Enjoy an included night in Yellowknife and meet your fellow travellers at a welcome expedition briefing, followed by boot and parka distribution.

Today, board our private chartered plane to fly the 1,000 miles (1,500 km) to the Arctic Watch Wilderness Lodge. During the four and a half hour flight, we’ll pass over the treeline as we cross the Arctic Circle. Following a refueling stop in the community of Cambridge Bay, you’ll circle above Cunningham Inlet. Enjoy aerial views of the lodge below, before landing on the private airstrip on Somerset Island. A short walk across the tundra, and an even shorter raft ride across the Cunningham River, will bring us to the lodge. Following a tour of the facilities, you’ll be escorted to your cabins. After settling in, meet your hosts for a safety briefing and overview of the exciting activities and options ahead. POSSIBLE SITES VISITED WHILE AT ARCTIC WATCH CUNNINGHAM INLET Every summer, this sheltered inlet is home to about 200...

After a hot breakfast, a typical first morning at the lodge may include receiving a hands-on introduction to driving all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), which are easy and fun to drive. Later, we may take a short hike to the Cunningham River estuary to spot beluga whales frolicking in the shallow water only a few yards offshore. After lunch, there may be an opportunity for a hike to Triple Waterfalls, a five-story torrent of free-falling water. There you can see nesting peregrine falcons and other birds such as loons, snow buntings, sandpipers and rough-legged hawks. Exploring this canyon introduces you to the delicate beauty of wild arctic flowers. Encounters with musk ox are common. During your gourmet dinner, choose a fine Canadian bottle of wine to pair from the “Northwest Passage Wine and Spirit List.” After dinner, there’s f...

One of today’s activities may be kayaking in Cunningham Inlet. Paddle among icebergs, looking out for ring and bearded seals as well as beluga whales. Sightings of sea birds, including arctic terns and eider ducks, can be expected. After a lunch served along the shoreline, we’ll take a short hike to explore a local canyon aptly named “Kayak Falls.” From there we’ll enjoy stunning views of the Northwest Passage and the opportunity to see polar bears. In the afternoon, we’ll return to the Cunningham River estuary, a beluga whale migration site. This site is unique the world over because of the density of the beluga population and their proximity to our lodge. You may even be able to see them while you stand on the river banks, and be close enough to hear their calls. Guides will use hydrophones so you can also hear their u...

Following breakfast, we’ll depart for a trip to Flatrock Falls, crossing the Cunningham River delta. There, you’ll have the option of hiking or traveling by Mercedes Unimog a (multi-purpose four-wheel drive truck). We’ll visit the Somerset Island canyons, formed as the result of shifting fault lines. Their steep walls vary from 200 to 1,000 feet (up to 305 meters). Millions of fossils of prehistoric plants and animals litter the ground. You may also have the opportunity to observe nesting sites of local birds, including terns, plovers and snow geese. An al fresco lunch is served directly on the flat rocks that surround this canyon. After lunch, we’ll travel to Gull Canyon, where you can see the striking color contrasts between the barren canyon and a lush gull rookery. The Canadian Wildlife Service recently declared this s...

Today’s full-day rafting adventure will begin after breakfast with a Mercedes Unimog truck ride to the Arctic Watch raft launch on the Cunningham River, 12.5 miles (20 km) from the lodge. Opt to hike the final four miles (6 km) through the Badlands, passing the skeletal remains of two bowhead whales dated from eight thousand years ago. On the way to the launch, you may encounter musk oxen, snow geese, jaegers, arctic foxes, sandpipers and rough-legged hawks. We’ll savor a picnic lunch on the beach beside the river, as the staff and guides prepare the rafts. Return to the lodge by raft on the swift-flowing, crystal-clear water of the gentle rapids. The views are amazing and include steep canyon walls and, at one point, a 180-degree turn. Tonight, we’ll enjoy our farewell dinner and evening at Arctic Watch.

Today, you’ll bid a fond goodbye to the lodge team and the High Arctic. You may have time to take advantage of one last activity before we depart. In the late afternoon, return to Yellowknife. Upon arrival in Yellowknife you will be transferred to your included hotel.

After breakfast and boot return, you can make your way home at your leisure or spend some more time in the Yellowknife area.