We start our trip by flying with Air Greenland from Copenhagen to Nuuk. A 4½-hour flight and a 5-day winter adventure awaits. But first, we have to change planes in Nuuk, and from here, we fly on one of the smaller domestic planes north to Ilulissat. Here, you will be picked up at the airport and driven to Hotel Arctic, located on the outskirts of the town.

The Aurora cabins are located a little away from the hotel but not very far. There is a walkway and stairs to the cabins, so getting there is easy.

After the practicalities of check-in, the guide will hold an information meeting at the hotel. At the meeting, you’ll get information about experiences in Ilulissat, dining, and excursion options, and can confirm excursions you’ve already booked from home. It is also possible to book excursions at the meeting.

Day programs

Below, you will see a daily program for the tour. This is based on the excursion package you can purchase along with the trip. The program offers plenty of contact with Greenlandic nature and culture through the excursion package. Some winter months have quite short days, so the order of excursions may be swapped to ensure that the program works out.

If you’ve purchased the excursion package, it’s already time for your first excursion.

Guided sightseeing tour (part of the excursion package)

Ilulissat is the third largest city in Greenland, and with the first excursion in the package, you’ll go on a guided town walk where you’ll get to know the town’s history and many exciting facets. The town was established as a settlement in 1727, but people have lived there for over 4,000 years. In 1741, Icelandic merchant Jacob Severin established the Jacobshavn trading station, and all around town, you can still find many buildings that remind you of the old days. The world-famous polar explorer and researcher Knud Rasmussen grew up in the building that now houses the Cultural History Museum.

Ilulissat is a beautiful town with friendly inhabitants and a very special atmosphere – especially as you can’t help but see and hear some of the many sled dogs just outside the town. There are also great views from most of the town, and nowhere else will you find such impressive icebergs within walking distance of shops, cafes, and restaurants. Look forward to an exciting tour and get plenty of information you can use in the coming days.

In the evening, Hotel Arctic offers a two-course welcome dinner (excluding drinks) in the cozy restaurant. Afterward, you can walk in the area or enjoy the view from your Aurora cabin.

The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, is one of nature’s most breathtaking phenomena, as the sky lights up in colorful waves and dances across the horizon. While we create the best setting and conditions to experience this spectacular sight from our Northern Lights cabins, it is important to emphasize that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that cannot be guaranteed. However, our location and facilities can optimize your chances of seeing this magical light show. So even if the Northern Lights don’t always appear in full splendor, the experience of Greenland’s magnificent nature will still be unforgettable, both from our panoramic windows and during the many exciting activities waiting for you outside.

Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. First and foremost, it is because of the ice and the beauty of Ilulissat and the other towns, the grandeur of nature, the many cultural attractions, and the interplay between the traditional way of life and modern urban life.

There are many excursion options here in and around Ilulissat, and you may have been inspired at the information meeting about what you want to do today – maybe you want to enjoy the stunning views of Disko Bay and let time stand still in your cozy cabin.

If you have purchased the excursion package, you can look forward to hiking to the abandoned Sermermiut settlement by the Icefjord and a boat trip on the Icefjord.

Hike to the settlement by the Icefjord, Sermermiut (part of the excursion package)

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

You’ll hear the guide tell the story of Inuit life and customs before the arrival of Europeans. As there is snow here in winter, you won’t see the ruins of the old settlement, but you’ll get a sense of what it was like to emerge from the peat hut and look out over an impressive snow and ice landscape. On this short trip, we turn around at the viewpoint of the Old Women’s Gorge, which became quite famous after the TV series Borgen was filmed in Ilulissat and the surrounding area.

Many people find it reassuring to have a guide with them the first time they go hiking in the mountains of Greenland. In addition, you see historical sites that can be difficult to find on your own, and it’s nice to share the experiences with someone.

But there’s more icefjord on the program today! Later, you can go sailing and see the icefjord from other angles.

