Compare Exploring the Arctic Land of the Caribou by Hurtigruten vs Canadian Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands by Intrepid Travel

Day 1: St. Johns, Newfoundland

St. John's is the oldest and most easterly city in North America, and it is said that this is where heritage lives. With its narrow streets and hidden alleyways, the city is full of character. We recommend that you explore this historic town, with its striking twin clock towers of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, before you embark on your adventure.

Day 2: St. Pierre and Miquelon

Even though Paris is around 2,500 miles away, the people living in St Pierre and Miquelon are very proud to be French. The islands are part of the French Republic and are, in fact, the country's oldest overseas territory. Today, you can enjoy a taste of the typical French way of life with nice bistros, cafés, wine, cheese, baguettes, chocolates and pastries. 

Day 3: At sea

Enjoy a day at sea. There will be lectures on various topics or you can spend some time on deck enjoying the wildlife we'll see on our journey.

Day 4: Gros Morne National Park

The Gros Morne National Park is one of the highlights of a trip to Newfoundland. The landscape, with its deep valleys, steep cliffs, sandy beaches and spectacular fjord system, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Moose, caribou, foxes, black bears, ptarmigans and eagles are all a very common sight here. A visit to the higher regions of this ancient landscape will be unforgettable.

Day 5: Red Bay

Between 1550 and the early 17th century, Red Bay was a centre for Basque whaling operations. During the whaling heyday up to 2,500 whalers came on 50 ships from France and Spain for the whale-hunting season. The discovery of the wrecks of whale-hunting galleons and chalupas has made Red Bay one of the most exquisite underwater archaeological sites in America. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you feel like going treasure hunting while we are here, local legend has it that the infamous pirate Captain Kidd hid some of his treasure in the 'Pond on the Hill'.

Day 6: L'anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland

In L'Anse aux Meadows, you'll find the first known evidence of European presence in America. It is here that a Norse expedition built a small camp around 1,000 years ago. In 1960, two Norwegian archaeologists started excavating in this area and discovered the fascinating remains of this Viking camp. In 1979, L´Anse aux Meadows became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the recreated camp, you can see original artefacts from this internationally renowned archaeological find.

Day 7: Battle Harbour

Located on the edge of the Labrador Sea, Battle Harbour is a nature lover's paradise. For two centuries, it was the economic and social centre of the southeast Labrador coast. Today, it is a wilderness adventure destination, where you can encounter whales, dolphins, seabirds, Arctic foxes, icebergs and the spectacular island scenery on one of our hikes or boat tours.

Day 8: Cruising the Coast of Labrador

We will spend three days sailing along the coast of Labrador and exploring this area. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking along the trails and the countless miles of wilderness to explore, while others will appreciate learning more about the history, cultures and traditions of the area at the numerous his­toric sites we will visit.

Day 9: Cruising the Coast of Labrador

One of the places we may visit is Red Bay. The discovery of the wrecks of whale-hunting galleons and chalupas has made Red Bay one of the most exquisite underwater archaeological sites in America. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 10: Cruising the Coast of Labrador

We may also visit the picturesque town of Rigolet, the southernmost Inuit community in the world. This small, isolated town has a population of just 300 and cannot be accessed by road. However, it is accessible by ship all year around, and in wintertime also via snowmobile. We offer several outings here: You can explore the beautiful waters in a speedboat or go fishing, riding or whale watching. We may also visit Hopedale, originally the Inuit settlement of Agvituk, meaning 'the place of the whales', and Hebron, a former Moravian mission and the northernmost settlement in Labrador.

Day 11: Torngat Mountains National Park

The spectacular wilderness of Torngat Mountains National Park comprises 3,700 square miles in Northern Labrador Mountains.

Day 12: Torngat Mountains National Park

The peaks of the Torngat Mountains National Park are dotted with remnant glaciers. The landscape was formed during the last ice age and features steep fjord systems rising up to 900 metres directly out of the sea. It is truly rough and wild. 

Day 13: Torngat Mountains National Park

Today, the Inuit people continue to use this area for hunting, fishing and travelling throughout the year. Torngait, means 'place of spirits', and the Torngat Mountains have been home to the Inuit and their predecessors for 7,000 years, as we can see from archaeological sites in the area.

Day 14: Torngat Mountains National Park

You might get to see polar bears hunting seals along the coast, the Torngat Mountain and George River caribou herds crossing paths as they migrate to and from their calving grounds or any number of moose, foxes, wolves and black bears that are native to the park.

Day 15: Kuujjuaq/Montreal

Your adventure ends in Quebec's Arctic region – an immense, pristine territory lying north of the 55th parallel. Experience the Nunavik Inuit’s corner of the world, and maybe see the distinctive characteristics of their cultural and linguistic heritage, art and history, as well as traditional clothing and tools before you fly to Montreal.

Day 1 Arrive in Calgary, Canada

Your Arctic expedition begins in Calgary. Explore this vibrant city on your own before you spend the night enjoying the comforts and amenities of your designated hotel.

Day 2 Fly to Resolute and Embark

This morning, board your charter flight to Resolute, Nunavut. Upon arrival, you may have a chance to check out this small hamlet on foot before being transferred to your ship via Zodiac or helicopter (depending on ship location and weather conditions).

