Today, you’ll fly from Copenhagen to Narsarsuaq, the main gateway for travel in South Greenland. Narsarsuaq means ‘the great plain,’ but the most striking feature is the lush mountainsides next to the runway, where large pine trees and shrubs grow on the sides of the mountains. This is not what you expect from Greenland, despite its name. There’s a lot of greenery here, and it’s a good appetizer for the rest of the trip. These aren’t the last trees and bushes you’ll see on your way through South Greenland, where another local specialty is bluish icebergs.

Hike to Tasiusaq

The first stop is in Qassiarsuk, also known as Brattahlid, where Erik the Red settled in 982. We will be driven to the port of Narsarsuaq, from where we will be ferried across the fjord to Qassiarsuk. From here, we will embark on a 7-kilometer hike to Tasiusaq. Narsarsuaq and Qassiarsuk are on opposite shores of the Tunulliarfik Fjord, but the sheep farm Tasiusaq is located by another beautiful fjord, Sermilik. Luckily, our luggage is driven to Tasiusaq, so we’ll only need daypacks with water when we hike today. You can also buy snacks and maybe a bottle of wine at the shop in Qassiarsuk before you start your hike.

We hike along the dusty dirt road that crosses the rolling terrain between the two fjords. In Qassiarsuk, the roads are made of natural red clay, so it’s an advantage not to wear white hiking boots, but once we leave the settlement, we’ll be walking on ordinary gravel. Along the way, there are rolling fields and blue lakes, and when you reach the highest point, you begin to see the ice-filled Sermilik Fjord on the horizon. Here, we descend and stay at Sermilik Guesthouse, a family-run guesthouse.

This cozy sheep farm has been in the family since it was established in 1940. As with most sheep farms in South Greenland, it was built where the Norse used to farm many centuries ago.

Tasiusaq is located by the Sermilik Fjord, or Bredefjord, both of which are descriptive names for the fjord. Sermilik means “The place with glaciers” in Greenlandic, and “bred” means wide in Danish, and as the fjord is also very wide, it makes sense that the Norse named it Bredefjord.

We sit down for dinner at Sermilik Guesthouse and enjoy the South Greenlandic evening, where it’s light outside for a long time. However, as we’ve flown in from Denmark, with a three-hour time difference, the rest of the evening is free to go to bed early or explore independently.

We start the morning with breakfast and will have packed lunches for our later boat trip, as we have a lot to do before we reach Igaliku, where we will stay at Igaliku Country Hotel for two nights.

After breakfast, our luggage is again transported so we can make do with a daypack. We walk along the same dirt road as the day before, and after seven kilometers of walking, we are back in Qassiarsuk. Today, we visit the famous Norse ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

UNESCO World Heritage Site in Qassiarsuk

Despite the sub-Arctic climate, the Norse ruins are still here after 1000 years, and in addition, in the year 2000, reconstructions were built of Erik the Red’s Longhouse and Tjodhildur’s Church, the first Christian church in the Americas. A large part of South Greenland is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as Kujataa, partly due to its rich Viking heritage. There’s also a prominent memorial to Leif Eriksson, who sailed from Brattahlid when he ‘discovered’ the North American mainland almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

In Qassiarsuk, you’ll also see a typical peat house of the type Inuit lived in – in many places until only 80-100 years ago. The 40 or so inhabitants of Qassiarsuk still make their living from sheep farming, but the small settlement also has a school, a shop, and a church.

Blue Ice at Qooroq Icefjord

We set sail again and cross the fjord to a side fjord just south of Narsarsuaq. This is Qooroq Icefjord, where we look at the icebergs in the area.

The ice in South Greenland is old, having traveled a long way from the middle of the ice sheet. The Greenland Ice Sheet is enormous, and its weight pushes the ice towards Greenland’s coasts. When the ice breaks off in the south of Greenland, it has traveled longer and is often more compressed than further north. Therefore, the ice looks blue rather than white because the bubbles have been squeezed out of the ice due to the high pressure it has been under. We will experience this up close in the Qooroq Icefjord.

Hiking from Itilleq to Igaliku

Now, we head a little further south and dock at Itilleq, which appears to be a small pier in the middle of nowhere. No need to despair, though, as we now have to hike 4 kilometers along King’s Road, which takes us overland to the fourth fjord on our trip, the Igaliku Fjord. As in Qassiarsuk, our luggage is transported to our next accommodation, the small and cozy Igaliku Country Hotel.

On the hike to Igaliku, we walk along the green fields of the sheep farms in the area. When we reach the top of the hill, we encounter a view that never fails to impress. Below us is the village of Igaliku itself, known to be one of the most beautiful in the country.

