We fly with Air Greenland from Copenhagen to Nuuk. Ahead of us is a 4,5-hour flight and an 8-day adventure.

After you check in and unpack in your room at Hotel Hans Egede Express, the guide will hold an welcome meeting. After the meeting, it’s time to get to know Nuuk at your own pace and get ideas for what to do today.

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.

You can read more about Nuuk here.

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

Sightseeing in Nuuk 

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.

If you’ve purchased the excursion package, there’s also a boat trip on Nuuk Fjord.

Fjord Adventure (part of the 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.

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

Arrival and Accommodation

Upon arrival in Ilulissat, you will be transferred to Hotel Arctic, which has the most beautiful view of Disko Bay and the mouth of the Icefjord, where the large icebergs run aground.

An information meeting is held at the hotel, where the guide from our partner, World of Greenland, tells you a little about the town and the many excursion options. Afterward, you’ll be prepared for a fantastic stay in this amazing area.

Cultural and Historical Town Tour in Ilulissat

Start your experiences by gaining a deeper understanding of Greenland’s culture and history that will put all other experiences in Greenland into perspective. Ilulissat was founded in 1741, and today, it is Greenland’s third-largest town, with over 4,500 inhabitants. On this walking tour, your guide will tell you about the town’s history, Greenlandic culture, and modern life 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Along the way, we visit the fishermen at the harbor and the sellers at the local meat market and pass Knud Rasmussen’s birthplace and the old wooden church, Zion’s Church.

If you bought the excursion package, it’s time for a walk to Sermermiut by the Icefjord.

Hike to the Abandoned Settlement of Sermermiut by the Icefjord (part of the excursion package)

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

You can see ruins from the time when the Inuit lived here, and if you walk to the end of the footbridge, you’ll also come to the Old Women’s Gorge, made famous by the 4th season of the TV series “Borgen,” which was largely set in Ilulissat.

We return to Hotel Arctic, where a delicious welcome dinner (excl. drinks) will be served. Then, it’s time to go sailing.

Sailing among Icebergs (part of the excursion package)

The rays of the midnight sun give the icebergs a unique color that people return to Ilulissat to see again and again. Almost all visitors to Ilulissat choose to try this iceberg cruise at least once. More than 40 million tons of ice flow daily from the glacier into the Icefjord.

The result is enormous icebergs that can be hundreds of meters long on each side and extend almost 70 meters above sea level. These giants are stranded at the mouth of the Icefjord, and here we have the opportunity to sail among them. Remember to bring warm clothes for the trip, because even in summer it’s cold on the water between the icebergs.

Today, we’re going on one of the longer hikes. You’ll leave Ilulissat on foot and walk along the old postal route north to the village of Oqaatsut, where we’ll stay for two nights and have plenty to do during the day.

The best news about this hike – apart from the view – is that your luggage is shipped to Oqaatsut so you can hike with just a daypack with water, snacks, and a packed lunch.
The route to Oqaatsut is marked with orange dots and is around 20 kilometers. Most people manage the hike in 6-7 hours, enjoying the magnificent day hike through the Arctic tundra and all the time with sea views. We stop at one point and enjoy our packed lunch. The difficulty of the hiking route is moderate and can be completed by anyone with a reasonable fitness level.

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

Isolated small village communities are something special in Greenland. They have both internet and flat screens in the settlements, but life is lived at a different pace. A generation ago, most of the Greenlandic population lived in the many small settlements dotted the coastline. Today, most live in the larger towns, but around Ilulissat, there are still four settlements, of which Oqaatsut is one.

Oqaatsut has around 45 inhabitants and a school, church, and grocery store. The school and church are cleverly located in the same building; on Sundays, the school is transformed into a church. Oqaatsut is known for its restaurant, H8, which serves delicious meals made from local ingredients.

Once we arrive, we will stay at the cozy Hotel Nordlys, and in the evening, it’s time for a delicious dinner at Restaurant H8. Afterward, you can enjoy the view of Disko Island or the large icebergs floating by Disko Bay.

Today is an exciting day of adventure in Oqaatsut. Naturally, we’ll start the day with breakfast to recharge our batteries before exploring.

We’ll go kayaking, and our experienced kayak guide will give you a thorough safety briefing and introduce you to the equipment. Dressed in kayaker suits, you’ll head out onto the icy blue water in your kayaks. Glide silently through the bay, which offers a unique tranquillity rarely found elsewhere. Experience the silence broken by the sound of your paddle as you navigate through ice-filled waters and fjords that hold adventurous surprises. Glide through the breathtaking surroundings and feel small in the vast landscape.
After this magical experience, it’s time to stop and enjoy another hike in the hilly hinterland. Walk along meltwater lakes and small rivers with the greatest views of Oqaatsut Bay and the spectacular icebergs. After a well-deserved coffee break, we’ll paddle back to Oqaatsut and explore the old whaling village.

In the evening, you’ll have a delicious dinner made from local Greenlandic ingredients at Restaurant H8 Explorer—a perfect end to a day full of adventure and natural beauty.

We wake up, have breakfast at Hotel Nordlys, and then head back to Ilulissat to change to another boat. The next planned experiences are amazing hikes to the ice at Glacier Lodge Eqi.

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.

After breakfast, you can go on a trip up the ice sheet.

Hike to the Ice Sheet (additional excursion)

The day will be a fascinating hike along the tracks left behind by French scientist Paul-Émile Victor when he conducted groundbreaking research at Eqi.

We experience landscape variations, including lush lowlands, windswept highlands, moraines, and the ice sheet, with impressive features such as crevasses, streams, and glacial wells.

We follow in the footsteps of Paul-Émile Victor and dive into the historic landscape where his research shaped the area. Here, we can admire the remains of the vehicles that once crossed this impressive terrain. The day culminates in an enchanting experience as you enjoy lunch in a beautiful valley overlooking an inactive glacier. We then hike across the moraine and approach the high point – the ice cap. This is a magical moment.

The dedicated guides, specially trained for ice walking, will be by your side with all necessary safety equipment, including a satellite phone, GPS, and first aid equipment. Although today’s tour doesn’t require technical skills like ice climbing, you’ll find that it’s a physically challenging journey that stretches over 25 km and contains around 1000 meters of altitude.

After a day of adventure and scenic experiences, you’ll return to camp tired but full of memories. The day ends with a well-deserved dinner.

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.

With views of the Icefjord and the last sight of icebergs, the journey back home starts after many eventful and intense days. Air Greenland brings you from Ilulissat via Nuuk to Copenhagen, arriving in the evening.

We guarantee you will return home with your mental luggage filled with memories that will stay with you longer than other vacation memories. At least, that’s what our visitors tell us.