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during the stunning walk over from the airport. The distant mirage of brightly coloured wood-box houses suddenly becomes a reality as cameras click furiously. Although the traditional Greenlandic drum-dance demo is a tad kitsch, the rest of the experience is like one giant dream sequence. At the end of the tour you have the option of returning to the airport by sea or by land. The boat ride (an extra €25) puts you face-to-face with the popcorn-like ice chunks floating in the bay, while the hike gives visitors one last chance to take in the dramatic scenery of snow-strewn crags.

Prices start at €428 – OK, so it’s pricey, but how many people can say that they have a ‘Kalaallit Nunaat’ stamp in their passport?

Click here for more details.

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GREENLAND

As remote, wild and exotic as Iceland may seem to first-time visitors, it’s positively pedestrian when compared to the splendours of Greenland. Nothing quite prepares you for the raw power of nature and the majestic scenery of this incredible place. Four times the size of France but with a population of just 57,600, it’s a truly wild and humbling country. The sheer vastness of the ice cap, the size of the icebergs, the tenacity of the wildlife and the stoic attitude of the wonderful people will stay with you for life.

Travel here requires a combination of plane and helicopter flights and ferries through iceberg-strewn bays. Once at your destination you can choose to hike, ski, dog sled or kayak around the local area to see the towering peaks on the east coast, the gargantuan icebergs in Disko Bay or the surprisingly green fields of the south. Independent travel is easy to arrange, but there are plenty of all-inclusive packages if you’d rather let someone else do the planning.

For more information on Greenland, contact Greenland Tourism (www.greenland.com); Nuuk ( 299 34 28 20; PO Box 1615 DK-3900 Nuuk); Copenhagen ( 45 3283 3880; PO Box 1139, Strandgade 91, DK-1010 Copenhagen).

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FAEROE FORAY

Biweekly flights and ferries give Arctic adventurers three or four days to explore these truly magical islands. A half-week is just enough time to check the following highlights off your to-do list:

Tórshavn The first thing you’ll notice are the striking turf roofs adorning almost every bright-coloured building in the marina. The quaintness is palpable, yet you still know that you’re in a capital. Although light on sights, Tórshavn makes a great base if you’re planning a series of day trips. While mild summer evenings illicit thoughts of Mediterranean fishing villages or Caribbean outposts, the faint howl of distant winds confirms that the Faeroes are indeed children of the Arctic.

Gjógv Perhaps the most adorable village in the entire world, Gjógv (jaykf) may be hard to pronounce, but it’s oh-so easy to love. Tiny turf-roofed cottages sit clustered around a naturally formed harbour tucked within a gorge, which looks as though a lightning bolt has ripped straight through the terrain creating a sheltered cove. There’s good hiking here, and an adorable inn should you want to spend the night.

Mykines Marking the western limits of the island chain, Mykines (mee-chi-ness) is where the local landscapes come to a dramatic climax – innumerable bird colonies (puffins!), haunting basalt sea-stacks and silent solitary cliffs. Although considered quite remote by Faeroese standards (there are only 11 inhabitants!), the island is connected to Vágar by helicopter and ferry services. It’s well worth visiting. Just make sure you plan your visit at the beginning of your trip – harsh winds and dense fog can delay your return.

Vestmanna Cliffs You’ll find plenty of bird cliffs in Iceland and the Faeroes, but these special crags are so visually striking that visitors often fail to notice the legions of swooping avians. In summer, there are three boat trips per day (DKr225, 2½ hours) departing from the village of Vestmanna, in northern Streymoy.

Hestir Like a resting horse pausing for a quenching sip of seawater, little Hestir rears just south