Icebergs in the midnight sun

Itinerary

Day 1

You will travel with direct flight from Reykjavik to Illulissat. You are picked up at the airport and transported to your hotel in Ilulissat. After check-in, a guide from our local excursion office will welcome you and inform you about the different excursions available but also about experiences you can make on your own during your stay in Ilulissat.

We recommend that you start your adventure with a guided walk around Ilulissat. You get familiar with the town and the guide can point out places to visit on your own at a later time.

Cultural historic walk

Some people might think: “we can just take a walk around the town on our own.” And yes, you probably could, but with the guided cultural historic tour you will get an enhanced understanding of the Greenlandic culture and history, which will give all your other experiences in Greenland a new perspective.

Ilulissat – Jakobshavn – was founded in 1741 and, today, it is the third largest town in Greenland with more than 4,500 inhabitants. The guide will tell you about the history of the town, the Greenlandic culture and contemporary life 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.

We will visit the fishermen at the harbour and the hunters at their trading post “Brættet”. We will show you the church and famous explorer Knud Rasmussen's place of birth.

This cultural historic walk is a great shortcut to a lot of knowledge.  

Day 2-3

You can choose among several excursions, and below we have listed just a few that we recommend. The midnight sun makes the days very long, and you will feel full of energy to explore and really take advantage of the entire day.

The sunny nights can only be experienced north of the Arctic Circle where the sun during summer never sets behind the horizon. In Ilulissat, the midnight sun is present in the period from 22 May to 24 July, but also throughout August there will be very bright nights.

Sailing among the icebergs (recommended)

Almost every visitor in Ilulissat chooses to try this boat trip among the icebergs at midnight at least once. Every day, more than 40 million ton of ice flow out into the fjord. The floating icebergs are gigantic, sometimes measuring more than 100 metres wide and long – and with a height of more than 100 metres above the water surface as well.

These giants gather at the end of the fjord providing you with a great opportunity to sail among them. You should not miss out on this exceptional experience when visiting Ilulissat. The icebergs are a wonderful sight in every kind of weather; in the sunshine the contrasts are very clear, the blue shades are very beautiful when it is cloudy, and the midnight sun casts a unique glow on the icebergs during the night.

Taking the boat trip on a bright night is definitely an extraordinary experience. Remember to bring warm clothes – otherwise sealskin clothing is available for rent.

Hike to the Ice Fjord and the abandoned Sermermiut settlement (recommended)

Beautiful icebergs provide the setting for the old settlement of Sermermiut 1.5 kilometres south of Ilulissat. For 4,000 years, different Inuit cultures lived in the settlement and, today, you can still see the relics, which indicate their presence.

Hear the story about the life of the Inuit people and their traditions before the Europeans came to Greenland. See the ruins and touch the permafrost with your own hands. Visitors often ask, if they can walk these treks themselves? The answer is yes. But it is our experience that most people find it safe having a guide the first time they hike in the Greenlandic mountains.

Furthermore, historic places will be pointed out on the way, and these can be difficult to find on your own. And, besides, it is always nice to share the experience with somebody. Coffee/tea break at “Kællingekløften” with a beautiful view of the Ice Fjord before we head back.

Full-day trip to Eqip Sermia – the calving glacier (recommended)

Only few places in Greenland are as beautiful as the Eqi Glacier, which ends in the fjord 80 kilometres north of Ilulissat. It is possible to get very close to the glacier by boat and experience huge pieces of ice breaking off. The sounds are thunderous, and the sight of icebergs crashing into the water is astonishing.

This excursion can be chosen both as a one-day trip or a trip with overnight stay(s). Read about the options of overnight accommodation at wog.gl.

We sail in modern and convenient boats during the excursion to Eqi. The route takes us north along the coast passing Bredebugt, the settlement of Oqaatsut and the big fjord system called Pakitsoq, where whales and seals are often spotted.

Further along the route, we pass through the Ataa Strait, which is surrounded by steep mountains with bird life and waterfalls. Our boats, which are reinforced for sailing in icy waters, will remain in front of the glacier for approximately 2 hours and wait for the ice to calve. Meanwhile a delicious lunch will be served. This is an all-day excursion where you will have a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the experience and fully enjoy the boat trip in the ice-filled water.  

Day 4

After having spent some memorable and unforgettable days in this Arctic paradise, it is time for you to return to Reykjavik in Iceland. We guarantee you that you will go home with a luggage full of memories that will stay with you longer than any other holiday you have been on – at least that is what other travellers tell us.

You will get a last impression of the huge icebergs in the Ilulissat Ice Fjord with a stunning view from the air above the entire area.