5 Days in Tasiilaq – The Beauty of East Greenland

Tasiilaq – Beauty Among Rugged Mountains

Many towns in Greenland enjoy beautiful settings in our magnificent nature, but few places can rival the scenery around Tasiilaq. Surrounded by high, steep mountains, Tasiilaq is worth visiting for its spectacular surroundings alone.

The Tasiilaq area offers many of the distinctive experiences that also attract visitors to places such as Ilulissat: huge icebergs, glaciers, sled dogs, everyday Greenlandic life, world-class handicrafts and several small settlements that are well worth a visit. Tasiilaq also offers unforgettable boat trips and hikes.

Geologically, East Greenland is younger than West Greenland, which is why pointed, dramatic mountains are more common here. In Tasiilaq, nature is the dominant force shaping everyday life – and we are not only talking about the piteraq, the powerful fall wind that can sweep through the area. For example, supply ships can only reach the town during two or three months of the summer, as heavy drift ice cuts Tasiilaq off from the outside world for much of the year. Fortunately, Air Greenland operates flights to Kulusuk and Tasiilaq year-round.

Tour Itinerary

This journey provides the perfect setting for a truly unique visit to an East Greenlandic town. In Tasiilaq, you can enjoy wonderful excursions on the water, on land, and in the air. Hotel Angmagssalik and other local operators offer a variety of excursions in both spring and fall. We mention some of them below, but there are many more to choose from.

Highlights

The high mountains surrounding Tasiilaq
The huge icebergs of Sermilik Fjord
The howling and barking of the sled dogs
The distinctive East Greenlandic dialect
Your thigh muscles will get a workout – Tasiilaq is all ups and downs

Included in the Price

Return flights Nuuk – Kulusuk with Air Greenland
Return helicopter flights Kulusuk – Tasiilaq with Air Greenland
Transfers in Tasiilaq
4 nights at Hotel Angmagssalik with private bathroom/toilet
Breakfast
20 kg checked baggage and 8 kg hand luggage
All taxes and fees known to Greenland Travel to date

Day program

From Nuuk to Tasiilaq and Optional Town Walk

You fly from Nuuk to Kulusuk, which is located on a small island not far from Tasiilaq. After arriving in Kulusuk, the adventure really begins as you continue by helicopter across the beautiful landscape to Tasiilaq.

Upon arrival in Tasiilaq, a member of the hotel staff will meet you and take you to Hotel Angmagssalik. After checking in, you may want to join a city tour, which can be booked at the hotel.

Town Walk of Tasiilaq (optional)

The city tour of Tasiilaq takes 2–3 hours on foot. Along the way, you’ll visit the museum, church, and harbor while your guide shares the fascinating story of life in East Greenland.

This region’s history differs considerably from that of West Greenland. Europeans did not reach this part of Greenland until Commander Gustav Holm’s famous umiak expedition around 130 years ago.

Three Days to Explore Tasiilaq at Your Own Pace

Slow down and enjoy the silence. Here, you can hear your own breathing – although it may occasionally be accompanied by the howling of sled dogs, which in itself is an unusual experience for visitors from Southwest Greenland.

There is plenty to experience in Tasiilaq, and this journey gives you time both to explore and to relax. The surrounding nature invites you to take short or longer hikes, and you will probably find yourself stopping frequently simply to admire the magnificent views.

Here are four suggestions for excursions:

Boat Trip Among Icebergs (add-on)

An impressive boat trip takes you out among the drift ice that arrives from the north in ice floes up to 10 meters thick, formed in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience both drift ice and icebergs at close range and to understand how ice can influence everyday life, particularly during spring and early summer.

The icebergs in Sermilik Fjord originate from several large glaciers farther inside the fjord. Make sure your camera or phone is fully charged!

Hike to the Flower Valley (add-on)

You can also take a shorter hike past the cemetery to the Flower Valley and its waterfall. The Arctic summer is short and intense, giving plants only a few months to sprout, flower, and produce new seeds. Nevertheless, the mountain flora is a beautiful sight.

The hike takes a couple of hours, and along the way you will stop to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea you brought along. A guide accompanies you throughout the hike.

4–5-Hour Hike to the Viewpoint (add-on)

This is a wonderful hike through the backcountry behind Tasiilaq. Greenlandic nature is both beautiful and rugged, and on this excursion you hike up and down through the mountains and alongside lakes and rivers, bringing you close to the elements.

You’ll see steep mountain peaks and ice-filled fjords. The guide sets a pace that allows everyone to keep up, and along the way you will stop for coffee and tea and have time to enjoy your packed lunch.

Helicopter Tour to the Mittivakkat Glacier (add-on)

A spectacular helicopter flight takes you over Ammassalik Island with views of mountains, glaciers and deep fjords.

We land at an altitude of 1,000 meters on the Mittivakkat Glacier itself. The glacier has long been of particular interest to researchers and is visited regularly for scientific studies. From here, there is a beautiful view across the ice-filled Sermilik Fjord.

You can read more about excursions here:

Arctic Wonderland Tours

Arctic Dream

A view from Soemandsfjeldet over Tasiilaq and Kong Oskars havn in East Greenland — Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

Tasiilaq at Your Own Pace or Optional Excursions

On Day 3, you can also join one of the many excursions available in the area. See our suggestions under Day 2.

Photo by Chris Brin Lee Jr. - Visit Greenland — Chris Brin Lee Jr. - Visit Greenland

Tasiilaq at Your Own Pace or Optional Excursions

Day 4 gives you another opportunity to explore Tasiilaq on your own or join an excursion. See our suggestions under Day 2.

An aerial view of Kulusuk Airport seen from an Air Zafari flight in East Greenland — Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

Return to Nuuk

Today it is time to say goodbye to Tasiilaq. You travel by helicopter back to Kulusuk Airport and then continue by Dash 8 aircraft to Nuuk.

If time permits, you may be able to walk to the settlement of Kulusuk itself, which is approximately 30–60 minutes on foot from the airport.

Map

Location

Nuuk, Grønland

Location

Kulusuk, Grønland

Location

Tasiilaq, Grønland

Hotels on this tour

Excursions (Optional purchases)

On this trip it is not possible to buy extra excursions and excursion packages.

Departure from Nuuk: 1:15 PM
Arrival in Nuuk: 11:40 AM

Please note that the airline may change the departure times.

This trip cannot be changed or extended.

Hand Luggage

Maximum dimensions for hand luggage: 55 × 40 × 23 cm.

Travelers with Reduced Mobility and Wheelchair Users

Unfortunately, this journey is not suitable for travelers with reduced mobility or wheelchair users. Greenland Travel’s difficulty ratings for excursions are based on travelers without reduced mobility.

At the traveler’s request, we will of course be happy to provide information about the suitability of the journey in relation to the traveler’s individual needs. Please note that if you have reduced mobility and choose to book this journey following a conversation with Greenland Travel, you do so at your own responsibility, as we do not have the medical expertise required to provide medical advice.