Flight Copenhagen - Kangerlussuaq, welcome meeting, trip to the Ice Sheet (optional)
Air Greenland flies from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq. This will give you 4.5 hours to prepare yourself for a world that is entirely otherworldly. Along the way, you will enjoy a light meal, a movie and, from far above, the first sight of the Greenland ice sheet.
Welcome and accommodation
Upon arrival, you will be met by a guide from our partner company who will help you check in at Hotel Kangerlussuaq. Then you attend an information meeting where you will hear more about the area and the excursion opportunities.
Kangerlussuaq – close to the ice sheet
Kangerlussuaq is beautifully located between rolling mountains and close to the Greenland Ice Sheet. This is the only place in Greenland with easy access to experience both reindeer and musk oxen up close. Kangerlussuaq is also the only place where you can drive to and step onto the legendary Greenland Ice Sheet which covers about 80% of Greenland. It is a vast white world where the forces of nature play with their muscles. Take a guided tour of the ice sheet and marvel at the rugged wilderness.
Excursion to the ice sheet, Point 660 (optional)
If you have bought the excursion package, it is now time for your first excursion. The Greenland Ice Sheet ice lies about 30 km from town, and we drive in a 4-wheel drive vehicle through a stunning moraine landscape. A gravel road will lead us all the way to Point 600 – the place where we make a stop and walk up on the ice sheet itself. Along the way, there are good chances to see reindeer and musk oxen and not least the beautiful moraine landscape.
Flight Kangerlussuaq to Ilulissat, welcome meeting and possibly a town walk (optional)
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 (optional)
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.
Ilulissat on your own or possibly a dog sledding trip (optional)
Today is all about dogs if you have bought the excursion package:
Dog sledding (optional)
The mouth of the Icefjord is an impressive sight in both summer and winter. On this 2-hour sled ride, we drive over the mountain Little Akinnaq for about 7 kilometers until we reach a beautiful viewpoint. The trip goes through hilly mountain terrain, and you will experience the dogs both in front of and behind the sled since they act as a brake when you encounter steep surfaces on the hills.
The dog sled is one of the greatest symbols of Greenland. A 2,000-year old tradition for the Inuit, which is still thriving today, making it one of the most authentic modes of transport you are ever likely to try out. The basic principle of dogsledding is still the same as it was thousands of years ago; dogs in harnesses tied to a simply constructed sled out of wood. The experience cannot be explained – you simply have to try it!
Ilulissat on your own or possibly hiking to an abandoned Inuit settlement (optional)
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.
If you have bought the excursion package, you can look forward to a hike to the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut by the icefjord.
Hike to the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut (optional)
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.
Ilulissat on your own or possibly sailing to the Ice Fjord (optional)
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.
If you have purchased the excursion package, today is the time for the most popular excursion in Greenland.
Sailing to the Ice Fjord (optional)
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.
Ilulissat on your own
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.
Gala Dinner
In the evening, you are invited to a gala dinner with entertainment. What the entertainment entails is a secret, but it usually turns out to be lots of fun!
Ilulissat on your own
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.
Flight Ilulissat - Kangerlussuaq - Copenhagen
Heading towards Kangerlussuaq, enjoy the last sight of Ilulissat Ice fjord from your plane. After arrival in Kangerlussuaq, you will board the transatlantic flight from Air Greenland, going to Copenhagen with arrival in the evening.
