start from
$7,995
USD
start from
$7,995
USD
9 Days
Reykjavík, Iceland
Ultramarine
A first in polar adventure travel, Quark Expeditions has teamed up with municipal, regional and national partners to offer you the most extensive array of adventure activities and enable you to curate an authentic Greenland active adventure that best suits you. You’ll experience this new voyage aboard our game-changing polar ship, Ultramarine, which is equipped with two twin-engine helicopters, 20 quick-launching Zodiacs, luxurious onboard amenities, and the biggest portfolio of Adventure Options in the Polar Regions. This one-of-a-kind voyage will immerse you in the stark, majestic landscape of world’s second-largest ice mass.
Based in and around Southeast Greenland’s spectacular fjords, we take advantage of Ultramarine’s twin-engine helicopters to take you to areas other can’t reach. Ascend cascading coastal glaciers and step onto the vast polar plateau of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Travel by helicopter to glacial lakes high in the upper alpine zones. Roam the tundra with a resident chef and enjoy an unforgettable meal made from local ingredients. Join our Greenland Adventure, and return home with lifelong memories of one of Earth’s most fascinating lands.
Your adventure begins in Punta Arenas, Chile, the most populated city in southern Patagonia. If you arrive early, there are many museums, restaurants and shops to keep you busy for days. By early afternoon, a Quark Expeditions® representative will meet you at the official starting point hotel, where you’ll enjoy a welcome dinner and be briefed about preparing for your embarkation day.
Nicknamed “Arctic Patagonia,” South Greenland is a region as rich in spectacular scenery as it is in history. Here, it’s easy to see why Erik the Red gave Greenland its name: everywhere you look rewards with vistas of icy blue waters set against a breathtaking backdrop of dramatic peaks, winding coastline, crystal-clear waterfalls, and lush, verdant valleys and pastures bursting with blooms. Boasting the greatest variety of landscapes in the country, coupled with the most serene, sheltered waterways surrounded by soaring, snow-capped mountains, Greenland’s southern tip is an adventure seeker’s paradise, whether you’re a newbie kayaker or hardcore hiker.
Cruising in sublime comfort aboard the newest ship in our fleet, Ultramarine, we’ll base ourselves in and around the majestic fjords that dominate the southern and southeastern coasts, sailing deeper and exploring farther than ever before. Designed to give polar adventurers unprecedented access to the hardest-to reach places on the planet—and equipped with kayaks, mountain bikes and 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 for an ultra-immersive, ultra-adventurous Greenland experience.
A first in polar adventure travel, this expedition has been developed in collaboration with municipal, regional and national partners to offer you the most extensive array of adventure activities (many of which are included), allowing you to curate an active adventure in Greenland that best suits you! Imagine checking off immersive bucket-list activities like paddle excursions, shore landings and Zodiac cruising in such spectacular surroundings. And thanks to our onboard helicopters, you’ll also discover the ultimate polar expedition experience. As stunning as polar landscapes are from your ship, they’re even more striking from the air. Conditions permitting, you may have opportunities for a Heli landing on the Greenland ice sheet and heli-hiking (flying to places we could not otherwise access for hikes suitable for all skill levels), exciting included options that are unique to Ultramarine and give you an awe-inspiring polar experience like no other.
Since each expedition presents new opportunities and different weather and ice conditions, no two polar voyages are alike. This voyage in particular has no fixed itinerary, which will allow your Expedition Team and our local partners to craft a voyage that provides you with the best experiences that South Greenland can offer by closely monitoring the local weather and ice conditions. Each day, your Expedition Team will plan excursions deep in the southern fjord systems. With the expertise of local partners, we will be able to showcase lesser-visited areas and take advantage of all that this polar paradise has to offer. Your ship will continually be on the move as your Expedition Team searches for the most ideal places to venture ashore, dip our kayaks and Zodiacs in the water, or deploy our helicopters for more indepth exploration. Every day will be a new adventure, exploring a new fjord.
Throughout your journey, you’ll head out in small, intimate groups with similar interests, multiple times a day, to some of the most remote, isolated areas of South Greenland. Here, you’ll truly unplug, recharge and experience the transformative power of travel, at your own pace. One day, you may hop in a helicopter to hike around the scenic alpine areas while quietly around the corner your shipmates are enjoying a peaceful paddle in a sheltered inlet. The next, you may be cruising along a glacier face deep in an icy fjord while others enjoy a challenging alpine hike. And the next, you may fly up to the epic Greenland ice sheet, discovering a new appreciation of the natural environment (it’s the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere, and the second largest in the world, after Antarctica), while your shipmates leisurely stroll amid the beckoning green hills and valleys (as always, there are hiking options for all levels).
If you’re feeling extra-adventurous, our onboard helicopters will have you taking your activities up a notch, way up! They’ll drop off your small group at the start of the most scenic mountain biking trails in the world or at isolated glacial lakes high in the mountains, then pick you up wherever your explorations take you, so you’re always discovering new scenery while enjoying the tranquility of your surroundings—whether you’re exploring by kayak, or on two wheels. Be sure to book your Adventure Options (extra cost) in advance, as they fill up fast.
You may even opt to camp overnight (extra cost) in the picturesque Tasermiut Fjord for a truly immersive experience, hiking the tundra, chatting with your local hosts, even joining the camp chef to forage for dinner ingredients and, if you’re lucky, viewing the dazzling colors of the polar twilight in the evening.
However you decide to explore—by sea, land or air—Ultramarine gives you unrivaled access to the unbelievably breathtaking beauty that is South Greenland.
Before you depart on your charter flight back to Reykjavik in the early evening, we hope to spend the day visiting the sites surrounding Narsarsuaq. Possible destinations include the villages of Igaliku, where you can wander the ruins of the Gardar cathedral, the largest church in Greenland in the Middle Ages. We may also stop at Brattahlíð to explore the remains of Erik the Red’s estate. Upon landing back at Reykjavik’s international airport, you will be transferred to a hotel in nearby Keflavik.
Today, you can make your way home at your leisure or continue your independent explorations of Iceland.
MANDATORY TRANSFER PACKAGE INCLUDES:
PACKAGE PRICE: $1,495 USD
Important reminder: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your expedition staff must allow the sea, the ice and the weather to guide route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you’ll experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed.
Need more dates?
9 Days
Reykjavík, Iceland
Ultramarine
Start from
$7,995
Maple Explorer was established in Vancouver in 2015 with a focus on providing comprehensive travel experiences in the polar regions. We are dedicated to facilitating greater access to the wonders of the Antarctic, the Arctic, and the Tibetan Plateau, allowing people to discover the stunning beauty and cultural richness of these extraordinary places on our planet.