The Great Greenland Roundtrip

Today, we sail to Qaqortoq. We arrive at Qaqortoq early in the afternoon, and you will be staying at Hotel Qaqortoq. From the hotel, there is a nice view of the harbor, and inside the hotel, you can study fine pieces of artwork made by local artists.

Town Tour in Qaqortoq

After check-in, it’s time for a tour of the town. Qaqortoq is the largest town in South Greenland, with around 3,000 inhabitants. It is the area’s main education center, including a tourism management school and guide training. In addition, the town has several businesses, such as Great Greenland, which has a tannery and sewing facilities to create beautiful sealskin clothing. The town is also known for its fountain and the ‘Stone and Man’ project, which consists of more than 30 sculptures carved into the granite bedrock by various artists. This permanent exhibition makes a stroll around the town a very special experience. The project was initiated by Qaqortoq’s great artist, Aka Høegh, one of Greenland’s foremost.

At night, you can go to one of the town’s diverse restaurants for today’s dinner or eat at the hotel.

• Breakfast
• Hotel Qaqortoq

Today it is time to experience Qaqortoq on your own, and there is plenty to see and do. At the tourist office, you can get a map of the Stone and Man sculptures scattered around town. Take a walk over the river and visit the open fish and meat market and the charming museum, which is also the oldest house in town, built in 1804. 

In Qaqortoq, you will have a choice between these two opportunities.

Hiking in the Hinterland of Qaqortoq With the Guide

Qaqortoq has a beautiful hinterland surrounding Lake Tasersuaq (The Great Lake). The hike around the lake is 8 kilometers (5 miles), and today, you can go on this trek with your guide. It’s a beautiful walk, and if you’re up for it, you can also dip your feet in the lake. Near Qaqortoq, children often swim in the lake in the summer, so putting your feet in the water isn’t as scary as it may sound.

Another alternative is a visit to the hot springs on the island of Uunartoq. Please note that the two excursions take place at the same time, so you won’t be able to do both.

Hot Springs Excursion (optional)

At Uunartoq – ‘The Warm Place’ in Greenlandic –  you can relax in one of nature’s wonders. When we get to the Uunartoq island, named after the springs we are heading to, we walk about a kilometer from the seashore to get to two pools. Here, 38°C (100,4 F) hot water rises from underground. While large icebergs float by in the fjord next to the springs, you can sit and enjoy the view. The heat of the springs is not due to volcanic activity but geothermal activity underground, which heats the water as layers of the ground rub against each other.

The hot springs at Uunartoq have been known for millennia. In Norse times, there was a Benedictine monastery in the fjord where Uunartoq is located, and rumor has it that when Leif Eriksson sailed west from Greenland to find new land almost 1025 years ago, he took a dip in Uunartoq before he and his friends headed out to sea. The excursion itself takes place by boat to the island, which is about 50 kilometers south of Qaqortoq.

• Breakfast
• Hotel Qaqortoq

After our breakfast in Qaqortoq, we’re heading out sailing again. We pack lunch because we must visit two places before Igaliku. This time, we sail in the Igaliku Fjord. After almost forty kilometers, we turn around a point, and here lies Hvalsey Kirkeruin.

Hvalsey Church Ruin

At the bottom of Hvalsey Fjord, Hvalsey Church Ruin is located on a lush, green cliffside. The Norse came to Greenland in 982, establishing farms and entire communities in both South Greenland and up to the fjords behind Nuuk. Christianity came to Greenland around the year 1000 when Leif the Fortunate brought a priest to Greenland, and soon after, the Norse began building churches in many places in South Greenland.

Hvalsey Church Ruin is the best preserved Norse ruin in Greenland and among the best preserved Norse and Viking ruins worldwide. The Norse were in Greenland for 4-500 years. The Norse are mentioned in the Icelandic sagas, and a description of a wedding in Hvalsey Church in September 1408 is the last sign of life from the Norse in Greenland.

From here, we sail on to the experimental station at Upernaviarsuk.

