Extraordinary Long Weekend in Ilulissat
Tour Itinerary
Departure from Copenhagen in the morning and after approximately 4½ hours’ flight you set foot on the world’s largest island. Following a brief stop in Nuuk, we continue toward Ilulissat on a smaller plane. It is a beautiful flight, which allows you to take in the magnificent icy landscape, the barren wilderness, and the magnitude of the Arctic. During our approach to Ilulissat, the town will seem to be located in the middle of nowhere. The colored houses stand in stark contrast to the snow-clad mountains, and you can look forward to the coming days filled with ice, winter, and dog sledding – combined with cultural elements from a modern, yet highly authentic, Greenlandic town.
Hotel Arctic’s shuttle bus will pick you up at the airport, and you will check in at the wonderfully situated four-star hotel. Here you will meet one of our guides, who will brief you about the town, the area, dining, and excursion possibilities. You can book excursions at the meeting, or have your pre-booked excursions confirmed.
Guided Ilulissat Walk (included)
The first excursion in the excursion package (should you have purchased it) is a guided tour of the town. You will learn about the history of the town and experience its many interesting aspects, including the many sled dogs that live here. Most of the dogs stay outside of the city in a large kennel if they are not roaming the terrain.
Ilulissat means icebergs, which is rather self-explanatory once you get to see the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site of Ilulissat Ice Fjord and the numerous icebergs majestically floating around in the fjord, lit up by an almost magical light caused by reflections of the sun.
At night, you will have a lovely welcome dinner in the hotel’s amazing restaurant (drinks not included).
Dinner
Hotel Arctic
Hike to Sermermiut (included)
Beautiful iceberg vistas are the setting for the old settlement of the Sermermiut 1½ kilometers south of Ilulissat. For 4,000 years, different Inuit cultures lived in the settlement. Hear the story about the Inuit people’s life and traditions before the Europeans came to Greenland, see the ruins and touch the permafrost with your own hands.
On this hike, we will pass “Kællingekløften” where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Ice Fjord, before heading back again. During the hike, there will be time to talk about flora, fauna, geology, and not least, the story behind the omnipresent ice.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Arctic
The Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. Primarily because of the ice, but also due to the beauty of the place, the many cultural attractions and the interaction between the traditional way of life and modern city life.
Ilulissat and the surrounding area offer excursion possibilities aplenty, and perhaps the initial briefing has inspired you to make the best use of your day, alternatively you may want to take in the fantastic view across Disko Bay and let time stand still for a little while…
Sailing among icebergs (included)
Almost every visitor in Ilulissat chooses to try a boat trip among the icebergs at least once.
More than 40 million ton of ice flows out into the fjord every day. The result is gigantic icebergs, which can be more than 100 meters on each side and with a height of up to 100 meters above the water surface. These giants strand at the end of the fjord, and that gives you a good opportunity to sail among them. An exceptional experience, you do not want to be without while visiting Ilulissat.
Remember to bring warm clothes, or you can rent a suit of sealskin.
Northern Lights Safari (included)
In the evening, join us on an atmospheric evening excursion and experience one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena – the Northern Lights! On clear, polar nights, we have the opportunity to see the dancing green waves light up the sky above Ilulissat.
We drive out to a place away from the city lights where we enjoy the view of the starry sky and listen to stories about the Northern Lights, old legends, and Arctic myths.
The tour is only conducted in clear weather. We will cancel the same day if clouds cover the sky and find a new date. We will refund the full amount if you can’t join us on another day. Even if the weather is clear, the Northern Lights can be unpredictable.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Arctic or Igloo
Visit the Charming Settlement of Ilimanaq (included)
Go on an unforgettable day trip to the beautiful and authentic settlement of Ilimanaq, located south of Ilulissat Icefjord. The tour starts with an atmospheric sail across the mouth of the fjord, where we enjoy the sight of the majestic icebergs drifting out into Disko Bay.
Upon arrival, you will explore the small settlement, where the guide will tell you about the history of Ilimanaq – from before colonization to the present day. You’ll get a unique insight into everyday life in a Greenlandic village where old traditions and modern lifestyles meet.
During the visit, we’ll be invited into the home of a local family, where we’ll enjoy a light lunch and a hot cup of coffee or tea. There is time to experience Greenlandic hospitality and hear about life in the Arctic directly from the people who live here.
After an eventful day, we sail back to Ilulissat, enjoying the spectacular scenery along the coast.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Arctic
After an adventurous, extended weekend, it is time to say your goodbyes to Ilulissat. Greenland is likely to have made quite an impressions on you that will spark a special feeling and flash a series of indelible mental images whenever you hear the word Greenland mentioned in the future.
You depart from Ilulissat via Nuuk, arriving in Copenhagen in the evening.
- Breakfast
Customer reviews
Coren Vestwall
Aron Pastor
