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 Express, 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 package, you can look forward to a city tour.

Sightseeing in Nuuk (included in excursion package)

The city tour, a unique part of your excursion package, 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 the excursion package, it’s time for a boat trip on Nuuk Fjord.

Fjord adventure (included in excursion package)

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 (included in excursion package)

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.

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.

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 (included in excursion package)

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.

If you have purchased the excursion package, 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 (included in excursion package)

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.

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.

Meet the Sled Dogs (included in excursion package)

However, if you have bought the excursion package, you will get to meet some sled dogs today. You get to visit the sled dogs at their home, and you can see, feel, and especially hear them when they are fed.

The dog’s owner will also demonstrate how the sled, the straps, and the whip work, and he will tell us about the life of these amazing dogs.

You also have the chance to experience something quite different!

Snowmobile tour with 2 people on the snowmobile (additional excursion)

This tour takes you into the hinterland of Ilulissat to experience the Arctic winter landscape up close. First, you’ll drive up through a gorge on a narrow track that cuts through the mountains behind Ilulissat. You’ll get a fantastic view of Ilulissat and Disko Bay from the top. Then, you continue over frozen lakes and the rugged mountain landscape as a group. You’ll stop at the best viewpoints for photos and hot drinks.

But there’s room for more fun, too:

Helicopter Excursion (additional excursion)

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.

Easter Dinner

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

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 (part of the excursion package)

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.

If you bought the outdoor package, you will go to Igloo Lode today or on Sunday. You won’t miss out on any of the other excursions described in the daily itinerary, although in some cases your departure times may be adjusted slightly to make the schedule work.

Igloo Lodge (part of the outdoor excursion package)

Friday or Sunday, you can experience a real igloo where you will spend the night and, from here, go on some unique excursions.

Our sister company in Ilulissat, 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.

Here, at the foot of the mountains, you will spend the night in an igloo (with the possibility of staying in a heated cabin, if you prefer). 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 a stark contrast to the estimated minus 20 degrees Celsius 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 also exciting. 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. Afterward, you will have afternoon coffee with cake, dinner, and evening coffee followed by a look outside to see if the northern lights are out. Then you can retire to your igloo, and, in the morning, breakfast is served and, finally, there’s the snowcat trip back to civilization around noon.

Please notice: If you’ve purchased the outdoor package, you’ll ride on a dog sled at Igloo Lodge instead of in town. It’s a bigger sled, so there are three of you on the sled instead of two. The dog sledding excursion is included in the Outdoor Package, but only available as an additional purchase if you haven’t bought the outdoor package.

Also please notice: If you are interested in our outdoor package, please contact us by phone or email, so we can check if there is availability when you want to go. As mentioned, the other excursions are also included in the outdoor package. However, if you choose the outdoor package, some of these other excursions will be moved to other days than mentioned in this day-to-day program.

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 (part of the excursion package)

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 about half an hour later you arrive in 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.

Heading towards Nuuk, enjoy the last sight of Ilulissat Ice fjord from your plane. After arrival in Nuuk, you will board the transatlantic flight from Air Greenland, going to Copenhagen with arrival in the evening.