Greenland’s Arctic Grandeur

Greenland’s colossal ice sheet and rugged coastline hold secrets of Earth’s past and clues to our future. Join alumni and friends from August 30 to September 9, 2025, for an expert-guided Arctic expedition along Greenland’s western coast, where glaciers calve icebergs into pristine fjords and Indigenous communities preserve ancient ways of life. This is your chance to explore one of Earth’s last frontiers before it transforms forever.

After an overnight stay with guided tours in Reykjavík, take a privately chartered flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, to embark on this eight-night adventure. Cruise aboard the newly renovated, exclusively chartered Exploris One, arriving in remote villages and ports inaccessible to large ships. Throughout the program, expert naturalist guides will lead you on Zodiac excursions up close to glaciers and other massive ice formations, spotting whales, seabirds, and other Arctic wildlife. Gain a firsthand understanding of Greenland’s unique geology, wildlife, and the effects of climate change on its epic glaciers. You will also experience Greenland from the perspectives of Indigenous residents, learning about their traditions, from hunting to crafts, and enjoy inside looks at small yet remarkable art collections and museums housing more than 4,500 years of Greenlandic history.

Travel in the company of alumni from co-sponsoring institutions, including Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Miami University, the University of Chicago, and UNC-Chapel Hill. Space is limited and sure to fill quickly. Please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu or call (866) 525-8664 for more details and to reserve your place today. We hope you join us from August 30 to September 9, 2025, for an unforgettable voyage into the Arctic frontier.

 

 

Dates and Rates:

Dates: August 30 – September 9, 2025

Rates: $8,999 – $25,999 per person based on double occupancy

Traveling solo? Select categories are offered as single occupancy from $8,9949 to $17,999  or please contact us to inquire about any possible roommate options

Trip Status: Confirmed & Open for Reservations. $1,000 per person deposit required to confirm reservations. Request a reservation today or please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at 866-525-8664 or GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu for more details.

Cancellation Policy:

All cancellations must be made in writing. No refunds are given for cancellation on or after the day of departure, or for unused portions of the tour, for any reason. The following cancellation charges will apply:

• All cancellations are subject to a $500 per person administrative fee
• 119 to 91 days prior to departure: 20% of the Program cost is non-refundable
• 90 to 61 days before departure: 50% of the Program cost is non-refundable*
• 60 days or less before departure: 100% of the Program cost is non-refundable
• Please visit https://www.arrangementsabroad.com/terms for complete terms and conditions.

 

 

Itinerary:

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30: DEPARTURE
Depart for Reykjavík, Iceland, on an overnight flight.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31: REYKJAVÍK, ICELAND
Arrive this morning and transfer to the hotel for anovernight stay. You may choose to spend the afternoon at leisure. Alternatively, join a rejuvenating excursion to the Sky Lagoon, an oceanside thermal pool that brings Iceland’s ancient bathing traditions into modernity. While enjoying a relaxing soak, savor views of the Atlantic as well as sights like Bessastaðir, known as the manor residence of Iceland’s president, and the 700,000-year-old Snæfellsjökull glacier. As a third option, participate in an island tour, including a visit to the National Museum of Iceland, which preserves the country’s expansive heritage through its collections of thousands of objects, from medieval artifacts to 20th-century photographs. Continue to the historic center of Reykjavík, once a Viking village, and admire its charmingly colorful houses made of corrugated iron. This evening, gather for a private cocktail reception at a special venue, with dinner at leisure, perhaps to take advantage of Reykjavík’s intriguing culinary scene. (L),R

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: REYKJAVÍK /KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND
After checking out of the hotel this morning, transfer to the Keflavik airport for a privately chartered flight to Greenland. Arrive in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland’s hub for air transport with little more than 500 residents. This tiny municipality sits at the end of a 110-mile-long fjord, where you will board Exploris One. After settling into your cabin, the ship will set sail along the fjord and out to sea for the rest of the evening, heading south along Greenland’s western coastline to the capital of Nuuk. B,L,D

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: NUUK
Accessible only by sea or air, Nuuk is Greenland’s largest city, situated at the mouth of one of the world’s largest fjord systems, known for its waterfalls, humpback whales, and icebergs. Notably, Paleo-Eskimo people settled here around 2200 B.C. Walk along Nuuk’s waterfront, which is dotted with brightly colored houses in a variety of pastel shades, with the nearly 4,000-foot-tall Sermitsiaq mountain as a dramatic backdrop.

