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6 day - Independent tailor made Greenland tour.
This short 6-day tour of Greenland lets you experience a modern Greenlandic town north of the Polar Circle, the unique Disko Bay and the wildlife in the area. See majestic Icebergs float in the fiord right outside the town and experience at close range the impressive glacier of Eqi.
Local transfers and boat across the Disko Bay to Eqi
Flight tickets to/from start and end points, any airport taxes, travel insurance, visas, gratitudes and any items of personal nature.
Arrive into Ilulissat. Meet & greet by a local guide and transfer to the hotel for check-in. After a welcome information meeting, head out for a guided city walk. This small town is known for the Ilulissat Icefjord and for huge icebergs that float around the Disko Bay, shed by the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. Trails run to the Sermermiut settlement for dramatic views over the ice. The Ilulissat Museum traces the area’s history and the life of local-born explorer Knud Rasmussen. The area is home to thousands of Greenland dogs, used for dogsledding.
Ilulissat is the third largest town municipality in Greenland with more than 5000 inhabitants. About 4500 people lives in the town Ilulissat and 500 people live in the four remaining small settlements: Ilimanaq, Oqaatsut, Qeqertaq and Saqqaq.
Three hundred kilometres north of the Polar Circle, Ilulissat lies beautifully situated close to one of the world's largest glaciers – Kangia. The glacier produces about 20 million tons of ice each day, all floating into the Ilulissat Icefiord and the Disko Bay. All this ice is a good basis for fishing for Halibut which is the main occupation in Ilulissat. Due to the unique ice and landscape, the area of Kangia and the Icefiord has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2004.
You have several days, at the start and end of the trip, in Ilulissat with time to join some of the many optional excursions, allowing you the freedom to choose what you want to see and do. You can enjoy helicopter flights over the Icecap and visit remote settlements where fishing and hunting still continues as it has for centuries.
Optional excursions and activities during your stay in Ilulissat, some of which are short and can fit after your day's activities:
Few places in Greenland are as beautiful as the Eqi Glacier, which ends in the fiord 80 kilometres north of Ilulissat. It is possible, by boat, to get very close to the glacier and experience huge pieces of ice breaking off. The sounds are enormous and the sight of the icebergs, crashing into the water, is breathtaking.
We sail in modern and convenient boats during the excursion to Eqi. The route goes north along the coast passing Bredebugt, the settlement of Oqaatsut and the big fiord system called Pakitsoq, where whales and seals are often seen. Further on is the Ataa Strait, which is surrounded by steep mountains with bird life and waterfalls. Our ice secured boats lie approximately 2 hours in front of the glacier and wait for the ice to calve, while a delicious lunch is served. This all-day excursion is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in a true Greenland experience including an unforgettable boat trip through ice filled water.
Please note:
The length of the boat trip to and from the glacier can last between 2 - 5 hours each way. It depends on the boat used the given day. The stop in front of the glacier lasts approximately 2 hours.
The next two days are free for activities around Ilulissat. Included is a cruise to see whales. You will search for the giant of the sea, and chances for seeing the humpback whale is very good in summer time. Spend time cruising among the icebergs in the search of the whales and hopefully see them before we return to Ilulissat. Please be aware that whales can not be guaranteed on the tour, but an amazing tour in the arctic surrounded by icebergs we promise you.
Other options for your stay are SUP iceberg sightseeing, hiking, arctic fishing, arctic sauna and kayaking. If you wish to book a helicopter flight over the Icecap, please organize this with us before departure.
You are transferred to the airport in the mid-morning for the flight from Ilulissat.
All prices listed are per person, based on two people sharing a room. Prices are indicative due to the current uncertainty across Europe with increasing energy and volatile fuel costs.
Hot air ballooning in Lapland whilst watching the Northern Lights, hiking up volcanoes, glamping in Greenland, a private meeting with Santa or climbing three peaks in Norway - see our collection of unmissable travel experiences across our Nordic and Scandinavian region.
Planning your Northern Lights trip and want to get the best advice? As we approach another Solar maximum period, solar activity will start ramping up, and auroras should increase in frequency, peaking in 2024/2025.
