Winter atmosphere in Ilulissat

DAY 1 | PARIS / COPENHAGEN

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

DAY 2 | COPENHAGEN / KANGERLUSSUAQ / ILULISSAT

Transfer independently to the airport.

Departure from Copenhagen in the morning, and after about 4 hours and 30 minutes of flight, you’ll set foot on the largest island in the world. After a brief stop in Kangerlussuaq, we continue on a small plane to Ilulissat. It’s a beautiful 45-minute flight, allowing you to admire the stunning icy landscape, wild nature, and the vastness of the Arctic. As we approach Ilulissat, the town will seem to be situated in the middle of nowhere. The colorful houses sharply contrast with the snowy mountains, and you can expect the coming days to be filled with ice, winter, and dog sledding – combined with cultural elements of a modern yet very authentic Greenlandic town. The hotel shuttle from Arctic Hotel will pick you up at the airport, and you’ll check into the wonderfully located four-star hotel. Here, you’ll meet one of our guides, who will brief you on the city, the region, restaurants, and excursion options. You can book excursions during the information meeting or have your pre-booked excursions confirmed.

City Guided Tour (Included in the excursion package)

The first excursion of the excursion package (if purchased) is a guided city tour. You’ll learn more about the city’s history and discover its many interesting aspects, including the numerous sled dogs living there. Most of the dogs stay outside the city in a large kennel when not out on the trail. Ilulissat translates to icebergs, which is quite self-explanatory once you’ve seen the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Icefjord and the numerous icebergs floating majestically in the fjord, illuminated by an almost magical light caused by the sun’s reflections. In the evening, you’ll have a delicious welcome dinner at the hotel’s incredible restaurant (drinks not included).

DAY 3 | FREE OR OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS: ICEBERG CRUISE OR NORTHERN LIGHTS SAFARI / HIKING TO SERMERMIUT

The Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. Primarily known for its ice, it also boasts stunning natural beauty, numerous cultural attractions, and the interaction between traditional and modern urban lifestyles.

Ilulissat and its surroundings offer numerous excursion possibilities, and perhaps the initial preparatory meeting has inspired you to make the most of your day – or maybe you wish to simply admire the fantastic view of Disko Bay and let time stand still for a few hours?

Iceberg Cruise (included in the excursion package)

Almost every visitor to Ilulissat opts for this boat excursion among the icebergs at least once. Every day, more than 40 million tons of ice flow into the fjord. The icebergs are gigantic, sometimes measuring over 100 meters wide – and with a height of over 60 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 shouldn’t miss this exceptional experience during your visit to Ilulissat. Remember to bring warm clothing, or you can rent seal skin clothing.

Northern Lights Hike (included in the excursion package from January to March)

On clear winter nights, you can witness the most beautiful Northern Lights above Ilulissat. The Northern Lights are undoubtedly the most spectacular phenomenon in the night sky. We’ll move away from the city lights and head towards where the darkness is most intense. The guide will tell us all about the causes of the phenomenon. You’ll also get tips and tricks to capture the best photos of the colorful lights as they dance in the night sky. According to local legend, the Northern Lights come from the dead playing soccer with a walrus skull. However, the scientific explanation is less dramatic.

Hiking to the village of Sermermiut (included in the excursion package for April)

Stunning panoramas of icebergs serve as a backdrop to the ancient settlement of Sermermiut, 1.5 kilometers south of Ilulissat. For 4,000 years, different Inuit cultures have lived in the settlement. Listen to the story of indigenous peoples’ lives and traditions before Europeans arrived in Greenland. During this hike, we’ll pass by “Kællingekløften” where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Icefjord before heading back.

DAY 4 | FREE OR OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS: DOG SLEDDING OR NIGHT AT THE IGLOO LODGE

DAY 5 | EXPLORE THE CITY ON YOUR OWN

Make the most of your final day to discover the atmosphere and life of the city, step back in time, and feel a sense of history at the cozy museum established in the birthplace of Knud Rasmussen. The “Brættet” fishermen, the local market, give you an idea of Greenland’s interesting food products. They don’t come fresher than this. When you’ve satisfied your appetite for visual experiences, it’s time to treat your palate and fill your stomach. Ilulissat’s restaurants invite you on a journey through local specialties such as Greenlandic sushi, fried ammassats (small fish), whale, and seal – and in the cafes, freshly baked cakes will entice all food lovers. It’s indeed a journey that will engage all your senses. And watching the ice fjord will never be boring, by the way.

If you’ve purchased the outdoor excursion package, you’ll return home today after your one-night stay in the Igloo with the option of a one and a half hour dog sled ride. (See day 4).

DAY 6 | FLIGHT ILULISSAT / KANGERLUSSUAQ / COPENHAGEN

After an intense and extended stay, it’s time to bid farewell to Ilulissat. Greenland is likely to have made a strong impression on you, evoking a particular feeling and bringing forth a series of indelible mental images whenever you hear the word Greenland mentioned in the future. You’ll depart from Ilulissat via Kangerlussuaq and arrive in Copenhagen in the evening.

Transfer independently to your hotel. Arrival at the Imperial Hotel or similar. Overnight.

DAY 7 | COPENHAGEN / PARIS

Breakfast. Transfer independently to the airport. Departure to Paris on regular SAS flights.

End of our services

HOTEL ARCTIC ILULISSAT

The most famous hotel in Greenland is the Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat. It is situated with a fantastic view over the town of Ilulissat, the Ilulissat Icefjord, and Disko Bay. Hotel Arctic is the northernmost 4-star hotel in the world, and additionally, the hotel features a 5-star conference center. The hotel is located just outside the town, about a 15-minute walk from the city center (approximately 1.5 km from the central intersection of the town). The hotel boasts 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 offers airport transfers, but there are no transfers related to excursions or other activities.