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A hiker crosses the sandy valley floor of Akshayuk Pass toward the granite face of Thor Peak in Auyuittuq National Park

Baffin Island

Baffin Island, Nunavut: how big it is, who lives there, the 2027 expedition cruises that call and what they cost, Pond Inlet, hiking Auyuittuq, the wildlife and the rules for visitors.

Paul Gierszewski, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

What is Baffin Island, and how can you visit it?

Baffin Island is Canada's largest island and the fifth largest in the world, 195,928 sq mi (507,451 km²) of fjords and mountains in Nunavut. Expedition ships from Greenland call between July and October at communities such as Pond Inlet and Qikiqtarjuaq, and hikers fly via Iqaluit to Auyuittuq National Park. The cheapest 2027 voyage we found is Lindblad's Fabled Lands of the North, from $14,750 per person sharing.

Facts checked October 15, 2026 against 28 sources.

Baffin Island at a glance

  1. January: no trips
  2. February: no trips
  3. March: in season
  4. April: in season
  5. May: in season
  6. June: in season
  7. July: in season
  8. August: best
  9. September: best
  10. October: no trips
  11. November: no trips
  12. December: no trips

Best Season

Type
Island
Location
68°30′N, 72°00′W
Part of
The Arctic
Season
Expedition cruises from July to October, when the fjords are normally free of ice; hiking in Auyuittuq in July and August; ski and snowmobile trips and floe edge tours from March to early June.
Best months
August to September
Getting there
Fly to Iqaluit with Canadian North from Ottawa, Montreal or Yellowknife, then on to Pangnirtung or Qikiqtarjuaq for Auyuittuq; Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay, the gateways to Sirmilik, have year-round commercial flights. Expedition ships sail from Nuuk, Reykjavík or New York.
Wildlife
Polar bears of the Baffin Bay, Davis Strait and Lancaster Sound subpopulations, narwhals, belugas, bowhead whales, walrus and seals, and millions of nesting seabirds, including the world's largest Greater Snow Goose colony on Bylot Island.
Landings
Register for a Parks Canada orientation before entering Auyuittuq or Sirmilik, ask the Qikiqtani Inuit Association before crossing Inuit-owned land, fly no drones, and in Pond Inlet ask before photographing people and bring no alcohol.

Baffin Island is Canada's largest island and the fifth largest in the world, a 195,928 sq mi (507,451 km²) block of mountains, ice caps and fjords in Nunavut, separated from Greenland by Davis Strait and Baffin Bay.12 Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, sits at the head of Frobisher Bay in the south.1 Expedition ships cross from Greenland between July and October and call at Inuit communities such as Pond Inlet and Qikiqtarjuaq, while hikers fly in through Iqaluit to walk the Akshayuk Pass in Auyuittuq National Park.1645 This page covers the voyages on sale for 2027, the two national parks, Pond Inlet, the wildlife, the seasons and the rules.

Where is Baffin Island, and how big is it?

Baffin Island lies in Canada's eastern Arctic, in Nunavut's Arctic Archipelago: about 930 miles (1,500 km) long and 125 to 435 miles (200 to 700 km) wide, with Greenland across Davis Strait and Baffin Bay to the east and northern Quebec across Hudson Strait to the south.1 Its east coast rises into a mountainous spine cut by deep fjords, while plateaus and lowlands slope away to the west.1 Statistics Canada's table of major islands puts its size in perspective:2

IslandArea, sq mi (km²)
Baffin Island195,928 (507,451)
Victoria Island83,897 (217,291)
Ellesmere Island75,767 (196,236)
Newfoundland42,031 (108,860)
Banks Island27,038 (70,028)
Vancouver Island12,079 (31,285)

Baffin is more than twice the size of any other island in Canada.2 Its name comes from William Baffin, who charted the east coast in 1616; Inuit call the island Qikiqtaaluk.121

Who lives on Baffin Island?

