you look rewards visitors with vistas of blue, ice–strewn waters set against a breathtaking backdrop of lush, verdant valleys and pastures bursting with blooms. Unique to Greenland, and indeed the entire Arctic, warm microclimates deep in the fjords have created a surprisingly fertile Arctic Garden of Eden. South Greenlandic farming traditions dating back to Viking days are still kept alive. Many families work their remote sheep farms along the shores of the fjords, their lives very much attuned to the seasons as they produce a variety of organic home– grown produce (such as potatoes, turnips and kale). Also in the West, we find the perfect access points to the Greenland Ice Sheet, the largest mass of ice in the northern hemisphere and second largest in the world, flowing from the heights of the polar plateau to sea level. Become one of the very few people to ever set foot on this incredible body of ice during our
included Greenland Ice Sheet Experience. Over these two days you will have the opportunity to explore the Ice Sheet, hike the surrounding foothills, cruise or paddle through the azure ice–filled waters, and engage with our local friends and partners during the most meaningful and in–depth community experiences offered on any Quark Expeditions voyage. Before you depart on your charter flight back to Reykjavik in the early evening of day 10, we plan to spend the day visiting the sites surrounding Narsarsuaq, including the Kujataa UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a living history lesson in Viking farming. We hope to offer you the opportunity to visit charming Qassiarsuk, a small sheep farming settlement across the fjord from Narsarsuaq, where you can experience true South Greenland hospitality and gain insight into the fascinating lives of sheep farmers living at the edge of the Ice Sheet. We suggest you take time to explore the
remains and replicas of Brattahlíð, Erik the Red’s estate, once the epicenter of the Greenland Norse Eastern Settlement, before heading back across the bay to Narsarsuaq to visit the museum, hike to Signal Hill for a panoramic view, and enjoy the frontier–town ambience. Before our early evening charter flight, we will celebrate our voyage with a ‘Farewell to Greenland’ dinner ashore at the iconic Hotel Narsarsuaq. Upon landing back at Reykjavik’s international airport in the evening, you will be transferred to a hotel in nearby Keflavik. DAY 11 | DEPART REYKJAVIK Today, you can make your way home at your leisure or continue your independent explorations of Iceland.
EXPEDITION SPIRIT Embrace the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your Expedition Team must consider the sea, ice and weather to guide the route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you may experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed. By the same token, wildlife encounters as described are expected, but not guaranteed. Your Expedition Team will use their considerable experience to seek out wildlife in known habitats, but the presence of any particular species of bird or marine wildlife is not guaranteed.
Call your Travel Professional or a Quark Polar Travel Adviser at 1.888.892.0073 | Visit QuarkExpeditions.com for additional details
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