Ilimanaq Lodge

The village of Ilimanaq is located south of the world-famous Ilulissat Ice Fjord with a view of huge icebergs and exciting wildlife. You can see both whales and seals, and experience stunning scenery and historical buildings. The experiences are right outside the door of your luxury cabin. It is one of the oldest settlements in Greenland, and the beautiful colonial buildings have been restored, and nature is unique!

Ilimanaq Lodge

Your cottage at Ilimanaq Lodge is a two-level construction. They are designed to not stand out too much in the area. In all the cottages, you have comfortable furniture in beautiful design, and you have a private bathroom and toilet. Of course, each of the state-of-the-art cabins has a flush toilet, hot water in the shower, as well as electricity for lighting and heating in the radiators.

Each cabin is equipped with its solar panels, which provide energy for heating and electricity. The surplus production of electricity from the solar panels is sold at a low price to the settlement. This means that the more you save on water and heat, the more you contribute to giving back to the local population. During the summer, the long, bright days and nights in Greenland contribute to efficient use of the solar panels.

Panoramic view of whales and icebergs

On the top level of the cabin, two beds can be arranged as a double bed or twin beds. On the ground floor, you have a pull-out sofa bed which can provide two more sleeping places. The large window section takes up the entire facade towards the sea, giving you a beautiful panoramic view from both floors. Humpback whales regularly come close, just as the icebergs and ice floes pass by outside.

Ilimanaq Lodge – a unique pioneer project

In the Ilimanq Lodge project, the emphasis has been placed on sustainability. The residents of the settlement have been heard throughout the process, and the cabins and the associated restaurant provide jobs for the people of the settlement. Ilimanaq Lodge has been created in a collaboration between three parties, and this is a pioneer project because we have not previously collaborated in this way in Greenland.

Hopefully, the project can form the school for tourism development in the future. The village had over 80 inhabitants in 2010, which today has fallen to 52, so hopefully, tourism projects like this can help with jobs and the prevention of depopulation. The three parties, in addition to the local population, are the Danish foundation Real Dania Byg, the local Qaasuitsup Municipality and our subsidiary, World of Greenland, which has its HQ in Ilulissat.

Real Dania Byg is a foundation which, among other things, restores historical and preservation-worthy buildings. The two protected buildings of the settlement, the manager’s residence, and the grocery building have been restored at the request of Real Dania Byg. World of Greenland has been responsible for the construction of the fifteen cabins, while the municipality has improved the village’s infrastructure, maritime conditions, and sanitation.

Excursions and hikes

You can go on many different walks and excursions in the area. Our subsidiary, World of Greenland, offers a hike to the Ice Fjord with its large icebergs and glacial hiking. Also, there are plenty of walks you can take on your own.

Northern Houses and UNESCO Heritage

– hiking to Ilulissat Ice Fjord and the old burial sites

You have a few hours of hiking to Northern Houses (“Nordre Huse”). We start by going up the hill north of the settlement. Here you get a magnificent view of the terrain, Disco Bay and Ilimanaq’s many colored houses. We are now heading towards the icebergs. Along the way, we see the remains of buildings from the Thule culture. You will also experience one of the many hidden burial sites, where you still see skulls and bone pieces between the stones.

You also pass a more modern cemetery that is left in the middle of the landscape, while the small collection of houses that used to be here has disappeared long ago. What we can see are the foundations of these.

We hike up to a cairn on a hilltop, and now we stand in front of the largest icebergs in the Ilulissat Ice Fjord. In clear weather, we can see to the glacier front 65 kilometers away, but right here in front of us, there are also plenty of huge icebergs.

Glacier walk in Tasiusaq

There are only a few places in Greenland that you can go on an excursion with an ATV, but on this trip, we use ATVs to go to the Tasiuaq fjord system, and then we continue with a speed boat to the edge of the Ice Sheet.

We sail southwards from Ilimanaq until we reach the bay of Itilliup Ilua. Here we go ashore on a wide sandy beach and continue as passengers on two large off-road vehicles. We drive over the plain with an amazing view of mountains and wide valleys until we reach the Tasiusaq fjord system.

The Tasiusaq Fjord has been a favorite fishing and hunting area to the Inuit for millennia. From here, we sail to the head of the fjord. We go ashore and walk to the very edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Your experienced guide will provide information on safety and procedures for glacier walking. All equipment is thoroughly checked before we step on to a safe area of the ice. From here, we go glacier walking. It is amazing, so don’t forget your camera. Afterward, we return in the same way as we came.

Walks south of Ilulissat Icefjord

With the world-famous Ilulissat Ice fjord as the closest neighbor, you do not have to go far to get magnificent nature experiences. There are many shorter and longer hiking opportunities from Ilimanaq. We recommend that you purchase a map of the area. If you go on longer trips, we also recommend that you bring your compass and have experience reading a map.

Boat trip to the village of Ilimanaq

If you do not get to stay in Ilimanaq on your trip to Greenland, you can still experience this beautiful village. From Ilulissat, you can go on a five-hour boat trip to Ilimanaq and back again. The boat sails past the huge icebergs at the mouth of Ilulissat Ice Fjord before you reach the settlement and can go ashore. You have plenty of time to walk around and experience the countryside and stunning views. The excursion is carried out in the summer period, and the actual sailing time is approximately one hour per way.