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Northeast Greenland National Park Photography Expedition 2027
OPEN FOR BOOKINGS
Are you ready to photograph a place almost nobody has photographed? Join Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove on a twelve-day photography expedition into Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest protected area on the planet and one of the last genuinely unphotographed corners of the Arctic. The park covers 972.000 square kilometres, more than a quarter of Greenland, and it has had no permanent residents since the late 1980s. A few dozen scientists and Sirius Patrol soldiers spend the winter here. Almost everyone else who enters does so from the deck of a small ship, for a handful of weeks a year, when the sea ice allows it. This expedition sails north into Kong Oscar Fjord and Kejser Franz Josephs Fjord aboard MV Freya, a 45-metre ice-strengthened expedition ship, and the whole ship has been chartered for this group. Twelve participants and twelve days spent where the reference photos simply do not exist yet.
10/09/2027 - 21/09/2027 | 12 days/11 nights | From €20.395 | 9 out of 12 spots available | Any experience level
The organising, fully licensed, travel agency behind this photography workshop is Nonni Travel. The applicable terms & conditions can be found on a separate page.
Highlights Of This Photography Expedition
- 12 places on a whole-ship charter of MV Freya, with no other guests on board
- Twelve days inside Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park on Earth
- Fjords, glaciers and mountain walls that almost nobody has photographed
- Landings at Antarctic Havn, Blomsterbugt, Kapp Ovibos and the Teufelsschloss, ice permitting
- Musk oxen, arctic hares, arctic foxes, walrus and polar bears, and northern lights once the September nights go dark
- Ice-class 1A ship: ensuite cabins, two singles, a sauna and an outdoor hot tub
- Charter flights between Iceland and Greenland included. 10 to 21 September 2027
- A one-off, and no deposit until all twelve places are filled
Photo by Giancarlo Gallinoro / Secret Atlas
Photo by Nikki Born / Secret Atlas
Why Jeroen Chose Northeast Greenland National Park
Jeroen has run photography expeditions in Scoresbysund for several seasons, and Scoresbysund alone is worth the trip. The national park is a different proposition altogether. North of Scoresbysund the coast gets harder to reach, the permits get stricter and the ships get fewer, which is exactly why so little of it has been photographed properly. There is no established set of viewpoints here, no queue at the good spot, no picture you have already seen a hundred times on Instagram. You are working the landscape from scratch.
That is also why the route cannot be promised in advance. The ice decides, and it decides on the day. If the park is out of reach in the window, the expedition works the wider wilderness of East Greenland instead, which is hardly a consolation prize. What does not change is the way the trip is run: twelve people, a chartered ship, and enough time to wait for the light instead of chasing a schedule.
Treat this as a one-off. Chartering an entire ice-class ship for twelve photographers, in a narrow season when the ice allows it, is not something that goes on an annual schedule the way the Iceland and West Greenland workshops do. There is no second edition planned.
Itinerary
This expedition does not run to a fixed schedule, and that is deliberate. Ice, weather and wildlife decide where the ship goes and when, and landings also depend on site availability, permits and AECO regulations. What follows is what the twelve days can look like, not a promise of what any given day will hold.
Day 1 (10/09/2027) – Meeting In Iceland And Flying To Constable Point
The group meets in the morning in Iceland and boards a private charter flight to Nerlerit Inaat, better known as Constable Point, on the east coast of Greenland. The flight takes roughly two hours and the view on the way in is worth having a camera ready for. From the airstrip it is a short walk down to the shore, where zodiacs are waiting to bring everyone across to MV Freya, home for the next eleven nights.
Day 2-10 (11-19/09/2027) – Northeast Greenland National Park
Nine days of exploring, with the route shaped day by day rather than set in advance. The aim is to push north into Kong Oscar Fjord and Kejser Franz Josephs Fjord, the heart of the national park, and to spend as much time up there as the ice allows.
