Sailing through the course of history on Quark Expeditions’ Northwest Passage: In the Footsteps of Franklin voyage was a truly unforgettable experience. In our review we dive into everything we got up to, where we went and our favourite elements from this epic 17-day adventure.
In 1845 an English explorer by the name John Franklin set sail to conquer the last unknown section of the fabled Northwest Passage across the Canada Arctic.
This treacherous journey was expected to present a new trade route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, opening up new possibilities for economic development.
While Franklin’s voyage eventually met disaster when his two ships, the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became icebound, the mystique of the Northwest Passage never faded from society.
When the Northwest Passage was finally navigated in 1903-1906 by Roald Amundsen, the sea route saw scores of seamen and soon enough, tourists, following in Franklin’s footsteps.
Today the allure of the Northwest Passage has seen it become one of most exciting destinations on the planet, with a select few expedition operators bringing intrepid travellers in search of history, culture, landscapes and wildlife.
We recently returned from our own adventure to the Canadian Arctic with the polar tour company Quark Expeditions on their ‘Northwest Passage: In the Footsteps of Franklin‘ voyage, and can attest to its captivating appeal.
In this article we break down our own experiences navigating from western Greenland into the Canadian Arctic, touching on the places we visited, the experiences we had and our overall thoughts on this fantastic and unique itinerary with Quark.
This incredible 17-day tour begins in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland and makes it way across the Davis Strait to Baffin Island, attempting to track into the Northwest Passage and finish in Resolute, Nunavut.
Along the way the expedition team plans to visit remote Inuit and Greenlandic communities, explore glacial lakes, search for wildlife and dive into historic villages and landing sites from Vikings and members of Franklin’s voyage.
In the spirit of expedition travel an itinerary is never guaranteed, and due to the wild and ever-changing environments of the Arctic landings and exact routes are dictated by things like weather, sea ice, safety, government logistics…
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