HIGHLIGHTS
- Outings
and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables with your naturalist
guides.
- Hiking
opportunity.
- Visit
traditional villages and encounter the Inuit people.
- Disko
Bay, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, to see the Northern
Hemisphere’s largest icebergs.
- Landscapes:
fjords, jagged mountains, glaciers, tundra, sheer cliffs and polar ice
cap.
- Wildlife:
arctic terns, musk oxen, whales and seals.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
Start Date | End Date | Superior Stateroom | Deluxe Stateroom | Prestige Deck 4 | Prestige Deck 5 | Prestige Deck 6 | Deluxe Suite | Prestige Deck 5 Suite | Prestige Deck 6 Suite | Owner's Suite |
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:For
your serenity, PONANT selects flights and organizes the transfers
between the airport and the port (and vice-versa). This package is
included in your cruise fare
Embarkation
Day - Paris/Kangerlussuaq
Flight
Paris/Kangerlussuaq selected by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 4 hours, 40 min.
Meet
and greet at airport.
Transfer
to the pier for embarkation.
– Cruise on board your ship
–
Disembarkation Day - Kangerlussuaq/Paris
Disembarkation.
Meet
and great at the port.
Transfer
to the airport in time for flight check in.
Flight
Kangerlussuaq/Paris selected by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 4 hours, 40 min.
Your
programme includes:
- Flights Paris/Kangerlussuaq and
Kangerlussuaq/Paris selected by PONANT in economy class
- Transfers as per programme.
- Assistance from our local representative.
Your
programme does not include:
- Tips for the local guide.
- Personal expenses.
- Other services not mentioned in the
programme.
Please note:
Tourist
infrastructures are very limited in Kangerlussuaq. We kindly ask you
for your flexibility and understanding:
- Due to limited local transportation
resources, waiting might be generated.
- Due to local transportation conditions,
comfort is basic and carry on could be limited on board the buses used
for the passengers transfer to the airport (if too large the carry on
could be transferred with the main luggage). The use of a back pack is
suggested.
- Due to limited human resource, please note
that drivers act as guides.
- For passengers in transit in Paris, it is
recommended to stay one night in Paris before and after your connecting
flight.
- Programme and flight schedule are subject
to change.
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
Start Date | End Date | (Starting from) Superior Stateroom | (Mid-range) Prestige Deck 6 | (High-end) Owner's Suite |
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:For
your serenity, PONANT selects flights and organizes the transfers
between the airport and the port (and vice-versa). This package is
included in your cruise fare
Embarkation
Day - Paris/Kangerlussuaq
Flight
Paris/Kangerlussuaq selected by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 4 hours, 40 min.
Meet
and greet at airport.
Transfer
to the pier for embarkation.
– Cruise on board your ship
–
Disembarkation Day - Kangerlussuaq/Paris
Disembarkation.
Meet
and great at the port.
Transfer
to the airport in time for flight check in.
Flight
Kangerlussuaq/Paris selected by PONANT.
Approximate
flight duration: 4 hours, 40 min.
Your
programme includes:
- Flights Paris/Kangerlussuaq and
Kangerlussuaq/Paris selected by PONANT in economy class
- Transfers as per programme.
- Assistance from our local representative.
Your
programme does not include:
- Tips for the local guide.
- Personal expenses.
- Other services not mentioned in the
programme.
Please note:
Tourist
infrastructures are very limited in Kangerlussuaq. We kindly ask you
for your flexibility and understanding:
- Due to limited local transportation
resources, waiting might be generated.
- Due to local transportation conditions,
comfort is basic and carry on could be limited on board the buses used
for the passengers transfer to the airport (if too large the carry on
could be transferred with the main luggage). The use of a back pack is
suggested.
- Due to limited human resource, please note
that drivers act as guides.
- For passengers in transit in Paris, it is
recommended to stay one night in Paris before and after your connecting
flight.
- Programme and flight schedule are subject
to change.
ITINERARY
Day
1: KANGERLUSSUAQ
From
1941 to 1992, the town of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland was home to an
American military base. Nowadays, thanks to its international airport,
it has become a transit point for travellers seeking adventure in the
Far North. Located to the north of the Arctic Circle, this town is the
starting point of magnificent discoveries surrounded by unspoiled
nature. Indeed, just a few dozen kilometres from there it is possible
to get close to the Greenland ice sheet, the largest body of ice in the
Northern Hemisphere. From Kangerlussuaq, admire also the superb
landscapes of tundra in autumnal colours, where Arctic hares, musk
oxen, Arctic foxes, reindeer, falcons and eagles live.
Day
2: SISIMIUT
During
your cruise, we invite you to discover Sisimiut, founded in 1756 and
the second largest town in Greenland. This small town is typical of
Greenland, boasting bewitching panoramas: here and there, colourful
stilt houses dot the undulating landscape, and the small fishing port
stands as the gateway to an icy realm. As for the town centre, it is
home to a number of historic buildings, a small church and a museum
which retraces the history of the Inuit people, as well as many craft
shops. When your ship drops anchor here, you will set out to meet the
locals in a typically arctic atmosphere.