Inuit and their ancestors have lived here for about 4,000 years, and today's communities, all on the coast, include Iqaluit, Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung, Qikiqtarjuaq, Clyde River, Arctic Bay and Kimmirut.11621 The Pre-Dorset culture arrived around 2000 BCE, followed by the Dorset and then, between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Thule, ancestors of today's Inuit.1 Norse sailors probably reached the island around the year 1000, Martin Frobisher arrived in 1576, and Scottish and New England whalers set up stations in Cumberland Sound in the late 1850s.1

Pond Inlet, called Mittimatalik in Inuktut, counted 1,555 people in the 2021 census.15 The community says it had about fifty residents in 1960 and that about 95% of its people are Inuit, and it gets 24 hours of sunshine from May 5 to August 7 and none from mid-November to mid-January.14

When is the best time to visit Baffin Island?

Mid-July to early September, when the fjords are normally free of ice; that is when the cruise ships come, between July and October, and when hikers cross Auyuittuq.6165 Spring brings a second, smaller season on the sea ice.612

MonthsConditionsWhat you can do
March to early MayFiords frozen6Ski or snowmobile into Auyuittuq6
Late April to early JuneLand-fast ice still in placeGuided trips to the floe edge near Sirmilik for whales, seals and birds12
June to mid-JulySea ice breaks up; no outfitter boat access to Auyuittuq6Little; wait for open water
Mid-July to early SeptemberFiords normally ice-free; peak river flooding in late July and early August6Expedition cruises, boat access to the parks, hiking616
October to FebruaryCold, near-constant darkness6Multi-day trips into Auyuittuq not advisable6

Which cruises visit Baffin Island in 2027?

At least eight 2027 expedition voyages stop on Baffin Island, and the cheapest is Lindblad's Fabled Lands of the North at $14,750.19 Most start in Greenland and cross Davis Strait. Prices are the lowest bookable fares on each operator's page, per person with two sharing, read October 15, 2026, unless noted:

Voyage and shipDaysDepartsFromBaffin Island stops
Lindblad, Fabled Lands of the North, National Geographic Explorer17Aug 15, Nuuk to St. John's$14,75019Five days among the fjords of Baffin Island20
Lindblad, Baffin Island: Exploring Canada's Wild Arctic Frontier, National Geographic Resolution13Aug 19 and Aug 29, from Nuuk$15,650 (the $14,900 cabins sold out)19Six days on Baffin Island, route set daily21
Atlas, Thule and Beyond, World Navigator16Aug 29, Nuuk round trip$17,71022Pond Inlet, Icy Arm Fjord, Qikiqtarjuaq22
HX, Circumnavigating Baffin Bay, Roald Amundsen19Sep 1, from New York via Nuuk$17,92824Qikiqtarjuaq, Isabella Bay, Sam Ford Fjord24
Atlas, Polar Wilderness Quest, World Navigator17Jul 30, Nuuk to Churchill$19,39923Qikiqtarjuaq, Lower Savage Islands23
Quark, Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route, Ultramarine17Aug 16 and Aug 30, from Reykjavík$28,090 in an Explorer Suite; the triples were sold out26Qikiqtarjuaq, Isabella Bay, Icy Arm Fjord, Sam Ford Fjord25
Seabourn, Northwest Passage and Baffin Island, Seabourn Venture20Jul 30, from Reykjavík$31,99827Pond Inlet, Philpots Island and a Baffin Island day27
Viking, Into the Northwest Passage, Viking Octantis13Six departures, Jul 11 to Sep 9, Nuuk round trip$17,199, Nordic Balcony, Aug 4, the cheapest stateroom listed (headline fare $16,999), in a Fall Sale ending Oct 31, 202628Pond Inlet28

Fares include different things: Lindblad's exclude all flights, and its recommended group flight to Nuuk costs extra, while HX includes flights from New York and Quark a charter from Reykjavík.20212425 Quark's page also shows a promo code that takes 20% off the cruise part of its fare, with no end date published; the table gives the fare before codes.26 The longer Northwest Passage voyages also call at Pond Inlet on their way through Lancaster Sound. In 2023 Pond Inlet had 16 cruise ship visits, more than any other community in Nunavut; Qikiqtarjuaq and Arctic Bay had 3 each, Pangnirtung 2 and Iqaluit 4.16 For more choices, see our Arctic cruises guide.

