Easter vacation by the Icebergs of Ilulissat

We fly from Copenhagen to Nuuk. Ahead awaits a 4,5-hour flight and an 8-day winter adventure.

After you check in and unpack in your room at Hotel Hans Egede, the guide will hold an information meeting. At the meeting, you’ll get information about experiences in Nuuk, dining, and excursion options, and can confirm the excursions you’ve already booked from home. It is also possible to book excursions at the meeting.

After the meeting, it’s time to get to know Nuuk at your own pace and get ideas for what to do today and tomorrow.

Nuuk has only 19,500 inhabitants, but you’ll experience a vibrant “big city” as it is a government city with many cultural and educational institutions. Nuuk is growing constantly and is now about 10 kilometers from end to end. You’ll find concerts, theater, museums, and exhibitions. Sports are central to many, so you can go hiking, skiing, sailing, running, strength training, yoga, and even swimming. Since it’s winter, the ski lift is a favorite spot for the city’s citizens.

You can read more about Nuuk here.

If you have purchased the excursion, you can look forward to a city tour.

Sightseeing in Nuuk (add-on)

The city tour includes a visit to the Greenland National Museum. Here, you’ll have the privilege of seeing finds from all time periods and civilizations in Greenland. After about 30 minutes at the museum, we continue around the area called Kolonihavnen. This is where most of the original houses from the 17th and 18th centuries still stand. On the way we pass Hans Egede’s house, the sculpture of the Mother of the Sea and the controversial statue of Hans Egede at the Greenland Cathedral.

We then head to ‘Kalaaliaraq,’ the traditional market where locally caught fish, seals, and reindeer are sold.

Now, we head towards Greenland’s government buildings and then the Greenland’s Cultural Center Katuaq, where our tour ends. You’re now as central as you can be, with great shopping opportunities. And many other exciting things to do.

Try one of the many wonderful restaurants Nuuk has to offer in the evening.

Today is at your own pace, and the beautifully situated capital city offers many exciting experiences.

If you’ve purchased this excursion, it’s time for a boat trip on Nuuk Fjord.

Fjord adventure (add-on)

You’ll soon experience Greenland from the sea. It’s a wonderful boat trip, and we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the views of some of the most beautiful mountains in the Nuuk Fjord.

We sail out of Nuuk and into the large fjord system, the second largest in the world. The mountains in the Nuuk Fjord are beautiful and rugged, many towering above the sea. On our way into the fjord, we sail past the city of Nuuk itself, and from the water, you get a sense of how big Nuuk really is.

We may also pass some beautiful icebergs. In the Nuuk area, they are not as big as in Disko Bay, but they are still beautiful and impressive.

After enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, we sail on, and, who knows, we might be lucky enough to see some wildlife. Out here in the fjord, we’re also closer to Sermitsiaq, the beautiful mountain that is one of Nuuk’s most famous landmarks.

Your trip will continue by plane to Ilulissat. It’s a nice flight along the coast, where you can enjoy the view of the beautiful island that is Greenland, its desolate wilderness, and its greatness. On your approach to Ilulissat, the town seems to appear out of nowhere. The colored houses are fighting with the snowy mountains for your attention and, when the plane has landed, you can look forward to the next six days, where you will immerse yourself in a world of snow, ice, winter, and dog sleds – combined with cultural highlights from a very traditional Greenlandic town.

Cultural history tour (add-on)

Ilulissat (formerly Jakobshavn) was founded in 1741 and, today, it is Greenland’s third largest town with a little over 4,500 inhabitants.

If you have purchased the excursion package, the first excursion is a guided tour. On the town walk, the guide will tell you about the history of the town, about Greenlandic culture, and a modern life lived 300 kilometers north of the Polar Circle. We visit the fishermen at the harbor, the little outdoor shop where freshly caught fish and game is sold, we pass by Knud Rasmussen’s birthplace and the old wooden Church of Zion. You cannot help seeing and in particular hearing some of the many sled dogs around here. Most dogs are tied up outside the town unless they are out with the hunters pulling their sleds in the nearby terrain.

Meet the Greenlandic Sled Dogs – A Living Arctic Tradition (add-on)

Step into the world of Greenland’s iconic sled dogs on this guided tour that brings you closer to one of the Arctic’s most enduring symbols. Learn about their deep cultural roots, their role in traditional life, and how they continue to adapt in a changing world.