Possible landings and anchorages include Antarctic Havn, where a Norwegian governor kept a residence in the 1930s and a cabin sits half-buried by an avalanche; Holm Bugt, a sandy bay with a trapper cabin, Thule remains and a resident population of lemmings; Segelsällskapet Fjord, with alternating bands of dolomite and limestone tipping out of the mountainside in a way that photographs far better than it sounds; the island of Ymer Ø and the Teufelsschloss, the Devil’s Castle, a banded peak that looks engineered rather than eroded; Blomsterbugt, Flowers Bay, where arctic hares are common and the tundra colours are at their best in September; and Kapp Ovibos, a sandy bay known for its wildflowers. None of these is guaranteed, and the order they come in will not be settled until the ship is there.
Days are built around the light rather than the clock. If a fjord is worth staying in, the ship stays. If the ice opens up somewhere better, it moves. This far north there may well be no other vessel in the fjord system at all.
Day 11 (20/09/2027) – Ittoqqortoormiit
Conditions permitting, a visit to Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the remotest inhabited places on Earth, with a few hundred residents and no road to anywhere. The colours of the houses against the tundra are a photographic subject in their own right, and the visit is a chance to understand how people actually live at this latitude rather than just sailing past it.
Day 12 (21/09/2027) – Flying Back To Iceland
The expedition disembarks at Constable Point and boards the charter flight back to Iceland.
What’s Included?
- Private charter return flight between Iceland and Greenland
- A whole-ship charter of MV Freya, no other guests on board
- 11 nights in an ensuite cabin, full board, beverages with meals
- Photographic tuition from Jeroen throughout, plus lectures and editing sessions
- Daily zodiac cruises and landings with the MV Freya expedition crew
- Rubber polar boots and one-piece insulation suits
- AECO fees, operational fees and national park permits
- Starlink Wi-Fi and a full information document before departure
What’s Not Included?
- International flights to/from Keflavík International Airport in Iceland
- Transport between Keflavík International Airport & Reykjavík
- Hotel nights in Iceland, which you arrange yourself
- Drinks & alcohol outside of mealtimes, available on board at own expense
- Travel & cancellation insurance, which is compulsory on this expedition
- Tips, gratuities and anything not listed under “What’s Included”
What Photography Gear & Clothing Should You Bring?
Photography Gear
- A DSLR or mirrorless camera, ideally two bodies
- A wide-angle lens in the 16-35mm range
- A mid-range zoom in the 24-70mm range
- A telephoto zoom, 100-400mm or longer, which earns its place here
- A drone with spare batteries, only if your own park permit has been granted
- Memory cards, a laptop or tablet for editing, and a rain cover for zodiac work
Recommended Clothing
- Layers, because conditions change hour to hour
- Warm base layers, ideally wool
- An insulated jacket with a wind and rain shell over the top
- Waterproof over-trousers for zodiac cruising
- Waterproof hiking boots (rubber boots for landings are provided)
- Indoor shoes, a warm hat, a buff and two pairs of gloves, one thin
Need a more detailed idea of what outdoor apparel & photography gear to bring? Make sure to read this detailed article!
Life On Board Of MV Freya
This expedition sails aboard MV Freya, a 45-metre classic expedition ship built for exactly this kind of work.
Her hull carries the highest ice class rating available, 1A, which is what lets her push into pack ice that most vessels have to route around. She was originally a lighthouse-building vessel, and she still looks the part: dark blue panelling, varnished wood, and a bridge you are welcome to walk into whenever you like.
She carries 12 guests and 8 crew, with a guide-to-guest ratio of 1:6 and two zodiacs for landings and cruising. That ratio matters more than it sounds. It means the whole group can be ashore at once instead of rotating in shifts, and it means the ship can change plan for a single good sighting without a hundred people to organise first.
Photo by Erik Johansen / Secret Atlas
Photo by Titt Modh / Secret Atlas
Accommodation is seven cabins, all ensuite with shower and toilet, all with a window. The cabin layout on this charter is fixed: four Signature Twins, one Signature Suite with a double bed, and two single cabins, which is rare on an expedition of this size and worth knowing about if you would rather not share. Every cabin has Starlink Wi-Fi, European plug sockets, towels, bedding and a hairdryer, and rubber muck boots are provided on board for landings, along with one-piece insulation suits for zodiac work.
