Ice and Snow in Greenland

DAY 1 | PARIS / COPENHAGEN

Departure for Copenhagen on regular SAS flights. Transfer to your hotel at your own leisure. Overnight at the Imperial Hotel or similar in Copenhagen.

DAY 2 | COPENHAGEN / KANGERLUSSUAQ

Free transfer to the airport. Departure for Greenland.

A 4.5-hour flight and an 8-day winter adventure await you. Your guide from the local excursion office welcomes you upon arrival and assists you with check-in at the Polar Lodge. The Polar Lodge is located just a short walk from the airport and offers relaxed accommodation with a kitchen, common area, and souvenir shop. From the lodge, there’s a direct view of the airport and perhaps a little hare hiding in the gray-brown rocks. The crunch of the snow echoes in the silence and automatically makes you forget about the everyday.

During the subsequent briefing, the guide will provide practical tips about the area and optional excursions. It’s now time to explore Kangerlussuaq at your own pace and get an idea of what tomorrow has in store for you. If you’ve purchased the excursion package, it’s time for a guided tour to the Greenland Ice Cap Point 660:

Greenland Ice Cap Point 660 (optional)

Powerful four-wheel-drive vehicles will take us through incredibly beautiful landscapes, across mountains, plains, and semi-desert valleys. Near the ice cap, we’ll traverse the fantastic moraine landscape.

At the end of the road, we’ll walk to the ice cap and onto the vast ice sheet. We’ll spend time exploring this icy world before returning to our vehicles. There’s a good chance of spotting reindeer, musk oxen, and, depending on the season, many species of birds and flowers.

DAY 3 | FREE DAY IN KANGERLUSSUAQ OR OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Today is yours to enjoy, and the stunning hinterland beckons with various excursions. If you’ve purchased the excursion package, you’ll embark on a dog sledding excursion and a Northern Lights excursion if you’re traveling before April, or a tundra excursion if you’re traveling in April.

2-hour Dog Sledding Excursion (optional)

Dog sledding is one of Greenland’s most enduring icons—a tradition of the Inuit people dating back thousands of years! You won’t find many other modes of transportation that have survived for so long without any significant changes. The basic principle remains the same as in Viking times; a few dogs harnessed to a simple wooden sled. The experience can’t be fully explained – you have to try it. The sled driver and their team of dogs will take you across the thick ice of the fjord, providing you with an authentic Greenlandic experience. Don’t miss out on this fantastic ride!

The next component of the excursion package is the Northern Lights if you’re traveling in February or March:

Northern Lights Chase (optional – only available in January, February, and March)

On evenings with clear skies, the beautiful Northern Lights (also known as Aurora Borealis) are likely to make an appearance. During this excursion, we venture into the landscape where artificial light doesn’t hinder our view of the spectacular Northern Lights. Following that, the guide will enlighten us about the phenomenon of the Northern Lights and the myths that have evolved over time. Moreover, our guide will demonstrate how to “create” Northern Lights while preparing incredibly tasty Greenlandic coffee for our enjoyment.

Exploration of the Tundra and Wildlife (optional – only available in April)

Kangerlussuaq is surrounded by incredibly beautiful nature and is home to the massive musk ox. We’ll traverse the stunning tundra landscape in our 4×4 truck, while the guide enlightens us about the wildlife found in this region. Perhaps we’ll be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of musk oxen and learn more about these amazing creatures. The musk ox roams wild in the Kangerlussuaq region. Whether we can get close to the animals or simply observe them from afar is unpredictable. However, the guide always brings binoculars, so there’s a very good chance of spotting these astonishing animals and other wildlife in the area. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to explore the breathtaking nature and wildlife around Kangerlussuaq.

DAY 4 | KANGERLUSSUAQ / ILULISSAT

We are now heading towards Ilulissat. It’s a beautiful 45-minute flight that gives you a perfect chance to truly enjoy the stunning icy landscape, the barren expanse, and the grandeur.

As we approach Ilulissat, the town seemingly emerges out of nowhere. The colorful houses vie for attention amidst the snow-capped peaks, and you can expect the upcoming days to be filled with ice, winter, and dog sledding – combined with the cultural highlights of a very traditional Greenlandic town.

We check into the Arctic Hotel, beautifully situated, and during the next information meeting, we learn more about the city and the numerous available excursions.

The first excursion of the Excursion Package is a guided city tour:

City Guided Tour (optional)

Ilulissat was founded in 1741 and today it is the third-largest city in Greenland with over 4,500 inhabitants. The guide will tell you the history of the city and introduce you to its many exciting facets. Seeing, and especially hearing, some of the thousands of sled dogs is a must. Most of them live on the outskirts of the city in large dog areas – unchained puppies play under their mother’s watchful eye, while the rest of the pack eagerly awaits to take you sledding. We will visit the fishermen at the harbor and the hunters at their trading post “Brættet”. We’ll show you the church and the birthplace of the famous polar explorer Knud Rasmussen.

DAY 5 | ILULISSAT AT YOUR LEISURE AND OPTIONAL ACTIVITY

Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. Primarily because of the ice, but also because of its beauty, its numerous cultural attractions, and the interaction between traditional and modern urban life. Racks with kayaks vie for space with satellite dishes. If you have purchased the excursion package, you can expect an incredible boat tour:

Sailing Among the Icebergs (optional)

Almost all visitors to Ilulissat choose to take this boat excursion among the icebergs at least once. Every day, over 40 million tonnes of ice flow into the fjord. The floating icebergs are gigantic, sometimes measuring over 100 meters wide and long – and with a height of over 100 meters above the water’s surface as well. These giants gather at the end of the fjord, providing you with an excellent opportunity to sail among them. You should not miss this exceptional experience during your visit to Ilulissat.

