If your “bucket list” includes first-hand sightings of the majestic Aurora Borealis – the Northern Lights - this is the tour for you. Nowhere on earth can nature’s most spectacular light show be better seen than in the autumn and winter skies above Greenland’s eastern coast. This tour is also perfect for those who enjoy plenty of walking and hiking with their adventure travel. One of the best ways to experience new landscapes and cultures is by getting out on the land and exploring it first-hand. This tour offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to hike some of the most pristine wilderness on the planet.

Your adventure begins with an overnight stay in thoroughly-modern Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital city.

After a leisurely morning exploring Reykjavik on your own, join the group transfer to Reykjavik’s port, and board your ship – polar adventure vessel Akademik Sergey Vavilov. Linger on deck with your camera or binoculars, and scan the sky for seabirds, and the horizon for breaching whales.

Sail through the Denmark Strait en route for mysterious Greenland. Your onboard Expedition Team keep you informed and entertained with presentations about Greenland’s wildlife, history and geography. You’ll also receive several important safety and operational briefings.

Rimmed by the majestic Fjord Mountains, King Oscar Fjord (named in 1899 for Sweden’s then king, Oscar II) offers plenty of opportunity for Arctic adventure.

Depending on conditions, we may hike the delicate flower-and-berry-strewn tundra at Holm Bay, Zodiac-cruise through spectacular Alepfjord (to the southwest), and climb to the top of Ella Island. Be sure to pack both binoculars and camera: Ella Island offers unparalleled views of five fjords, beyond which you may also spot grazing musk oxen.

Yes, there is an “Antarctic” Sound within the Arctic circle! Here you’ll see the beautiful purple and gold of layered sedimentary rock on the barren eastern side of Ymer Island, and the lush vegetation of Blomsterbugten (“Bay of Flowers”) on the west side. We may hike from this lovely bay to Noa Lake and onwards, climbing slightly for a spectacular view of neighboring Dusens Fjord.

The jagged Liverpool Coast stretches southward from King Oscar Fjord to Scoresbysund (“Scoresby’s Sound), the largest, longest, and – some say – most beautiful fjord system in the world. This area was named for William Scoresby, a whaler, scientist and man of the cloth who charted the east coast of Greenland in 1822.

We’ll let the elements decide our activities today. We may board the Zodiacs and cruise to Uunartoq Qeqertaq (the “warming island” – so called for its 2005 discovery after glacial ice melt revealed it to be an island, and not part of the Liverpool Coast), or into nearby Storefjord.

Itoqqortoormitt is East Greenland’s most northerly community, and one of the world’s last remaining examples of a living hunter society. It’s also one of the best places on the planet to view the northern lights, and boasts superb hiking opportunities in nearby Hurry Inlet.

We’ll visit with Inuit residents, and you’ll be able to purchase unique handicrafts made from locally harvested materials by the area’s multi-talented artisans. We hope to see sledge dog demonstrations, and visit the “women’s house,” where many items are still made by hand, and animal skins are prepared for use during the long, cold winters.

Here we plan to Zodiac-cruise among massive icebergs, landing at an ancient Thule settlement once used as a winter camp. You may still see the centuries-old subterranean homes, tent rings and discarded whale bones left behind by these nomadic ancestors of today’s Inuit.

The surrounding vistas are extraordinary, and include hundreds of icebergs, each the size of a large apartment building. The rich tundra supports herds of enormous musk ox, and the fjord is ringed by soaring mountain peaks. Visitors sometimes say they feel they’ve entered some mythic land of giants, while they themselves have shrunk to the size of ants.

Sailing through the steep-walled Rypefjord, you may see a number of rare blue icebergs. More normally seen in the Antarctic, these magnificent ice-castles seem to glow an iridescent blue. Birders should keep watch for Wheatears, Snow buntings and Ravens.

At Cape Hofmann Halvø we’ll have our best chance of spotting grazing musk oxen, and also enjoy the delicate beauty of tundra wildflowers such as dwarf willow and dwarf birch.

Here’s your chance to Zodiac-cruise among “grounded” icebergs through another of East Greenland’s spectacular fjord systems. We plan to land on the curiously colored “Red Island,” which takes its name from the island’s beautiful hematite-colored sandstone.

On Denmark Island you’ll have another opportunity to hike a beautiful, lush tundra, this time culminating in magnificent views over Scoresbysund and Fohn Fjord. You’ll also enjoy a visit to an ancient Inuit archaeological site, led by our ship’s historian.

Our homeward journey takes us back across the Denmark Strait, where you may spot white-beaked dolphins, and humpback, minke and even blue whales. Birders should keep watch for Kittiwakes, Gannets, Guillemots, Fulmars and Razorbills. Take a last look at the stunning Aurora Borealis on your final two evenings in magical Greenland!

Your Greenland’s Northern Lights tour ends where it began, in Iceland’s vibrant capital. From here you’re free to fly home or extend your trip.