Arctic Express Canada: The Heart of the Northwest Passage
Arctic Express Canada: The Heart of the Northwest Passage
Arctic Express Canada: The Heart of the Northwest Passage
9 Days Starting and ending in Toronto
Visiting: Toronto, Resolute, Coburg Island, Devon Island, Beechey Island, Croker Bay, ሀመር።
Tour operator:
Tour code:
PLJ
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 199
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
The quest for trade routes to the Far East inspired much of the age of exploration of North America, with the promise of the Northwest Passage its elusive jewel. On Arctic Express Canada, discover the great sea route at the top of the world—that obsessed explorers for centuries—on our new expedition ship Ultramarine, which allows you a journey no traditional vessel could offer: immersing yourself in the full Arctic experience while getting back home a week and a half later.Nature and wildlife are the guides on this voyage as you explore the region’s diverse treasures. The Arctic’s stark beauty offers an unforgettable backdrop, while Quark Expeditions’ world-class team provides the knowledge and insight to help you connect with the region’s unique history and geography. Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters, 20-quick-launching Zodiacs and unprecedented mix of on-ship amenities and off-ship adventure options will deliver an unrivalled Arctic experience no one else can.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Start Toronto, Canada.
Location: Toronto
Meals Included: No Meals
Your Arctic expedition begins in Toronto. Explore this vibrant city on your
own before spending the night at your well-appointed hotel.
Day 2 : Fly To Resolute And Embark
Location: Resolute
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning, board your charter flight to Resolute, Nuvanut. Upon arrival,
you may have a chance to check out some of the town’s sites before being
transferred to your ship via Zodiac or helicopter (depending on ship location
and weather conditions).
Day 3 - 7 : Exploring Canada's High Arctic
Location: Coburg Island, Devon Island, Beechey Island, Croker Bay, Resolute
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Winding your way around the remote islands of the Canadian High Arctic aboard
Ultramarine, the newest ship in our fleet, you’ll navigate the same icy
inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of long ago as
they searched for the fabled Northwest Passage, the great sea route at the
top of the world. Designed to give polar adventurers unprecedented access to
the hardest-to-reach places on the planet— and equipped with two onboard
twin-engine helicopters for unparalleled access to areas only Quark
Expeditions can bring you—this one-of-a-kind ship, in its inaugural year,
will take you beyond the familiar in Polar exploration. Throughout your
journey, the Expedition Team will work hard to give you a taste of the best
the Arctic has to offer, immersing you in the heart of the Northwest Passage
in under a week.
Remember that no two Polar voyages are alike, since each expedition presents
new opportunities and different weather and ice conditions. While this voyage
has no fixed itinerary, our objective is to visit as many of the incredible
highlights the season has to offer, using the opportunities provided by the
weather and ice to give you the best experience. Each day, your highly
skilled Expedition Team will read the conditions and choose the best course
to set, but despite their extensive expertise in these areas, each visit
brings something new to discover. That said, our expeditions will have some
elements in common, including daily Zodiac cruising, land excursions, a
robust education program, a community visit and wildlife viewing
opportunities. And thanks to our onboard helicopters, you’ll also discover
the ultimate Polar expedition experience: as stunning as Polar landscapes are
from your ship, they’re even more striking from the air! Conditions
permitting, you’ll enjoy ultra-immersive activities like flightseeing
(short sightseeing flights around your ship and surrounding areas) and
heli-landings (flying to places we could not otherwise access for shore
excursions), two breathtaking options that are unique to Ultramarine and give
you an exhilarating Polar experience like no other.
While this waterway is known to European cultures as the Northwest Passage,
this area has nurtured and sustained the Inuit and their predecessors who
have called these shores home for almost 5,000 years. Moving through these
remote landscapes you will be travelling through the ancestral homelands of
this ancient culture, illuminated in person by Inuit guides onboard and
ashore. Nunavut is an Inuktitut word meaning “our land” and the
Nunavummiut (the people of Nunavut) are renowned for their incredible
resourcefulness, hospitality, good humour, and a deep knowledge of the land
and animals that has allowed them to thrive in the far north for millennia.
Remote and rich in history, the Canadian High Arctic is as awe inspiring as
it is informative. Your days spent exploring this mysterious region will have
you travelling back in time to the Age of Exploration. While following in the
footsteps of famous explorers like Sir John Franklin and Roald Amundsen,
you’ll navigate the waters and visit the historic sites in the area around
Lancaster Sound that were key to the discovery of the Northwest Passage.
You’ll also learn about the scientific, cultural, geopolitical and
environmental aspects of the route from our world-class experts, guides and
the local communities. Reaching remote lands that have lured adventurers for
centuries and few have ever set foot on will be an experience you’ll never
forget.
Wildlife sightings are almost guaranteed, as many of the areas we hope to
explore are home to a surprising number of birds and mammals that thrive in
this challenging environment. You’ll likely see Polar bears, Musk ox and
several bird species, such as gyrfalcons and dovekies (Little auks). If
you’re lucky, you may even spot the elusive narwhal or Arctic wolf, though
sightings of these iconic creatures in the wild are rare, even in places
where we have the highest chances of encountering them.
