Resolute Bay, or Qausuittuq, is a hamlet of 183 people on Cornwallis Island in Nunavut, Canada, and the launch point for High Arctic and Northwest Passage expedition cruises. There’s no terminal: ships anchor offshore and you land by Zodiac or helicopter, usually after an operator charter flight from Ottawa or Calgary.
Where is Resolute Bay, Nunavut?
Resolute Bay sits on Cornwallis Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada, at 74°41′45″N 94°49′45″W. That puts it at the northern end of Resolute Bay itself, and at the northern end of the Northwest Passage. It’s the second-most-northern community in Canada after Grise Fiord, and it’s in Nunavut: not Alaska, not the Northwest Territories.
The Inuktitut name is Qausuittuq, usually translated as “place with no dawn”, and the English name comes from HMS Resolute. There are 183 people here, in 66 occupied dwellings.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Territory | Nunavut, Canada |
| Region and island | Qikiqtaaluk Region, Cornwallis Island |
| Coordinates | 74°41′45″N 94°49′45″W |
| Population | 183, in 66 occupied dwellings |
| Inuktitut name | Qausuittuq, “place with no dawn” |
| Airport | Resolute Bay Airport, about 4.5 to 6 km from the hamlet centre |
| Scheduled access | Canadian North via Iqaluit, year-round |
| Cruise access | Operator charter flights from Ottawa or Calgary, then Zodiac or helicopter to the ship |
Northwest Passage cruises that use Resolute also call at Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord and Qikiqtarjuaq, and the Canada cruise ship ports guide covers them.
No terminal at Resolute Bay: Zodiacs, helicopters and a small pier
Nunavut has no deep-sea ports, so calling at a Nunavut community means a short boat ride, usually by Zodiac, from a ship lying at anchor. Resolute is no different. There’s no terminal building, no berth number and no terminal operator to look up.
The operators do spell out how it works. Quark Expeditions has passengers coming ashore at the pier by Zodiac or helicopter between 7am and 8am at the end of the voyage, with about an hour to get everyone off before the transfer to the airport. Where the ship lies and what the weather is doing decide whether you move by Zodiac or by helicopter.
So there are no check-in counters, no security screening, no café and no departure screens. Adventure Canada and Quark Expeditions are the two operators that use Resolute as a starting or finishing point on High Arctic and Northwest Passage itineraries, and Nunavut’s tourism regulator lists both as licensed outfitters for the community.
The airport is the building that matters, and the pier or the beach is where the ship meets the land.
Resolute Bay cruise port map
Tenders bring you ashore at Resolute pier. Tap a pin for directions.
- Resolute pierWhere ships dock
- Resolute Bay AirportAbout 8 km from Resolute pier, taxi or bus
- Tudjaat Co-opAbout 3 km from Resolute pier, taxi or bus
- ATCO South Camp InnAbout 3 km from Resolute pier, taxi or bus
- Resolute Health Centre
- Resolute Bay RCMP Detachment
- Beechey Island
- Cornwallis Island Coastline
Getting to Resolute Bay: Canadian North via Iqaluit, or a charter from Ottawa or Calgary
Resolute Bay is served year-round by Canadian North, which flies in from Iqaluit; you reach Iqaluit direct from Ottawa, Montreal or Yellowknife on the same airline. The non-stop hop from Iqaluit to Resolute takes roughly 3h25m to 3h45m, 984 miles, in an ATR turboprop.
Most cruise passengers never book that themselves. Adventure Canada polar cruises treats Qausuittuq (Resolute) as a place to start or finish, with trips starting in Ottawa or Toronto and the charter flight sold as an add-on, and it runs a coach between the airport and the port. Quark Expeditions polar cruises bundles charter flights between Calgary and Resolute into its transfer package, along with group transfers between the Resolute airport and the ship; some of its Northwest Passage programmes charter from Ottawa and return there, with a post-expedition hotel night included.
Charter days are long. A Quark charter flown by Summit Air has been split across two aircraft, with a refuelling stop at Yellowknife of about 45 minutes, then about two and a half hours more to Resolute.
The friction point is weather, not distance. Parks Canada warns that delays and cancellations of a day or two are normal and significantly longer is possible, and tells visitors to carry medication and supplies for unplanned delays. The work-around is to let the operator move you: arrive a day early in the gateway city, take the transfer package rather than trying to arrange anything locally, and keep a spare day’s medication in your hand luggage.
There are no taxis and no public transport in the hamlet, and the hotels run the airport shuttles.
