Cruises to Iceland and Greenland

Greenland's Majestic Icebergs and Iceland's Geothermal Wonders: Why Cruise Both Together

Booking a cruise iceland and greenland voyage — rather than visiting each separately — solves a geography problem that independent travel cannot. Both sit in the North Atlantic far from standard European hub airports, with limited inter-island flight options and seasonal access windows that overlap almost exactly. A single sailing covers both within the same departure period, typically 10–15 days, using the ocean transit as productive sea days rather than dead travel time.

Iceland: The Land of Living Earth

Geological activity here is not a tourist attraction layered over a normal country — it is the country. Geysers erupt on schedule in the Haukadalur valley. Lava fields stretch across the Reykjanes Peninsula like a moonscape within an hour of the capital. The Vatnajökull ice cap, Europe's largest glacier by volume, sits atop active volcanic systems that periodically erupt beneath the ice. Shore time is split between geothermal hot springs, waterfall hikes, and a Viking-age history that connects directly to the Norse settlement across the water — Leif Erikson departed these shores around 1000 AD on the voyage that reached North America. Explore our Iceland tours for land-based itineraries combining with a cruise.

Greenland: The Silent Giant

The island is 80% covered by an ice sheet up to 3 kilometres thick — the largest body of ice in the Northern Hemisphere outside Antarctica. The coastline, however, is anything but uniform: the west offers colourful colonial harbour towns, Inuit cultural sites, and the Ilulissat Icefjord where glaciers calve icebergs the size of multi-storey buildings into Disko Bay. The east is markedly wilder — the Scoresby Sound fjord system, the largest on Earth, sees very few visitors and looks much as it did when Norse settlers briefly occupied its shores in the 10th century. See our dedicated Greenland tours for expedition itineraries focused on the eastern and western coastlines.

Prins Christian Sund: The Route That Defines These Voyages

At the southern tip, the Prins Christian Sund is a narrow passage flanked by mountains and glaciers that reach directly to the water's edge. Navigation through it requires the right vessel and the right conditions — not all sailings include it, and those that do treat it as the centrepiece of the itinerary. It is the moment that separates a true North Atlantic expedition from a transatlantic crossing that happens to stop at both islands.

Key Ports of Call on Cruises to Greenland and Iceland

Reykjavik, Iceland

The capital is both the standard embarkation point for these voyages and a destination worth arriving two days early to explore. The Golden Circle route — Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall — fills a full day from the port. The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa sits 45 minutes away near Keflavik airport, practical for arrival or departure days. The Viking Settlement Exhibition in central Reykjavik covers the original Norse occupation, with excavated longhouse remains visible beneath a glass floor.

Akureyri, Iceland

The country's second city sits at the head of Eyjafjörður, the longest fjord, and serves as the gateway to the Diamond Circle — covering the Dettifoss waterfall (the most powerful in Europe by water flow), the Ásbyrgi canyon, and the Lake Mývatn geothermal area. Mývatn's mud pools, lava formations at Dimmuborgir, and the hot springs of Hverir can all be reached within a single shore day.

Ísafjörður — The Westfjords

The Westfjords are the oldest geological formation in the country and among the least-visited by standard tourists. Ísafjörður — the region's main town — sits on a spit of land surrounded on three sides by water. The Dynjandi waterfall, known locally as the jewel of the Westfjords, drops in a series of cascades down a 100-metre cliff face. The mountain Kaldbakur offers panoramic views of the fjord system from its 998-metre summit.

Qaqortoq, Greenland

The largest town in the south, identifiable by its coloured houses arranged across a hillside above the harbour. Lake Tasersuaq nearby provides a calm inland setting in contrast to the open water. Hvalsey Church — the best-preserved Norse ruins on the island, dating to the 14th century — is reached by boat and represents the last recorded contact between European settlers and the outside world before the Norse colonies here disappeared.

Nuuk, Greenland

The world's smallest national capital by population, sitting at the confluence of several fjord systems on the west coast. The National Museum holds one of the most significant collections of Inuit artefacts in the world, including the Qilakitsoq mummies — naturally preserved for over 500 years. The harbour area and surrounding mountains are accessible on foot, and the fjord system behind the city is open to guided boat excursions.

