Having made your way to Reykjavik, meet the representative of Aurora Expeditions and transfer to your group hotel. Upon arrival at your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags and to speak with the ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash, or purchase last-minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.

Breakfast and check-out. Join the guided Golden Circle and Geothermal Energy tour. With 85% of its electricity sourced from renewable sources, Iceland sets an outstanding example when it comes to sustainable energy.

Your journey takes you to the famous seismic sights of the Golden Circle route—Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir, and history-rich Thingvellir National Park—before you experience first-hand how green, sustainable energy is produced at one of the largest single-site geothermal power plants on the planet at the Geothermal Energy Exhibition and Ljósafossvirkjun Power Station.

You can also spend time in a true eco-village. Powered with thermal and solar energy, Sólheimar is fully sustainable, boasting greenhouses and forestry programs, while its sustainable workshops are dedicated to candle-making, carpentry, weaving, and soap-making. Late in the afternoon, return to Reykjavik for embarkation.

This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners, expedition team, and crew.

In the Denmark Strait, cruise towards Greenland. Look out for whale blows and the many seabirds that trail your ship, riding in the constant winds. In the lecture theater, enjoy informative and entertaining presentations from the experts on topics such as seabirds, wildlife, and ice, or catch up on some rest after busy days of travel.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to you, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is yours to explore. The experienced Expedition Team, which has made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor your itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows you to make the best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and encounters with wildlife. The team generally attempts up to two landings or zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs and following whales feeding near the surface.

Be prepared to experience ice—and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 meters (6,562 feet), and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.

The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hares, and reindeer. Throughout the area, there are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, a gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.

Explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favorite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacular place that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lies the Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains, which offer protection from strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk oxs and arctic foxes to mountain hares and even reindeer near the fjord. Look skyward, and you can catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven, and common eider.

Attempt to enter Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. As you cruise through Kong Oskar Fjord, marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. Then head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with your passage dependent on ice conditions.

Stretch your legs on hikes across the tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by the Inuit. You may see musk ox, arctic hare, and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. You can see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of the elusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

As you sail towards the coast of East Greenland, you may encounter whales feeding in the rich waters of the north. As you approach East Greenland, be prepared to encounter more pack ice, perhaps spot seals, and a variety of seabirds, including the northern fulmar and Brünnich’s guillemot.

The strong, icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seals, and whales. Climatic conditions and the concentration of ice in the vicinity often create thick morning fog that only vanishes in the presence of the midday sun. The experts will inform and entertain you with fascinating discussions on plants, animals, ice, and heroic tales of exploration.

Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of the experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor your itinerary, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions, and opportunities for wildlife encounters.

Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountain ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walruses hauled out on sea ice or beaches. On land, stretch your legs on walks across tundra carpeted in brightly colored wildflowers. Visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots, puffins, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies. Most memorable are encounters with the majestic polar bear on pack ice. Your expedition team is just as keen as you are to find them, and they will be on constant watch to spot these inspiring creatures.

If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you can have the opportunity to enjoy that activity when conditions allow. For those enthusiastic about participating in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable, you can hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip—a memory you can savor for years to come.

During the early morning, cruise back into Longyearbyen. Farewell to your Expedition Team upon disembarkation before transferring to the airport for your charter flight to Oslo.