We fly with Air Greenland from Copenhagen to Nuuk. Ahead of us is a 4,5-hour flight and an 8-day adventure.

After you check in and unpack in your room at Hotel Hans Egede Express, the guide will hold an welcome meeting. After the meeting, it’s time to get to know Nuuk at your own pace and get ideas for what to do today.

Nuuk has only 19,500 inhabitants, but you’ll experience a vibrant “big city” as it is a government city with many cultural and educational institutions. Nuuk is growing constantly and is now about 10 kilometers from end to end. You’ll find concerts, theater, museums, and exhibitions. Sports are central to many, so you can go hiking, skiing, sailing, running, strength training, yoga, and even swimming. You can read more about Nuuk here.

If you have purchased the excursion package, you can look forward to a city tour now.

Sightseeing in Nuuk (part of the excursion package)

The city tour, a unique part of your excursion package, includes a visit to the Greenland National Museum. Here, you’ll have the privilege of seeing finds from all time periods and civilizations in Greenland. After about 30 minutes at the museum, we continue around the area called Kolonihavnen. This is where most of the original houses from the 17th and 18th centuries still stand. On the way we pass Hans Egede’s house, the sculpture of the Mother of the Sea and the controversial statue of Hans Egede at the Greenland Cathedral.

We then head to ‘Kalaaliaraq,’ the traditional market where locally caught fish, seals, and reindeer are sold. Now, we head towards Greenland’s government buildings and then the Greenland’s Cultural Center Katuaq, where our tour ends. You’re now as central as you can be, with great shopping opportunities. And many other exciting things to do.

If you’ve purchased the excursion package, there’s also a boat trip on Nuuk Fjord.

Fjord Adventure (optional)

You’ll soon experience Greenland from the sea. It’s a wonderful boat trip, and we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the views of some of the most beautiful mountains in the Nuuk Fjord.

We sail out of Nuuk and into the large fjord system, the second largest in the world. The mountains in the Nuuk Fjord are beautiful and rugged, many towering above the sea. On our way into the fjord, we sail past the city of Nuuk itself, and from the water, you get a sense of how big Nuuk really is.

We may also pass some beautiful icebergs. In the Nuuk area, they are not as big as in Disko Bay, but they are still beautiful and impressive.

After enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, we sail on, and, who knows, we might be lucky enough to see some wildlife. Out here in the fjord, we’re also closer to Sermitsiaq, the beautiful mountain that is one of Nuuk’s most famous landmarks.

Your journey continues to Ilulissat and the Icefjord by plane. The fact that Ilulissat means icebergs in Greenlandic is undeniably linked to the beautiful Icefjord and the number of icebergs floating around at their own pace.

Arrival and accommodation in Ilulissat

Upon arrival in Ilulissat, you will be transferred to Hotel Arctic, with the most beautiful views of Disko Bay.

Approximately one hour after check-in at the hotel, you can attend an information meeting where a guide will tell you a little about the town and the many excursion options. After this, you’ll be prepared for a fantastic stay in this amazing area.

Suggestions for excursions and activities with a guide or on your own

You will find our subsidiary, Arctic Excursions, in the hotel lobby in Ilulissat. They offer many excursions that will give you an impression of the town’s ideal mix of authentic culture in a modern, thriving society – and its strong connection to fascinating nature. Please ask your guide if you have any questions about excursions and activities.

Cultural-historical town tour of Ilulissat (included in excursion package)

On our cultural-historical city walk, we go a step deeper than if you walk alone with a map in your hand. Here you can start your experiences by gaining a deeper understanding of Greenland’s culture and history, giving all your other experiences in Greenland more perspective.

Ilulissat was founded as a trading post in 1741, and today, it is Greenland’s third-largest town, with over 4,500 inhabitants. On the walking tour, your guide will tell you about the history of the place, Greenlandic culture, and modern life 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Along the way, we pass the harbor, meet the vendors at the local food market, and pass Knud Rasmussen’s birthplace and the old wooden Zion Church.

In the evening, a lovely welcome dinner is served in the hotel restaurant (drinks not included).

As mentioned, Ilulissat is the Greenlandic word for icebergs. The town is beautifully situated at the mouth of the long and world-famous Ilulissat Icefjord, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. The ice is stunning; you can experience it from water, land, and air.

Hike to the former Sermermiut settlement at the Icefjord (included in excursion package)

The beautiful icebergs of the Ilulissat Icefjord form the backdrop for the ancient settlement of Sermermiut, one and a half kilometers south of the town. For 4,000 years, the different Inuit cultures lived at the settlement, and today you can still see many remains that testify to their presence.

You’ll hear the story of Greenlanders’ life and customs before the arrival of Europeans, see ruins and old kitchen middens, and feel the permafrost with your hands. On the short hike, we turn around at the viewpoint at Kællingekløften, which was made famous in the Danish TV show Borgen.

Many people find having a guide on their first hikes in the Greenlandic hills mountains reassuring.

At night you get to see the icebergs from the sea.