Led by a knowledgeable guide, you’ll hear stories and insights about how these resilient dogs have helped shape life in the Arctic, from transportation and hunting to their continued relevance in today’s remote communities. You’ll gain a meaningful understanding of the special bond between humans and sled dogs in Greenland.

The tour takes place outdoors, where the dogs thrive in their natural habitat. Their thick coats protect them against the harsh cold, making them well-suited for the open environment – not as indoor pets, but as strong, working companions.

With the owner’s permission, you may approach selected dogs and experience the individual dog up close. We always prioritize your safety and the well-being of the animals, so any interaction is guided and respectful.

You’ll also get a chance to explore traditional sledding gear and learn how it connects past and present practices in dog sledding culture.

This tour is ideal for families and curious travelers of all ages looking for an authentic, educational experience focused on Greenlandic wildlife and tradition. It’s an encounter that will stay with you long after your journey ends.

Please note: For the safety and comfort of guests and dogs, approaching the animals without the owner’s permission is prohibited.

At night, you will have a lovely welcome dinner in the hotel’s amazing restaurant (drinks not included).

The day is at your disposal, and the possibilities are many. For example, visit the sewing workshop, where they make souvenirs from sealskin or go shopping in the crafts shops for gifts made from tusks, bones, and antlers.

You could also look forward to a hike to the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut by the icefjord.

Hike to the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut (add-on)

Ilulissat’s beautiful icebergs form a beautiful backdrop to the ancient settlement of Sermermiut, one and a half kilometers south of the town. For 4,000 years, successive Inuit cultures lived in the settlement as it was a great place for hunting. Hear the story of the lives and customs of the Greenlanders before the Europeans arrived. As the place is covered in snow, you will have to use your imagination to see the ruins. However, the view is amazing, so it’s well worth the trip.

On this short trip, we turn back after seeing the viewpoint at the Kællingekløft, a place where old people would throw themselves off the cliff in times of need.

Many people ask, “can’t I do this hike on my own?” The simple answer is “Yes, you can.” However, we find that many people feel comfortable with having a tour guide on their first hikes in the Greenlandic hills. Also, the guide will point to sites of historical interest, which may be difficult to find on your own. Finally, it’s nice to share the experiences with someone.

Today is also the time for the most popular excursion in Greenland. You can go sailing and see the icefjord from different angles.

Sailing to the Ice Fjord (add-on)

Almost every visitors to Ilulissat choose to go on this cruise between the icebergs at least once. Every day, more than 40 million tons of ice break off the glacier and fall into the Ice Fjord. This results in huge icebergs that can be hundreds of meters high with up to 70 meters of those visible above the waterline.

At the mouth of the Ice Fjord, these giants get stranded on the banks and here we have the opportunity to sail among them. It’s an amazing natural experience you will remember forever! Nothing less.

Overnight Stay at the Igloo Lodge (add-on)

On Thursday or Friday, you can experience a real igloo, where you will spend the night and take part in some unique excursions. You will not miss any of the other excursions described in the daily program, although in some cases they may take place at a different time to make the schedule work.

World of Greenland has been very successful with their summer lodges at the Eqi Glacier and in the settlement of Ilimanaq. Now, they also offer winter lodges in the shape of igloos. You will be taken on a snowmobile into the wonderful winter landscape where we hope to see the northern lights dance in the sky in the evening.

Here, at the foot of the mountains, you will spend the night in an igloo (with the possibility of staying in a heated cabin). Igloo Lodge consists of five spacious igloos, each of which accommodates two people. Reindeer pelts and warm winter sleeping bags are covering the beds. There are also candles on the bedside table, which means that the temperature is around the freezing point inside the igloo. It is comparatively warm compared to the minus 20 degrees Celcius/ minus 4 Fahrenheit outside. The wooden cabin by the lodge is where we will eat our meals. In the wooden cabin, there is also an outhouse type restroom.

The trip to Igloo Lodge itself is an adventure! You are driven in a snowcat for about an hour into the Ilulissat hinterland with amazing views along the way. You will be met at the cabin with coffee and lunch. Later, you will have an afternoon coffee with cake, dinner, and evening coffee followed by a look outside to see if the northern lights are out. Then you will stay overnight in an igloo, and, in the morning, breakfast is served and, finally, there’s the trip back to civilization.

Option on the afternoon on Day 3:

Walking among Giants (add-on)

Walking amongst Giants is a spectacular snowmobile excursion that takes guests deep into the winter landscape of Ilulissat. The tour starts at Igloo Lodge, from where you ride two by two on snowmobiles into the backcountry towards Aattartoq. After about 45 minutes of driving, you reach Aattartoq and the frozen fjord Sikuiuitsoq. Here, frozen icebergs rise straight out of the meter-thick sea ice in dramatic formations of blue and shining white. This is where you truly understand the name of the tour: you are literally moving among Greenland’s giants.