What is Pond Inlet like to visit?

Pond Inlet sits at the northern tip of Baffin Island, gets more cruise ship calls than any other community in Nunavut, and asks visitors to follow a short set of house rules.1416 Residents still hunt seal, narwhal, walrus, caribou and polar bear, and you may see harvesting.14 From the community's guidelines:14

  • Ask before you photograph people, children or homes; scenery is fine.
  • Do not bring alcohol or illegal substances, or trade them for local goods.
  • Watch the sled dogs from a distance and leave them alone at feeding time.
  • Buy only what you need at the store, where fresh food comes in once a week; pay in Canadian dollars if you can, though US dollars are taken at 1 to 1.
  • Leave stones and cultural objects where they lie.

Sirmilik National Park lies across the water: glaciers, red-rock hoodoos and the seabird cliffs of Bylot Island, reached by boat or snowmobile with outfitters from Pond Inlet or Arctic Bay.1011 Bylot Island is a migratory bird sanctuary where over 40 species nest, including the world's largest Greater Snow Goose colony, with more than 50,000 birds.12

How do you visit Auyuittuq National Park?

Fly to Iqaluit, then on to Pangnirtung or Qikiqtarjuaq, and hire a licensed outfitter to take you into the park by boat or snowmobile.4 Canadian North flies to Iqaluit from Ottawa, Montreal and Yellowknife and on to both communities. Pangnirtung is 17 miles (28 km) south of the park boundary, and Qikiqtarjuaq, on Broughton Island, is 21 miles (34 km) northeast of it.4 Auyuittuq means "the land that never melts" in Inuktitut.3

The main route is the Akshayuk Pass, a 60-mile (97 km) corridor between peaks such as Overlord, Odin, Thor and Asgard. A full traverse takes 8 to 12 days; most hikers go from Overlord to Summit Lake and back in 5 to 6 days, mostly in July and August. There is no set trail and no campground, only 9 emergency shelters about a day apart.5 Fees for 2025, in Canadian dollars:7

PermitPrice
Daily backcountry excursion, per person$17.757
Backcountry camping, per night$37.00
Annual northern backcountry pass$259.00
Fishing, daily$15.00

Youth 17 and under pay no admission.7 Every visitor must book a roughly three-hour orientation and registration session, then de-register within 24 hours of leaving.8 Cruise passengers must also take a park orientation, and their ship's operator needs a park business licence.8

What wildlife can you see on Baffin Island?

Polar bears, narwhals, belugas, bowhead whales, walrus, seals and millions of nesting seabirds; Baffin Bay is a wintering ground for narwhal, walrus, beluga and bowhead whales.19 The IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group counts three subpopulations in the seas around the island: Baffin Bay, estimated at 2,826 bears in 2013, Davis Strait at 2,015 in 2018 and Lancaster Sound at 2,541 in 1997.17 In Auyuittuq, bears can turn up anywhere, even on glaciers, and are most active along the Davis Strait coast; Parks Canada urges extra care in March and April, when females with cubs leave their dens, and from August to November, when the sea ice is gone.9 Isabella Bay on the east coast is a summer and fall feeding area for the largest concentration of bowhead whales in Canada.25 For the species, see our pages on the polar bear, walrus and Arctic animals.

What rules apply on Baffin Island?

