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Golden sun setting over calm Disko Bay with a low iceberg silhouetted on the water off Ilulissat, West Greenland, seen from a Swan Hellenic SH Vega expedition cruise

Swan Hellenic · SH Vega · 7 nights

Greenland, Land of Northern Lights

Kangerlussuaq to Kangerlussuaq. Sailings in September 2027 and 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$16,975 per person, charter flights from Reykjavík included, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

Large icebergs glowing pale blue beneath a soft pink dusk sky over calm water off Ilulissat, Disko Bay, West Greenland, seen from a Swan Hellenic SH Vega expedition cruise

7 nights, roundtrip from Kangerlussuaq

West Greenland as the dark returns

Board SH Vega at the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, reached by charter flight from Reykjavík, and sail the west coast of Greenland in the first weeks of September. The ship works north through Disko Bay to Uummannaq and the calving face of Eqip Sermia, then into the Ilulissat Icefjord, where the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier sends its icebergs out to sea. Humpback and fin whales feed in the bay through late summer, and the nights are long enough again for the aurora to show on clear evenings. Seven nights is a complete West Greenland voyage: fjord, glacier, icefjord and three Greenlandic towns, led each day by the Swan Hellenic expedition team.

Seven nights is the right length for a first taste of Greenland, and the northern lights season is when we send guests who want the fjords and the sky in one trip. We put the whole journey together around it: flights from Australia, a night in Reykjavík either side of the charter, and our own offers for Arctic Cruise guests. One Australian specialist, from the first conversation until you are home.

  • 8 ports
  • 1 country
  • 7 nights

Signature sites

Seven places on the west coast

Every stop sits within a few hours of the next, so the days alternate between a town in the morning and ice in the afternoon. All are reached by Zodiac or on foot with the expedition team, weather permitting.

Glacier front above a turquoise fjord between steep golden mountain walls in Evighedsfjord, West Greenland, on a Swan Hellenic SH Vega expedition cruise

Evighedsfjorden

A 75-kilometre fjord with an outlet of the Greenland Ice Sheet at its head. White-tailed eagles nest along its walls.

Day by day

Seven nights, in outline

West Greenland is sailed by ice and weather, so the outline below is the shape of the voyage rather than a timetable. The expedition leader decides each day’s order in the morning. The full programme, with every site named, comes with the proposal we write for you.

Charter flight from Reykjavík to the former airbase at the head of the fjord, where muskoxen graze the tundra, then board SH Vega.

Aboard SH Vega

SH Vega carries 152 guests, with a Polar Class 5 hull, a fleet of Zodiacs and an observation lounge built for long Arctic light. All 76 staterooms and suites face outward, most with a balcony, and the Swan Hellenic style is quiet: Scandinavian interiors, open-seating dining and a team of guides who lecture between landings.

Discover SH Vega
Expedition guide giving an expert-led presentation to passengers in the lounge aboard a Swan Hellenic cruise

Lectures between landings

Calm Arctic waters with drifting icebergs in Croker Bay on a Swan Hellenic expedition cruise aboard SH Vega

A balcony on the ice

Dining that follows the day

Northern lights glowing behind the mast of SH Vega near Iqaluit, Nunavut, on a Swan Hellenic Arctic Canada expedition cruise

Northern lights from deck

Glacier fronts and sea ice in Hamiltonbukta, Svalbard, on a Swan Hellenic expedition cruise

Zodiacs ready at dawn

We want to make your journey as easy as possible

Seven nights aboard SH Vega, all meals on board and 24-hour room service, wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks throughout the voyage, one guided shore excursion in each port and all expedition landings by Zodiac, weather permitting, lectures and briefings from the expedition team, an expedition parka to keep and rubber boots on loan, standard Wi-Fi, gratuities for the crew, self-service laundry, charter flights between Reykjavík and Kangerlussuaq in both directions

Flights from Australia to Reykjavík and home, kayaking, optional excursions such as the Kuannit hike, the icefjord cruise or the ATV tour, travel insurance, visa fees and personal expenses, spa treatments

The fare includes the charter flights between Reykjavík and Kangerlussuaq in both directions. We arrange your flights from Australia to Reykjavík and the nights in Iceland either side, so the whole journey is one booking.


Further Exploration

Other Arctic itineraries

Greenland can also be reached from Iceland and paired with the Viking routes to Canada. Each voyage shows its from price in Australian dollars; our specialists help you choose the one that suits the way you like to travel.

All expeditions
16 Nights
Ponant
From A$53,550

In the Ice of the Arctic: Svalbard and Greenland

Reykjavík to Longyearbyen in June, or Longyearbyen to Reykjavík. Sailings in 2027, with 2028 to follow. Paris charter flight included. From A$53,550 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

10 Nights
Aurora Expeditions
From A$19,812

Iceland and East Greenland, Under the Northern Lights

Reykjavík to Reykjavík in September, with a hotel night in Reykjavík included. Sailings in 2027 and 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$19,812 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

15 Nights
Quark Expeditions
From US$19,281

West Greenland and the Far North: Ilulissat to Qaanaaq

Reykjavík to Reykjavík via Nuuk, flights across the Denmark Strait included. One sailing in September 2027, one in September 2028, with 2029 to follow. From US$19,281 per person in US dollars, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

14 Nights
Quark Expeditions
From US$10,041

South Greenland: Alpine Exploration by Helicopter

Reykjavík to Reykjavík, with the flight from Nuuk at the end included. One sailing in August 2027, one in August 2028, with 2029 to follow. From US$10,041 per person in US dollars, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

14 Nights
Aurora Expeditions
From A$28,414

Jewels of the Arctic: Svalbard and East Greenland

Oslo to Reykjavík, or the reverse, with the charter flight to Longyearbyen included. Sailings in 2027 and 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$28,414 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

11 Nights
Swan Hellenic
From A$23,500

Viking Routes: Canada, Greenland and Iceland

Halifax to Reykjavík in May, Greenland to Canada in September. Sailings in 2027 and 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$23,500 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

Green and purple northern lights rising behind the bow mast of SH Vega at night in Kangerlussuaq Fjord, West Greenland, on a Swan Hellenic expedition cruise

Dates & prices

Departures, 2027 to 2029

Seven nights aboard SH Vega, Kangerlussuaq to Kangerlussuaq. Fares are Swan Hellenic’s published Australian Cruise Plus fares per person, twin share, with the Reykjavík charter flights included. Ask us before you compare: our offers for Arctic Cruise guests come on top, and we tell you which sailing is the best value for the way you want to travel.

The first September sailing: whales still feeding in Disko Bay, the first dark nights of the season for the aurora. Charter flights Reykjavík to Kangerlussuaq both ways included.

A week later, with longer nights and the autumn colours on the tundra. Charter flights both ways included.

The same route a year on, at the 2028 fare. Charter flights both ways included.

The later 2028 sailing, with the longest nights of the four. Charter flights both ways included.

Swan Hellenic has yet to publish its 2029 Arctic season. Tell us the week and the stateroom you have in mind and we hold your place on our list, then come back to you with dates and Australian fares the day they open.

Made to measure

Tell us your Arctic, we build the rest

Every guest sails differently. Tell us what you are hoping for, the ice, the wildlife, the light, who you are travelling with, and we match it to the right sailing, the right stateroom and the right year, with flights from Australia and our own offers included. One Arctic Cruise specialist stays with you from the first call until you are home.