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Nunavut · Canada
Eastern Arctic of Nunavut: Auyuittuq National Park with its granite cliffs, fjords, sea ice, narwhals at the ice edge, and Inuit communities.
In the photo: Mount Asgard and a glacial valley in Auyuittuq, on Baffin Island.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Baffin Island is Canada’s largest island and the world’s fifth largest, in the territory of Nunavut. The east coast has granite mountains, glaciers and deep fjords; the interior is tundra and ice. Inuit communities live in small coastal settlements, connected to each other and to the south only by plane.
Pangnirtung sits in a fjord near the Arctic Circle and is the gateway to Auyuittuq National Park, whose name in Inuktitut means “land that never melts.” The Akshayuk Pass crosses the park between cliffs such as Mount Thor, one of the largest vertical rock faces in the world.
In the north of the island, Pond Inlet looks out onto Bylot Island and Sirmilik National Park, with huge seabird colonies and glaciers that reach the sea. Between late May and June, the sea ice edge draws narwhals, bowhead whales, seals, polar bears and birds, seen on guided expeditions with Inuit guides.
Traveling to Baffin requires planning, local guides and flexibility because of the weather and flights.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Pond Inlet Airport (YIO) · 2 km to Pond Inlet
You arrive by plane to Iqaluit, with flights from Ottawa and Montreal, and from there by regional flights to Pangnirtung (YXP) and Pond Inlet (YIO). There are no roads between communities.
Suggested arrival point: Pond Inlet
Inuit community on the northern part of Baffin Island, facing Bylot Island with its mountains and glaciers. It is the gateway to Sirmilik National Park and the departure point for expeditions to the ice edge, where narwhals and other animals gather in early summer.
An Inuit community in a fjord on Baffin Island, near the Arctic Circle, surrounded by mountains. It is the gateway to Auyuittuq National Park and known for the tapestries and carvings by its artists. By boat you can reach an old whaling station in the Cumberland Strait.
The local experience
A park of granite mountains, glaciers and glacial valleys on Baffin Island, cut by the Akshayuk Pass, with Mount Thor’s cliff and the Arctic Circle.
Park of northern Baffin Island and Bylot Island, with mountains, glaciers that reach the sea, seabird cliffs, and tens of thousands of snow geese.
The edge between sea ice and open water, reached on guided snowmobile and sled expeditions, where narwhals, whales, seals, polar bears, and birds gather in early summer.
An island in the Cumberland Strait with remains of a 19th-century whaling station, such as blubber boilers and storehouse foundations, reached by boat from Pangnirtung.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
From late May to June for the ice edge at Pond Inlet; from July to August for Auyuittuq’s trails and the fjords without ice. The sun does not set for weeks in summer.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Five to ten days: three or more in Pangnirtung and Auyuittuq and three or more in Pond Inlet, allowing time for flight delays.
Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet have small hotels and guesthouses in residents’ homes. In the parks there is only camping and emergency shelters. Book well in advance.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
By plane, connecting in Iqaluit; there are no roads between communities.
From late May to June, at the sea ice edge, on expeditions with Inuit guides.
For the ice edge and the fjords, yes. In Auyuittuq, independent hikers must register and attend the park orientation.
Yes. Follow park and guide instructions; guides carry protective equipment.
Eastern Time, same as Ottawa: UTC−5, and UTC−4 from March to November.