Life on board happens in three places: the saloon-style dining room and bar, where the chef feeds everyone properly; the lounge, with sofas, a library and the screen Jeroen uses for editing sessions and image reviews; and the observation decks, which run across multiple levels and are where you will spend most of your waking hours with a camera in your hands. There is also a sauna and an outdoor hot tub, which are exactly as good as they sound after a cold morning on deck.
Freya makes around 10 knots, which matters more up here than it sounds. It means the ship can reposition overnight and still be somewhere worth photographing at first light, rather than burning the good hours in transit. The days follow the light and the ice, not a timetable.
Cabins And Prices
Every place is allocated in advance, so the table below is exactly what is available.
| Cabin | Size | Deck | Sleeps | Places | Price Per Person (Incl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signature Twin | Size10 m² | Deck1 | SleepsTwo lower berths | Places8 | Price Per Person€20.395 |
| Signature Suite | Size15 m² | Deck1 | SleepsOne double bed | Places2 | Price Per Person€20.395 |
| Signature Single | Size10 m² | Deck1 | SleepsOne lower berth | Places1 | Price Per Person€24.495 |
| Classic Single | Size8 m² | Deck2 | SleepsOne lower berth | Places1 | Price Per Person€23.995 |
The Signature Suite is the largest cabin on the ship and suits a couple travelling together. Twin cabins are shared between same-gender participants, or couples that sign up together. The two single cabins are the only way to have a cabin to yourself on this expedition, and with one of each, whoever books first gets them.
Nothing is charged until the expedition is confirmed. The trip only goes ahead once every place is taken, so no deposit is collected before then. Signing up early costs you nothing, and it is what gets the expedition over the line.
Photo by Raphaël Sané / Secret Atlas
What Are The Physical Requirements?
This expedition is not physically challenging, but it is not a cruise either. There may be some hiking on this trip. Some hikes can be up to 5km (both ways) with elevation gains. The trails can be uneven and slippery, depending on weather conditions. As the itinerary follows the ice and the weather, it is impossible to say in advance exactly what any given day involves. Every landing means going in and out of a zodiac, which is boarded via a ladder on the side of the ship. You should be comfortable on your feet, comfortable being cold for a few hours at a time, and comfortable with plans changing at short notice.
What Photography Experience Level Does Jeroen Recommend?
All photography experience levels are welcome, going from beginners to experienced photographers. Jeroen works with each participant individually, and a good mix of experience levels means the group learns from each other as well. What matters more than technical skill on a trip like this is being ready to shoot when the ship stops unexpectedly, which is something the twelve days will teach you regardless of where you start.
What About Drone Flying On This Photography Expedition?
Drones are not banned here, but they are not a given either. Flying anywhere inside Northeast Greenland National Park needs a permit issued in your own name, and most requests do not succeed. No permit, no flying, and no exceptions for anyone. That is the condition on which anybody gets to operate up there at all, and breaking it would cost every future expedition its access.
So plan the trip as though you will be shooting from the deck and from the ground, because that is where the pictures are anyway. If the permit does come through, treat it as a bonus. If you do fly, be confident with hand launches and hand catches before you arrive, because take-offs happen from a moving deck or from a zodiac. Jeroen has written a full guide to flying a drone from a boat, and participants get a discount to the Drone Photography Masterclass after signing up.
Photo by David Sinclair
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many People Visit Northeast Greenland National Park Each Year?
Very few. The park has no permanent residents, and the only year-round presence is a handful of research and military stations such as Daneborg, Danmarkshavn, Station Nord and Mestersvig, which between them hold a few dozen people through the winter. Visitors arrive almost exclusively by expedition ship, during a short ice-free window in the late summer and early autumn, on vessels carrying a dozen or so guests at a time. On any given day in the fjords, MV Freya may well be the only ship there.
Do You Need A Permit To Visit Northeast Greenland National Park?
Yes. Access to the park is controlled by the Government of Greenland and requires a permit, which is why so few operators run trips into it. All the necessary permits and operational fees are included in this expedition, so there is nothing for participants to arrange beyond their own travel insurance and international flights.
Will This Expedition Run Again?
