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Peregrine Travel Centre

In the Ice of the Arctic, from Greenland to Svalbard Luxury Expedition

In the Ice of the Arctic, from Greenland to Svalbard Luxury Expedition

From AUD $46,690

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Description

Very few ships are capable of venturing so far into the heart of the Arctic ice. Le Commandant Charcot, a technological marvel designed for polar exploration, is one of them. From late spring onwards, it navigates the waters between the remote regions of north-east Greenland and the nature reserves of Svalbard and. Basalt cliffs, glaciers, fjords, a giant ice sheet and drifting ice floes provide a backdrop of breathtaking beauty. As part of your exploration, go hiking or set out in a kayak or inflatable dinghy to observe these pristine landscapes, home to unique and resilient wildlife. It is a rare privilege to be able to follow in the footsteps of three great explorers: Charcot, Victor and Blosseville.

Trip Name
In the Ice of the Arctic, from Greenland to Svalbard Luxury Expedition
Days
17
Overview
Vessel Type: Polar Luxury Expedition Passenger Capacity: 135 cabins Length: 149.9 meters Built: 2018/2019 Le Commandant Charcot is a purpose-built polar exploration vessel engineered for extreme environments, operating with a hybrid electric–LNG system that reduces noise, vibration and emissions while pushing deeper into ice than conventional ships. Interior spaces follow a restrained, insulated design philosophy that supports comfort in high-latitude conditions: multiple lounges, refined dining rooms, theatre, boutique and extensive wellness areas arranged to maintain warmth, calm and controlled movement throughout the ship. Accommodation spans 123 staterooms and suites, all with balconies, with upper-tier suites extending up to 115 m². The vessel integrates dedicated scientific infrastructure into its core layout, including laboratories and working spaces that support ongoing polar research. Field operations and environmental systems are engineered from the ground up for low-impact navigation, aligning with the ship’s mandate to access remote polar areas responsibly. A full virtual deck plan and live bow-mounted webcam reinforce the ship’s emphasis on landscape immersion and transparency of experience. Read About Our Experience on Board Le Commandant Charcot It’s All About the Destination… And This Ship  

