HX Expeditions has partnered with indigenous Inuit communities to launch an excursion programme for its Arctic Canadian excursions.
The community-led excursions will be offered on HX’s 25-day Northwest Passage sailings: westbound from Greenland to Alaska aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen.
The new excursions will debut in Gjøa Haven, Pond Inlet, and Cambridge Bay, led by communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic that are accessible only during a short summer window.
Each excursion has been co-created in partnership with Inuit hosts to offer guests an opportunity to engage with daily life, culture, and traditions in the Canadian Arctic.
The excursions include:
- Guided hikes to local landmarks with Inuit storytelling
- Participating in the lighting of the traditional Inuit oil lamp Qilliq and learning its cultural significance
- Small-group discussions with community members about life in the North
- Arctic char fishing with local harvesters using traditional weir techniques
- Visiting summer cabins to learn how Inuit continue to live off the land
- Collaborative art-making sessions using techniques and materials unique to each region
- Storytelling with elders sharing personal experiences and ancestral knowledge
- Joining community events like bingo, card games, or demonstrations of Arctic sports
“These intimate excursions are an opportunity for travellers to create meaningful personal connections with local residents and experience the beauty of Inuit hospitality like never before,” said HX Expeditions CEO, Alex McNeil. “By keeping excursions to an average of 10 to 12 guests, we ensure each experience is personal and rooted in genuine exchange – offering a level of access, connection, and cultural integration you won’t find with other cruise lines.”