Three sets: Nunavut's tourism licensing, Parks Canada's rules in the national parks, and the communities' own guidelines.16814

  • Licensed operators only. Nunavut licenses outfitters and cruise ships each year; in 2023, 13 cruise operators were licensed for Nunavut.16
  • Inuit-owned land. To travel on it, ask the Qikiqtani Inuit Association for permission.813
  • Seasonal closures in Auyuittuq. Maktak and Coronation fiords are closed to people who are not Inuit from the first narwhal sightings until freeze-up, and marine areas north of Narpaing Fiord from March 1 to May 31.8
  • No drones, no guns, no disturbance. Parks Canada places are no-drone zones for recreation, carrying a firearm needs a permit, and disturbing wildlife in a national park is illegal.8
  • Alcohol. Restrictions differ between Nunavut communities, so check with each hamlet before you arrive.8
  • Entry to Canada. Visa-exempt visitors need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to fly into Canada but not to arrive by ship; US citizens are exempt.18

Baffin Island is part of our wider Arctic coverage; Greenland and Nuuk are the usual starting points for the voyages above.

Voyages that visit Baffin Island

Landings depend on weather and ice, so no operator can promise a specific site.

  • Fabled Lands of the North: Greenland to Newfoundland

    Lindblad Expeditions · National Geographic Explorer · 17 days · Reykjavik, Iceland (group flight to Nuuk, where the ship boards, extra) to St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada · No Drake · August to September

    Fare details

    Lowest published fare: $14,750 per person, Category 1 porthole cabin, two sharing, on National Geographic Explorer, Aug 15, 2027, with five of those cabins open when read Oct 15, 2026. National Geographic Resolution runs the same route from Sep 8, 2027 from $24,900. Lindblad's air credit of up to $2,000 per person applies to US and Canadian residents booking by Nov 4, 2026 (flights booked through Lindblad Air). West Greenland and Disko Bay, five days on Baffin Island, then the Labrador coast and Newfoundland. Includes meals, drinks, crew gratuities and kayaking; flights are not included.

    from $14,750about $868 a day

    View
  • Baffin Island: Exploring Canada's Wild Arctic Frontier

    Lindblad Expeditions · National Geographic Resolution · 13 days · Reykjavik, Iceland (group flight to Nuuk, where the ship boards, extra) to Reykjavik, Iceland (group flight from Nuuk extra; hotel night included) · No Drake · August

    Fare details

    Lowest published fare: $14,900 per person, Category 1 window cabin, two sharing, on National Geographic Resolution, Aug 19 and Aug 29, 2027. That category was sold out when read Oct 15, 2026; the cheapest open cabin on both dates was a Category 2 window cabin at $15,650. Lindblad's air credit of up to $2,000 per person applies to US and Canadian residents booking by Nov 4, 2026 (flights booked through Lindblad Air). Days 4 to 10 are on Baffin Island, with a Davis Strait crossing from Nuuk each way. Includes meals, drinks, crew gratuities and kayaking; flights are not included.

    from $14,900about $1,146 a day

    View
  • Thule & Beyond (World Navigator)

    Atlas Ocean Voyages · World Navigator · 16 days · Nuuk, Greenland (Toronto airport hotel night and charter flights between Toronto and Nuuk included) to Nuuk, Greenland · No Drake · August

    Fare details

    Adventure Ocean Suite on World Navigator, Aug 29, 2027: $17,710 per guest, two sharing, after 5% Bonus Savings, with $825 in government taxes and fees included; read Oct 15, 2026. Explorer's Choice fares are valid through Dec 31, 2026. Route: Ilulissat and Disko Bay, Uumannaq, Savissivik, Qaanaaq and Siorapaluk in the Thule region, Pond Inlet on Baffin Island and Qikiqtarjuaq, back to Nuuk.

    from $17,710about $1,107 a day

    View
  • Arctic Canada and Greenland: Circumnavigating Baffin Bay

    HX Expeditions · Roald Amundsen · 19 days · New York, USA (flight to Nuuk, Greenland, included) to Nuuk, Greenland (flight to New York included) · No Drake · September