Upernaviarsuk

Here, they are experimenting with the possibilities of agriculture in Greenland, and the place also serves as Greenland’s agricultural school. We’re talking about small teams of Greenlandic agricultural students who periodically do internships in either Greenland, Iceland, or Norway because this is sub- and low-Arctic agriculture. As part of the Experimental Station, we also find the Upernaviarsuk Experimental Nursery, which grows vegetables for sale in Greenland. This is where the famous heads of lettuce from our introduction to the tour come into play.

We take a walk in Upernaviarsuk before heading back to the boat and sailing towards Igaliku.

Igaliku – the Bishopric of Gardar

The sheep farming village of Igaliku is beautifully situated at the bottom of Igaliku Fjord, surrounded by green fields with steep, bare mountains in the background. The remains of the large Norse bishopric and the small cathedral are today visible between the houses and vegetable gardens of the settlement. Today, Igaliku is home to around 35 people, who primarily make their living from sheep farming. There will be time to visit the village and the ruins. We stay at Igaliku Country Hotel and can look forward to two days in indescribable surroundings.

• Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Igaliku Country Hotel

Once again, we start the day with a hearty breakfast. Then, we have time to wander around the settlement and enjoy the Norse ruins, larger here than in Qassiarsuk. Igaliku was the bishop’s seat of the Norse (called Gardar) for around 300 years (from 1100 to 1400), and the ruins from that time are very impressive. It’s hard to imagine how people could have lifted the large stones with which many ruins are built.

You should also take note of the special Igaliku Stone, which is used to build the church and many foundations. It is a multi-colored reddish sandstone that is unique to the area.

Today, Igaliku and its surroundings also offer some of the best hiking opportunities in South Greenland. You can join today’s hike to a plateau, from where there is a fantastic view of the Qooroq Icefjord, where we were yesterday. The perspective is different from up here, and we may see stranded icebergs on the underwater moraine at the entrance to the fjord and the huge glacier at the mouth of the fjord. It’s a good place to eat our packed lunch. The hike is about 17 kilometers, but the views are amazing, so we recommend you join us.

In the evening, we have our dinner at the hotel and enjoy a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow there are many things on the program!

• Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Igaliku Country Hotel

Today we head north to Nuuk by plane, but first we have to get to Narsarsuaq by boat. The boat sails from Itilleq, which is 4 kilometers along King’s Road to Tunulliarfik Fjord. Our luggage will be taken to the small quay of Igaliku Country Hotel. From Itilleq we now sail to Narsarsuaq, where our trip started.

Once we arrive at Narsarsuaq Harbour (which, incidentally, was the first deep-sea quay in Greenland, as Narsarsuaq was originally built as a US military base that needed a port of call where large ships could dock), we’re transported to Narsarsuaq Airport, where we check in and prepare for the flight to Nuuk. Upon arrival in Nuuk, we’ll be picked up at the airport and taken to Hotel Hans Egede. The hotel sits in the heart of Nuuk, and you have the opportunity to explore the nearby area on your own. Streetlights, buses, and lots of cars give off an immediate impression of a busy city, but the amazing scenery and endless horizon automatically put the bustling city life into perspective.

Like all other towns in Greenland, you live near nature, but with lots of imprints of modern life. With its approximately 19,500 inhabitants, Nuuk is a big city in comparison with other Greenlandic towns. Many new homes are built every year, and the commercial scene is vibrant.

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Hotel Hans Egede

Nuuk Sightseeing Tour with the Greenland National Museum and the Old Colonial Harbor

On the tour, you will be introduced to the major attractions such as the Greenland National Museum, which houses an outstanding ethnographic collection from all Inuit cultures and the world-famous mummies from Qilakitsoq. We visit the architectural highlight; Katuaq  Culture House with a facade shaped like the northern lights. We also walk through the charming old town with the statue of Hans Egede, which overlooks the old colonial harbor, the fjord, and the mountains in the background. We will also pass the local fish and meat market.

If you are looking for Greenlandic handicrafts, there is a great selection in the city’s souvenir shops, ranging from delicate earrings to seal fur coats. Finally, Nuuk also boasts an excellent art museum, where the permanent exhibition contains many paintings by the famous Greenland painter Emanuel A. Petersen (1894-1948).

