NEW: City dreams and settlement life in Nuuk

The capital of Greenland; Nuuk spiced with the inland ice in Kangerlussuaq and life in a settlement; Kapisillit.

This new travel starts by introducing you to the interesting landscape of Kangerlussuaq, which is characterized by tundra, glacier fronts, inland ice and large flocks of musk oxen and reindeers. It will give you a fantastic presentation of Greenland and set the level for the following adventures.

The old colony; Nuuk (earlier in Danish: Godthab) is a place of both modern culture and history.
It is situated 240 kilometres south of the polar circle and with its more than 15.000 inhabitants it is the largest town in Greenland.
At the national museum you will find the world-famous Qilakitsoq-mummies and a number of Greenland’s most important historical buildings.  This arctic city is, at the same time, a modern metropolis with high-rise blocks and a modern lifestyle. The surrounding hills are made for hiking and the fiord-system is an open invitation to great nature experiences.

The settlement Kapisillit
The settlement Kapisillit is situated in the end of the fiord surrounded by majestic hills. At this place, the Royal Greenlandic Trading Company introduced domesticated reindeers from Lapland, wherefore there are a lot of reindeers in the area today.
During this travel you will get it all: Culture, history, city-life, settlement-life and, of course, indescribable beautiful nature – everything in company of an experienced tour guide from Greenland Travel.

Program:

Day 1: Copenhagen/Kangerlussuaq – Sightseeing – Welcoming dinner
Day 2: Excursion to the inland ice – Point 660
Day 3: Kangerlussuaq/Nuuk – City walk
Day 4: Hike to Little Malene – Visit at the Institute of Nature
Day 5:  Boat trip to Kapisillit – Hike in the evening
Day 6:  Sailing on the ice fiord in Nuuk
Day 7: Relax in the settlement; Kapisillit
Day 8: Boat trip with an overnight stay
Day 9: Visit at the deserted settlement; Qoornoq
Day 10: Nuuk/Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq

Day 1: Copenhagen/Kangerlussuaq – sightseeing – Welcoming dinner
You fly with Air Greenland from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq arriving in the morning. You will check in at the Polar lodge, which is in the front row of the impressive hilly landscape. Kangerlussuaq is situated in the bottom of the longest fiord in Greenland right next to the gigantic inland ice.

Today the excursion is a mountain bike ride to the mountain Sugar loaf, which is a characteristic mountain in a big valley leading towards the inland ice. The terrain is hilly with an upward gradient, but in the end you will be awarded with a splendid view of the inland ice, the fiord and the airport. The name, Sugar Loaf, refers to the mountain’s similarity with a piece of Danish pastry, when the first snow lay a soft frosting. In the evening there is a welcoming dinner at the Rowing club, which has a lovely view if Lake Ferguson.

Day 2: Excursion to the inland ice – Point 660
After breakfast you go on an excursion to Point 660. It is a beautiful ice front with an amazing moraine formation in the background. The 4WD-vehicle parks right next to the edge of the inland ice and you will continue on foot on the ice. It is a fantastic experience to see this universe if ice and snow, feel the cold – and the silence. The excursion offers a varied tundra landscape with good possibilities of seeing reindeers and musk oxen. If you want to explore the area around Kangerlussuaq, you will have time for this later today.

Day 3. Kangerlussuaq/Nuuk – City walk
You fly from Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk and during the flight you will have a nice view of the enormous landscape covered with ice and rocks as far as the eye can see.The approach to Nuuk will give you an impression of the small city, whose coloured houses lightens up in the wilderness.

You will check in at the Seamen´s hostel, which is situated with a view of the harbour and not so far from the centre. According to Greenlandic conditions Nuuk is, with its more than 15.000 inhabitants, a busy city with roundabouts, traffic lights, taxies, shops and restaurants. The high-rise blocks break the horizon, so that the contrast to the old part of the city by the colony harbour is very big, but makes the experience even stronger. You will get an overview of the city at the city walk – perhaps you will find something particularly interesting, you want to explore later on.

Day 4: Hike to Little Malene – Visit at the Institute of Nature
There is a wonderful view of Nuuk and the symbol of the city; the Sermitsiaq mountain with its sharp peaks, from the top of Little Malene. It is a lovely hike on about 12 kilometres providing you with new energy for the next couple of days.

Later you will visit the Greenlandic Institute of Nature, which was founded in 1998. An architectonic gem, where the well-known Greenlandic artist; Aka Høegh, has decorated the canteen with reliefs directly carved in the walls of concrete
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Day 5:  Boat trip to Kapisillit – Hike in the evening
The fantastic fiord system of Nuuk invites to go sailing. You will therefor spend the next 4 days in the settlement; Kapisillit, which is situated approximately 75 kilometres from Nuuk. The area surrounding Kapisillit is wonderful and a contrast to the hectic Nuuk. The boat trip alone is an amazing experience with enormous wide open spaces, mountains, ice floes and the silence. You cannot avoid being inspired with respect of the Greenlandic nature. 

The only river with salmons lies just 3 kilometres from the settlement. The salmon goes up the river and spawns, so this place is a popular place for anglers during season. The water of the river is clean and fresh, and the scenery is nothing less than spectacular. You are going to be a part of the peaceful life in the settlement, where time almost stands still.

You go for an evening walk round the settlement, which has less than 100 inhabitants, but still has a school, a church and a grocer – a small community in the wilderness.

Day 6:  Sailing on the ice fiord in Nuuk
Today you will pack your lunch, while the all-day hike goes to the ice fiord east of Kapisillit. The hike is comfortable and varied – and the view spectacular!

Day 7: Relax in the settlement; Kapisillit
The day is at your own disposal. You can use the day to relax and observation of the life in the settlement, or you can go fishing or hiking in the area with the tour guide.

Day 8: Boat trip with an overnight stay
The morning will be used to enjoy the last time in the settlement before the boat trip begins in the early afternoon. The boat trip goes north among mountains, which rise steeply from the fiord and reaches more than 1500 metres above sea level. In the evening you will reach the bird-mountain; Innajuattoq, and you will spend the night on board the ship.

Day 9: Visit at the deserted settlement; Qoornoq
The day starts very beautifully with a view to the ice fiord. With direction towards Nuuk and the Seamen´s hostel, the route goes by the deserted settlement; Qoornoq, which is a popular excursion spot and summer cottage area of the inhabitants in Nuuk.

After returning to Nuuk you have the rest of the day to enjoy the city in your own pace. Go hunting for souvenirs, have a piece of cake and a cup of coffee on a café, take a stroll up the main street or enjoy the beautiful buildings at the colony harbour and in the Mosquito Valley.

Katuaq, the cultural centre, is situated in walking distance from the colony harbour, not so far from the Greenlandic Home Rule Parliament with the statue of Kaassassuk made by Simon Kristoffersen. A visit to the Greenlandic fish market; Brættet shows Greenlandic reliance of natural resources.
You will experience the contrast between the modern and the traditional way of living everywhere in Nuuk. In the evening there will be a farewell dinner at a restaurant in the city.

Day 10:  Nuuk/Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq
After breakfast you will say goodbye to Nuuk. The trip goes via Kangerlussuaq back to Copenhagen.