29 August

United States: Anchorage

30 August to 1 September - At sea

2 September

United States: Nome

Only accessible by air or sea, the remote Alaskan town of Nome sits overlooking the Bering Strait, surrounded by miles of largely featureless tundra. This was once a boomtown; the discovery of easily extractable gold in 1898 led to a gold rush, and you can still see the remnants of the mining industry which thrived here.

3 September to 6 September - At sea

7 September

Canada: Sachs Harbour (Northwest Territories)

Banks Island is the largest island in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago, though the only human settlement is the tiny Inuvialuit hamlet of Sachs Harbour. The landscape is spectacular, home to wildlife including caribou, Arctic foxes, polar bears, wolves and musk oxen, while offshore you may spot white and bowhead whales.

8 September to 9 September - At sea

10 September

Canada: Cambridge Bay

The remote community of Cambridge Bay is located on the southeast coast of Victoria Island, part of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It’s the largest stop for ships transiting the Northwest Passage, despite a population of less than 2,000, and it's a great place to learn about the wildlife of the Arctic and the culture of the Inuit people who live here.

11 September to 14 September - At sea

15 September

Canada: Dundas Harbour (Devon Island)

Devon Island is the world’s largest uninhabited island, a barren and frozen place that is used by NASA scientists to carry out research on the practicalities of missions to Mars. The chilly waters off the coast support species including bearded seals, harbour seals and humpback whales, and if you’re lucky you may even spot polar bears.

16 September

Canada: Pond Inlet

The small Inuit settlement of Pond Inlet sits at the entrance to the fabled Northwest Passage, on the north coast of Baffin Island. A dramatic landscape of fjords, glaciers and icebergs provides a habitat for wildlife including whales, seabirds, seals and narwhals, the otherworldly ‘unicorns of the sea’.

17 September - At sea

18 September

Greenland: Ilulissat

The spectacular Ilulissat ice fjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's the source of the many icebergs that float out across Disko Bay. The town of Ilulissat itself is Greenland’s third largest settlement, and activities on offer here include dog sledding and whale watching.

19 September

Greenland: Sisimiut

The name Sisimiut means ‘the people living in a place where there are fox dens’, though these days the town is better known for being Greenland’s northernmost year-round ice-free port. Around 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle, it’s a common stop for ships making the journey north to Disko Bay.

20 September

Greenland: Nuuk

Greenland’s capital and largest town, Nuuk is positively cosmopolitan compared to the rest of this remote and isolated country. The setting amongst mountains and fjords is striking, and attractions include the Greenland National Museum and the picturesque Old Harbour.

21 September

Greenland: Kangerlussuaq

Founded in 1941 as a US Air Force base, Kangerlussuaq is home to Greenland’s main airport and a place that most visitors to the country will pass through at some point. The town also offers easy access to the magnificent Greenland Ice Cap, and the surrounding countryside is a great place to see the Northern Lights.

22 September - At sea

23 September

Canada: Pangnirtung

24 September

Canada: Lady Franklin Island

24 September

Canada: Monument Island

25 September

Canada: Lower Savage Islands

25 September

Canada: Resolution Island, Qikiqtaaluk

26 September

Canada: Nachvak Fiord, Newfoundland and Labrador

27 September

Canada: Saglek Fjord

28 September

Canada: Hebron (Newfoundland and Labrador)

29 September

Canada: Nain

30 September

Canada: Indian Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

1 October

Canada: Battle Harbour

2 October

Canada: L'Anse aux Meadows

The archaeological site of L’Anse aux Meadows, on the northern tip of Newfoundland, is the only confirmed site of Norse settlement in North America. Vikings arrived from Iceland and Greenland some 500 years before Columbus, and you can visit the reconstructed timber and peat-turf homes that they built.

3 October to 4 October - At sea

5 October

Arriving in Halifax

The natural harbour at Halifax is the second largest in the world after Sydney, and this charming city has a proud maritime heritage. Take a stroll along the historic waterfront, delve into the vibrant arts scene or explore the beautiful coastal scenery of Nova Scotia.