The colorful houses sit on lush pastures next to a milky blue fjord. On the other side of the fjord, the landmark Illerfissalik Mountain towers over a harsh and desolate landscape with deep furrows in the mountainsides. We can now check in at Igaliku Country Hotel for the next two nights. The rest of the day is free to relax in this remote setting before dinner is served in the evening.

Once again, we start the day with a hearty breakfast. Then, we have time to wander around the settlement and enjoy the Norse ruins, larger here than in Qassiarsuk. Igaliku was the bishop’s seat of the Norse (called Gardar) for around 300 years (from 1100 to 1400), and the ruins from that time are very impressive. It’s hard to imagine how people could have lifted the large stones with which many ruins are built.

You should also take note of the special Igaliku Stone, which is used to build the church and many foundations. It is a multi-colored reddish sandstone that is unique to the area.

Today, Igaliku and its surroundings also offer some of the best hiking opportunities in South Greenland. You can join today’s hike to a plateau, from where there is a fantastic view of the Qooroq Icefjord, where we were yesterday. The perspective is different from up here, and we may see stranded icebergs on the underwater moraine at the entrance to the fjord and the huge glacier at the mouth of the fjord. It’s a good place to eat our packed lunch. The hike is about 17 kilometers, but the views are amazing, so we recommend you join us.

In the evening, we have our dinner at the hotel and enjoy a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow there are many things on the program!

We’re not done with Norse culture because we’ll visit Greenland’s best-preserved Norse ruin today.

Upernaviarsuk

After breakfast in Igaliku, we’re off sailing again. We bring a packed lunch, as we have two places to visit before we reach Qaqortoq. We sail south again, this time in the Igaliku fjord. After about forty kilometers on the boat, we reach Upernaviarsuk Experimental Farm.

Here, they experiment with the possibilities of agriculture in Greenland, and the place also serves as Greenland’s agricultural school. There are small groups of Greenlandic agricultural students who periodically do internships in either Greenland, Iceland, or Norway because this is sub- and low-Arctic agriculture we are talking about. As part of the Experimental Farm, we also find the Upernaviarsuk Experimental Nursery, which grows vegetables for sale in Greenland. This is where the lettuce heads mentioned in our introduction come into play.

We take a walk in Upernaviarsuk before returning to the boat and sailing the few kilometers to Hvalsey Church Ruin, located a little further into the bay.

Hvalsey Church Ruin

Here, at the mouth of Hvalsey Fjord, Hvalsey Church Ruin sits on a lush, green cliffside. The Norse came to Greenland in 982, establishing farms and entire communities in both South Greenland and up to the fjords in Nuuk’s hinterland. Christianity came to Greenland around the year 1000 when Leif Eriksson brought a priest to Greenland, and soon after, the Norse began building churches in many places in South Greenland.

Hvalsey Church Ruin is the best preserved Norse ruin in Greenland and among the best preserved Norse and Viking ruins worldwide. The Norse were in Greenland for 4-500 years. The Norse are mentioned in the Icelandic sagas, and a description of a wedding in Hvalsey Church in September 1408 is the last recorded sign of life from the Norse in Greenland.

Town tour in Qaqortoq

It’s a short boat ride from Hvalsey Church Ruin to Qaqortoq, and on arrival in Qaqortoq, we make our way to the hotel, which is located on a cliffside overlooking the harbor.

After check-in, it’s time for a tour of the town. Qaqortoq is the largest town in South Greenland, with around 3,000 inhabitants. It is the area’s main education center, including a tourism management school and guide training. In addition, the town has several businesses, such as Great Greenland, which has a tannery and sewing facilities to create beautiful sealskin clothing.

The town is also known for the ‘Stone and Man’ project, which consists of more than 30 sculptures carved into the granite bedrock by various artists. This permanent exhibition makes a stroll around the town a very special experience. The project was initiated by Qaqortoq’s great artist, Aka Høegh, one of Greenland’s foremost.

As the only main meal of the entire tour that is not included in the price, you can go to one of the town’s diverse restaurants for today’s dinner or eat at the hotel. Qaqortoq is – apart from a short visit to Nanortalik tomorrow – the only ‘real’ town we visit on this tour, so you’ll have a free hand to explore the town.

Today, we start with breakfast at Hotel Qaqortoq, then head down to the harbor, where we set sail for Nanortalik. It’s a boat trip of about four hours, so we settle in and enjoy the view from the boat. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to encounter a seal or whale on our way.

