Summer, sun and huge icebergs in Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq in Greenland

Itinerary

Day 1

Kangerlussuaq and the Greenland Ice Sheet

Air Greenland flies from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq allowing you 4 hours to prepare yourself for your encounter with a truly unique world. During the flight, you can enjoy a meal, a movie as well as the first sight of Nunataks and the Ice Cap.

Upon arrival, a guide from our local partner will welcome you and help you check in at the Polar Lodge: A cosy and newly-renovated hostel right in the heart of Kangerlussuaq and only a glance from the fascinating nature. At the following information meeting, the guide will tell you about the area and the many excursions available.

Kangerlussuaq is beautifully situated between soft hills and close to the Ice Cap. It is the only place in Greenland where you can experience both reindeer and musk oxen. Kangerlussuaq is also the perfect place to see and step onto the legendary Ice Cap, which covers 82% of Greenland. Join a guided trip to the Ice Cap and experience it for yourself.

Ice Cap Point 660 (optional)

Powerful four-wheel driven vehicles will take us through an incredibly beautiful landscape, through mountains, plains and semi-desert valleys. Near the Ice Cap, we will drive through the fantastic moraine landscape.

At the end of the road, we walk to the Ice Cap and onto the vast ice sheet. We spend some time exploring this world of ice before returning to our vehicles. There are good chances of spotting reindeer, musk oxen and, depending on the season, many species of birds and flowers.

Day 2

The tour continues by plane to Ilulissat. Ilulissat means icebergs, which is rather self-explanatory once you get to see the beautiful Ice Fjord and the numerous icebergs majestically floating around in the fjord lit up by an almost magical light caused by reflections of the sun.

Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Hotel Icefiord beautifully situated with a view across the famous Ice Fjord. Even the most experienced traveller is blown away by this unique sight. At the following information meeting, a guide from World of Greenland will inform you about Ilulissat and the wide range of excursions available. You are now prepared for the next couple of days filled with adventures.

Excursions and activities with a guide or on your own

There are many options for excursions either arranged by us or our partners or some you can do on your own. Especially if you like to hike, there are many opportunities. However, we recommend that you join some of the guided boat tours where you will get to see the Disco Bay and experience the huge icebergs and the stunning surroundings of the bay. An excursion package is available for purchase and it includes the ideal tours for this season. We can book it all for you in advance.

The World of Greenland tour office is located right in the middle of Ilulissat. It provides a wide range of excursions offering you a genuine impression of Greenland's mix of authentic culture, modern functioning society and its strong affinity with the fascinating nature. You can always contact World of Greenland if you have any questions about excursions and activities that you can do on your own.

If you have purchased the Excursion Package:

Cultural historic guided tour (optional)

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.
Duration: 2 hours.

Day 3

Ilulissat is located at the mouth of the 60-kilometre long and world-famous Kangia Ice Fjord, which in 2004 was listed as UNESCO world heritage. The ice is enthralling and can be experienced at sea, on land and from the air.

The hometown of Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen offers many exciting experiences whether you want to go on hiking trips in the hills or merely enjoy the cosy atmosphere in town and whether you want to be on your own or participate in guided excursions.

If you have purchased the Excursion Package:

Hike to the old settlement by the Icefjord

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. On this hike, we will pass “kællingekløften” where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Ice Fjord, before heading back again.
During the hike, there will be time to talk about flora, fauna, geology and not least the story behind the omnipresent ice.

Day 4

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.

If you have purchased the Excursion Package:

Day tour to Eqip Sermia - the calving glacier

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. Duration: 6-12 hours.

Please note:
The length of the boat trip to and from the glacier may last between 2 - 5 hours each direction. It depends on the boat used the given day. The stop in front of the glacier lasts approximately 2 hours.

If you have purchased the de luxe Excursion Package:

Glacier Lodge Eqi

You have the option of staying one night in Glacier Lodge Eqi by acquiring the excursion package with Eqi. Please note, we cannot verify vacant cabins until after you have placed your order. If you want to stay overnight, feel free to contact us beforehand to inquire about vacant dates. Glacier Lodge Eqi is very popular and it is selling fast so the sooner you book, the bigger your chances of getting a cabin. Please also note that you will not be asked to move out of your room in Ilulissat, even if you choose to stay overnight at Glacier Lodge Eqi.

At approximately 2 P.M. the boat will arrive at Port Victor. Port Victor is the ”harbour” at Glacier Lodge Eqi. Only the ones that are staying at Glacier Lodge Eqi will get off the boat, the rest remain on board. On land, the camp guides will greet you and show everybody their huts. Coffee and cake will be served and practical information about the area is presented. The rest of the day could be spent by joining the excursion “hike to the lagoon, the moraine and the glacier” or simply by enjoying the view from the huts.

The price includes breakfast, lunch and dinner in Cafe Victor. The café also offers beverages such as soft drinks, beer and wine as well as sweets. 

On the day of your return, departure from Port Victor is approximately 2:15 P.M. You will be sailing back to Ilulissat via the same route. Coffee/tea and cake will be served in the late afternoon. Seals and whales are often spotted during the trip. Duration: 1.5 day.

Day 5

On your own in Ilulissat. If you have purchased the de luxe Excursion Package, you will still be at Glacier Lodge Eqi. If not, you can spend the day taking a stroll in around town and sense the atmosphere – or you can just sit and take in the Ice Fjord; a view you will never forget!

Hike to the Eqi Glacier

From the huts we hike around the small lagoon at the southern end of the glacier. There are often large flocks of geese in the lagoon in the breeding season. The trip goes further up the moraine where we can look down into the enormous cracks in the glacier few meters away from us. From here we will also get an overview of the glacier-front and we will see the impressive calvings from the glacier.

Day 6

Spend the day exploring Ilulissat on your own.

If you have purchased the Excursion Package:

Evening/midnight sailing among the icebergs (optional)

The midnight/evening sun makes the icebergs glow in a unique play of colours that people return to experience again and again. Midnight sun in Ilulissat lasts from May 21st to July 24th.

Sailing during the night with the sun still shining is a fantastic and unusual experience. Almost every visitor to Ilulissat chooses to go on this boat trip among the icebergs 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. 

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.
You should not miss out on this exceptional experience when visiting Ilulissat. Remember to bring warm clothes – otherwise sealskin clothing is available for rent. Duration: 2½ hours.   

Day 7

Today you are going on a whale safari if you bought the excursion package:

Whale Safari (optional)

It is a great experience to get real close to large animals like whales. There are 15 species of whale in Greenland; three of these stay in Greenland during the winter, the narwhals, the beluga and the bow-head whale (also known as the Greenland right whale). The blue whale and the killer whale are only rarely seen.

During the summer it is normally the humpback, the common minke whale and the fin whale, we see. The whales swim the entire Disco Bay during the summer; sometimes close to the town, sometimes in the ice fiord or up north by the island, Arveprinsens Ejland.

We are in constantly radio contact, between the fishermen and the hunters, is our source of information about the whales and their whereabouts. The humpback with its characteristic fin, is the one we see most of the time.

The boat trip takes 4 hours and we use the fast boat Targa to cover more grounds.

Day 8

Offering one final view of the Ice Fjord and the captivating icebergs, the flight will take you back to Kangerlussuaq and onwards to Copenhagen where you will arrive in the evening.

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.