Skjoldungen, East Greenland

Not a town — a remote fjord area on the east coast where glaciers descend directly into the sea and the nearest settlement is hundreds of kilometres away. Access is by Zodiac onto shores that see perhaps a handful of expedition vessels per season. Wildlife includes arctic foxes, nesting seabirds, and — depending on ice conditions — ringed seals resting on floe fragments close to the glacier fronts.

Itinerary Types: Choosing the Right Cruise Iceland and Greenland Route

Classic Transatlantic Crossings — 12 to 15 Days

The most popular format for American travellers, these itineraries depart from or return to an East Coast port — typically New York or Boston — and combine two to three days at sea with calls at four to six ports across both destinations. The ocean transit days are part of the experience rather than dead time: whale sightings, seabird observations, and educational programming fill the crossing. Disembarking back in the United States eliminates the need for a transatlantic flight at the end of the voyage.

Deep Exploration Routes — 8 to 12 Days

Itineraries that begin and end in Reykjavik focus more port time on each destination rather than trading days for the ocean crossing. A round-trip circumnavigation covers the Westfjords, the north coast, and the East Fjords in sequence. Combined routes from Reykjavik typically include Prins Christian Sund and calls on both the west and east coasts of the island, packing genuine expedition content into a shorter overall schedule.

Special Interest Departures — Eclipse, Midnight Sun & Viking Heritage

A small number of departures are timed to specific events. The 2026 solar eclipse track crosses the region, and several itineraries are routed to position passengers in the path of totality — the Greenland Solar Eclipse voyage covers 11 days with August 2026 departures from $16,434 per person. Midnight Sun sailings in June and July keep passengers on deck during the luminous Arctic nights. Viking heritage itineraries follow the historical Norse routes from western Norway through the North Atlantic, connecting Erik the Red's exile in 985 AD to the landscapes visible from the ship.

Cruises to Greenland and Iceland: Itinerary Comparison

Best Time for Iceland and Greenland Cruises

July & August — Peak Access

The window when coastal fjords are reliably navigable and interior roads are open runs from late June through August. Temperatures on deck average 5–12 °C in the north and 10–15 °C further south. Whale activity in Disko Bay and off the Snæfellsnes Peninsula peaks during this period. Daylight is effectively continuous above 65° North, meaning glacier and iceberg photography is possible at any hour.

Late August & September — Quieter Ports, First Chance of Aurora

As summer ends, passenger volumes at popular ports drop and the first nights dark enough for aurora observation return — particularly on northern itineraries above 65° North. September also brings autumn colour to lowland vegetation and more dramatic cloud formations over the ice sheet. For dedicated Northern Lights sailings timed to the optimal aurora window, see our Northern Lights tours page — those itineraries run through winter on a separate schedule.

Why Book Cruise to Greenland and Iceland Through Nordic Saga

These itineraries involve more moving parts than a standard European cruise booking. Pre-cruise hotel logistics in Reykjavik, port-entry requirements on the Greenlandic coast, Zodiac landing protocols, and the practical question of whether to fly into Keflavik or connect through Copenhagen all require route-specific knowledge. Nordic Saga handles this coordination as part of the booking process — not as an add-on service.

Shore Excursions

We advise on which shore excursions at each port deliver the most within typical time-ashore windows — the Golden Circle from Reykjavik, guided walks to Hvalsey Church ruins from Qaqortoq, Zodiac fjord tours from Skjoldungen, or the Disko Bay boat trip from Ilulissat. Some ports reward independent walking over organised tours; others require a guide to reach anything worth seeing. We know the difference and help you allocate your time accordingly.

Pre- & Post-Cruise Hotel Programmes

Arriving in Reykjavik a day or two before embarkation is not optional — it is the sensible buffer against transatlantic flight delays. We arrange hotel nights and airport transfers in Reykjavik, Nuuk, or other departure cities, with the same attention to location and quality applied to the cruise itself. Properties are selected for proximity to the port and access to the attractions most commonly visited before or after the voyage.

Land Programme Extensions

For travellers who want more time ashore before boarding — exploring the South Coast, visiting the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, or driving the Ring Road segment — we arrange multi-day land programmes that combine with the cruise departure date. Extensions on the western coast are also available for Nuuk and Ilulissat stays. Contact Nordic Saga to build the full itinerary around your travel dates.

If you are weighing this route against others in the region: our Arctic expedition cruises go further north into Svalbard and the pack ice, while our Scandinavia cruises cover Norway, the Baltic capitals, and the Norwegian fjord coast.