Tour of Nanortalik’s colonial neighborhood

Nanortalik is the southernmost town in Greenland and the smallest of the three South Greenlandic towns. The town is home to around 1,100 people and is beautifully situated with high mountain peaks in the background.

Nanortalik has several beautiful colonial buildings, which we go ashore to see during our relatively short visit to Nanortalik. It’s not because it’s a boring town that we don’t stay longer, but in the fjord behind the town lies the attraction that is one of the main goals of our trip.

A notable colonial building in Nanortalik is the Church of Our Savior, which was built in 1905 and is still in use today. It is a traditional, white-painted wooden church with a distinctive bell tower. The old colonial administrator’s house, once used as housing for colonial employees stationed in Nanortalik, is now the town’s museum. A two-story wooden structure, the museum provides an insight into the history of the Danish colonization of Greenland and showcases exhibits from the local Inuit culture and colonial era. We will see many of the town’s most beautiful buildings in this relatively small but centrally located area.

After this tour, we head back to the harbor, and now it’s time to take a new boat into the Tasermiut Fjord, where Kuussuaq Camp is located. We have teamed up with the Greenlandic company Tasermiut Camp, which specializes in camp tours in this beautiful area. But first, we will go on a scenic boat trip between the majestic mountains of Tasermiut.

The Tasermiut Fjord

The Tasermiut Fjord is known for its breathtaking scenery. Above the waters of the fjord rise steep mountains and rugged coastlines. The Tasermiut Fjord is often called “the Arctic Patagonia” because towering granite peaks, glaciers, and untouched wilderness also characterize this Arctic area. The fjord offers excellent hiking and wildlife-watching opportunities, including the chance to see seals, whales, and seabirds.

Many world-famous mountaineers have come to the Tasermiut Fjord to climb majestic peaks here. Uiluit Qaqqaa (Ketil’s Mountain), Nalumasortoq, and Ulamertorsuaq are the most famous mountains. These granite mountains have extreme challenges for climbers, including more than 1,000-meter-high vertical mountainsides! And we mean vertical! But don’t worry – you’re not here to climb but to hike in the lush nature that is also found in this area.

The adventurous boat trip from Nanortalik to Kuussuaq Camp starts from Nanortalik harbor, from where we sail into the Tasermiut Fjord. Along the way, we say hello to the Tasiusaq village before sailing between the majestic mountains which Tasermiut Fjord is so well-known for. But hey, you might say! We’ve been to Tasiusaq once already! Yes and no, you’ve been to the other famous place in South Greenland called Tasiusaq.

In Greenland, many places are named after their geographical or geological features, and Tasiusaq means “the place that resembles a lake.” Therefore, there are many places called Tasiusaq.

We sail further into the fjord, stopping to get close to the huge glacier. There is something wildly fascinating about the glaciers you find along Greenland’s coasts, and this is one of the very beautiful of them.

After this experience, we sail back and arrive at the campsite where we will be dropped off.

Kuussuaq Camp

Kuussuaq Camp emphasizes the area’s distinctive character with forest, creeks, and the large lake Tasermiut. The camp is located by the creek near the lake, which is why the camp is called “Kuussuaq” – the big creek.

Kuussuaq Camp is not just another stop on our trip; it’s an atmosphere and an authentic vibe. Besides being embedded in breathtaking nature, you are now in a place where nature is your playground. The area around the camp offers, among many other things, a unique opportunity to experience nature’s pantry.

When we arrive at the camp, we’ll have a light snack and find the tent where we’ll stay for the next two days. Afterward, there’s time to socialize, where you can, for example, help stock up on provisions in the beautiful nature surrounding us. We’re really talking “from nature to table” here!

If herbs, mushrooms, or berries are in season, these can be harvested directly from the mountains. You are in the middle of an area where you can explore nature’s pantry and perhaps discover delicacies perfect for our shared meals. And who knows, maybe you’ll also get the chance to fish and add freshly caught fish to our culinary adventures. You might also consider a nice cool swim in the beautiful lake!

Our dinner is made on-site and allows you to taste the Greenlandic cuisine, which is incredibly versatile and delicious.

Later in the evening, there is entertainment with music, and the local guides tell Greenlandic myths and other stories around the campfire.

Please note! Toilet facilities and showers: There is a toilet tent near the camp where you sit on a toilet bucket. After use, you tie a knot on the plastic bag in the bucket and dispose of the bag. This way, the toilet is clean for the next user. The used toilet bags are collected in another container. The camp has no showers, but there is a large lake where you can take a dip if you are up for it. It’s a very authentic Greenlandic experience, but nothing to be nervous about.