In the afternoon, we included an exciting Fish and Dish activity described below:

Boat Trip to Qooqqut – Catch Your Dinner 

At 3:30 pm, we depart from Nuuk on a boat trip to the lovely Qooqqut Nuan’ Restaurant. However, this is no ordinary restaurant visit. We sail through the vast fjord system behind Nuuk, which is the second largest fjord system in the world. In the Qooqqut Fjord, we stop the engine and try to catch our lunch. Today, there will be no complaints that the fish is not fresh!

Qooqqut lies in a wonderful valley in the Qooqqut Fjord. The mountains surrounding the valley are up to 2,000 meters high. One of Nuuk’s most respected chefs moves here in the summer and serves the most amazing dishes. For lunch, we get to eat our own freshly caught fish.

As something rather unique in Greenland, trees are scattered beautifully in the area behind the restaurant. Consider taking a small hike for a good photo opportunity while the chef is at work with your fish.

After dinner, we go back to the boat and return to Nuuk, where we arrive around 9:00 pm.

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Hotel Hans Egede

We fly from Nuuk to Ilulissat and will stay at Hotel Arctic or Hotel Ilulissat. Both hotels have a beautiful view of the Icefjord.

Ilulissat is the Greenlandic word for icebergs and is Greenland’s third largest town. Approximately 4,500 inhabitants and about 2,500 sled dogs are fortunate enough to live in this amazing town at the mouth of the 45 kilometer-long, and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Ice Fjord. Ilulissat’s location almost 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle means that the midnight sun rules until mid-July. It never gets completely dark – everything is shrouded in an orange, almost magical hue.

Ilulissat Sightseeing

In the afternoon, we go on a guided tour where the guide will introduce you to modern life in contrast to the traditional hunting life that is still thriving in the town.

Sermermiut Settlement Hike

Today’s program also offers a hike to the former Sermermiut settlement located beautifully at the mouth of the Ice Fjord. Due to its excellent fishing conditions, this has been the preferred settlement in the area for several thousand years. The last residents did not move from Sermermiut to Ilulissat until the 1850s when Ilulissat had already existed for more than 100 years. It is a beautiful walk along the fjord with a view of icebergs of all shapes and sizes.

Sailing Among Icebergs 

The midnight sun makes the icebergs glow in a unique play of colors that people return to experience repeatedly. Sailing at night with the sun still shining is a fantastic and unusual experience. Almost every visitor to Ilulissat goes on this leisurely iceberg cruise at least once. More than 40 million tons of ice daily flow out into the fjord. The floating icebergs are gigantic, sometimes measuring more than 100 meters wide and long – and with a height of up to 70 meters above the water’s surface. These giants run aground at the mouth of the fjord, providing you with a great opportunity to sail among them.

Remember warm clothing – or rent a polar suit, because even in the summer, it is cold on the water when you sail among the icebergs, especially in the evening.

• Breakfast
• Hotel Arctic or Ilulissat

Today, we will sail northwards from Ilimanaq to the calving Eqi Glacier. Look out for seals and whales. As we reach Eqi, the boat sails close to the impressive glacier front, where you may be lucky enough to witness small calvings.

Glacier Lodge Eqi

Afterwards, we go ashore at Glacier Lodge Eqi, located in the middle of the Arctic wilderness with beautiful direct views of the glacier. We will spend the next two nights in small cozy one-room wooden cabins for one or two persons.

Glacier Lodge Eqi is a small, beautifully situated cabin village overlooking the active glacier. All cabins have a magnificent view of the calving Eqi Glacier. The cabins are cozily decorated in log cabin style. Your stay at Glacier Lodge Eqi includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Café Victor. At the café, it is also possible to buy drinks such as beer, sodas, wine, various spirits, and some sweets.

Your guide organizes hiking trips in the area, including trips to the lagoon and the moraine, which offers a spectacular view of the Eqi Glacier. The area provides numerous hiking opportunities, and it is up to you whether to join a hiking trip or perhaps relax amid the harsh and desolate, yet beautiful landscape – perhaps out on the cabin’s terrace.

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Glacier Lodge Eqi

The day is free at leisure or you can go on a hike with our guide

Hiking to the Moraine

You can hike 4-5 hours from Glacier Lodge to the moraine at Eqi Glacier. The hike is not too difficult, but it is a bit hilly, and you should be prepared to cross a small river and then climb up the mountain a bit to get the right view of the board from the moraine edge. Once you’ve done that, you’ll get the most amazing view of the giant glacier.

• Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Glacier Lodge Eqi

At noon, we will sail back to Ilulissat with arrival late in the afternoon. Enjoy the passing scenery while looking out for whales. Fin whales and humpback whales, among other species are often spotted in this area.

When you return from Glacier Lodge Eqi, you will once again stay at Hotel Arctic or Ilulissat. Under the midnight sun, you can gaze out over the illuminated landscape and feel how the boundaries between night and day are momentarily blurred.

From the end of May, the midnight sun takes its permanent place in the sky, merging day and night. Although not all departures have the midnight sun, you will still experience very beautiful, bright nights.

• Breakfast
• Hotel Arctic or Ilulissat

This day is at your disposal. There are many options for hiking in the Ilulissat area, and your guide can give you some good tips. Generally, it is as if Greenland is made for hiking, and there are routes of all difficulty levels. 

A whale safari among icebergs is one of many optional excursions on offer.

Whale Safari – surrounded by icebergs in the Disco Bay (optional)

It is a great experience to get close to large animals like whales. There are 15 species of whales in the waters around Greenland. During the summer, we usually see humpback, common minke whale, and fin whale. The whales swim in the entire Disko Bay during summer – sometimes close to town, sometimes in the Ice Fjord or up north by the island called Arveprinsens Ejland. We are in constant radio contact with fishers and hunters, who are our source of information about the whales and their whereabouts. The humpback whale, with its characteristic fin, is the most commonly sighted whale on these safaris.

Another option is a helicopter tour!

Helicopter trip (optional)

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

Today, you will sail to Ilimanaq and stay overnight in the stunning cottages at Ilimanaq Lodge. You go there by boat in the early afternoon and sail past the mouth of the Ice Fjord before we arrive at the port of Ilimanaq about one hour later.

The cabins at Ilimanaq Lodge are amazing. They offer two floors with beds upstairs. When you wake up in the morning, you step down into the living room, sit on the couch, and watch the small fishing boats breaking the crystal-clear water. You may enjoy a cup of coffee on the terrace and wave to a whale that blows water into the air as if to say good morning. Ilimanaq Lodge unites magnificent nature experiences with luxurious comfort.

Once you are checked into your cabin, you will hear more about the village. Ilimanaq lies 15 kilometers south of Ilulissat and has approximately 50 inhabitants. Ilimanaq’s houses are painted in many stark colors as a contrast to the surrounding landscape. Ilimanaq is a traditional Greenlandic village where the main industries still are hunting and fishing.

Afterward, you can relax completely, take a walk in the quiet village, and enjoy the view from your terrace.

You will dine in a historic building from 1751 in one of the world’s most remote restaurants. Here, you’ll be served a delicious three-course menu created largely with delicious local ingredients.

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Ilimanaq Lodge

Breakfast is served in the restaurant the next morning. You need to check out of your cabin by 10 am, and you can leave your suitcases at the reception. Now you have the option of various excursions on your own – or you can buy other excursions locally. You have free reign, as lunch is a sandwich that you can enjoy wherever you like. This could be on a hike in the beautiful hinterland, in the cozy conference rooms above the reception, or something else entirely.

We return to Ilulissat by boat in the afternoon.

There is also the option of an exciting extra excursion to go glacier hiking, among other things.

Ilimanaq Glacier Adventure (optional)

On this exciting trip, you will sail in a speedboat, drive off-road with ATVs, and trek on a glacier! We sail south from Ilimanaq to Itilliup Ilua. Here, we are set off on a very wide sandy beach, and from here, we drive off-road in all-terrain ATVs to the Tasiusaq Fjord. We now sail deeper into the fjord until we reach a place with two glaciers, and the Greenland Ice Sheet can be seen.

We go ashore and enjoy a packed lunch and the great view. After this, we trek and finally climb onto the huge ice sheet.

This tour is not recommended if you have severe neck or back problems, and participants must be 12 years old.

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

• Breakfast / Dinner
• Hotel Arctic or Ilulissat

It is time to say goodbye to Greenland. We fly from Ilulissat to Copenhagen via Nuuk.

• Breakfast