Head to the icy wonderland on one of YPT’s Greenland cruises and get close to icebergs, unique wildlife and the magical Northern Lights. The largest island in the world has never been so accessible and our Greenland cruises offers a truly unforgettable experience.
From the ship and on land, you’ll see icebergs calving from massive glaciers, hike across arctic landscapes, have a barbecue under the Northern Lights and encounter fascinating wildlife, including whales, seals, and polar bears.
Our expedition-style Greenland cruises are designed to maximize your time exploring this remote and stunning destination, some of them even offering hikes up to 12 kilometres long. Our expert guides will also share their knowledge of Greenland’s history, culture, and ecology, providing you with a deeper understanding of this unique region.
Our Greenland cruises offer something for everyone, from kayaking in an iceberg graveyard and exploring historic Inuit settlements, to simply watching birds from the deck or relaxing in the lounge of the vessel.
YPT proposes different Greenland cruises, with usually one departure per year.
Our Eastern Greenland cruises set sail from Akureyri, in northern Iceland, and cross the Greenland sea to arrive at the Scoresbysund, the largest fjord system in the world. Here, depending on the ice and weather conditions, we stop on many different locations and do multiple zodiac expeditions. Amongst others, we visit the ruins of an Inuit settlement on Danmark Island and stop in Ittoqqortoormiit: a settlement of 500 people where life goes by on dog sleds.
Another one of our Greenland cruises is our “Arctic Adventure”, which leaves from Svalbard and arrives in Iceland. We can’t promise polar bear encounters, but one thing is sure: you’ll experience the raw beauty of the Arctic at its finest.
Young Pioneer Tours not only offer the cheapest Antarctica cruises that are scheduled, but can also offer the cheapest FIT and group rates through our partners. We also offer discounted cruises to Greenland, with prices up to 50% off!
Those cruises have very limited availability, so be sure to contact us as soon as possible if you want to secure a spot.
4 Sep, 2026 – 17 Sep, 2026
4 Sep, 2026 – 17 Sep, 2026
If our scheduled Greenland group tours don’t match your travel dates or interests, we can offer independent options. Those include:
Those 12 nights/13 days trips sail waters filled with breath-taking scenery. The expedition passes through areas that are home to seals, seabirds, whales, and polar bears, topped off with nighttime viewing of the Northern Lights.
Price: from 6995€
Those 8 days/9 nights cruises, travelling between Narsarsuaq (South Greeland) and Keflavik (Iceland) are a unique opportunity to explore Southeast Greenland. It offers many historic sites relating to ancient Thule, Norse, and Moravian culture while also allowing us to walk in the footsteps of famed polar explorers like Fridtjof Nansen. Glaciers, icebergs, and fjords make for a dazzling environment where we may see polar bears, and the crossing to Iceland will give us a great opportunity to observe migrating whales and seabirds.
Price: from 5245€
Filming in Greenland
Through our media arm Pioneer Media we can make arrangements for productions, journalists, or others to film within Greenland from big budget to guerrilla productions.
Day 1 – Akureyri
Day 2 – East Greenland Sea
Day 3 – Scoresbysund
Day 4 – Røde Fjord
Day 5 – Sydkap
Day 6 – Ittoqqortoormiit
Day 7 – Stewart Ø
Day 8 – Turner Sound and Rømer Fjord
Day 9 – East Greenland Sea
Day 10 – Akureyri
Due to the remoteness of Greenland and the local regulations, we are very limited in terms of bespoke tours – but if you have an idea, get in touch and we’ll see what we can do!
Our voyages are expedition-style cruises, which means that our goal is to spend as much time on shore as possible. Our itineraries are therefore designed to be flexible, taking advantage of wildlife and weather opportunities.
Depending on the cruise, we travel on the M/V Hondius, which can accommodate 174 passengers, the M/V Plancius, which can embark 116 passengers, or the M/V Ortelius, which can accommodate up to 108 passengers. All our vessels offer a restaurant/lecture room and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) with large windows, offering full panorama view. Don’t worry, you won’t be floating on a giant cruise ship: we don’t like them either!
You need to be in good general health and be able to walk on the ship, get up and down the gangway, and get in and out of the Zodiacs. During activities, you can choose to stay on the vessel if you prefer. If you choose to join landings, you’ll have the choice between long and physically demanding hikes, medium hikes or short hikes.
We require you to bring a waterproof jacket and pants (minimum 15,000mm rating) for Zodiac cruises to shore. Apart from that, our advice is to take warm, windproof, waterproof clothes that you can easily add or remove in layers. Greenland is cold, but keep in mind that we’ll be there during the summer season, where temperatures usually range from 5°C to 10°C. If you are used to skiing, mountaineering or hiking in winter, the gear you use for those activities should be enough.
Our goal is to be off the vessel as much as possible, with a landing in the morning and one in the afternoon. The program usually focuses on Zodiac excursions, shoreline walks, and wildlife spotting. We also offer kayak and diving opportunities, on selected cruises.
No, you won’t see penguins because they live in Antarctica. Though we can obviously never guarantee we’ll see polar bears, Greenland is a great place to look for them. Our captains, crews, and guides (with help from our passengers) keep a close lookout for polar bears at all of our landing sites. For safety reasons, if we see any, we will not go to shore, but we can observe them from afar.
Yes! While we cannot guarantee they will happen, our late-season cruises (in September) take place at the beginning of the polar night which means good opportunities to see the Auroras. Please note that if you choose to travel in July or August, you won’t be able to see them due to the Midnight Sun.
Our tours are expedition trips, which means that among the crew, there will be a lot of specialists who will give presentations on different subjects. There can be up to 3 or 4 presentations per day (attendance is not mandatory, don’t worry) and the topics are very diverse. The ship also has a library, a bar, a lounge, observation areas, computers… Enough to keep you busy for a while!
Iceland and Greenland are both signatories of the Schengen Agreement. As such, nationals from the EU, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA amongst others do not need a visa to visit them for less than 90 days.
Nationals requiring visas for Greenland must have a Schengen visa issued by a Danish mission with the wording ‘Valid for Greenland’ in the comments section on the visa. This is because Greenland has a special status within the Schengen Agreement.
Greenland is totally safe. You just need to follow safety precautions on the ship (do not lean over the edge…) and on land (do not leave the perimeter of the landing site, follow the crew’s instructions, do not try to approach a polar bear in the unlikely event that you see one, etc.).
Our ships are equipped with internet and phone facilities. Wi-Fi access is available throughout the ship. Upon boarding, passengers will receive an internet voucher, giving them access to a daily allowance of 1.5 GB of free internet connectivity, which resets every 24 hours. Supplementary internet vouchers will be available to purchase on board for those requiring additional internet availability. There are also two laptops available for public use.
Travel insurance is mandatory on our cruises. Accidents or medical conditions can happen anywhere and it’s best to be prepared since medical facilities in Greenland are basically non-existent. A proper travel insurance should include coverage for (medical) evacuation/repatriation costs by helicopter, plane or ship. You should always do your own research about insurance, but we at YPT use IATI. Using our referral link below will give you a 5% discount off their usual price: https://www.iatitravelinsurance.com/en/?r=23612524710385
No matter which Polar Region you choose to explore with us, you can be assured of an incredible adventure. Our experienced guides and expedition leaders will ensure your safety while providing insights into the unique ecosystems and histories of these remote and captivating destinations. Young Pioneer Tours not only offer the cheapest Greenland Cruises that are scheduled but can also offer the cheapest FIT and group rates through our partners.