Sailing among Icebergs (included in excursion package)

The rays of the midnight sun give the icebergs a unique color that some people return to Ilulissat to experience again and again. Almost every visitor to Ilulissat chooses to try this iceberg cruise at least once. More than 40 million tons of ice flow daily from the Ilulissat Glacier into the Icefjord.

The result is enormous icebergs that can be hundreds of meters on each side and extend up to 70 meters above sea level. These giants are stranded at the mouth of the Icefjord, and here you have the opportunity to sail among them. Bring warm clothes for the trip or rent a sealskin suit because even in summer, it’s cold out here on the water between the icebergs.

In the morning, there is an early departure from Ilimanaq. Enjoy your last day in Ilulissat: shopping, lounging in a cafe, and enjoying the magnificent views. You can also choose to take a boat trip to Eqi Glacier.

Day trip to Eqi Glacier (optional excursion)

We set out in the morning from Ilulissat. The Eqi Glacier flows into the fjord 80 kilometers north of Ilulissat. By boat, getting relatively close to the glacier’s edge and watching it calve large chunks of ice from a safe distance is possible. Our ice-safe ship lies in the water near the glacier for about two hours, waiting for the ice to calve. A good lunch is also served here.

The length of the trip to and from Eqi Glacier can vary between two and five hours each way, depending on the type of boat used that day. At 2:00 PM, the ship arrives at Port Victor, the ‘port’ of Glacier Lodge Eqi, where some passengers disembark and others board. Then it’s time to go back to Ilulissat.

Today, we sail south of the Icefjord to Ilimanaq, where you will stay two nights in the fantastic cabins at Ilimanaq Lodge.

Ilimanaq Lodge

We depart in the morning and sail past the mouth of the Icefjord before docking at the harbor in Ilimanaq about 45 minutes later.

The cabins at Ilimanaq Lodge are amazing: They have two floors with sleeping spaces upstairs. When you wake up in the morning, you can step down to the living room, sit on the sofa and watch the small fishing boats chug by on the crystal clear water. You may enjoy a cup of coffee on the terrace and wave to a passing whale, blowing you a “good morning water” with water from its blowhole. Ilimanaq Lodge combines magnificent nature experiences with luxurious comfort.

Once you’ve checked into your cabin, you’ll learn more about the village and go on a short tour.

Ilimanaq is located 15 kilometers south of Ilulissat and has about 50 inhabitants. Ilimanaq offers the entire color palette, from the brightly colored village houses to the landscape’s seasonal changing shades. Ilimanaq is a traditional Greenlandic settlement where the main industries are still hunting and fishing.

Afterward, you can relax, enjoy life in a quiet village, and perhaps laze on the terrace.

In the evening, dinner is served in a restored colonial building.

This morning, there are more treats at the delicious breakfast.

Today, you have the day on your own in Ilimanaq and can enjoy a nice lunch and dinner (drinks excluded). You can spend more time in the village, or alternatively, you can go hiking in the area.

You can also book the excursion describes below. It starts early in the morning – just after breakfast.

Ilimanaq Glacier Adventure (optional excursion)

On this exciting tour, you’ll go speedboating, off-road with ATVs, and trekking on a glacier! Then you sail from Ilimanaq south to Itilliup Ilua. Here, you get off the boat on a very wide sandy beach, and now we drive off-road in ATVs to Tasiusaq Fjord. We board another boat and sail deeper into the fjord between the icebergs until we see two glaciers and the ice sheet.

We go ashore and enjoy a packed lunch and the view. Then we hike a bit and finally climb onto the huge ice sheet.

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

Today you have the opportunity for more water adventures.

Whale watching (included in excursion package)

Most people are surprised by what a great experience it is to get close to animals as large as whales. Once you’ve experienced it, it’s a thrill of a lifetime and an experience you’ll never forget. In Greenlandic waters, you can encounter around 15 species of whales.

During the summer months, you’ll usually see humpback, minke, and fin whales. The whales swim around the entire Disko Bay in the summer, sometimes close to the towns, sometimes in the Icefjord or up north at Arveprinsens Ejland.

We use the fast Targa boat type to cover a lot of ground. In addition, the skippers are in contact with the fishermen, so they know where to find the whales.

Today you can also try your hand at kayaking in the homeland of the kayak.

Kayak Experience in Ilulissat (optional excursion)

The Inuit have been kayaking in Greenlandic waters for over a thousand years, and you can try it, too. The kayak glides silently through the water, and you’ll experience paddling among ice floes and icebergs.

The sun gives the ice a unique play of colors, and the ice can range from chalky white to golden hues. In cloudy weather, the beautiful blue colors of the icebergs will stand out. With a bit of luck, you may also encounter whales. The tours take place in stable double kayaks, and you are accompanied by a support boat. The excursion lasts 3½-4 hours, and you’ll be on the water for at least two hours.

With a view of the Icefjord and your last view of the icebergs, you journey back home again after many eventful and intense days. Air Greenland brings you from Ilulissat via Nuuk to Copenhagen, where you arrive in the evening.

We guarantee you will return home with your mental luggage filled with memories that will linger with you longer than other vacation memories. At least, that’s what our visitors tell us.