Exploring Disko Bay

Your journey continues to Ilulissat and the Icefjord by plane. The fact that Ilulissat means icebergs in Greenlandic is undeniably linked to the beautiful Icefjord and the number of icebergs floating around at their own pace.

Arrival and accommodation in Ilulissat

Upon arrival in Ilulissat, you will be transferred to Hotel Arctic, with the most beautiful views of Disko Bay.

At Hotel Arctic, we are available in the lobby, where you can ask our guide for advice about the area and available excursions. If you’re interested, you can also book local excursions at the Arctic Excursions booking stand, operated by our subsidiary company. They offer many excursions that will give you an impression of the town’s ideal mix of authentic culture in a modern, thriving society – and its strong connection to fascinating nature. Please ask your guide if you have any questions about excursions and activities.

As mentioned, Ilulissat is the Greenlandic word for icebergs. The town is beautifully situated at the mouth of the long and world-famous Ilulissat Icefjord, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. The ice is stunning; you can experience it from water, land, and air.

Hike to the former Sermermiut settlement at the Icefjord (add-on)

The beautiful icebergs of the Ilulissat Icefjord form the backdrop for the ancient settlement of Sermermiut, one and a half kilometers south of the town. For 4,000 years, the different Inuit cultures lived at the settlement, and today you can still see many remains that testify to their presence.

You’ll hear the story of Greenlanders’ life and customs before the arrival of Europeans, see ruins and old kitchen middens, and feel the permafrost with your hands. On the short hike, we turn around at the viewpoint at Kællingekløften, which was made famous in the Danish TV show Borgen.

Many people find having a guide on their first hikes in the Greenlandic hills mountains reassuring.

In the evening, a lovely welcome dinner is served in the hotel restaurant (drinks not included).

Today, you can get acquainted with Ilulissat.

Cultural-historical town tour of Ilulissat (add-on)

On our cultural-historical city walk, we go a step deeper than if you walk alone with a map in your hand. Here you can start your experiences by gaining a deeper understanding of Greenland’s culture and history, giving all your other experiences in Greenland more perspective.

Ilulissat was founded as a trading post in 1741, and today, it is Greenland’s third-largest town, with over 4,500 inhabitants. On the walking tour, your guide will tell you about the history of the place, Greenlandic culture, and modern life 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Along the way, we pass the harbor, meet the vendors at the local food market, and pass Knud Rasmussen’s birthplace and the old wooden Zion Church.

At night you get to see the icebergs from the sea.

Sailing among Icebergs (add-on)

The rays of the midnight sun give the icebergs a unique color that some people return to Ilulissat to experience again and again. Almost every visitor to Ilulissat chooses to try this iceberg cruise at least once. More than 40 million tons of ice flow daily from the Ilulissat Glacier into the Icefjord.

The result is enormous icebergs that can be hundreds of meters on each side and extend up to 70 meters above sea level. These giants are stranded at the mouth of the Icefjord, and here you have the opportunity to sail among them. Bring warm clothes for the trip or rent a sealskin suit because even in summer, it’s cold out here on the water between the icebergs.

Today we sail north towards the Eqi Glacier.

Sailing to Eqi Glacier

Once in the second boat, we head north again on our boat trip to the calving glacier Eqi Glacier. The glacier flows into the fjord 80 kilometers north of Ilulissat, and by boat, it is possible to get relatively close to the glacier’s edge and watch it calve large chunks of ice from a safe distance. Our ice-safe ship lies before the glacier for about two hours, waiting for calving. Lunch is served here.

The length of the boat trip to and from Eqi Glacier can vary between two and five hours each way, depending on the type of boat used that day. The stay at Eqi Glacier lasts approximately 1-2 hours. At 2 pm, the ship docks at Port Victor, the ‘port’ of Glacier Lodge Eqi. Camp guides will welcome you and show you to your cabins. You will be given the necessary practical information and then have the day on your own.

Staying at Glacier Lodge Eqi

Glacier Lodge Eqi is a small, beautifully situated cabin village overlooking the active glacier. All cabins have a magnificent view of the calving Eqi Glacier. The cabins are cozily decorated in log cabin style. Your stay at Glacier Lodge Eqi includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Café Victor. At the café, it is also possible to buy drinks such as beer, sodas, wine, various spirits, and some sweets.

Wake up to the silence and light of the wilderness – broken only by the distant rumble of the calving glacier. After breakfast in the café, where panoramic windows offer sweeping views of the fjord, the day is yours to enjoy this unique and remote location. From here, you have two very different ways to experience Eqi – and the choice is entirely yours.

