of human settlement to the west, opportunities abound for captivating cruising through a labyrinth of pristine fjords littered with fragments of ice. One of the highlights of this region is Maniitsoq, the 'Venice of Greenland', a colourful settlement surrounded by natural canals set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Be sure to keep a lookout for the humpback whales who spend much of the summer in the surrounding waters.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 4 Further explorations of west Greenland
Continuing your route south along the coast you will reach the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk. Located on the waters of one of the largest fjord systems in the world, Nuuk is a thriving city where tales of Greenland's storied history can be enjoyed in an array of museums and monuments, and the Colonial Harbour lends itself to leisurely strolls along the waterfront.
Option: Embark upon a culinary journey with a tundra-to-table dining experience that recounts the stories and flavours of the Inuit in Greenland and Nunavut.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 5 Crossing the Davis Strait
Leaving the shores of Greenland behind, the Ultramarine takes to the waters of the Davis Strait on a full-day crossing to the Canadian Arctic. During this day at sea, the expert on-board naturalists will deliver a number of fascinating presentations designed to deepen your understanding of the places you are visiting. You may also wish to indulge in a treatment in the Tundra Spa.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 6 Baffin Island: Pangnirtung
Having reached the eastern shores of Canada's Baffin Island and crossed the Arctic Circle, the Inuit settlement of Pangnirtung will be the first place you land. The hamlet holds a strong heritage of traditional Inuit arts and crafts, and a visit to the Uqqurmiut Centre is an absolute must to observe the skills of the craftspeople in action. You may also wish to purchase your own colourful 'Pang Hat' - a crocheted winter hat unique to this region.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 7 Cumberland Sound & Cape Mercy
Sailing south from Pangnirtung you will reach the southern tip of Cumberland Sound and a place named Cape Mercy by the British explorer John Davis during his explorations of the region in the late 16th century. Here you will be able to disembark and hike around this isolated cove which was once the site of a Distant Early Warning Line installation, employed to detect Soviet bombers during the Cold War. You will then commence a route north, sailing along the ribbon-like eastern coastline of Baffin Island
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 8 - 10 Cruising the coast of Baffin Island
Heading north along the coast of Baffin Island you may encounter a playground of icebergs at Qikiqtarjuaq, which become trapped here as they float down the Davis Strait. Making land nearby, you may be able to hike to a hilltop to view an inukshuk - an Inuit stone figure traditionally constructed to serve a number of purposes, including navigation, animal herding or to mark places of spiritual significance. This stretch of Arctic coastline is also a wildlife haven, where playful harp seals bob in and out of the icy waters and Bowhead whales come to feed in the waters around Isabella Bay.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 10 Pond Inlet
Reaching the northernmost point of Baffin Island you will eventually approach the Inuit settlement of Pond Inlet. Positioned close to the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage, the hamlet looks out to a panorama of dramatic snow-capped peaks, languid icebergs and colossal glaciers on the horizon. Many of Pond Inlet's inhabitants still lead a semi-nomadic life, hunting for their food. Magnificent creatures such as Beluga whales, orcas and pods of narwhal can also sometimes be seen here.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 11 - 13 Exploring Canada's High Arctic
By now you will have reached the Arctic oasis of Lancaster Sound, an area boasting an array of astounding wildlife species and a multi-layered history. Fabulous hiking opportunities are on offer here, including on Devon Island where you can visit an abandoned coastal outpost of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Croker Bay offers the chance to cruise by Zodiac along the face of a calving glacier in waters often frequented by Atlantic walrus, while Radstock Bay is home to some of the best-preserved ancient Thule remains in the Arctic. On Beechey Island you will pay a poignant visit to the graves of three crew members who perished during Franklin's ill-fated 1845 expedition.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 14 - 15 Further explorations of Canada's High Arctic
Continue to keep a lookout for narwhals and Beluga whales as you sail south along the coast of Somerset Island, which is also an area rich in birdlife such as black-bellied plovers and white-rumped sandpipers. At Fort Ross you will be able to see where the Hudson's Bay Company first established a trading post in 1937 before it was later abandoned. Continuing along the Bellot Strait - a narrow stretch of water separating Somerset Island from mainland North America - you will reach Zenith Point, the northernmost area of the continental landmass. As your cruise draws to a close, enjoy a farewell dinner sharing memories of the once-in-a-lifetime journey you have undertaken.
Overnight: Ultramarine Arctic
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Day 16 Disembark in Resolute Canada, fly to Calgary
Enjoy one last breakfast onboard the Ultramarine before disembarking in Resolute. From here you take a charter flight to Calgary and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight: Airport Hotel
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Day 17 Depart Calgary
Make your own way to Calgary airport in plenty of time for your onward flight.
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Depart
