Easter Among The Icebergs 8 Days
Tour overview:
White like the snow covering the Greenlandic landscape, and white like the icebergs in Disko Bay with its beautiful shades of blue and turquoise. Easter in Greenland is white and beautiful. We promise that the unique beauty of Greenlandic nature will elevate your spirits. People tend to be overwhelmed by its beauty. You’ll start in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. Nuuk is a modern Arctic capital with lots of culture, history, sailing, and nature. There are many experiences to be had both in the city center and the beautiful fjords in Nuuk’s hinterland. You get to try a little bit of everything!
Day 1 - Arrival in Nuuk
We fly with Air Greenland from Copenhagen to Nuuk. Ahead awaits a 4,5-hour flight and an 8-day winter adventure.
If you have purchased the excursion package, you can look forward to a city tour. Sightseeing in Nuuk (included in excursion package).
After you check in and unpack in your room at Hotel Hans Egede Express, the guide will hold an information meeting. At the meeting, you’ll get information about experiences in Nuuk, dining, and excursion options, and can confirm the excursions you’ve already booked from home. It is also possible to book excursions at the meeting.
After the meeting, it’s time to get to know Nuuk at your own pace and get ideas for what to do today and tomorrow.
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. Since it’s winter, the ski lift is a favorite spot for the city’s citizens.
Day 2 - Nuuk
Today is at your own pace, and the beautifully situated capital city offers many exciting experiences. If you’ve purchased the excursion package, it’s time for a boat trip on Nuuk Fjord.
Fjord adventure (included in excursion package)
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 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.
Day 3 - Depart Nuuk / Arrive Ilulissat
Your trip will continue by plane to Ilulissat. It’s a nice flight along the coast, where you can enjoy the view of the beautiful island that is Greenland, its desolate wilderness, and its greatness. On your approach to Ilulissat, the town seems to appear out of nowhere. The coloured houses are fighting with the snowy mountains for your attention and, when the plane has landed, you can look forward to the next six days, where you will immerse yourself in a world of snow, ice, winter, and dog sleds – combined with cultural highlights from a very traditional Greenlandic town.
Cultural history tour (included in excursion package)
Ilulissat (formerly Jakobshavn) was founded in 1741 and, today, it is Greenland’s third-largest town with a little over 4,500 inhabitants. If you have purchased the excursion package, the first excursion is a guided tour. On the town walk, the guide will tell you about the history of the town, about Greenlandic culture, and a modern life lived 300 kilometers north of the Polar Circle. We visit the fishermen at the harbor, the little outdoor shop where freshly caught fish and game is sold, we pass by Knud Rasmussen’s birthplace, and the old wooden Church of Zion. You cannot help seeing and in particular hearing some of the many sled dogs around here. Most dogs are tied up outside the town unless they are out with the hunters pulling their sleds in the nearby terrain. At night, you will have a lovely welcome dinner in the hotel’s amazing restaurant (drinks not included).
Day 4 - Ilulissat
Day leisure . The day is at your disposal, and the possibilities are many. For example, visit the sewing workshop, where they make souvenirs from sealskin or go shopping in the crafts shops for gifts made from tusks, bones, and antlers.
Hike to the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut (included in excursion package)
Sailing to the Ice Fjord (included in excursion package)
Day 5 - Ilulissat..
Day leisure. The Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. Primarily because of the ice but also because of the beauty of the area, the many cultural attractions, and the interaction between traditional Inuit life and modern city life.
Meet the Sled Dogs (included in excursion package)
Snowmobile tour with 1 or 2 people on the snowmobile (additional excursion)
Helicopter Excursion (additional excursion)
We fly over the glacier front and follow the Ice Fjord for 70 kilometers on the way back. The largest icebergs strand on the moraine edge just before town, giving a stunning finish to our journey.
Easter Dinner
We celebrate Easter with a 5-course menu in the hotel’s restaurant (excluding drinks). It will be a wonderful evening.
Day 6 - Ilulissat...
You have the day at your free disposal. You can relax at the hotel, enjoy a book and the splendid view or hike in the area.
Dog sled ride (additional excursion)
The dog sled is one of the most famous Greenlandic icons and a thousand-year-old tradition for the Inuit. Not many vehicles have survived such a long period without changes in appearance and technology: a pack of happy dogs in harnesses tied to a simply constructed wooden sled. The experience can not be explained – it must be tried.
Day 7 - Ilulissat - Hike Ice Fjord
Today is the time to explore the Ice Fjord by yourself on foot. Bring your backpack with some food and warm water in a thermos and spend the whole day at your own pace marvelling at the fantastic Ice Fjord, where large icebergs drift towards Disko Bay.
If you want to experience more, take a boat trip to Oqaatsut.
Boat trip to Oqaatsut (part of the excursion package)
Oqaatsut is a small village, beautifully situated approx. fifteen kilometers north of Ilulissat. The settlement was originally called Rodebay, as it was home to Dutch whalers for centuries. Even today, a whale is occasionally pulled ashore in the old settlement
Day 8 - Depart Ilulissat – Nuuk - Copenhagen
Heading towards Nuuk, enjoy the last sight of Ilulissat Ice fjord from your plane. After arrival in Nuuk, you will board the transatlantic flight from Air Greenland, going to Copenhagen with arrival in the evening.