Ocean Endeavour, Into the Northwest Passage ex Kangerlussuaq to Kugluktuk

16 Night Cruise sailing from Kangerlussuaq to Kugluktuk aboard Ocean Endeavour.

Day 1: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland – Cross the Arctic Circle
Transfer to the Ocean Endeavour by Zodiac.

Begin your journey by sailing down Kangerlussuaq Fjord (Søndre Strømfjord), a 190-kilometre-long fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, and cross the Arctic Circle on your way.

Kangerlussuaq, the settlement at the head of the fjord, is a former US Air Force base and Greenland’s primary flight hub.

Day 2: Sisimiut Coast – Witness Stunning Glaciers, Islands, and Fjords
Explore West Greenland’s complex coastal waterways that includes glaciers, islands, and fjords against a towering mountain backdrop, with plentiful opportunities for hiking and Zodiac cruising.

Learn about the Saqqaq, Dorset, Thule, and modern Inuit cultures that have called the Sisimiut region home for the past 4,500 years.

The waters are relatively warm here, due to the West Greenland Current and the subarctic location.

Day 3: Ilulissat – Take a Zodiac Cruise Around Towering Icebergs
Visit the town of Ilulissat, with splendid museums, cafés, craft shops, and a busy fishing harbour.

View the icebergs from shore on a hike along the boardwalk at this UNESCO World Heritage Site, then board a Zodiac to cruise your way among them!

Ilulissat translates literally to “iceberg”—an apt name for this site at the mouth of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, a source of many of the icebergs in the North Atlantic.

Day 4–5: Western Greenland – Hike the Tundra
Choose the activity you like best during an expedition landing on Greenland’s stunning west coast.

Whether you prefer hiking, walking, photography, or sitting contemplatively, you’ll be delighted!

Admire the mighty mountains and the tiniest tundra flowers—a stop in this area will offer many outstanding features to pique your interest. 

Day 6: At Sea — Davis Strait – Learn Onboard
Deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we steam across the Davis Strait towards Nunavut, Canada.

Enjoy workshops and presentations, watch a documentary, and get out on deck with your binoculars to look for whales, seabirds, and marine wildlife.

Day 7: Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), NU, Canada – Experience Inuit Culture
Attend a cultural performance put on by the talented Tununiq Arsarniit Theatre Group, featuring drum dancing, throat singing, and storytelling.

Mittimatalik is a busy Arctic community in a beautiful setting—the views of nearby Bylot Island are stunning!

Enjoy exploring the town and take the opportunity to purchase unique handcrafted mementos when available, too.

Day 8–10: Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound) & Devon Island – Seek Whales, Seabirds, and Polar Bears
Spend three fun-filled days exploring Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound), one of Canada’s newest National Marine Conservation Areas.

Cruise by ship and by Zodiac in search of narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales that transit and feed in this area.

Admire Devon Island’s unique geological character, with its flat-topped mountains, glacial valleys, and substantial ice cap. At the northern edge of Tallurutiup Imanga, it’s the largest uninhabited island on Earth at over 50,000 square kilometres.

Hike the tundra, cruise a glacier face, and keep your eyes peeled for polar bears and other wildlife from ship and from shore.

Visit archaeological sites with expert interpretation to learn about the human history of Inuit and their ancestors who once lived on this now-abandoned island.

Then catch a glimpse of more recent history when you visit the remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Hudson’s Bay Company site at Dundas Harbour.

Day 11: Beechey Island – Visit a Franklin Expedition Historical Site
Pay your respects at this haunting memorial to Sir John Franklin’s failed expedition.

Learn the compelling history of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror’s attempts to sail through the Northwest Passage.

Franklin’s crew overwintered at Beechey Island, where three of his men died, and numerous search parties later used the spot as a depot and rendezvous. Thomas Morgan of the HMS Investigator was buried here in 1854 alongside Franklin’s men.

Visit their graves and the ruins of nearby Northumberland House while contemplating the poignant history.

Day 12–13: Prince Regent Inlet – Enjoy Birdwatching & Zodiac Cruising
Search this area rich in marine and avian life for the thick-billed murres, ivory gulls, beluga, narwhal, and bowhead whales who reside in the ice-strewn waters.

Delve deeper into the exploration of the Northwest Passage and the mercantile efforts of the Hudson’s Bay Company at intriguing expedition landing sites.