Day
3: EQI GLACIER
"The
most beautiful place in the Arctic" is how Paul-Émile Victor
described Greenland, a land of great table icebergs and of towering ice
formations calved by the giant glaciers of the polar ice cap. The Eqi
Glacier is one of the region’s most impressive sights. Here,
the silence is broken only by the roaring and cracking of the ice. It
is impossible to know if one is shivering from cold or from the sheer
thrill of being here... Imagine the vast outline of a glacier, its
translucent crystals glowing with an ice-blue fire in the sunlight.
Paul-Émile Victor’s shelter cannot be overlooked;
it was from here that the French Polar Expeditions’
anthropological and geographic explorations set off in the 1950s.
Day
4: AKULLEQ
In
the curve of Uummannaq Bay, opposite a narrow passage between two
islands, you will discover the moonscape of the small desert island of
Akulleq. The ochre yellow and orange of this mineral site look ablaze
under the sunshine of the polar summer. From the island’s
summit you will be able to contemplate a panoramic view of the
bay’s magical landscape and its huge icebergs with surprising
shapes.
UUMMANNAQ
The
“heart-shaped” rock overlooking it is what inspired
the name of the island and village of Uummannaq, where the locals will
welcome you with their incredible sense of hospitality and humour,
essential to their survival in these northern lands. Seven Inuit
villages also dot this territory where people still get around on dog
sleighs or in kayaks. Mingling tradition, respect for nature and
modernity, the authentic and lively atmosphere that reigns nowadays in
this region inhabited since the 15th century will win over visitors, as
will the magnificent landscapes that compose it, a mix of peninsulas
and of peaks standing more than 2,000 metres tall.
Day
5: DISKO BAY
To
the east of Baffin Bay, discover Disko Bay, scattered with countless
icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. From your ship, admire the majestic ballet of these ice giants as
they slowly drift across the dark waters. This site is a natural marvel
of Greenland, and is also renowned as an observation point for the
region’s many humpback whales. The encounters with wild fauna
and stunning landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile
nature will be pure moments of wonder for you.
Day
6: DISKO BAY
KUANNIT
COAST
Opposite
Ilulissat, sailing for a few hours between the majestic icebergs of
Disko Bay will allow you to reach the southern coast of the large Disko
Island and admire the fields of angelica and the spectacular sculptures
formed by the huge volcanic cliffs of Kuannit, where numerous sea birds
find refuge. Combining glaciers, snow-capped peaks, flowery valleys,
lakes, beaches and volcanic formations, the island’s
exceptionally lush environment has inspired local beliefs. The island
is believed to have a legendary and distant origin: it is said to have
been towed back from the country’s south by fishermen in
kayaks, fastened to “the hair of a child”.
QEQERTARSUAQ
On
the southern coast of Disko Island lies Qeqertarsuaq, one of just two
small villages on this island the size of Corsica. Its isolation makes
it an observation post popular among naturalists since the beginning of
polar exploration and the set-up, in 1906, of the Arctic Centre
research facility. This site is a natural marvel of Greenland, and is
renowned as an observation point for the region’s many
humpback whales. The possible encounters with wildlife and stunning
landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile natural
environment will be moments of sheer wonder for you, particularly from
the top of the Lyngmark Glacier, which offers breathtaking views of the
stunning and varied landscapes of Disko Bay and Disko Island.
KITSISSUARSUIT
(DOG'S ISLAND)
The
Dutch were the first to come and hunt whales on this island they called
“isle of dogs” - Kitissuarsuit in Greenlandic.
Indeed, when they arrived there in the summertime, the inhabitants had
left the island, leaving behind their dogs, and moved to the
neighbouring fjords for a season of fishing. Kitissuarsuit is
considered to be the larder of the small town of Aasiaat, which is
further away from the fishing areas, and the villagers still live
self-sufficiently thanks to the marine resources, while trying to keep
their age-old traditions alive.
Day
7: EVIGHEDSFJORDEN
Your
ship glides slowly along the water towards the west coast of Greenland,
to enter Evighedsfjorden, just a few kilometres south of Kangerlussuaq.
Evighedsfjorden means “the fjord of Eternity”, and
for good reason: just when you think you’ve reached the end
of this stretch of sea measuring over 100 kilometres in length, it
seems to go on forever, as though to bring even more pleasure to those
sailing in it. The spectacular scenery ranges from glaciers to tundra
with an abundant flora, and jagged cliffs where numerous bird species
have taken up residence. Take the time to observe the white-tailed
eagles and the colonies of seagulls and black-legged kittiwakes flying
overhead in the area.
Day
8: KANGERLUSSUAQ
L'Austral (Luxury Expedition, 264-guests)
This superb mega-yacht with 132 staterooms is the result of the expertise of the Italian Fincantieri shipyard and French sophistication, as interpreted by designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. L'Austral remains faithful to our philosophy - to create a unique atmosphere, a subtle blend of luxury, intimacy and well-being.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Gratuities
are included
- Free
Expedition Jacket to Keep and boots are available for rent
- Bottled
Water, Bar Drinks, Beer, House Wines and Soft Drinks are included with
lunch and dinner
- Complimentary
onboard WiFi (beginning in 2019)
- Complimentary
Traveler's Valet laundry servicce (beginning in 2019)