Greenland to Newfoundland: Mountains, Wildlife and Viking History

Discover both Arctic and boreal environments, while also immersing in a cross-section of cultural traditions

Join this unique adventure to explore the wonders of both Arctic and boreal environments. The boreal biomes (also called taiga) are cold, dense forests dominated by coniferous trees, boreal woodlands and wildlife such as caribou, black bears and Arctic foxes. It’s a sharp contrast to the Arctic biomes, treeless regions marked by extreme winters, low vegetation consisting mostly of mosses and lichens, and polar bears, seals and migratory birds.

You’ll also immerse in a cross-section of cultural traditions: Greenlandic culture in places like Sisimiut; Inuit and Nunatsiavut culture in Nunavut and Labrador; Viking history at l’Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland; then the welcoming East Coast hospitality of St John’s, famously steeped in Celtic music and history thanks to its vast population of Irish descendants.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Group information: The Ocean Explorer takes a maximum of 138 passengers. The Exodus group forms part of the ship’s complement, enjoying the relaxed, intimate and informal atmosphere, which breaks into smaller groups to facilitate the frequent excursions. We offer these cruises in conjunction with our partner, Quark Expeditions, and Exodus participants will join an international group, not all of whom have booked through Exodus. Occasionally some of these may be younger than 18 years old, our stated minimum age for this trip.

Is this trip for you?

Travelling conditions: The voyages are designed to be as flexible as possible, taking advantage of circumstances and events as they occur, as well as passengers’ wishes and interests wherever possible. The atmosphere on board is relaxed and friendly with expedition staff, including naturalists and Polar experts, on hand and the opportunity to mingle with people from all over the world. The ship is kept warm, clean and comfortable with a wet/mud room in which to hang gear and store boots ready for the next adventure.

On the Zodiac cruises, you are sitting still for most of the time with the potential for some sea spray and a cold headwind – if you are not dressed appropriately, you will get cold. On the shore excursions, most landings are wet, which means the Zodiacs beach and you are helped to slide into the ankle-deep shore break before walking up onto dry land (wellington boots are issued to all passengers). There are, of course, no paths, so be prepared for slippery, rough terrain and sometimes fairly deep snow. Back on board the cosy ship after each adventure, you can have a sauna and/or a hot shower and then relax with a tea, coffee, hot chocolate or something stronger from the bar.

Adventure options:

• Sea kayaking: Glide across the surface of a bay in the presence of icebergs and glaciers. Our sea kayaking program is a great way to intimately explore your surroundings. A small group of kayakers will plan to go out multiple times per voyage as an alternative to shore landings or Zodiac cruises. The number of opportunities to kayak is weather dependent and will be conducted only during calm conditions. Prior kayaking experience is required, and you must be able to do a wet exit to participate. Beginners interested in kayaking should consider participating in the paddling excursion.
• Paddling excursion: If you’re interested in kayaking but would like to try something a bit less demanding than sea kayaking, you’re the perfect candidate to sign up for a one-time paddle on our stable sit-on-top kayaks − perfect for anyone with minimal or no kayaking experience. Rotating groups of passengers will be taken out on calm days, with our expert guides always present to provide instruction and help connect you with the Polar sea.
• Mountain Biking – Arctic: Feeling like a more active adventure? Our team has joined with local partners to identify incredible mountain biking routes through the stunning scenery just beyond the town boundaries of Sisimiut, Greenland. While others explore the community, our expert guides and local partners take you to the best terrain to start your adventure and be with you throughout the activity. Participants must be fit, and intermediate to intermediate-strong mountain bikers. Riders should expect a combination of single track and remote gravel roads. Riders should be able to roll over small obstacles (like roots or rocks), and shift gears comfortably when anticipating and responding to changing terrain.

Polar itineraries: All Polar itineraries should be treated as a guide only – it is possible that, among other things, the capricious nature of wind, visibility and ice, intelligence from previous sailings, changes in local landing regulations or the expert opinion of the crew may lead to adjustments to the route published.

Booking conditions: As with all Polar holidays and voyages, the booking conditions for this trip differ from our standard conditions. The required deposit is 25% per person of your selected travel arrangements (minimum £1,000 per person or equivalent in booking currency) and the balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid at least 133 days before your departure date. The deposit is non-refundable, and at 133 days before departure date, our cancellation penalties are 100% of the holiday cost.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Greenland

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies and tuberculosis (TB). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Iceland

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus and rabies. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

Greenland

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Greenland. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/denmark
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/greenland
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/denmark/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Greenland.html

Iceland

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Iceland. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/iceland
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/iceland
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iceland/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Iceland.html

Food & Drink

All meals while on the ship included.

Typical meals

The ships galley offers good quality service and cuisine throughout, with excellent chefs preparing international menus including vegetarian dishes, accompanied by a wide variety of drinks from around the world on sale.

Breakfast: Buffet style: unlimited tea and coffee, a selection of fruit juices, hot options including bacon and eggs or omelettes, a selection of bread and toast and jam/honey/marmalade, fruit and cereal.

Lunch: Three-course set meal, or the occasional buffet or barbecue.

Dinner: Three courses with a starter of soup, salad or anti-pasto, a choice of three mains with at least one vegetarian and one seafood option and a dessert of sweet pudding or ice cream or fruit, tea and coffee.

Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so our local team can be well prepared.

Weather

Greenland has an Arctic climate with average temperatures that do not exceed 10C (50F) in the warmest summer months. However, the conditions in the coastal regions of the Arctic during the northern summer are both mild and changeable. Enjoyable sunny days can swiftly change to cold, windy storms with snow flurries and rolling seas. Average daily temperatures in mid-season are between -4C (25F) and 2C (36F); however, wind conditions can make it seem colder. It is common that you will experience daytime temperatures below freezing.