During the stop here, make your way to the Greenland National Museum & Archives, housed in one of Nuuk’s traditional colonial harbor warehouses. Admire its collections charting 4,500 years of Greenland’s history, including its Stone Age inhabitants; the Thule people who arrived here from Alaska circa the 13th century the ancestors of the modern Inuits; and the lives of Inuit hunters and fishermen. Here, a native Greenlander will introduce you to the local culture with an informative private demonstration.

Before returning to Exploris One, you may opt to join a local guide for a visit to the Nuuk Art Museum. Peruse its collection of mostly early 20th-century paintings of Greenland and Greenlandic figurines, treasures that came from the private collection of the late Danish-born Greenlander Svend Junge and his wife Helene. Enjoy the captain’s welcome aboard reception and dinner, where you will meet the crew. B,L,D

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: SISIMIUT
Exploris One will cross the Arctic Circle this morning as it cruises toward Sisimiut, Greenland’s second-largest town and a settlement for more than 4,000 years. Sisimiut is notable as Greenland’s northernmost port that remains ice-free during the winter. Discover this town, which is both tranquil and surprisingly vibrant as the home to many Greenlandic students and business organizations. Yet its solitude and fjordside natural beauty are captivating.

You may choose to take a privately guided tour of the Sisimiut Museum, housed in a collection of colonial buildings, some dating to as early as the 18th century. Its exhibits are devoted to the local Inuit history, shipping and trade, and archaeological artifacts documenting life dating back 4,000 years. One of the buildings of the museum is the Bethelkirken (commonly known as the “Blue Church” for its color), Greenland’s oldest intact house of worship, prefabricated in Copenhagen in 1771 and assembled here in 1775. Return to Exploris One for dinner and set forth for Kitsissuarsuit. B,L,D

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: KITSISSUARSUIT
This morning, arrive off the coast of Kitsissuarsuit andtransfer by Zodiac into town. First settled in 1830 by Dutch whalers, this small Inuit settlement of just 50 inhabitants remains self-sufficient thanks to its marine resources, and its tiny population has kept its age-old traditions alive. Explore the island on foot, enjoy some local entertainment, and sample some local delicacies. Return to Exploris One by Zodiac before setting sail toward the Eqi Glacier, one of nature’s great spectacles. B,L,D

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5: EQI GLACIER / QEQERTAQ
Board Zodiacs in the company of naturalist guides and embark on an up-close cruise to the toe of the Eqi Glacier, a monumental display, standing more than 30 stories tall with a width of more than three miles. This large tidewater glacier, which flows directly into the sea, originates from the Greenland Ice Sheet, the enormous glacier that covers more than 80 percent of the island.

As you approach the Eqi Glacier, loud cracks, seemingly ofthunder, break the silence as huge chunks of ice “calve,” or break off, into the bay, forming icebergs. Have your cameras ready as this epic scene unfolds, with pieces of various sizes crashing into the water. Learn more about the formation of the Eqi Glacier and how climatologists are monitoring it and similar glaciers as Earth’s temperature rises. Stay on the Zodiacs for the voyage back to Exploris One, enjoying a lunchtime sail to Qeqertaq, a small settlement of 140 people.

A local guide will lead you on a tour of the village, where residents primarily earn their living through halibut fishing and their own fish processing facility. Halibut is a valuable and sought-after delicacy, particularly when transformed into rækling, a wind-dried version of the fish. B,L,D

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6: ILULISSAT / DISKO BAY
Be on deck this morning to see the Northern Hemisphere’s most active glacier—Jakobshavn—often surrounded by icebergs in all shapes and sizes and in varying shades of white and turquoise. Jakobshavn comprises part of the Ilulissat Icefjord, known as “the birthplace of icebergs.” Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, Ilulissat Icefjord produces nearly 20 million tons of ice each day, all floating into Disko Bay.

Step ashore in Ilulissat, founded in 1741 and now Greenland’s third-largest settlement, with a population of 4,900. The town offers a very small yet intriguing selection of museums and art galleries for a deeper look at Greenlandic art, history, and culture. During our guided walking tour of Ilulissat, take an inside look at the Ilulissat City Museum, with its exhibits covering prehistoric life, urban history, fishing practices, and Greenlandic national clothing. You will also peruse museum’s collection of photographs by Jette Bang, a Danish photographer known for capturing Greenlandic Inuit life, as well as pictures taken by pioneering anthropologist Knud Rasmussen.

