Vikings started to arrive in southwestern Greenland in A.D. 986. They established numerous settlements on the coast between Cape Farewell and present-day Nuuk, where they engaged in farming and animal husbandry. By A.D. 1500 there were only artefacts, ruins, and the still-unsolved mystery of their disappearance.

At Hvalsey, the site of a farmstead established the late 10th century by Erik the Red’s uncle, we find the large and impressive ruins of an exceptionally well-built stone church. Other archeological sites, including some of Greenland’s oldest, are located near the village of Narsaq, also on our route.

Indigenous people, including modern Inuit and their ancestors and predecessors, have been living a subsistence, semi-nomadic lifestyle on the west coast of Greenland for thousands of years. Today, a contemporary lifestyle is blended with rich cultural traditions in settlements all along the coast. Brightly colored houses are a modern reflection of the pride and felicity of these robust people and their ancient lineage.

Communities on our route, each with their own unique histories and characters, include Qaqortoq, Narsaq, Paamiut, Nuuk, Itilleq, Sisimiut, Ilulissat, and Qeqertarsuaq.

Disko Bay is where we find the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for the endless parade of icebergs issuing from Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world. Here we also have the chance to hike at Eqip Sermia, a calving tidewater glacier located in a wild and scenic fjord.

The bountiful waters of Disko Bay are home to a variety of whale species including humpback, minke, fin, and bowhead (also known as the Greenland right whale). A ubiquity of icebergs makes whale watching in Disko Bay a particularly special experience.