The airport is 4.5 to 6 km from the settlement, which is not a walk with luggage.
Where to eat near Resolute Bay cruise port
Eating near Resolute Bay cruise port means the dining rooms at the two ATCO lodges, or whatever you can assemble from the Tudjaat Co-op, the community grocery and retail store. There’s no café, bar or restaurant independent of the hotels to find, so plan around the lodges and the shop.
- Country food: harvesting, preserving and sharing country food are core local practices, and the South Camp Inn’s dining room serves traditional foods alongside Canadian cooking.
- Lodge meals: both lodges run full meal service from a dining room and the chefs take dietary requests, so say something before you arrive rather than on the night.
- Co-op supplies: the Tudjaat Co-op, part of Arctic Co-operatives, is the hamlet’s grocery and retail store, and the place to build a picnic if you’re heading out on foot.
Where to stay near Resolute Bay cruise port
There’s nowhere to stay near Resolute Bay cruise port except in the hamlet itself, and most passengers don’t stay there at all: they sleep in Ottawa or Calgary the night before, because the charter leaves early and Arctic flights are at the mercy of the weather. Quark builds pre- and post-expedition hotel nights in the gateway city into its transfer package.
If you do arrive early or stay on afterwards, the beds are the two ATCO Frontec lodges, and both run the airport shuttle.
- ATCO South Camp Inn: 28 rooms sleeping 52 guests, a dining room with full meal service, complimentary airport shuttle, fitness room, free internet, satellite TV and site tours on request.
- ATCO Airport Hotel (Narwhal Inn): 21 rooms sleeping 32 guests, sited by the airport, with the same facilities and meal service.
Both are non-smoking, and the chefs handle special dietary needs if you tell them in advance. There’s no accommodation at Qausuittuq National Park or on the land around Resolute, so the lodges are the only beds.
Luggage storage at Resolute Bay cruise port
There’s no left-luggage office, locker or bag-storage service at Resolute Bay Airport, in the hamlet, or through any operator, so your bags stay with you from the charter to the ship. Quark handles luggage aboard the ship but not storage ashore.
That matters most if you land on an early charter and sail later the same day: the operator’s group transfer is what moves you and your bags, and there’s no terminal to leave anything in while you walk the hamlet. If the waiting is in your gateway city instead, you can book luggage storage before your charter and spend the afternoon without the cases.
Parking at Resolute Bay cruise port
There’s no cruise parking at Resolute Bay, because there’s no terminal and no road in: you arrive by charter aircraft and the operator moves you. If you’re driving to the start of your trip, the car stays at the airport in the gateway city, not here, and Quark arranges group hotel-to-airport transfers at that end.
Nobody should plan to be dropped off at Resolute, because the hamlet has no road connection to anywhere else. The drop-off that makes sense is the gateway airport your charter leaves from.
What to wear in Resolute Bay: outfit ideas for a port day
What you wear in Resolute Bay is decided by the ground underfoot and by the Zodiac, not by how it looks: waterproof trousers are mandatory for Zodiac cruising, waterproof expedition boots are lent by the operator, and the rest is layers you can shed as you walk. The kit is the same for women and men.
- Boots with grip: the hamlet is gravel and rough terrain throughout, with no pavements, and pedestrians, ATVs, snowmobiles and vehicles share the road.
- Waterproof outer layers: waterproof trousers are compulsory for Zodiac cruising, and Quark lends expedition boots, so confirm your size with the operator before you sail.
- Layers you can shed: days swing widely and people strip layers off as they walk, so a thin base, a mid layer and a shell beat one heavy jacket.
- Stairs and gangways: you’ll manage stairs between decks and the external gangway stairs down to the Zodiacs, with crew on hand to help, so keep your hands free and your bag on your back.
- Polar-bear country: stay inside the areas you’re advised to stay in and don’t wander off alone.
For more inspiration, see these casual cruise outfit ideas for women and cruise outfit ideas for men.
Best photo spots in Resolute Bay
The best photo spots in Resolute Bay are all close to the hamlet: the shoreline and gravel flats with summer sea ice offshore, and the Cold War-era aircraft wrecks and military remains on the land around the community. The place is small enough to shoot on foot.
- The shoreline and gravel flats: sea ice offshore and a low, wide horizon; walk out from the hamlet and shoot back towards it.
- Cold War-era wreck sites and military remains: part of the community’s story, but visit only where it’s safe and appropriate, and follow local advice.
