5 Day Tour Glacier Adventure in Ilulissat – Greenland

Daily itinerary

Day 1:
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 on 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 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 at 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 by boat to go very close to the edge of the glacier and see big pieces of ice break off. The crashes are enormous, and the sight of the icebergs falling into the water is impressive.

In a modern and convenient tourist boat with room both outdoors and indoors. During the boat trip, 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
* 4-5 hour hike to the lagoon, the moraine and the glacier.
From the huts, we hike around the small lagoon at the southern end of the glacier. There are often large flocks of geese in the lagoon in the breeding season. The trip goes further up the moraine where we can look down into the enormous cracks in the glacier a few meters away from us. From here we will also get an overview of a large part of the glacier front, and we will see the impressive calvings from the glacier.

There are other smaller hikes available in the area.

Day 3: Back to Ilulissat
Departure from Port Victor.
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 – 2 nights

Day 4: Short 2 hr 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 kilometre south of the city. The different Inuit cultures have lived here during the last 4000 years, and today you can still find artifacts, 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 feel the permafrost with your own hands.

You can walk these treks yourself. But most people find it safe 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:
Free morning in Ilulissat or possibility for an optional tour or a short hike in the area before it is time for transfer to the airport. Departure to Reykjavik.

Bring good hiking shoes and warm clothes.

The Ilulissat Icefjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the most productive glacier in the Northern Hemisphere.

Ilulissat has about 3500 sledge dogs, which underlines the importance of the dogsled as means of transportation even in a large modern town.

Note: Departure to/from Ilulissat/Reykjavík domestic airport. As all local tours depend upon weather and ice conditions, they can only be booked after arrival. Flight schedules may change due to unfavorable weather or ice conditions.