    Fare details

    Roald Amundsen, Sep 1, 2027, the only departure, per person with two sharing, after HX 130th anniversary discounts (was $21,576; the extra anniversary discount applies only to bookings made by Nov 9, 2026); read Oct 15, 2026. Includes economy flights between New York and Nuuk with taxes, transfers, drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities. Round trip from Nuuk via Baffin Island, Devon Island, north-west Greenland and Disko Bay.

    from $17,928about $944 a day

    View
  • Polar Wilderness Quest (World Navigator)

    Atlas Ocean Voyages · World Navigator · 17 days · Nuuk, Greenland (Toronto airport hotel night and charter flight to Nuuk included) to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada (charter flight to Toronto included) · No Drake · July

    Fare details

    Adventure Ocean Suite on World Navigator, Jul 30, 2027: $19,399 per guest, two sharing, with $880 in government taxes and fees included; read Oct 15, 2026. Route: Evighed Fjord, Disko Bay and Eqi Glacier, Qikiqtarjuaq, the Lower Savage Islands off Baffin Island, Kimmirut, the Hudson Strait, and Digges, Coats, Marble and Walrus islands in Hudson Bay, ending in Churchill.

    from $19,399about $1,141 a day

    View
  • Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route

    Quark Expeditions · Ultramarine · 17 days · Reykjavík, Iceland (charter flight to Greenland included) to Reykjavík, Iceland (charter flight from Kangerlussuaq included) · No Drake · August

    Fare details

    Lowest brochure fare on sale, Explorer Suite (285 sq. ft.) on Ultramarine, Aug 16 and Aug 30, 2027, $28,090 per person (5+ cabins on each); the $24,190 Explorer Triple was sold out on both; promo code 20PROMO, which discounts the cruise but not the $1,995 flight package, brought the suite to $22,871 (no end date shown); read Oct 14 and 15, 2026. The fare includes that $1,995 charter flight and hotel package (a Reykjavik hotel night at each end and charters to and from Greenland), meals, select drinks at bar hours and dinner, a parka and loaned boots. Route: Nuuk across Davis Strait to Qikiqtarjuaq and the fjords of Baffin Island, Lancaster Sound and Beechey Island, then Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq. It enters the eastern end of the passage and does not sail through it.

    from $28,090about $1,652 a day

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  • In the heart of the Northwest Passage

    Ponant · 20 days · Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (flight from Paris included) to Nuuk, Greenland (flight to Paris included) · No Drake · August

    Fare details

    Window or Porthole Stateroom (226 sq ft) on L'Austral, Aug 28 to Sep 16, 2027, the only 2027 departure: per person, two sharing, after the 10% PONANT Bonus shown on the page (an early-booking discount with no published end date); lower deck balcony staterooms from $31,330. Also offers no single supplement and a back-to-back offer. Includes flights from Paris to Kangerlussuaq and from Nuuk to Paris, transfers, and Ponant's open bar and port taxes. Booked by quote, not online. Route: Disko Bay, Pond Inlet, Philpots and Devon islands, Somerset Island, Bellot Strait, Prince of Wales and Prescott islands, Lancaster Sound and Beechey Island, then West Greenland to Nuuk. Read Oct 15, 2026.

    from $29,230about $1,462 a day

    View
  • 20-Day Northwest Passage & Baffin Island Expedition

    Seabourn · Seabourn Venture · 20 days · Reykjavík, Iceland (hotel night and charter flight to Kangerlussuaq included) to Reykjavík, Iceland (charter flight from Kangerlussuaq and a hotel night included) · No Drake · July

    Fare details

    Veranda Suite on Seabourn Venture, Jul 30, 2027, per person with two sharing, taxes and fees included, on sale when read on Oct 15, 2026. Booked by Nov 16, 2026, the fare also earns the Explore Beyond Event's $500 shipboard credit per suite; the page shows no struck-through fare. Includes a Reykjavík hotel night, charter flights between Reykjavík and Kangerlussuaq and a Reykjavík hotel night at the end. Boards in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and sails by Ilulissat, Pond Inlet, the Northwest Passage, Cambridge Bay, Baffin Island and Nuuk before returning to Kangerlussuaq.

