Arctic Nights and Northern Lights

This tour is for travellers who love the thrill of an exciting longer boat ride and the scenic wonders of Greenland.  From Nuuk to Kapisillit it's about 2 hours and takes us through the eastern part of the Nuuk Fjord system. The mountains flanking the fjord are some of the oldest in the world and provide precious material for local artists. Take in the vastness of the fjord while keeping a lookout for whales, seals, and white-tailed eagles. This is Kapisillit Settlement Visit.

Upon arriving at Kapisillit you will be able to walk around the settlement and see the iconic church, with a spectacular view of the fiord. This is the place around 40 people call home every year. Local school children are educated via Skype connection to Nuuk, and so they can maintain a high level of education even here.

A lunch bag includes a sandwich, salad, fruit, cake and a salty snack as well as a bottle of water delivered directly to the boat with your name on it. We provide coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

• Hotel Hans Egede 4*
• Breakfast / Lunch bag

Enjoy a relaxed morning in Nuuk. If time allows, visit one of the city’s museums before heading to the airport.

In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and board Air Greenland flight north to Ilulissat. The flight takes just over two hours and follows Greenland’s west coast, with views of rugged mountains, deep fjords and the edge of the vast ice sheet. Leaving Nuuk in the last of the short winter daylight, you’ll watch the Arctic twilight fade as you fly north, arriving in Ilulissat late afternoon, well above the Arctic Circle, where early December is the season of polar night.

You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Spend the evening settling in and enjoying your first glimpse of Ilulissat.

• Hotel Arctic 4*
• Breakfast

Get to know Ilulissat on a guided city walk. Your guide takes you through the colourful streets of this small Arctic town and shares stories about its history, culture and daily life. Along the way, you’ll see the old harbour, where fishing boats come and go among the ice, and learn how the community lives with the icefjord on its doorstep.

In the evening, set out on an icefjord cruise. Sail among the giant icebergs that drift out from the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, their shapes glowing in the Arctic darkness. On a clear night, keep an eye on the sky for the Northern Lights.

• Hotel Arctic 4*
• Breakfast

In the morning, take a guided hike to Sermermiut, an abandoned settlement just outside town at the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord. People lived here for around 4,000 years, from the earliest Arctic cultures to the Greenlandic Inuit, until the settlement was abandoned in the 19th century. A wooden boardwalk and trail lead through the snowy landscape to the old site, where your guide shares its history and the views open up over the icefjord and its towering icebergs.

In the evening, head out on a Northern Lights chase. Leave the lights of town behind with your guide in search of clear skies and the aurora dancing across the Arctic sky. Dress warmly, as December nights in Ilulissat are cold. Northern Lights sightings can’t be guaranteed.

• Hotel Arctic 4*
• Breakfast

Your final morning in Greenland begins under the deep blue of the Arctic polar night. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport. Take one last look at the icefjord and the quiet town that has been your home for the past three days.

In the morning, board Air Greenland flight south to Nuuk. As you fly along the coast, watch the dark sky slowly give way to the soft pink and gold of the Arctic twilight, painting the mountains, glaciers and frozen fjords below. It’s a fitting farewell to this vast and mystical land, where ice, light and silence shape everything.

You’ll arrive in Nuuk  and connect to flight for Copenhagen. Sit back and reflect on the icebergs, the Northern Lights and the warm welcome of the people you’ve met as Greenland disappears behind you. You’ll arrive in Copenhagen in the evening, bringing home memories of a truly unforgettable Arctic journey.

• Breakfast
• Transfer to the airport