5 Day Tour Glacier Adventure in Ilulissat – Greenland

 

Daily itinerary

Day 1: Reykjavik  – Ilulissat

Check-in at Reykjavik domestic airport for the flight to Ilulissat is at least 1 hr before departure. Flight duration of approx. 3 hrs.

Upon arrival at Ilulissat airport transfer to your hotel where you stay for 3 nights.

Guided city walk in the afternoon: with the culture-historical walk, you will get an enhanced understanding of the Greenlandic culture and history, which will give the other experiences in Greenland a new perspective. The guide will tell you about the history of the city, the Greenlandic culture and the modern life north of the Arctic Circle.

We will visit the fishermen at the harbor and the hunters at their trading post – Brædtet. We will show you the church and the house where the famous explorer Knud Rasmussen was born.

In the late evening join the Midnight boat tour amongst the floating icebergs – an exceptional experience you do not want to miss out while visiting Ilulissat. During the year, more than 46 km³ of ice flows into the fjord. The result is gigantic icebergs, which can be more than 100 meters on each side and with a height of more than 100 meters above the water surface. These giants strand at the end of the fjord, and that gives a good opportunity to sail among them.

The icebergs are beautiful in every kind of weather; in the sunshine, the contrasts are very clear, the blue shades are very beautiful when it is cloudy and the midnight sun casts a unique glow on the icebergs during the night. The boat trip during a bright night is an extraordinary experience.

Day 2: Trip to Camp Eqi

Very few places in Greenland are as beautiful as the Eqi glacier, which comes out in a fjord north of Ilulissat. It is possible to get very close to the edge of the glacier by boat and see big pieces of ice break off. The crashes are enormous, and the sight of the icebergs falling into the water is impressive.

During the boat trip, in a modern and convenient tourist boat with room both outdoors and indoors,the guide will inform the passengers about the landscape and nature that can be seen on the way. When getting close to the glacier, a delicious lunch is served. The boat will stay in front of the glacier for approximately 1½ hour, while we hope to spot some fantastic calvings.

Arrival at Port Victor which is the harbor at Ice Camp Eqi. Only the ones that are staying in Ice Camp Eqi go on land.

1-night accommodation in a 2 person hut and includes dinner, breakfast and bed linen

Optional hike from Camp Eqi to the Delta (4 hrs) is possible in the afternoon (not included)
(This hike will take you to the edge of the Delta with amazing views of the landscape. On the hike there and back you will also get spectacular views of the Eqi glacier. The hike begins at 16:00, is about 4 km long in mountain terrain and takes approx. 3 hours. There will be served coffee and tea. Remember suitable clothing.)

Day 3:Eqi and Ilulissat

In the morning we start with a 4-hour Glacier view hike (included):
The hike begins every day at 08:30 and takes about 3-4 hours. You walk past the lagoon and onto the moraine, from where you can look at the fantastic glacier. Coffee and tea will be served on the hike. It is about 8 kilometers walk in mountain terrain.

We return to the the Glacier lodge and prepare for departure from Port Victor at 15:00.

The route back to Ilulissat goes the same way as the day before. Coffee/tea and cake is served in the late afternoon. Seals and whales are often spotted on the way.

Drop off at a hotel in Ilulissat – where you stay the next 2 nights.

Day 4: UNESCO hike to the old settlement of Sermermiut

The beautiful icebergs of Ilulissat create the wing for the abandoned settlement Sermermiut, which is situated one and a half kilometer south of the city. Different Inuit cultures have lived here during the last 4000 years, and today you can still find artifacts, which bear witness to 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 feel the permafrost with your own hands.

You can walk these treks yourself. But most people find it safe and informative having a guide with them when hiking the Greenlandic mountains.

Furthermore, the historical places will be pointed out, which can be challenging to find and it is always nice to share the experience with somebody.

On the short trek, we turn back by the view at the Kællingekløften.

Day 5: Return to Iceland

Free morning in Ilulissat or possibility for a short hike in the area before it is time for transfer to the airport. Departure to Reykjavik.