About the Port
Gjoa Haven sits on the southeastern shore of King William Island in Nunavut, one of the few permanent settlements along the Northwest Passage. The hamlet takes its name from the Gjøa, the ship in which Roald Amundsen wintered nearby in the early 1900s while completing the first navigation of the Passage, and the surrounding waters later drew renewed attention with the discovery of Franklin expedition shipwrecks. Today it remains a small Inuit community sustained by hunting, fishing, and traditional carving.
Visitors typically come ashore by tender, as no deep-water pier serves the hamlet, and walk into a compact settlement where community members share stories, drum dancing, and locally made soapstone and bone carvings. The surrounding tundra, ice-scoured coastline, and long Arctic light offer a firsthand sense of the region's isolation and resilience, making a stop here a rare glimpse into one of the Northwest Passage's most storied waypoints.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Gjoa Haven.
Meet Community Elders
Gather in the hamlet hall to hear storytelling and watch drum dancing performed by local Inuit residents, an intimate cultural exchange rarely offered elsewhere along the Passage.
Shop for Soapstone Carvings
Browse handmade soapstone and bone carvings crafted by local artisans, a tradition tied closely to the hamlet's hunting and fishing way of life; bring cash for direct purchases.
Walk the Tundra Shoreline
Follow the ice-scoured coast just beyond the settlement for sweeping Arctic light and a tangible sense of the isolation that shaped both Inuit life and the Franklin expedition's fate nearby.
Cruise Lines That Call Here
Cruises That Visit Gjoa Haven
| Departs | Cruise Line | Ship | Itinerary | Nights | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | HX | MS Roald Amundsen | 25 | $23,436 | |
| Aug 14, 2026 | HX | MS Fridtjof Nansen | 25 | $22,423 | |
| Aug 14, 2026 | HX | MS Fridtjof Nansen | 25 | $22,423 | |
| Aug 22, 2027 | Silversea | Silver Wind | 20 | $29,880 | |
| Aug 21, 2028 | Silversea | Silver Wind | 20 | $26,280 |