Day 14–16: Kitikmeot Region – Sail the Northwest Passage
Navigate the ice-strewn waters of this infamous waterway in search of wildlife. Although this is Nunavut’s least-populated region, wildlife abounds here both in the sea and on land.

Listen to the stories shared by locals of Roald Amundsen, who overwintered in the bay for two years while searching for the Northwest Passage. Amundsen became the first European to cross the Northwest Passage, thanks to the knowledge and largesse of Inuit.

Day 17: Kugluktuk, NU, Canada – Wave a Fond Farewell
Say your goodbyes to the Arctic in Kugluktuk, the westernmost community in Nunavut, located at the mouth of the Coppermine River.

Known for many years as Coppermine, the community reverted to its original Inuinnaqtun name—meaning “place of moving waters”—on January 1st, 1996.

Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU, is an alternate disembarkation point, and may be used based on sea, ice, and weather conditions.

Disembark the Ocean Endeavour and transfer by Zodiac to shore.

Sailing with a maximum of 198-passengers, Ocean Endeavour is the perfect vessel for expedition cruising. Outfitted with twenty Zodiacs, advanced navigation equipment, multiple lounges and a top deck observation room, she is purpose-built for passenger experiences in remote environments. The Ocean Endeavour boasts a 1B ice class, enabling her to freely explore throughout the Arctic summer.

Launched in 1982, she has had numerous upgrades, most recently in 2010 and 2014. At 137 meters (450ft) in length, Ocean Endeavour has plenty of interior and exterior space. Enjoy multiple decks offering comfortable lounge chairs, outdoor dining, a swimming pool, sauna and even a hot tub! The spacious interiors allow for multiple workshops and presentations to occur simultaneously. Community is at the heart of Adventure Canada’s expedition experience. We gather together to learn, enjoy a drink, sing a song or share a yarn – connecting with one and other. The three lounges aboard Ocean Endeavour are fantastic public spaces for seminars, events and dialogue.

Ocean Endeavour’s crew is experienced, and friendly. Her shallow draft and maneuverability allow her to access isolated fiords, bays and secluded communities. The stylish vessel is at home among the glorious settings we seek. Enjoy the class and comfort of a boutique hotel, while venturing to some of the world’s last great frontiers aboard the Ocean Endeavour!

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Founded in 1987, Adventure Canada was created to bring travellers to Canada’s “blank spaces”, those areas whose remoteness alone made them special. Over the last fifteen years, along with our guests, we have discovered that there is so much that is extraordinary about the places we travel, from the landscape, wildlife and culture to the history, art and archeology that is unique to every destination. It is our belief that there is so much to see “beyond the binoculars” that drives us to delve deeper into our favourite places with every expedition and continually seek out new destinations.

We travel by small expedition ship, the best suited mode of transportation for remote exploration. The number of passengers on our voyages run between 45 and 100, depending on the ship we choose. We believe that these small vessels are superior, as they not only allow us to gain access to places not accessible by larger vessels, but our fleet of Zodiac landing craft permit us to visit some of the most remote places imaginable – the key to expeditionary travel.

Select the Deck to view detail.

Ocean Endeavour - All Decks

Select the Cabin to view detail.

Category 05 - Oceanview

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck five, picture window, two lower berths, private bath

Category 04 - Oceanview (Porthole)

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck four, porthole window, two lower berths, private bath

Category 03 - Interior

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck five. Interior Cabin, two lower berths, private bath

Category 02 - Interior

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck four. Interior Cabin, three lower berths, private bath

Category 01 - Interior

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck four. Interior Cabin, four lower berths, private bath

Category 10 - Oceanview

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck seven, picture window, two lower berths, private bath, refrigerator

Category 09 - Oceanview

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck five & seven, picture window, two lower berths, private bath

Category 08 - Oceanview

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck five & seven, picture window, two lower berths, private bath, refrigerator

Category 07 - Oceanview

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck eight, large picture window (partial obstruction), two lower berths, private bath, refrigerator

Category 06 - Oceanview (Obstructed)

The Ocean Endeavour’s private spaces are stylish and comfortable. All cabins have private washroom facilities, a phone for internal calls, radio, TV and air-conditioning.

Deck seven and eight, picture windows (obstructed view), two lower berth or matrimonial bed, private bath, refrigerator