DAY 6 | ILULISSAT AT YOUR LEISURE OR OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Hiking to the settlement of Sermermiut (optional)

Marvelous panoramas of the icebergs set the backdrop for the ancient settlement of Sermermiut, located 1.5 kilometers south of Ilulissat. For 4,000 years, various Inuit cultures inhabited the settlement. Listen to the stories of indigenous peoples’ lives and their traditions before the arrival of Europeans in Greenland. Witness the ruins and feel the permafrost with your own hands. During this hike, we will pass through “Kællingekløften” where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the glacier fjord before returning.

Igloo Lodge (optional)

Days 6 and 7 offer a unique opportunity to stay in a real igloo and embark on special excursions. Our partner has had great success with their summer lodges at the Eqi Glacier and in the settlement of Ilimanaq. Now, they also offer winter lodges in the form of igloos. You will be taken by snowmobile through the beautiful winter landscape, where we hope to witness the dancing northern lights in the evening sky. Here, at the foot of the mountains, you will spend the night in an igloo (with the option to stay in a heated cabin, if preferred). The Igloo Lodge consists of five spacious igloos, each accommodating two people. Reindeer skins and warm winter sleeping bags cover the beds. There are also candles on the bedside table, indicating that the temperature inside the igloo is around freezing point, a striking contrast to the estimated minus 20 degrees Celsius outside. The wooden cabin near the lodge is where we will have our meals. In the wooden cabin, there are also outdoor-style toilets.

During your stay at Igloo Lodge, you will go on a snowshoe hike to a viewpoint overlooking the glacier fjord. The journey to Igloo Lodge itself is also exciting. You will be taken by snowmobile for about an hour into the hinterland of Ilulissat, with stunning views along the way. You will be welcomed at the cabin with coffee and lunch. Then, you will participate in the aforementioned excursion, enjoy an afternoon coffee with cake, have dinner and an evening coffee, followed by a look outside to see if the northern lights are on display. Then, you can retreat to your igloo, and in the morning, breakfast will be served before returning by snowmobile to civilization.

Please note: If you are interested in our outdoor package, please contact us by phone or email so that we can check for availability when you wish to go. As mentioned, the other excursions are also included in the outdoor package. However, if you choose the outdoor package, some of these other excursions will be moved to different days than those mentioned in this day-to-day program.

DAY 7 | FREE DAY IN ILULISSAT

Spend the day exploring Ilulissat on your own. If you wish, you can visit one of the traditional art and craft workshops to look for souvenirs made from seal or teeth and bones. There are also many hiking opportunities. For example, you can walk along the airport road, where you pass by a typical Greenlandic cemetery. There are also hiking opportunities in the mountains, but it can be a bit challenging to walk here as the snow can be thick. You can also rent snowshoes.

DAY 8 | FREE DAY IN ILULISSAT

Spend the last day in Ilulissat experiencing the atmosphere and life of the town. Step back in time and discover the rich history of the museum, which was originally Knud Rasmussen’s birthplace. The fishermen and hunters at the local market give you an idea of the many exciting Greenlandic food products – there’s nothing fresher than this. Once your eyes have feasted on the fresh catch of the day, your stomach will probably growl! In Ilulissat’s restaurants, you can taste local specialties such as Greenlandic sushi, fried “ammassats” (small fish), whale, and seal, and the cafes offer freshly baked cakes. All your senses will be engaged on this journey! And you will never tire of gazing at the ice fjord.

DAY 9 | FLIGHT ILULISSAT / KANGERLUSSUAQ / COPENHAGEN

Offering a final view of the ice fjord and captivating icebergs, the flight will take you back to Kangerlussuaq and then to Copenhagen where you will arrive in the evening.

Free transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the Imperial Hotel or similar in Copenhagen.

DAY 10 | COPENHAGEN / PARIS

Breakfast. Free transfer to the airport. Departure for Paris on SAS regular flights.

End of our services

POLAR LODGE

The Polar Lodge is conveniently located at Kangerlussuaq Airport, making it easily accessible after retrieving your luggage at the airport. The lodge features a dining area and a cozy lounge where breakfast is served, as well as a modern kitchen where you can prepare your meals. It is situated not far from the airport hotel restaurant or cafeteria and the town’s only supermarket. The rooms are spacious and simply furnished with comfortable beds. Bedding and towels are provided, and the bathrooms and toilets are located in the hallway.

HOTEL ARCTIC ILULISSAT

The most famous hotel in Greenland is the Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat. It boasts a fantastic view of the town of Ilulissat, the Ilulissat Icefjord, and Disko Bay. Hotel Arctic is the northernmost 4-star hotel in the world, and additionally, it features a 5-star conference center. Located just outside the town, it’s about a 15-minute walk from the city center (approximately 1.5 km from the central intersection).

The hotel offers two excellent restaurants, and the large terrace outside the restaurant is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine while the midnight sun casts its golden glow on the icebergs of the Ilulissat Icefjord.

NOTE: The hotel provides airport transfers, but there are no transfers related to excursions or other activities.