- Tupirvik Territorial Park: the nearest developed outdoor setting, used for camping near the community, and the easiest place for a clean landscape frame.
- The light itself: the midnight sun runs from roughly April 30 to August 13, so in season you can shoot at any hour and two in the morning looks like two in the afternoon.
A few hours in Resolute Bay: the co-op, the wrecks and a national park you cannot reach
Resolute is a working hamlet of gravel roads with no walkways, where most local travel is by snowmobile and on foot and cars are few, so the list of things to do is short and everything on it is close. The Tudjaat Co-op sells Inuit carvings, traditional clothing and prints, as does Resolute Bay Sunset, and the Cold War-era plane wreck sites and military remains are part of the community’s story. You won’t fill a day, and that’s fine.
Before you sail
- Book your operator's mandatory transfer package, covering the charter flight and hotel nights.
- Arrange emergency evacuation and medical insurance, required by Arctic cruise operators.
- Pack a spare day's prescription medication in case of weather delays.
Short port day: under 6 hours
- On dockingLand by Zodiac or helicopterWeather dependentYou transfer from the anchored ship to the pier by Zodiac or helicopter, depending on conditions.
- +15 minBrowse Tudjaat Co-opA short walk from the pier, the local co-op sells Inuit carvings, clothing and prints.
- +45 minWalk the shoreline and gravel flatsFollow the shore for a view back over the hamlet, with summer sea ice often still offshore.
- +1 hr 30 minLunch at an ATCO lodge dining roomTry country foodThe South Camp Inn serves traditional country food alongside Canadian cooking.
- +2 hr 30 minTupirvik Territorial ParkThe nearest developed outdoor spot, a short walk out from the hamlet for a last look at the land.
- All-aboard minus 1 hrBack at the pierReturn for the Zodiac or helicopter back to the ship; there are no taxis to chase it down.
The time on the map is the whole walk, every stop added together.
Open this walking route in Google Maps
If plans change: If a local guide says the wreck sites aren't safe to visit, spend the extra time at Tupirvik Territorial Park or the co-op instead.
Two things people put on a Resolute wish list don’t fit a turnaround day. Qausuittuq National Park, on Bathurst Island, is reachable only by chartered aircraft from Resolute, which Parks Canada doesn’t provide; Kenn Borek Air runs the charters, and a return charter is a serious additional cost rather than a spur-of-the-moment outing.
The park is open year-round and the Resolute park office is on 1-867-252-3000. Beechey Island, the Franklin expedition site, is a ship call on Northwest Passage cruise itineraries, not a day trip from the hamlet.
Tupirvik Territorial Park is the closest developed outdoor setting and the easiest place to spend an hour on land.
Staying safe in Resolute Bay: the health centre, polar bears and phone signal
Medical help in Resolute Bay comes from the health centre, which is staffed by two to three nurses, has basic X-ray and no overnight beds, and stabilises patients before medevacing them to Iqaluit. There’s no fully stocked pharmacy in the hamlet, so bring your prescriptions with you.
- Polar bears: this is polar-bear country; stay within advised areas, don’t wander off alone, and take local advice on where’s safe.
- Phones and data: mobile and data run on the Qiniq network, upgraded to 4G LTE, with 2G-GSM voice, so don’t count on a fast connection.
- Money: there’s no cash machine in Resolute Bay, so bring the cash and cards you expect to spend.
Resolute Bay cruise port FAQs
Why was Resolute Bay founded?
The community began with the federal High Arctic relocation, which moved Inuit families here from Nunavik and Pond Inlet. Canada later apologised formally and paid compensation.
Is Quark’s transfer package compulsory at Resolute Bay?
Quark’s transfer package is compulsory on its Resolute Bay itineraries: it covers the charter flights between Calgary and Resolute and the group transfers between the airport and the ship.
Do expedition cruises from Resolute Bay require travel insurance?
Adventure Canada makes medical and emergency evacuation insurance compulsory on its expeditions, and any policy needs to cover evacuation from remote Arctic locations rather than only ordinary medical care abroad.
What time zone is Resolute Bay on?
Resolute Bay runs on UTC−6, moving to UTC−5 in summer.
Is there a direct flight from Yellowknife to Resolute Bay?
There’s no direct flight: getting to Resolute from Yellowknife means going through Iqaluit, where Canadian North connects Yellowknife to Iqaluit and then flies Iqaluit to Resolute Bay, a leg of roughly three and a half to three and three-quarter hours.
Last Updated: 30 October 2026