Sailing on the Icefjord (part of the excursion package)

Almost all visitors to Ilulissat choose to try this boat trip between icebergs at least once. Every day, more than 40 million tons of ice fall from the Ilulissat Glacier into the Icefjord. The result is enormous icebergs that can be hundreds of meters long and stretch up to 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. It is an incredible natural experience you should not miss out on when visiting Ilulissat.

If you have purchased the excursion package, you can look forward to a 1½-hour dog sledding tour today.

Dog sledding (part of the excursion package)

The dog sled is one of the most recognizable icons of Greenland and a thousand-year-old Inuit tradition. Not many other forms of transportation have survived such a long period without change in appearance and technology: a pack of happy dogs in harnesses attached to a constructed wooden sled. The experience cannot be explained – it must be experienced.

This trip takes place mostly on flat terrain on a plain located near Ilulissat. In addition to the driver, there are two participants on each of the sleds, so if you booked alone, you may have to share a sled with another person, so there are two of you to share the experience. Dogs, like people, are very different, so if you’re traveling with family and friends, we can’t guarantee you’ll be together for the whole trip. Some dogs love to run off, while others are more laid back. This tour is not good for you if you have neck or back problems or if you are immobile. Participants must be 12 years and older.

After dinner, you can experience the Northern Lights in nature.

Northern Lights Safari (part of the excursion package – not available in April, as it’s too light to see the Northern Lights in the evening and at night)

You can see the beautiful Northern Lights over Ilulissat on clear winter evenings. The guide will tell you about the phenomenon and give you tips and tricks on how to get the best pictures of the colors migrating across the night sky. Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is the most spectacular phenomenon in the night sky. On days with more than a 20 % chance of seeing the Northern Lights, we pick you up from your hotel and drive to the darkest area near Ilulissat. Here, we can take pictures and enjoy the amazing natural light show as the colors move in waves across the evening sky.

Legend says that the spirits play football with a walrus skull when the Northern Lights dance around the sky.

Yesterday, the focus was on traditional experiences – both natural and cultural. Today, you can instead experience the more modern Greenland.

3-hour snowmobile tour (optional)

Snowmobiling is an exciting adventure where you experience powerful engines and speed! In winter, snowmobiling is a popular activity in Greenland. Our route can change depending on snow and weather conditions. We usually start by driving up via a gorge, a winding mountain road just behind Ilulissat. We have an amazing view of the town and Disko Bay from the top of the hill. The snowmobile continues over frozen lakes and rocky mountain terrain. We stop at a great lookout point along the way to enjoy coffee or tea.

You can choose to ride alone or two on the scooter.

You can also see it all from above.

Helicopter tour (optional)

This helicopter tour is the only way to enter the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Ilulissat. Neither boats nor hikers can get close to the huge glacier at the bottom of the fjord.

Kangia Sermeq is the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere, spitting out incredible amounts of ice daily. The glacier is over a kilometer thick and seven kilometers wide. Seeing these huge amounts of ice and the immense forces of nature is unique.

The helicopter flies out from Ilulissat Airport, and you fly as low as safety and laws allow over mountains, lakes, rivers, and the Icefjord. It’s great to fly so low, and we really get to see the ice! We then arrive at a mountain at the edge of the ice sheet. Here we have about half an hour to enjoy the view.

On the way back, we fly over the glacier front and follow the Icefjord for 70 kilometers back to the city. The largest icebergs are stranded on the edge of the moraine just before the town, providing a stunning end to our journey.

You’ve had some exciting and memorable days up here in the north – and hopefully, you’ve enjoyed the view from your lovely cabin.

Today, you’ll travel from Ilulissat by Dash 8 flight to Nuuk, where you’ll transfer to Air Greenland’s Airbus 320, which will fly you back to Copenhagen. Due to the time difference, you’ll land in Copenhagen in the evening, even though you leave Greenland relatively early.