    from $31,998about $1,600 a day

    View
  • Northwest Passage: Greenland to Alaska

    Lindblad Expeditions · National Geographic Resolution · 24 days · Anchorage, Alaska (charter flight to Nome, where the ship boards) to Nuuk, Greenland (group flight to Reykjavik extra; Keflavik hotel night included) · No Drake · July

    Fare details

    Lowest published fare: $63,500 per person, Category 1 window cabin, two sharing, on National Geographic Resolution, Jul 29 to Aug 21, 2027, the only 2027 departure. That category was sold out when read Oct 15, 2026; two cabins were open, the cheapest a Category 3 balcony at $86,680 (three sharing, $72,233 each). Lindblad publishes the route eastbound (Anchorage and Nome to Nuuk) and westbound and says some departures follow a modified itinerary, so confirm the direction. Includes meals, drinks, crew gratuities and kayaking; flights are not included.

    from $63,500about $2,646 a day

    View

Lowest published price per person in the operator's currency, checked October 15, 2026. Taxes, flights and single supplements vary.

Wildlife at Baffin Island

Plan the trip

Sources

  1. 1.Baffin Island, The Canadian Encyclopedia (Historica Canada). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  2. 2.Canada Year Book 2012, Table 15.2 Selected major sea islands, by region, Statistics Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  3. 3.Auyuittuq National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  4. 4.Plan your visit, Auyuittuq National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  5. 5.Hiking, Auyuittuq National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  6. 6.Weather, Auyuittuq National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  7. 7.Fees, Auyuittuq National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  8. 8.Visitor guidelines, Auyuittuq National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  9. 9.Polar bear safety, Auyuittuq National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  10. 10.Sirmilik National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  11. 11.Plan your visit, Sirmilik National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  12. 12.Wildlife viewing, Sirmilik National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  13. 13.Visitor guidelines, Sirmilik National Park, Parks Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  14. 14.Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) community guidelines, Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  15. 15.Focus on Geography Series, 2021 Census of Population: Pond Inlet, Hamlet, Statistics Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  16. 16.2023-2024 Tourism Act Annual Report (Tabled Document 408-6(2)), Government of Nunavut, Tourism and Cultural Industries Division (tabled in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  17. 17.Population Status (status table of the 20 polar bear subpopulations, updated 2024), IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG). Accessed October 14, 2026.
  18. 18.Find out about electronic travel authorization (eTA), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Government of Canada. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  19. 19.Find Dates and Rates: National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Explorer and Greg Mortimer departures to September 2027, Lindblad Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  20. 20.Fabled Lands of the North: Greenland to Newfoundland, Lindblad Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  21. 21.Baffin Island: Exploring Canada's Wild Arctic Frontier, Lindblad Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  22. 22.Thule & Beyond: 15-Night Nuuk Roundtrip, Aug 29, 2027 (World Navigator), Atlas Ocean Voyages. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  23. 23.Polar Wilderness Quest: 16-Night Nuuk to Churchill, Jul 30, 2027 (World Navigator), Atlas Ocean Voyages. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  24. 24.Arctic Canada and Greenland Expedition: Circumnavigating Baffin Bay (2027, 19 days, round trip New York via Nuuk), HX Expeditions (Hurtigruten Expeditions). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  25. 25.Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route, Quark Expeditions. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  26. 26.Dates and Rates, Quark Expeditions. Accessed October 14, 2026.
  27. 27.20-Day Northwest Passage & Baffin Island Expedition | Seabourn, Seabourn. Accessed October 15, 2026.
  28. 28.Into the Northwest Passage, 2027 itinerary, Nuuk to Nuuk, Viking. Accessed October 15, 2026.