There is no second edition planned. Chartering an entire ice-class ship for twelve photographers, in a narrow season when the ice allows it, is not something that goes on an annual schedule the way Jeroen’s Iceland and West Greenland workshops do. It is safest to treat September 2027 as the only date.
When Do You Pay For This Expedition?
Not straight away. Because the whole ship is chartered, the expedition only goes ahead once all twelve places are taken, and no deposit is collected until that point. Signing up early therefore costs you nothing, and it is what gets the trip over the line. Once the expedition is confirmed, the deposit and the balance are handled by Nonni Travel, the organising travel agency, under their terms and conditions.
Can You Book A Single Cabin On This Expedition?
Yes, and this is worth acting on early. The charter has a fixed layout: four twins, one suite and two singles. There is one Signature Single (10 m², Deck 1) and one Classic Single (8 m², Deck 2), and once they are gone the remaining places are shared cabins. Most expedition ships this size offer no single cabins at all, so if you would rather not share, book the single rather than hope one frees up.
Can You Fly A Drone In Northeast Greenland National Park?
Only with a permit issued in your own name, and most requests do not succeed. There is no ship-wide or group permit. Every person who wants to fly needs their own, and without one that person does not fly. Plan on shooting from the deck and from the ground, and treat a granted permit as a bonus rather than as the plan. Jeroen has written full guides to flying a drone in Greenland and flying a drone from a boat.
What Happens If Sea Ice Blocks Access To The National Park?
The route is decided on the day by the captain and the expedition leader, based on sea ice, weather, wildlife activity and permits. If the national park cannot be reached safely within the window, the expedition continues through the wider wilderness of East Greenland instead, which is no less remote and no less photogenic. No expedition into this part of the Arctic can guarantee a route, and any operator that promises one should be treated with suspicion.
When Is The Best Time To Photograph Northeast Greenland?
Late August through September is the window, because that is when the sea ice retreats far enough for a ship to get north. September has a particular advantage for photographers: the tundra has turned, the light is low and warm for much of the day, and the nights are dark again after a summer of midnight sun, which brings the northern lights back into play. This expedition runs from 10 to 21 September 2027 for exactly that reason.
Can You See The Northern Lights In Northeast Greenland?
Yes, in September. At these latitudes the sun sets properly again by early September, and the fjords are about as free of light pollution as anywhere on the planet. Aurora is never guaranteed, it depends on solar activity and on clear skies, but the conditions on this expedition are as good as they get, and shooting the aurora over icebergs from the deck of a ship is a different picture to shooting it from land.
What Wildlife Can You Photograph In Northeast Greenland National Park?
Musk oxen are the signature species, and northeast Greenland holds a substantial share of the world population. Arctic hares and arctic foxes are regularly seen on landings, walrus haul out on the smaller islands, and seals and seabirds are constant company. Polar bears are present throughout the region and sightings are more likely inside the park than outside it, though they are always a matter of luck. Narwhals and reindeer are also possible. A 100-400mm lens is the minimum you will want for any of it.
Is Northeast Greenland National Park Really The Largest National Park In The World?
Yes. At 972.000 square kilometres it is the largest national park on Earth by a wide margin, larger than 166 of the world’s 195 countries and covering more than a quarter of Greenland. It was established in 1974, expanded in 1988, and designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977. It is also the northernmost national park in the world.
What Previous Participants Had To Say…
Choosing the right photography workshop is about more than just visiting iconic locations. It’s about experience, safety, timing, and personal guidance. Below you’ll find honest reviews from photographers who have joined Jeroen on landscape & drone photo workshops in Greenland. These testimonials reflect real experiences in small groups, hands-on instruction in challenging conditions, and the level of care Jeroen aims to bring to every workshop.
These reviews are verifiable on Jeroen’s public Google Business profile.
Sign Up to the Expedition
9 spots available
Signing up reserves a place for you and costs nothing today. This trip only runs if all 12 places are taken. Once the trip is full and confirmed I will email you the full costs and a payment link, and your place is confirmed once the deposit has been paid. Places are reserved on a first come, first served basis.
Terms and conditions which apply are those of Nonni Travel, the organising travel agency, and they apply from the moment the deposit is requested. You will also be asked to sign a waiver, every participant receives a personal signing link.
