Greenland Highlights: Kangerlussuaq and Ilulissat

We fly with Air Greenland from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq. It is a 4½-hour flight. Your guide from the local tour office will welcome you upon arrival and assist you with the check-in at the Polar Lodge. The Polar Lodge is located just a stone’s throw from the airport and offers relaxed accommodation with kitchen facilities, a communal area and a souvenir shop.

Once you have checked in and unpacked in your room at the lodge, the guide will call everyone together for an information meeting. You will get practical advice about the settlement, the area, places to eat and go, and here you can confirm any excursions you have booked from home.

It is now time to experience the former American airbase on a guided tour by bus, giving you insight into the area’s fascinating history and nature.

Two activities are included in today's itinerary:

Excursion to the Ice Sheet, Point 660 

If you have purchased the Excursions Package, the first tour will take you to the Ice Sheet. Kangerlussuaq is known as the gateway to the Ice Sheet, and this is a guided tour to the immense ice sheet the size of Western Europe. We will drive in a 4×4 bus through a stunning and varied terrain.

As the road comes to an end, we will approach the Ice Sheet itself by Point 660 – a unique experience. We will spend some time in this enormous world of ice before returning to our vehicles. The trip offers great opportunities for spotting reindeer, musk oxen and, depending on the season, many different species of birds and, possibly, some hares. Go on this trip for a unique opportunity to stand on the very Ice Sheet. It is quite something to feel the extreme cold and let your eyes wander across the vast ice surface.

Northern lights trip – Aurora Borealis

The next trip in the excursion package is a tour to see the northern lights. On cloudless evenings, you will often witness the most stunning northern lights in Kangerlussuaq. We will drive out into the landscape, where we will not be disturbed by artificial lighting, and let nature begin its light show.

Later, as we drive back, the guide will talk about the northern lights and the many Greenlandic myths associated with them throughout the ages. A cup of tasty Greenlandic coffee will also be served during the trip.

We now head towards Ilulissat. It is a beautiful 45-minute flight, giving you the perfect chance to really enjoy the beautiful icy landscape, the desolate expanse, and grandeur of the Arctic. During the approach to Ilulissat, the town seemingly pops up in the middle of nowhere. The coloured houses vie for attention among the snow-covered peaks and as the aircraft lands, you can look forward to the next few days full of ice, autumn colours, and sled dog – combined with cultural highlights from a very traditional, Greenlandic town.

Information meeting upon arrival

You will be picked up at the airport and driven to your hotel. Here you will meet a guide from our local tour office, who will arrange an info meeting to tell you about the town, the area and places to eat. 

At night, you will have a lovely welcome dinner in the hotel’s amazing restaurant (drinks not included)

Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. People are attracted by the ice and the many cultural attractions and the fascinating mix of traditional lifestyle and modern urban life. The excursion options are numerous in and around Ilulissat, and the information meeting may well inspire you to go on one – or perhaps you want to enjoy the amazing view across the Disko Bay and let time freeze.

Guided tour of the town is included in today's itinerary. You will learn about the town’s history and experience the town’s many exciting areas. Ilulissat was founded in 1741 and, today, it is the third largest town in Greenland with more than 4,500 inhabitants.

Seeing and especially hearing some of the many thousands of sled dogs living here is unavoidable. Unless out on a trip, most of the dogs are kept outside the town in large dog areas.

Today, you are free to do as you please, and the options are plentiful. Do not miss out on a trip to the sewing workshop where souvenirs are made from sealskin, or to the craft shops selling artifacts made from teeth and bone.

Boat trip on the Ice Fjord is included activity. Almost every visitor to Ilulissat goes on this boat trip among the icebergs at least once. Every day, more than 40 million ton of ice flow out into the fjord. The floating icebergs are gigantic, sometimes measuring more than 100 meters wide – and with a height of up to 100 meters above the water surface as well. These giants gather at the end of the fjord, providing you with a great opportunity to sail among them. You should not miss out on this exceptional experience when visiting Ilulissat.

Today we will take a hike to the abandoned Sermermiut settlement.

Beautiful icebergs provide the setting for the old settlement of Sermermiut 1.5 kilometers south of Ilulissat. For 4,000 years, different Inuit cultures lived in the settlement. Hear the story about the life of the Inuit people and their traditions before the Europeans came to Greenland. Depending on the time of the year you arrive, you may be able to see the ruins and touch the permafrost with your own hands.

When we have finished the hike to Sermermiut, we recommend that you visit the Icefjord Centre on your own. It is beautifully situated with a view of the sled dog resting area, Sermermiut, and the Ice Fjord.

Spend the last day in Ilulissat experiencing the atmosphere and life in the town. Step back in the footsteps of history and learn about the rich history at the museum that was Knud Rasmussen’s place of birth. Fishermen and hunters at the open market give you an idea of the exciting Greenlandic food products – it does not get any fresher than this.

The sight of all the fresh produce has probably made your belly rumble! At the restaurants in Ilulissat, you can try local specialties such as Greenlandic sushi, deep-fried “ammassats” (small fish), whale and seal, and the cafés offer freshly-baked cakes. All your senses will get a work-out on this trip!

And you will never get tired of looking out across the Ice Fjord.

Enjoy one final view of Ilulissat’s Ice Fjord and the captivating icebergs, as the small aircraft  take you back to Kangerlussuaq and onwards to Copenhagen where you will arrive in the evening.