Days 1 & 2 — Home City/Seattle, Washington

Meet experts, staff, and fellow travelers for a welcome reception and dinner at our hotel, located in the heart of downtown near Pike Place Market, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Space Needle. The next day, depart for Japan, and lose a day crossing the international date line.
Fairmont Olympic Hotel or Four Seasons Hotel Seattle (B, L, D daily)

Days 3, 4, & 5 — Kyoto and Nara, Japan

Land in Osaka and travel to Kyoto, where we’ll visit UNESCO World Heritage-listed temples and gardens, including Kinkakuji, or the “Golden Pavilion,” and the wooden temple of Sanjusangendo. Walk beneath the striking torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine to participate in a blessing ceremony, and explore Nijo Castle. In ancient Nara, visit the Todaiji temple, the world’s largest wooden building, and the Kofukuji National Treasure Museum. Stroll among 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns at the Kasuga Grand Shrine.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Kyoto or Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto (B, L, D daily)

Days 6, 7, & 8 — Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi, Mongolia

Our next stop is the land of Genghis Khan, where one of the world’s last nomadic cultures lives amid the stark beauty of the steppe. Take a private local flight to the majestic Gobi, where we’ll spend three nights at a traditional ger (tent) camp, a member of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World collection. In addition, visit with a nomad family and experience their way of life firsthand. At the fossil quarries of Bayanzag, also known as the Flaming Cliffs, hunt for dinosaur fossils with a local paleontologist. Or discover the stunning landscapes of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.
Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar and Terelj Hotel or Three Camel Lodge (B, L, D daily)

Days 9 & 10 — Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, Russia

After the Decembrist Revolt in 1825, exiled nobility settled in Siberia, bringing culture and infrastructure to cities like Irkutsk. Follow in their footsteps on a walk through the central square, where traditional wooden houses stand out in bright shades of blue and green—the colors of Siberia. Visit the Church of Our Saviour, the oldest stone structure in Irkutsk, and wander among the tombs of famous Siberians at the Znamenskaya cathedral. Delve into the city’s pivotal role in Russian history at the Monument to Russian Pioneers of Siberia. The next day, cruise Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as the world’s oldest and deepest lake.
Courtyard by Marriott, Irkutsk City Center (B, L, D daily)

Days 11, 12, & 13 — St. Petersburg, Russia

Fly to St. Petersburg, designed by Peter the Great in the 18th century. At the Catherine Palace, marvel at the Amber Room, then step into the world-renowned State Hermitage Museum before opening hours, and admire the works of Fabergé at its Treasure Galleries. Stroll through the gardens of Peterhof, and tour Peter and Paul Fortress. Attend a performance at one of St. Petersburg’s grand theaters, or cruise the Neva River.
Hotel Astoria (B, L, D daily)

Days 14 & 15 — Ålesund, Norway

An island city off Norway’s Atlantic coast, Ålesund is a charming hub of art nouveau architecture and the gateway to some of Norway’s most impressive fjords. Our group will split up to stay in three boutique hotels set in rural hamlets and alpine forests just outside the city. During our stay, you may explore the city, taking in the turrets and towers of its renowned early 20-century architecture, or go on a relaxed cruise through the fjords, past cascading waterfalls and twisting mountain roads. You may also opt to visit a local farm and sample Norwegian foods, or kayak through the fjords, stopping to explore nearby islands.
Sagafjord Hotel, Storfjord Hotel, or Hotel Union Øye (B, L, D daily)

Days 16, 17, & 18 — Reykjavík, Iceland

In Iceland’s vibrant capital of Reykjavík, explore the Old City and the traditional wooden houses of the Árbær Open Air Museum. Relax in the geothermic hot springs of the Blue Lagoon, whose warm, mineral-rich waters have long eased the muscles and raised the spirits of travelers. At Thingvellir, stand astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. See the geothermal fields of Geysir, home to hot springs, mud pots, and boiling pools; and feel the mist on your face at the majestic Gullfoss. You’ll also have time to choose your own adventure, including visiting a geothermal power plant, hiking through a nature reserve, or snowmobiling on a glacier.
Hotel Borg, Reykjavík (B, L, D daily)

Days 19 & 20 — Ilulissat, Greenland

Our next stop is Kangerlussuaq, a town of about 500 residents in western Greenland founded as a military base during World War II and now a hub of scientific research. Continue by charter flight north to the remote town of Ilulissat, which abuts the massive Ilulissat Icefjord, the source of many of the icebergs in Greenlandic waters. Cruise through the mist among craggy icebergs at the mouth of the fjord, take an easy walk along the ice fjord, and meet a dogsled team. Or take a longer guided hike alongside the massive glacier to the Inuit village of Sermermiut, or visit the brightly colored houses and church of a tiny hunting and fishing settlement.
Arctic Hotel, Ilulissat (B, L, D daily)

Days 21 & 22 — Greenland/Boston, Massachusetts/Home City

Fly to Boston and celebrate with a festive farewell dinner. The next day, connect with your commercial flight home.
Mandarin Oriental, Boston (D)

Trip Highlights – Around the World Northern Route:

• • Delve into diverse cultures, from the nomads of the Gobi desert to the Inuits of the Arctic, as you circumnavigate the northern hemisphere by private jet.
  • Travel with our host, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Lee Berger, whose two-million-year-old fossil finds have changed our understanding of human origins.
  • Cruise Lake Baikal, and see masterpieces at St. Petersburg’s Hermitage before doors open to the public.
  • Discover Norway’s dramatic fjords by ferry or kayak; witness waterfalls, volcanoes, and geysers in Iceland; and cruise amid the icebergs of Greenland’s spectacular Ilulissat Icefjord.

Contact us for any more information