Stay at the lodge and embrace the peace

If you’re seeking quiet and presence, you’re welcome to stay in camp and let the landscape speak to you in its own rhythm. Settle in on the terrace and breathe in the fresh air from the fjord. Perhaps you’ll photograph the many shades of blue in the ice, read a good book with the glacier as your backdrop, or simply enjoy a coffee in the café, where the large windows let you follow the glacier’s activity – even from the comfort of indoors.

There is no internet at Glacier Lodge Eqi – and that’s a gift. You’ll quickly notice how your body and mind begin to relax.

Hiking Opportunities at Eqi

During your stay at Glacier Lodge Eqi, the hike to the glacier moraine is included. This walk offers spectacular views of the Eqi Glacier and the area’s magnificent scenery and is suitable for most guests.

The Eqi area also offers a more demanding full-day hike to the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet for guests seeking an additional physical challenge. This activity is operated by World of Greenland and can be booked directly with the operator during your stay.

Local guides will be happy to advise during your stay whether the hike is suitable for your interests and fitness level. The hike to the Ice Sheet is recommended only for guests with excellent physical fitness and solid experience with longer hikes in challenging terrain.

Evening in the wilderness

No matter how you choose to spend the day, we’ll gather again in the café for dinner, where the kitchen serves warm dishes made from local Greenlandic ingredients. You might witness the sun painting the sky gold behind icebergs and mountains – or hear another deep rumble from the glacier, reminding you of just how close to nature you really are.

Then it’s time for your final night at Glacier Lodge Eqi.

Today starts with breakfast, and then it’s time to go hiking again. We check out of the cabins before hiking to the moraine so that the staff can prepare the cabins for the next group arriving in the afternoon.

Hike to the Moraine at the Edge of the Ice Sheet

From the cabins, we hike around the small lagoon at the southern end of the glacier. There are often large flocks of geese in the lagoon during the breeding season. The hike continues up to the moraine, where we can look down into the huge cracks in the glacier just a few meters away. From here, we also get an overview of the front of the glacier, and we will see the impressive calving wings.

The boat sails back to Ilulissat at approximately 2:15 pm. The trip back to Ilulissat follows the same route as coming here, and coffee, tea, and cake will be served along the way.

We will be picked up and driven to Hotel Arctic, where we will stay for the last evening. You are on your own to choose where you want to eat. There are many restaurants in Ilulissat, and at Hotel Arctic, there are two really good ones, one of which you have already tried. Both restaurants have excellent views, and the food is made from the finest Greenlandic ingredients. You’ll also find more restaurants in town.

There are several wonderful excursions available today, if you’re tempted.

Kayak Experience in Ilulissat (add-on)

Inuit have kayaked in Greenland waters for more than a thousand years, and you can do it too. As the kayak glides silently through the water, you see the huge icebergs rising around you. The midnight sun gives the ice a unique hue. In cloudy weather, the beautiful blue colors of the icebergs are especially clear. With a little luck, we may even meet whales. All tours take place in stable double kayaks, and a boat follows close by. The excursion takes about 3½-4 hours, and we will be at sea for at least two of those hours. This excursion is not included in any of the Excursion Packages but can be booked separately.

You can also experience a helicopter flight.

Ilulissat Icefjord and Glacier Seen From Above with Helicopter (add-on)

Ilulissat Ice Fjord and the Kangia Glacier are in focus on a 1½ hours helicopter ride that takes you right into the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No boat or hiking trail can get this close to the huge glacier – and you will see it all from above!

The helicopter takes off from Ilulissat Airport and flies as low as safety and laws allow over mountains, lakes, rivers, and the Icefjord until we reach a mountain at the ice sheet’s edge. Here we have about half an hour to enjoy the view. Then, we fly over the glacier front and follow the Icefjord for 70 kilometers on our way back.

Today, you have one more option at sea.

Whale Safari (add-on)

It is a great experience to get close to large animals like whales. There are 15 species of whale in Greenland. During the summer it is normally the humpback, the common minke whale and the fin whale, we see. The whales swim the entire Disko Bay during the summer; sometimes close to the town, sometimes in the ice fjord or up north by the island, Arveprinsens Ejland.

We are in constant radio contact with the fishermen and the hunters about the whales and their whereabouts. The humpback, with its characteristic fin, is the one we see most often. Today you also have the opportunity to try kayaking in the country that invented the kayaks.

Offering one final view of the Ice Fjord and the captivating icebergs, today’s flight will take you back to Copenhagen where you will arrive in the evening.

We guarantee you that you will go home with a baggage full of memories that will stay with you longer than any other holiday you have been on – at least that is what other travelers tell us.