Coburg Island, for instance, is a wildlife reserve for such birds as Snowy
owls and Peregrine falcons, while the impressive vertical cliffs of Prince
Leopold Island are dotted with nesting seabirds like Northern fulmars and
Black guillemots. The sheltered shores and steep cliffs of Arctic Bay, a
hamlet located off of Admiralty Inlet, provide an ideal nesting habitat for
various High Arctic birds such as Snow geese, Thick-billed murres
(Brünnich’s guillemots) and kittiwakes. Occupied by Inuit nomads for
almost 5,000 years, this traditional community is also an ideal spot to go
ashore and learn more about the Inuit culture, sampling the local cuisine and
mingling with artists, perhaps picking up carvings or other handicrafts as a
memento of your Polar adventure.
Devon Island is another possible locale for wildlife encounters, as walrus,
Polar bears and Musk ox inhabit the area, which is also the location of the
remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost, established at Dundas
Harbour in 1924 to curb foreign whaling and other activities. Nearby is a
small cemetery, one of Canada’s most northerly, still maintained by the
RCMP to this day. Another exciting excursion your Expedition Team might
offer, conditions permitting, is the opportunity to fly up to explore the
Devon ice cap, one of the largest in the Canadian Arctic.
At the western end of Devon Island, windswept Beechey Island might be small,
but it’s steeped in history, as its flat beach and safe anchorage made a
suitable stopover for Arctic expeditions. You’ll want to pay your respects
to the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845–46 at the small marked graves
of three crew members on the island, one of Canada’s most significant
Arctic sites. This is also where Norwegian Roald Amundsen stopped to pay his
own respects to his childhood hero, Franklin, during his 1903–06 voyage,
which became the first successful transit of the Northwest Passage in
history.
History buffs will be further intrigued by the chance to explore an abandoned
Hudson’s Bay Company trading post at Fort Ross, at the southern end of
Somerset Island.
Nearby is the Bellot Strait. One of the goals of this expedition is to
transit this famous channel, one of the most narrow and challenging of the
passage. If we’re successful, at the midpoint you’ll sail past Zenith
Point, the northernmost point of continental North America. Named for
Frenchman Joseph Bellot, one of several explorers who set out in the 1850s to
search for Franklin’s doomed expedition, the strait separates Somerset
Island from the Boothia Peninsula on mainland Canada. (On Beechey Island, you
can visit the memorial to Bellot, who disappeared during his search for
Franklin.)
Those looking for even more excitement may have the opportunity to cruise by
Zodiac along the face of an active glacier near Croker Bay, Devon Island and
possibly even witness the wonders of calving ice, at a safe distance. Listen
closely for the steady crackle and loud roars as pieces of ice break off and
crash into the water below. You’ll also want to be on the lookout for the
walrus that are often seen in the area.
There is no shortage of natural beauty, wildlife and history in Canada’s
High Arctic. Each day, you’ll discover something new and inspiring, whether
it is admiration of the tundra flora to survive the rugged environment, a
rare bird species soaring overhead, a Polar bear on the hunt in its natural
habitat, or the remains of a century-old hut.
Day 8 : Disembark In Resolute, Fly To Toronto
Location: Toronto
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After disembarking in Resolute, you’ll be transferred to your charter
flight to Toronto, where you’ll spend the night at your included hotel.
Day 9 : End Toronto
Location: Toronto
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today, make your way to the airport to catch your homeward flights, or spend
the day exploring this fascinating city.
What's Included
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Meals
4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners.
* All meals while on the ship
* Beer and house wine during dinner
* All accommodation
* All transport and listed activities
* Full complement of qualified Expedition Staff
* We can include flights from the UK. Please contact us for a quote.
What's Not Included
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Mandatory transfer package (including return charter flights between Toronto and Resolute) which is £1700 per person (or equivalent in booking currency) paid on booking
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Single accommodation (available on request)
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Travel insurance
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Visas or vaccinations
Accommodation
The Arctic Express Canada: The Heart of the Northwest Passage is offered on the Ultramarine which is a Polar Adventure ship. Full board accommodation on the ship, generally on a twin share basis in a variety of cabin types, all with en suite facilities. Polar Adventure Ships These are small ice rated vessels well qualified for Polar waters. Intimate adventures are always more enjoyable with like-minded passengers and staff, so these voyages are for people who like flexible itineraries and plenty to keep them busy. Activities include frequent Zodiac excursions, trekking and many hours on deck in areas that other ships only dream about accessing. Food and staff are superb and every guest benefits from the technical advances of this superb fleet. Rest assured our Polar Adventure Ships enable any traveller to maximize their experience sensitively in the Poles.
Food
All meals while on the ship included.
*Typical Meals*
The ships galley offers good quality service and cuisine throughout, with
excellent chefs preparing international menus including vegetarian dishes,
accompanied by a wide variety of drinks from around the world on sale.
*Breakfast:* Buffet style – unlimited tea and coffee, a selection of fruit
juices, hot options including bacon and eggs or omelettes, a selection of
bread and toast and jam/honey/marmalade, fruit and cereal.
*Lunch:* Three course set meal or buffet, or the occasional BBQ.
*Dinner:* Three or four courses with a starter of soup and/or salad, a choice
of mains with at least one vegetarian option and a dessert, with tea and
coffee.
Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this holiday - please do
inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so that our local
team can be well prepared.
Check out our Q&As
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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What is the maximum group size?
199
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Are flights included in this tour?
We can include flights from the UK. Please contact us for a quote.
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
18+ People can go on this tour.
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
No
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Are vaccinations required for this tour?
There are no specific health risks.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Sep 02, 2024 - Sep 10, 2024Book with Confidence
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.