During free time to explore, you may have the opportunity to visit the Icefjord Centre, which opened in 2021. Here, art and science converge to enhance our understanding of Greenland’s vast ice sheets and their global significance. Take an inside look at art installations and a display of ice cores that document climatic and cultural changes dating back as far as 100,000 years, holding insights into forgotten events like volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts. In the evening, board local fishing boats for a sunset cruise among icebergs that have recently been calved off the enormous glaciers. B,L,D

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: KUANNIT COAST /QEQERTARSUAQ (DISKO ISLAND)
In Disko Bay, transfer to Zodiacs for a cruise along Disko Island and its Kuannit Coast, where huge volcanic cliffs and basalt rock columns offer refuge for numerous sea birds among the many inlets and coves. Considerably younger geologically than mainland Greenland, Disko Island boasts tall basalt mountains formed by volcanic activity dating back 25 to 65 million years. Its unique location between the low and high Arctic climates fosters diverse flora uncommon for its latitude.

Return to Exploris One later this morning and depart for North Greenland’s former capital of Qeqertarsuaq, a small fishing town founded in 1773, set on a peninsula on Disko Island’s southern coast. With a backdrop of gleaming red basalt mountains and black-sand beaches, step ashore for a guided walk and meet a local expert to learn about Qeqertarsuaq’s history as well as some secrets of modern Arctic life. Stop at the charming, octagonal Qeqertarsuaq Church, built in the early 20th century. Then enjoy an inside look at the Qeqertarsuaq Museum, housed in the former official residence of the bailiff for North Greenland. Delve deep into the museum’s exhibitions on the town’s colonial history, its Arctic research station, and the paintings of Jakob Danielsen (1888–1938), a Danish-born artist and local hunter. B,L,D

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8: EVIGHED FJORD
Sail into Evighed Fjord, which is aptly named “the fjord of Eternity,” as it stretches over 60 miles, seemingly endless in its beauty. The landscape transitions from glaciers to tundra, with rich flora and jagged, bird-filled cliffs. Step off a Zodiac cruise, then take a gentle hike amid the stunning glacial scenery and watch as birds such as white-tailed eagles and black-legged kittiwakes soar above. Later, return to Exploris One and gather for the captain’s festive farewell dinner this evening. B,L,D

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9: KANGERLUSSUAQ / DISEMBARK / REYKJAVÍK, ICELAND / RETURN
After disembarking this morning, transfer to the Kangerlussuaq airport for the charter flight back to Iceland to connect to homebound flights. B,L,D

 

Highlights:

•  Sail the newly renovated Exploris One along Greenland’s coastline with naturalist guides, who will lead the expeditions and teach you about the glaciers, local culture, and flora and fauna
• In Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, take an inside look at the Greenland National Museum & Archives, featuring collections representing the island’s 4,500-year history, and watch a special informative presentation of modern Inuit culture led by a native Greenlander
• Discover the remote traditional island settlement of Kitsissuarsuit, a former whaling settlement that dates back to 1830, and meet residents to sample some of the local traditional cuisine
• Board Zodiacs in the company of experts to cruise up close to glaciers, including the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as “the birthplace of icebergs“ and a favorite breeding ground for migrating whales
• Witness the unforgettable spectacle of “ice calving,“ pieces of ice dramatically breaking off the 3.1-mile wide Eqi Glacier
• Enjoy a Zodiac cruise to Disko Island’s unique Kuannit coastline and admire the fields of angelica and the breathtaking sculptures formed along huge volcanic cliffs
• Meet members of local Inuit communities for insights into their unique culture, including a dog sledding team and their Greenland Husky companions
• Go behind the scenes of small yet unique museum collections, including the Nuuk Art Museum, with its early 20th-century Greenlandic paintings donated by a notable private collector
• Begin with an overnight stay in Reykjavík for a brief exploration of the Icelandic capital before a privately chartered flight to Greenland

NOT INCLUDED IN RATES: International airfare; passport/visa fees; meals not specified; alcoholic beverages other than what is noted in inclusions; personal items and expenses; excess baggage; airport transfers other than for those on suggested flights; trip insurance; any other items not specifically mentioned as included. Please visit https://www.arrangementsabroad.com/terms for complete terms and conditions applicable to this program.