Greenland's empty side: the largest fjord system on Earth, one tiny Inuit settlement, and - if you sail in September - the northern lights over icebergs. There are no ports, no shops and no crowds; the expedition is the whole point.
The route at a glance
Eight to eleven days, roundtrip from Reykjavik, Iceland, in the short July-to-September season. The classic voyage crosses the Denmark Strait to East Greenland and enters Scoresby Sund, a fjord complex larger than some countries: basalt cliffs, grounded icebergs the size of apartment blocks, musk oxen on the tundra, and a call at Ittoqqortoormiit, a working Inuit hunting village of a few hundred people. September departures add the aurora - far enough south to get dark nights again, far enough north to light them up. Landings and Zodiac cruises run daily, set around ice and weather.
Who this route suits
Best for expedition travelers who have done Iceland and want the next step north, for landscape photographers (nowhere else looks like this), and for aurora seekers who prefer a ship to a frozen minibus. The September sailings are cold but manageable, and Zodiac boarding needs basic mobility. Less ideal for first-time cruisers who want ports and shops, for anyone who needs itinerary certainty, and for travelers on Caribbean budgets. If you want Greenland as one chapter of a bigger voyage, the Iceland and Greenland fire-and-ice route combines both.
What it costs
East Greenland expeditions are priced like Arctic small-ship travel, below Antarctica but above Norway. The eleven-day September 2027 Scoresby Sund voyage from Reykjavik lists from $10,395 per person, with early discounts bringing the entry cabin to about $8,836; mid-range cabins run about $9,100 to $11,800 discounted, suites to $14,600. Fares include landings, the expedition team and usually the parka; getting to Reykjavik is the easy part, with cheap flights from both sides of the Atlantic.
The five-minute version
- Eight to eleven days, roundtrip Reykjavik; July to September only.
- Scoresby Sund's giant fjords, icebergs, musk oxen, one Inuit village.
- September adds northern lights over the ice.
- From about $8,800 discounted; mid-cabins $9,100-11,800.
- Iceland flights are cheap; the ship is the expensive part.