Canadian Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands

The smattering of islands contained in Canada’s Arctic north are a world away from the more accessible parts of North America. Here, the iceberg-strewn waters are home to walruses and whales and tiny Inuit communities built on permafrost. This 12-day expedition takes you into Nunavut and the Canadian High Arctic Archipelago to explore these incredible lands and waters, following the legendary Northwest Passage with an eye to encountering wildlife, historical sites and resilient people. Unlike the hardy explorers who attempted to map this landscape in days of old, you’ll be travelling in style with an onboard fitness centre, sauna and a wide range of cabin options.

Activities

Highlights

• With two helicopters on board, you’ll get the chance to take included flights to soar above the Arctic landscape and make landings at otherwise inaccessible spots.
• Explore parts of the Nunavut region with Inuit guides and learn about the people who have lived in the world’s most difficult environments for thousands of years.
• Spot incredible wildlife on land and on Zodiac excursions. Canada’s High Arctic is home to fantastic beasts like polar bears, musk oxen, narwhals and caribou.
• Traverse the waterways of the famed Northwest Passage, which foiled European explorers for hundreds of years, and attempt to reach the otherworldly Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg islands.
• Discover the immense beauty of ancient glaciers, house-sized icebergs, granite mountains and epic tundra that extends as far as the eye can see.