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 REYKJAVÍK
Iceland’s capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the country. Perlan, the “Pearl of Reykjavík”, a museum located on ’Oskjuhlið hill, offers a panoramic view of the lush, green landscapes. A little further, one can easily spot the signpost showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church, and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two lively streets with charming small shops. For some relaxation just outside of the city, visitors have the opportunity to visit the Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.
Day 2 - Day 2 SAILING THROUGH THE DENMARK STRAIT
Lying between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the Red’s expeditions. In the Second World War, its waters were the theatre of a battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, on 24 May 1941. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this rich ecosystem.
Day 3 - Day 3 AMMASSALIK REGION
Still almost unknown just a century ago, the east coast of Greenland remains the most authentic and majestic region. Here, the alpine mountains merge intimately with the sea, while the fjords are adorned with high snow-capped peaks and drifting icebergs. Follow in the wake of Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s famous ship, the Pourquoi Pas?, which set off with its crew to discover Ammassalik, a small island of primitive and wild beauty where the Inuit people chose to live. The name of this island is a reference to the capelin, a small flamboyant silver coloured fish, whose presence in the thousands announces to inhabitants the return of spring. A surprising discovery in a spectacular setting.
Day 4 - Day 4 BLOSSEVILLE COAST
Aboard your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a French explorer and sailor. In 1833, aboard La Lilloise, he set off to discover this isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland and gave French names to various sites on the coast. The adventure probably has an unfortunate outcome, since the crew was never found. This uninhabited territory, which now bears his name, lies to the south of Scoresby Sund. Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pieces of pack ice, Blosseville Coast is one of these wild and hard-to-reach places that very few people are lucky enough to explore.
Day 5 - Day 5 ITTOQQORTOORMIIT REGION
On the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region, you will have the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of isolated scenery and exploring the beauty of its landscapes. The high alpine mountains stand out in the sky, revealing dark rock edges. The region is home to the longest fjord system in the world, Scoresby Sound. On the edge of the fjord, the eponymous village is considered one of the most remote inhabited places in the world. The colourful houses, so typical of Greenland, dot the landscape with small red, yellow and blue patches that stand out against the surrounding arid landscape. Immersing yourself in this region will allow you to discover the ancestral way of life of the last hunters of the polar region. This will be a veritable deep-dive into the lives of the Arctic’s inhabitants.
Day 6 - Days 6 - 9 EXPLORATION OF NORTH-EAST GREENLAND
Set sail for North-East Greenland to immerse yourself further and up higher in the Arctic region to explore the unexpected riches of the sea ice, where traditional ships cannot travel at this time of the year. As the light shifts and the moods of the sky change, the different states of the ice and the infinite diversity of its textures create an exceptionally stunning tableau. With patience and humility, you will sail amid the pearl-white floating cathedrals and the ice carried by the Transpolar Drift. En route, icebergs have their journey halted by ice and pressure ridges reveal their sharp edges. In the midst of this icy vastness, beauty is found in the detail and the magic of the moment. In the realm of polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot is a reassuring cocoon built for polar exploration and offers you wonderful opportunities to observe these lords of the ice when you happen upon them. You may even get the chance to admire the moving sight of a mother and her cub travelling across the immaculate icy expanse.
Day 7 - Days 10 - 11 AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Spend exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
Day 8 - Days 12 - 13 NORDAUST-SVALBARD NATURE RESERVE
The Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve has been protecting the northernmost and coldest part of the archipelago, Nordaustlandet (North East Land), since 1973. This vast polar desert covered by two ice caps is the second largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Protected by the Gulf Stream, the fjords and cliffs in the west and north are home to large colonies of birds and walruses. The landscapes in the colder east and south are dominated by imposing glaciers that calve majestic icebergs in the vast Hinlopen Strait. Large colonies of thick-billed murres have taken up residence on the sheer cliffs. You may even get the chance to see a bear or an Arctic fox roaming in the vicinity.
Day 9 - Day 14 SAILING IN THE HINLOPEN STRAIT
Sailing in the Hinlopen Strait, in the heart of the Arctic Ocean, between the Norwegian islands of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet promises an unforgettable experience. This territory of the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve offers breathtaking panoramas, with magnificent basalt formations and the ice cap stretching as far as the eye can see, diving into the sea. The shore line cut by the fjords moving inland composes a magical landscape in which icebergs float here and there, the result of the calving of the surrounding glaciers. This place, today a popular spot to observe the seabirds nesting in the enormous cliffs, polar bears and walruses, was once intrinsically linked to the history of the whalers who frequented the region from the 17th century. Indeed, it was one of them, Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen, then director of a Dutch whaling company, who gave the strait its name. Later on, Russian trappers, European explorers, scientists and even mountaineers roamed this region, as hostile as it is sublime.
Day 10 - Day 15 SORAUST-SVALBARD NATURE RESERVE
The Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve is the second largest protected area in Norway. Established in 1973, this nature conservation area stretching over more than 21,000 km2 will offer you stunning panoramas including coastal landscapes, rocky islets, mountain plateaux, vast tundra plains, and ice floes. With a little luck, you will be able to observe a wide variety of seabirds, given the site is listed as an Important Bird Area, as well as cetaceans, Svalbard reindeer, or even Arctic foxes. Among other things, Edgeoya Island is renowned for providing shelter to a number of polar bears during the breeding season.
Day 11 - Day 16 HORNSUND
Nestling between millennial glaciers and carved mountains, and considered to be “the crown of Arctic Norway”, Spitsbergen is a place that never sees the night. Your ship will take you closer to this fascinating archipelago and, more particularly, the Hornsund fjord. Considered to be Svalbard’s southernmost fjord, it is especially reputed to be its most stunning: at the end of its vast bay, 8 great glaciers slowly make their way down to the sea before giving way to the many icebergs elegantly drifting along its cold and mysterious waters.
Day 12 - Day 17 LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.
Day 13 - Please Note:
We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation, mainly in the fjords, will be determined by the type of ice we come across; as the fast ice must be preserved, we will take this factor into account from day to day in our itineraries. The sailing programme, outings, activities and observation of fauna cannot be guaranteed and are subject to weather and ice conditions. The experiences are unique and vary from day to day and for each departure. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while respecting safety instructions and regulations imposed by the AECO.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $49,856Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $50,806Prestige Stateroom Deck 7
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $114,246Suite Duplex
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $159,076Owner's Suite
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $51,756Prestige Stateroom Deck 8
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $53,186Deluxe Suite Deck 6
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $55,586Deluxe Suite Deck 7
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $57,486Deluxe Suite Deck 8
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $73,696Prestige Suite Deck 7
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $76,076Prestige Suite Deck 8
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $78,476Grand Prestige Suite
28-05-202613-06-2026AUD $83,236Privilege Suite Deck 8
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $49,856Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $50,806Prestige Stateroom Deck 7
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $51,756Prestige Stateroom Deck 8
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $53,186Deluxe Suite Deck 6
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $55,586Deluxe Suite Deck 7
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $57,486Deluxe Suite Deck 8
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $73,696Prestige Suite Deck 7
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $76,076Prestige Suite Deck 8
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $78,476Grand Prestige Suite
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $83,236Privilege Suite Deck 8
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $114,246Suite Duplex
13-06-202629-06-2026AUD $159,076Owner's Suite
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $51,550Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $52,550Prestige Stateroom Deck 7
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $53,540Prestige Stateroom Deck 8
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $55,040Deluxe Suite Deck 6
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $57,510Deluxe Suite Deck 7
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $59,500Deluxe Suite Deck 8
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $76,370Prestige Suite Deck 7
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $78,840Prestige Suite Deck 8
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $81,330Grand Prestige Suite
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $86,280Privilege Suite Deck 8
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $118,530Duplex Suite
08-06-202724-06-2027AUD $165,160Owner's Suite
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $46,690Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $47,590Prestige Stateroom Deck 7
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $48,480Prestige Stateroom Deck 8
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $49,820Deluxe Suite Deck 6
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $52,050Deluxe Suite Deck 7
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $53,830Deluxe Suite Deck 8
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $69,000Prestige Suite Deck 7
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $71,230Prestige Suite Deck 8
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $73,460Grand Prestige Suite
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $77,930Privilege Suite Deck 8
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $106,920Duplex Suite
24-06-202710-07-2027AUD $168,310Owner's Suite

Inclusions

    • North-east Greenland (inaccessible to traditional ships in late spring) and Svalbard, aboard Le Commandant Charcot, a polar exploration vessel.
    • Discover the landscapes (majestic mountains, fjords, glaciers, icebergs, pack ice, cliffs, blooming tundra, etc.) and the wildlife (opportunities to glimpse or observe polar bears, cetaceans, Arctic foxes, Svalbard reindeer, seabirds, etc.).
    • Activities: outings and shore visits in a rubber dinghy; kayaking; hiking or snowshoeing; polar plunging; encounters with Greenlandic Inuits, etc.

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