The area is also an active hunting and fishing ground. Small cabins provide shelter from the cold, while dog sleds and sled dogs rest on the sea ice nearby. After arrival, the snowmobiles are parked and there is plenty of time to walk out onto the sea ice among the icebergs and experience the Arctic nature up close. Along the way, the guide will also share insights into life as a hunter and fisherman in modern Greenland before the tour returns to Igloo Lodge.

Please notice: If you’ve purchased dogsledding at Igloo Lodge, you’ll go dog sledding after breakfast on day 2 at Igloo Lodge. The sled is bigger, so there are three of you on it instead of two.

The Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. Primarily because of the ice but also because of the beauty of the area, the many cultural attractions, and the interaction between traditional Inuit life and modern city life.

You have the day at your own leisure in Ilulissat, but you also have the opportunity to take a helicopter tour. There is also the option of staying at the Igloo Lodge.

Helicopter Excursion (add-on)

This helicopter trip is the only way to enter the core of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. No boat or hiker can reach the enormous glacier on the mountain’s outskirts.

Kangia Sermeq is the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere, producing 43 million tonnes of ice every day. The glacier is over one kilometer thick and seven kilometers wide. Seeing these limitless quantities of ice and the huge forces of nature is awe-inspiring.

The helicopter takes off from Ilulissat Airport and soars over mountains, lakes, rivers, and the Kangia Ice Fjord as low as safety and laws allow. We arrive on a mountain on the ice sheet’s edge. We have about half an hour here to take in the scenery.

We fly over the glacier front and follow the Ice Fjord for 70 kilometers on the way back. The largest icebergs strand on the moraine edge just before town, giving a stunning finish to our journey.

Igloo Lodge (add-on)

As yesterday, there is again the possibility today of a stay at the Igloo Lodge – see yesterday’s program.

You have the day at your free disposal. You can relax at the hotel, enjoy a book and the splendid view or hike in the area.

Or maybe you’d like to go dog sledding?

Dog sled ride (add-on)

The dog sled is one of the most famous Greenlandic icons and a thousand-year-old tradition for the Inuit. Not many vehicles have survived such a long period without changes in appearance and technology: a pack of happy dogs in harnesses tied to a simply constructed wooden sled. The experience can not be explained – it must be tried.

This trip usually takes place in flat terrain on a plain near Ilulissat. In addition to the sled driver, you are two participants on each of the sleds, so if you have booked the excursion on your own, you may share a sled with another person. However, all dogs are different, so if you are out with family and friends, we can not guarantee that you will be riding together on the entire trip as some dogs are fast, and others are not. This trip is recommended for those with neck or back problems or if you are immobile. Participants must be 12 years and older.

Easter Dinner

We celebrate Easter with a 5-course menu in the hotel’s restaurant (excluding drinks). It will be a wonderful evening!

Today is the time to explore the Ice Fjord by yourself on foot. Bring your backpack with some food and warm water in a thermos and spend the whole day at your own pace marvelling at the fantastic Ice Fjord, where large icebergs drift towards Disko Bay.

If you want to experience more, take a boat trip to Oqaatsut.

Boat trip to Oqaatsut (add-on)

Oqaatsut is a small village, beautifully situated approx. fifteen kilometers north of Ilulissat. The settlement was originally called Rodebay, as it was home to Dutch whalers for centuries. Even today, a whale is occasionally pulled ashore in the old settlement.

Oqaatsut has approx. 45 inhabitants and its own school, church, and grocery store. The school and the church are conveniently located in the same building, and it does not take a lot of effort to transform the school into a church on Sundays. Oqaatsut is especially known for its restaurant, H8, where a delicious meal of local ingredients is served.

This excursion departs from the port of Ilulissat and takes you to Oqaatsut. You’ll try fishing on the ice, which is frozen solid in the bay near the settlement. There’s also time for a settlement walk and then you’ll be served a delicious lunch or evening meal at Restaurant H8 (the meal depends on when you sail out from Ilulissat). Afterwards, you’ll have time to wander around the village or the surrounding area on your own before heading back home.

Enjoy your final view of the Ilulissat Icefjord from the transatlantic aircraft as it departs Ilulissat bound for Copenhagen, arriving in the evening.