Ilulissat: Icebergs in the Midnight Sun
This 5-day summer journey is one of the most immersive Ilulissat Icefjord tours available — flying directly from Reykjavik into the heart of Greenland's most iconic Arctic destination, where icebergs the size of city blocks drift silently through one of the world's great UNESCO landscapes.
Over four days at Hotel Arctic, every experience is built around the ice. Sail among the giants of the Icefjord under the midnight sun, hike to the 4,000-year-old Inuit settlement of Sermermiut, join a whale safari across Disko Bay, and make the journey north to the calving Eqi Glacier — where thunderous walls of ice crash into the fjord just meters from your boat. From May to late July, the sun never sets here, filling every excursion with extraordinary Arctic light at any hour of the day or night.
Four days, one destination, and an experience most travelers say stays with them for a lifetime.
Tour Itinerary
Fly directly from Keflavík International Airport to Ilulissat. You are picked up at the airport, and we will drive you to the Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat.
The flight is in itself quite an adventure as you cruise at low altitude over the Inland Ice Cap as you prepare for landing in Ilulissat.
After arrival, a guide from our local excursion office will welcome you and inform you about the different excursions available but also about experiences you can make on your own during your stay in Ilulissat.
Sailing Among the Icebergs (included)
Almost every visitor in Ilulissat chooses to try this boat trip among the icebergs at least once. Every day, more than 40 million tonnes of ice flow out into the fjord. The floating icebergs are gigantic, sometimes wider than 100 meters and with a height up to 100 meters above the water surface as well.
These giants pile up 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. The icebergs are a wonderful sight in every kind of weather; in the sunshine, the contrasts are very clear, whereas the blue shades are strikingly beautiful when it is cloudy, and the midnight sun casts a unique glow on the icebergs during the night.
Taking the boat trip on a bright night is an extraordinary experience. Remember to bring warm clothes – otherwise, sealskin clothing is available for rent.
Welcome Dinner
Hotel Arctic 4*
Transfer to the Hotel
Hike to the Ice Fjord and the Abandoned Sermermiut Settlement (included)
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 and, today, you can still see the remains, which indicate their former presence.
Hear the story about the life of the Inuit people and their traditions before the Europeans came to Greenland. See the ruins and touch the permafrost with your own hands. Visitors often ask if they can walk these treks themselves? The answer is yes. But it is our experience that most people prefer having a guide with them the first time they hike in Greenlandic nature.
Furthermore, historic places will be pointed out on the way, and these can be difficult to find on your own. You will have a coffee or tea break at “Kællingekløften” with a beautiful view of the Ice Fjord before you head back.
Whale Safari (included)
It is a great experience to get close to large animals like whales. There are 15 species of whale in Greenland. During the summer it is normally the humpback, the common minke whale and the fin whale, we see. The whales swim the entire Disko Bay during the summer; sometimes close to the town, sometimes in the ice fjord or up north by the island, Arveprinsens Ejland.
We are in constant radio contact with the fishermen and the hunters about the whales and their whereabouts. The humpback, with its characteristic fin, is the one we see most often.
Later, it is time to get ready for the next optional excursion. The midnight sun makes the days very long, and you will feel full of energy to explore and take advantage of the entire day.
The sunny nights can only be experienced north of the Arctic Circle where the sun during summer never sets behind the horizon. In Ilulissat, the midnight sun is present from May 22 to July 24, but also throughout August, there will be very bright nights.
Ilulissat Icefjord and Glacier Seen From Above with Helicopter (optional add-on)
Ilulissat Ice Fjord and the Kangia Glacier are in focus on a 1½ hours helicopter ride that takes you right into the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No boat or hiking trail can get this close to the huge glacier – and you will see it all from above!
The helicopter takes off from Ilulissat Airport and flies as low as safety and laws allow over mountains, lakes, rivers, and the Icefjord until we reach a mountain at the ice sheet’s edge. Here we have about half an hour to enjoy the view. Then, we fly over the glacier front and follow the Icefjord for 70 kilometers on our way back.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Arctic 4*
Full-day trip to the calving Eqi Glacier (included)
Only a few places in Greenland are as beautiful as the Eqi Glacier, which runs into the fjord 80 kilometers north of Ilulissat. It is possible to get very close to the glacier by boat and experience huge pieces of ice breaking off. The sounds are thunderous, and the sight of chunks of ice crashing into the water is astonishing.
We sail in modern, comfortable boats during the excursion to Eqi Glacier. The route takes us north along the coast, passing Bredebugt, the settlement of Oqaatsut and the big fjord system called Pakitsoq, where whales and seals are often spotted.
Lunch While Watching the Glacier Calve (included)
Further along the route, we pass through the Ataa Strait, which is surrounded by steep mountains with bird life and waterfalls. Our boats, which are reinforced for sailing in icy waters, will remain in front of the glacier for approximately 2 hours and wait for the ice to calve. Meanwhile, a delicious lunch will be served. This is an all-day excursion where you will have a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the experience and fully enjoy the boat trip through the ice-filled waters.
Remember to bring warm clothes – otherwise, sealskin clothing is available for rent.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Arctic 4*
After breakfast, it’s time to return to Iceland. Having spent some memorable days in this Arctic paradise, it is time for you to fly back to Keflavík International Airport. We guarantee that you will go home full of memories that will stay with you longer than any other holiday you have been on – at least that is what other travelers tell us.
You will get a last impression of the huge icebergs in the Ilulissat Ice Fjord with a stunning view from the air above the entire area as you take off in the direction of Iceland.
- Transfer to the airport
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