On day 6 of our wonderful trip, you’ll wake up in the morning, and the camp guides will prepare a delicious breakfast before we head out into the beautiful area.

The Tasermiut Fjord is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. You’ll find many hiking trails that take you through the stunning landscapes of the place, allowing you to explore the rugged terrain, encounter unique flora and fauna, and admire the breathtaking views.

The lake is large with a 20-kilometer coastline, and close by is the sheep farm in Nuugaarsuk, run by the ever-friendly Poulsen family.

We’ll see what makes the most sense on the day, but there’s a high probability that we’ll explore the neighbors’ sheep farm and enjoy the views and, hopefully, good weather. Along the way, we’ll enjoy our packed lunch and wash it down with delicious, fresh water from one of the local streams or springs.

We will socialize again in the evening with good food and other stories.

We start with our last breakfast in the beautiful Kuussuaq Camp, after which we are picked up by boat and sail to Nanortalik. Then, we continue towards Alluitsup Paa, where we will spend the night. But two other exciting items are on the agenda before we get that far.

Uunartoq

Did we ever mention packing your swimwear? If not, we’ll do it now. You’ll be visiting Uunartoq – ‘The Warm Place’ in Greenlandic – where you can relax in one of nature’s wonders. When we get to the Uunartoq island, named after the springs we are heading to, we walk about a kilometer from the seashore to get to two pools. Here, 38°C hot water rises from underground. While large icebergs float by in the fjord next to the springs, you can sit and enjoy the view. The heat of the springs is not due to volcanic activity but geothermal activity underground, which heats the water as layers of the ground rub against each other.

The hot springs at Uunartoq have been known for millennia. In Norse times, there was a Benedictine monastery in the fjord where Uunartoq is located, and rumor has it that when Leif Eriksson sailed west from Greenland to find new land almost 1025 years ago, he took a dip in Uunartoq before he and his friends headed out to sea.

Hike from Alluitsoq/Lichtenau to Alluitsup Paa

After a dip in Uunartoq, we now sail on to an abandoned settlement, Alluitsoq, which the Moravians originally founded under the name Lichtenau. Lichtenau was founded in the 18th century and was, at one point, Greenland’s largest settlement with 300 inhabitants. You won’t notice much of this today, as the settlement is abandoned, but the beautiful buildings – albeit many of them dilapidated – bear witness to the settlement’s grandeur.

We walk around the village for a while and then continue on a seven-kilometer hike to another settlement, Alluitsup Paa, while our luggage is taken there by boat. We cross the mountain from the small settlement and enjoy the low vegetation with the many blackberry bushes that grow close to the ground and rarely grow more than 10 cm high. This allows these strong bushes to retain their berries even in heavy storms.

Alluitsup Paa

In its heyday in the 1970s, Alluitsup Paa had 5-600 inhabitants who were mainly engaged in fishing. Still, as cod stocks drastically declined, livelihoods also declined in many settlements, and people moved to larger towns.

Today, Alluitsup Paa has between 150 and 200 inhabitants, and the Greenlandic name relates to the fact that it is located near Alluitsoq, from where we have just walked. The Danish name given to the place when a trading post was established in 1830 is Sydprøven, also a relativization. Nordprøven, today’s town of Narsaq, had been established shortly before.

We stay at the Seaside Whale Hotel, named after its waterfront location and where you might be lucky enough to see whales swim by.

We’ll walk around the village before enjoying our last evening meal in Greenland. After dinner, we can go for a walk again or relax; after all, we’ve done a lot of hiking this past week!

After breakfast at the hotel, it’s time for our final sailing trip, from Alluitsup Paa to Narsarsuaq. We sail in a fast boat, and the trip lasts approximately 3 hours.

Along the way, we can see the town of Narsaq on the left side while we are about halfway through the Tunulliarfik Fjord. We also sail past the characteristic mountains Redekammen  (the Comb) and Strygejernet (the Iron), which have been given these names because they look like – well, guess what.

Once we arrive at Narsarsuaq Harbour (which, incidentally, was the first deep-sea quay in Greenland, as Narsarsuaq was originally built as a US military base that needed a port of call where large ships could dock), we’re transported to Narsarsuaq Airport, where we check in and prepare for the flight back to Copenhagen.

We might grab a hotdog in the airport cafeteria, which is briefly buzzing with life in the middle of the day when the transatlantic flight arrives with passengers and the same amount of people are going to Copenhagen. If there’s time, we might even be able to squeeze in a quick visit to the Narsarsuaq Museum, located right next to the airport, but we can’t promise that.