Day 3-10 Exploring Canada’s High Arctic

Cruising around the remote islands of the Canadian High Arctic aboard Ultramarine, the newest ship in our fleet, you’ll navigate the same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of long ago. Designed to give polar adventurers unprecedented access to the hardest- to-reach places on the planet—and equipped with two onboard twin-engine helicopters for unparalleled access to areas only Quark Expeditions can bring you—this one-of-a-kind ship will take you beyond the familiar in polar exploration. Throughout your journey, your Expedition Team will keep an eye toward immersing you in the best the Arctic has to offer, including reaching Canada’s most northerly islands: Axel Heiberg Island and the rarely visited Ellesmere Island, at the top of the world. Remember that no two polar voyages are alike, since each expedition presents new opportunities and different weather and ice conditions. While this voyage has no fixed itinerary, our objective is to visit as many of the incredible highlights the season has to offer, using our extensive expertise to give you the best experience. Each day, your highly skilled Expedition Team will read the conditions and choose the best course to set, but despite their knowledge of these areas, each visit brings something new to discover. That said, our expeditions will have some elements in common, including daily Zodiac cruising, land excursions, a robust education program, a community visit and wildlife viewing opportunities. And thanks to our onboard helicopters, you’ll also discover the ultimate polar expedition experience: While polar landscapes are spectacular from the sea and on land, the view from the air is uniquely stunning. Conditions permitting, you’ll enjoy an ultra-immersive flightseeing activity (short sightseeing flights around your ship and surrounding areas) unique to Ultramarine, giving you an awe-inspiring polar experience like no other. While this waterway is known to European cultures as the Northwest Passage, this area has nurtured and sustained the Inuit and their predecessors who have called these shores home for almost 5,000 years. 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. Ultimately, your Expedition Team will keep its eye northward, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the lucky few polar adventurers who have transited through the famous Hell Gate to reach the top of the world, the spectacular Ellesmere Island. If conditions are right, the soaring, ominous snow-capped peaks of this polar desert will come into focus as we approach. The northernmost island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Ellesmere is one of the most remote places on the planet, a land of deep fjords, jagged mountains and massive ice shelves. If we’re fortunate enough to reach here, you will be among the few polar explorers to do so. One of the goals of this expedition is to introduce guests to the unique glaciology of Axel Heiberg Island, Canada’s second- most northernly island, one-third of which is covered in glaciers. A glacier that spreads out as a wide lobe as it leaves a narrow mountain valley to enter a wider valley or a plain. Axel Heiberg is home to the most dramatic and impressive Piedmont glaciers in the world. The Piedmont glacier spreads out as a wide lobe as it makes it way out of a narrow mountain valley into a wider valley or a plain. Birders will want to have their binoculars and cameras at the ready, as the island also affords opportunities for sightings of snow buntings, ptarmigans, jaegers and arctic terns, among others. 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 may see polar bears, muskoxen and several bird species, such as gyrfalcons and dovekies (little auks). If you’re lucky, you may even spot the elusive narwhal or arctic wolf, though sightings of these iconic creatures in the wild are rare, even in these areas where we have the highest chances of encountering them. Coburg Island, for instance, is a wildlife reserve for such birds as snowy owls and peregrine falcons, while 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, a hamlet located off of Admiralty Inlet, provide an ideal nesting habitat for various High Arctic birds such as snow geese, thick-billed murres (Brünnich’s guillemots) and kittiwakes. The region has been inhabited by Inuit and Thule cultures for almost 5,000 years. This community is an ideal spot to go ashore and learn more about the Inuit culture, sampling the local cuisine and mingling with artists, perhaps picking up carvings or other handicrafts as a memento of your polar adventure. Devon Island is another possible locale for wildlife encounters, as walrus, polar bears and muskoxen inhabit the area, which is also the location of the remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost, established at Dundas Harbour in 1924 to curb foreign whaling and other activities. Nearby is a small cemetery, one of Canada’s most northerly, still maintained by the RCMP to this day. 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. History buffs will also be intrigued by the chance to visit an abandoned Hudson’s Bay Company trading post at Fort Ross, at the southern end of Somerset Island, and pay their respects to the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845–46 at the gravesite of three crew members on Beechey Island, one of Canada’s most significant Arctic exploration sites. You may have the opportunity to cruise in a Zodiac along the face of an active glacier near Croker Bay and possibly even witness the wonders of calving ice, at a safe distance. Listen closely for the steady crackle and deep roars as slabs 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. There is no shortage of natural beauty, wildlife and history in Canada’s High Arctic. Each day, you’ll discover something new and inspiring, whether it is admiration of the tundra flora to survive the extremely rugged environment, a rare bird species soaring overhead, a polar bear on the hunt in its natural habitat, or the ancient remains of a Thule dwelling, predecessors of the Inuit who live here today.

Day 11 Disembark in Resolute, Canada and Fly to Calgary

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

Day 12 Depart Calgary

Today, make your way to the airport to catch your homeward flights, or spend the day exploring this fascinating city.