If you want to commit to a booking please use the Book Tour form below.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. The safety of our travellers, staff and operators is a major priority of 50 Degrees North. With an operational office in Norway, 50 Degrees North has access to an up-to-the-minute flow of information regarding the countries we work in. We are also in regular contact with the various operators we use. Their in-depth knowledge and understanding of their various areas is vital.
The indicated prices are per person unless otherwise stated. Prices may change without prior notice due to specific conditions at the time and place of the excursion. Please note that not all excursions are available during every tour-programme that includes this destination. Please refer to the tour-programme for a list of excursions available on that particular tour.
1: City Walk Ilulissat
During a walk through town the guide tells about the history of Ilulissat. We will visit the fishermen at the harbour and the hunters at their trading post. We will show you the church and the house where the famous explorer Knud Rasmussen was born..
Duration: 2 hours (approx.)
Price: DKK 250
2: Visiting the old settlement of Sermermiut
By bus as far as the road goes. A beautiful walk along the UNESCO designated Ilulissat Ice Fiord to Sermermiut where traces from the 3 old Eskimo cultures still can be seen.The different Inuit cultures have lived here during the last 4000 years, and today you can still find artefacts, which witness their presence. Hear the story about the life and the customs of the Greenlanders before the Europeans arrival; see the ruins, the kitchen mitten, and fell the permafrost with your own hands.
Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
Price: DKK 250 including refreshment
3: Boat trip to Hunter's Settlement - Rodebay
By boat to the small settlement Oqaitsut/Rodebay with a local population of approx. 40 persons totally dependent on fishing and hunting - a quite different world compared to the nearby town of Ilulissat. Guided walk through the village before we will enjoy lunch at the old trading station. You can walk back as an option (6 hours one way).
Duration: 6 hours (approx.)
Price: DKK 1020 including lunch
4: Midnight Cruise to the Ice Fiord
The midnight sun and the warm red colours reflecting in the gigantic icebergs is a fantastic sight. Cruise between the icebergs and enjoy a late Martini on "the real rocks"! Season for midnight sun is approx. 22may-24jul. Outside this season the excursion is operated as an evening cruise with the beautiful sunset reflecting over the icebergs. Remember to bring warm clothes or you can rent suit of sealskin.
Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
Price: DKK 600
5: By Helicopter to the Ice Cap
As a new service you can now pre-book our helicopter excursion in Ilulissat. The tour includes a ground stop where you can leave the helicopter! Either in front of the glacier itself (long tour) or mid fiord overlooking the whole ice fiord (short tour). Actual tour depends on helicopter available. During the flight we cruise in low altitude over the Ilulissat Ice Fiord which is now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Operation depend on weather and helicopter capacity.
55min. flying time + ground stop DKK 2895
30min. flying time + ground stop DKK 2400
6: Hunter's Settlement - Ilimanaq
By boat to the settlement of Ilimanaq, which is situated just south of the Kangia Ice Fiord. Ilimanaq has a population of approx. 80 persons mainly depending upon fishing and hunting. A completely different world compared to the town of Ilulissat. Upon arrival to Ilimanaq guided tour of the settlement before enjoying our lunch with a local family.
Can also be operated by night at a smaller surcharge of DKK 250 per person.
Duration: 6 hours (approx.)
Price: DKK 800 including lunch
10: Feeding the huskies
Ilulissat is sledge-area and the approx. 3500 dogs in town are still used for both work and fun every winter. We invite you to join the feeding of a dog team. You can see, feel, touch and most of all hear the howling of 20 hungry dogs. The owner will demonstrate the sledge and the harness and tell about life as a sledge dog in Greenland. Good shoes advised!
Duration: 1 hour (approx.)
Price: DKK 125
11: Whale Safari
By boat we go out into the Disko Bay to spot whales. In the summer time humback whales come to the Disko Bay to feed on the capelin, a small herring-like fish. As the humpback whales are protected they are very trusting and can often be enjoyed at close range. However, as this is not a zoo there is, of course, no guarantee for seeing the whales.
Duration: 5 hours (approx.)
Price: DKK 995 including lunch packet
