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Aerial view of a deep blue fjord winding between golden hills with a small island near Hvalsey, South Greenland, on a Swan Hellenic SH Vega expedition cruise

Swan Hellenic · SH Vega · 11 to 13 nights

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.

Silhouette of the Hvalsey Norse church ruins against hazy mountains with the sun setting behind the ridge, South Greenland, on a Swan Hellenic SH Vega expedition cruise

11 nights, Halifax to Reykjavík

Across the North Atlantic, the way the Norse went

Board SH Vega in Halifax and follow the sagas east: the French islands of Saint-Pierre, the harbour of St John’s and the puffin colonies of Witless Bay, then across the Labrador Sea to South Greenland, where Erik the Red’s farm at Brattahlíð and the cathedral ruins at Gardar still stand above the fjords. The voyage ends in Reykjavík after two sea days of lectures on the Norse crossings. In September the ship sails the other way, from Kangerlussuaq to Halifax by Baffin Island and the Torngat Mountains, under the first northern lights of the season. Spring brings drifting ice and nesting seabirds; autumn brings the aurora and the whales of the Labrador coast. The Swan Hellenic expedition team leads a landing or a Zodiac outing each day.

Guests who have already done Svalbard often ask us what comes next, and this is usually our answer: Greenland and the Canadian Arctic in one voyage, in a season when the light is still long. We shape the rest around you, the stateroom, flights from Australia, nights in Halifax, Reykjavík or Nuuk, whichever end you start from, and the offers we hold for Arctic Cruise guests. One Australian specialist, from the first conversation until you are home.

  • 8 ports
  • 3 countries
  • 11 nights

Signature sites

Seven places along the Viking routes

Three cultures in one crossing: French, Newfoundland and Greenlandic, with the Norse story running underneath. All reached by Zodiac or on foot with the expedition team, weather permitting.

Coastal road winding above Bonne Bay near Woody Point in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, on a Swan Hellenic Canada cruise

Saint-Pierre, France

A French overseas territory off Newfoundland: guided walks, local tastings and a town that still keeps Paris time.

Day by day

Eleven nights, in outline

The May route runs west to east; the September route runs the other way at higher latitude. Both are shaped by ice and weather, and 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.

Board SH Vega in the maritime capital of Nova Scotia and sail in the evening.

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 northern 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 fjord

Dining that follows the day

Ribbons of green northern lights seen from the deck of SH Vega near Iqaluit, Nunavut, on a Swan Hellenic Arctic Canada 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

Eleven 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

Flights from Australia to Halifax and home from Reykjavík, kayaking, optional excursions such as Witless Bay or the Gardar hike, travel insurance, visa fees and personal expenses, spa treatments

This route has no charter flights: Halifax and Reykjavík are both served by scheduled airlines. We arrange your flights from Australia and the hotel nights either side, so the whole journey is one booking.


Further Exploration

Other Arctic itineraries

Greenland can also be sailed roundtrip from Kangerlussuaq in September, and Svalbard reached from Iceland or Norway. 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
15 Nights
Aurora Expeditions
From A$30,601

Northwest Passage

Between Toronto or Reykjavík and Calgary, with charter flights to and from the ship included. Two sailings in 2027, two in 2028, with 2029 to follow. From A$30,601 per person, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

13 Nights
Quark Expeditions
From US$12,921

Greenland to Newfoundland: Ice, Inuit and the Vikings

Fly Reykjavík to Kangerlussuaq, sail to St John’s. Four sailings from September 2027 to September 2028, with 2029 to follow. From US$12,921 per person in US dollars, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

16 Nights
Quark Expeditions
From US$22,871

Northwest Passage: In the Footsteps of Franklin

Reykjavík to Reykjavík via Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq, flights and helicopter flightseeing included. Two sailings in August 2027, with 2028 and 2029 to follow. From US$22,871 per person in US dollars, planned with you by Arctic Cruise.

7 Nights
Swan Hellenic
From A$16,975

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.

12 Nights
Ponant
From A$34,910

Beyond the Inhabited World

Nuuk to Nuuk, 16 to 28 April 2027, with 2028 to follow. From A$34,910 per person, Paris charter flights included, 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.

Green northern lights rippling across the night sky over the sea off Sisimiut, West Greenland, seen from a Swan Hellenic SH Vega expedition cruise

Dates & prices

Departures, 2027 to 2029

Eleven to thirteen nights aboard SH Vega. Fares are Swan Hellenic’s published Australian fares per person, twin share. 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.

Eleven nights, west to east. Puffins on the nest at Witless Bay, spring ice in the Greenland fjords, the Norse farms of Brattahlíð and Gardar.

Thirteen nights, sold as Viking Sagas Under the Northern Lights: Baffin Island, the Torngat Mountains and Labrador as the aurora season opens. We come back to you with the Australian fare.

The same crossing a year on, at the 2028 fare.

Thirteen nights east to west under the northern lights.

Swan Hellenic has yet to publish its 2029 season. Tell us the direction 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.