On the edge of the Ice Sheet

5 days around Kangerlussuaq

This is the perfect autumn weekend break! Enjoy and explore northern lights and the Greenland Ice Sheet! Grab a few extra days off and jump on the plane to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland – only a 4.5-hour flight from Copenhagen Airport in Denmark.

In the area around Kangerlussuaq, you will find a lot of amazing experiences: The woolly musk oxen, one of the world’s longest fjords and the breathtaking mountains. Take a trip up on the Greenland Ice Sheet, and look forward to seeing the northern lights dance in the sky.

Today, Kangerlussuaq is Greenland’s busiest airport. The history of the settlement is interesting, beginning during World War II, through the cold war, and developing into the modern international airport it is today.

Please be advised that the northern lights might not be visible in the sky until mid-September. Therefore you should not be expecting to see it on the departures in the late summer months of this tour.

If you wish to see this tour with accommodation in a hotel, please see tour 9012.

Highlights

  • Explore the unspoiled Arctic wilderness
  • Walk ON the Inland Ice Cap
  • See the Greenlandic tundra
  • Marvel at the Northern Lights
  • Get up close to the impressive Russell Glacier

Included

  • Return flights Copenhagen – Kangerlussuaq with Air Greenland
  • 4 nights at Polar Lodge with shared bath/toilet
  • Breakfast
  • Food and beverages onboard the flight Copenhagen – Kangerlussuaq
  • Welcome meeting with local English-speaking guide
  • Sightseeing with local English-speaking guide
  • Towels and bed linen at Polar Lodge
  • All flight/transportation taxes and fees known to Greenland Travel at the time of publishing
  • 20 kg of checked baggage and 8 kg of cabin baggage

Not included

  • Lunch and dinner
  • Travel Insurance
  • Excursions (we recommend pre-booking our excursion package)

Day program

Dan Bach Kristensen - Visit Greenland
Day 1:
Flight Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq, welcome meeting, sightseeing

You fly from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq with Air Greenland, giving you 4½ hours to prepare for your Greenland adventure. As the aircraft approaches Greenland, the sight of nunataks (mountains peaks sticking through the ice sheet) and the enormous icy desert indicate what you have in store.

Kangerlussuaq welcomes you with a blast of fresh coldness. A guide from the local tour office will meet you upon arrival and help you to check in at the cozy Polar Lodge, located less than 100 meters from the airport complex with the stunning scenery right on your doorstep – including the steep Mt. Hassel.

After check-in, the guide arranges an information meeting where you will get further information about the exciting Kangerlussuaq area and its many excursion options. It is now time to experience the old American airbase on a guided tour by bus, giving you insight into the area’s fascinating history and nature.

Mette Steenholdt
Day 2:
Explore Kangerlussuaq on your own or optional excursion to the Ice Sheet

The area around Kangerlussuaq is the only inhabited place in Greenland’s inland. The climate is continental with very stable weather conditions. Originally, this was also the main reason the Americans chose this place for their base. If you go for a walk in the area, there are still remnants to see from that time.

During the next few days, you are on your own to do what you want. We recommend a trip to the Ice Sheet Point 660, which gives you a unique opportunity to stand on top of ice that is many, many feet thick and very old!

Excursion to the Greenland Ice Sheet, Point 660 (optional)

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the second largest ice sheet in the world and covers 80 percent of Greenland and has, at all times, attracted expeditions and researchers. And with good reason; it is a truly unique experience to look at the enormous field of ice and feel the forces of nature. Along the way, we pass the spectacular Russell Glacier, another breathtaking sight with its vertical ice wall of up to 60 meters.

Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland
Day 3:
Explore Kangerlussuaq on your own or optional excursions: Tundra safari or northern lights tour

Another day with many opportunities. We recommend a tundra and wildlife tour.

Tundra Safari

Kangerlussuaq has incredibly beautiful nature and is home to the massive musk oxen. We will drive through the stunning tundra landscape in our 4×4 truck, and the guide will fill us in on the varied wildlife in this area. Maybe we will get the chance to spot musk oxen and learn more about these incredible creatures.

The musk ox roam wild in the area around Kangerlussuaq. It is impossible to predict whether we can get close to musk oxen or merely look at them from a distance. The guide always brings binoculars, so there is a very good chance of seeing these amazing animals and other wildlife in the area. Do not miss out on this exciting opportunity to explore the stunning nature and wildlife around Kangerlussuaq.

Northern Lights tour (optional)

We recommend you embrace the opportunity to witness the northern lights. Kangerlussuaq is one of the best places to see northern lights in Greenland because of a very stable climate. We drive away from the base into the night and await the stunning sight of nature’s light show. On cloudless evenings we often witness the most stunning northern lights in Kangerlussuaq. To see the fluttering curtain of light in various shades of green is an unforgettable sight.

Christina Lundbye
Day 4:
Explore Kangerlussuaq on your own or optional excursion to the Russell Glacier

Over the years, many travelers have had great experiences at the Russell Glacier.

Russell Glacier (optional)

On tour to the Russell Glacier, you get to experience the spectacular glacier, which is an impressive sight with its vertical wall of ice rising to 40 meters. You may also be lucky enough to spot musk oxen, reindeer or even a hare roaming in the hills.

Air Zafari
Day 5:
Day 5 Return flight to Denmark

Your Greenland adventure has come to an end – for now at least. The Airbus is waiting to take you back to Copenhagen with arrival 4½ hours later.

Map

Kangerlussuaq

Hotels on this tour

Polar Lodge

Polar Lodge is located at the airport in Kangerlussuaq, so you can easily get here after picking up your luggage at the airport.

Polar Lodge has a cozy dining and living room where breakfast is served, as well as a modern kitchen where you can prepare your food. Polar Lodge is not far from the restaurant or cafeteria at the airport hotel and the town’s only supermarket.

The rooms are spacious and simply furnished with comfortable beds. Bed linen and towel are included. Bathrooms and toilets are in the hallway.

Polar Lodge

Mitaarfiit Aqq – Box 1009

3910 Kangerlussuaq

 

Excursions (Optional purchases)

Practical information 

Flight Schedule (local times)

  • Departure from Copenhagen 10:00 am
  • Return arrival in Copenhagen 8:25 pm

Please note: Flight schedules are subject to change by the airline.

Packing Lists 

August to October

Find the packing list for your trip here.

November and December

Find the packing list for your trip here.

Baggage included 

20 kilos of checked baggage and 8 kilos of cabin baggage (max. dimensions of cabin baggage: 55 x 40 x 23 cm).

Travelers with reduced mobility and wheelchair users

We do not recommend this tour for people with reduced mobility and wheelchair users. Greenland Travel’s advice regarding difficulty levels on our excursions is intended for travelers who are not disabled. We are always happy to provide you with information on the suitability of the trip, taking into account the specific needs you may have. Please note that our advice is not based on medical knowledge, and ultimately it is YOUR responsibility to decide if a tour is right for you.

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On the edge of the Ice Sheet

5 days around Kangerlussuaq

Experience a precious part of Greenland on an extended weekend tour to the edge of the inland ice. Kangerlussuaq invites you to see the northern lights, join a tundra safari, and walk on the Ice Sheet.

From
1.175 EUR
per person in double room
August to November  | 5 days  | 4 nights Travel id: 9011 Departure from Copenhagen
Optional experiences
Ice SheetNorthern lightsCulture

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Do you need help?

You are always welcome to contact us if you have any questions regarding your trip or if you need advice and guidance.

We will answer within 24 hours.

You can also call us at: +45 3313 1011