Ilulissat Experience

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Copenhagen

Upon arrival in Copenhagen, make your way to the Comfort Hotel Copenhagen Airport or similar which is connected to the terminal. Copenhagen, Denmark's capital, ranked amongst the greenest and coolest cities in the world by the New York Times! Copenhagen Airport is well connected with the city centre and you can take a shuttle bus, metro or train. Shuttle buses and trains are operated every 10 minutes and metro operates every 4 – 6 minutes. The travel time by metro to the Nørreport Station in central Copenhagen is around 15 minutes. The rest of the day to you have time to explore the city. Copenhagen is a modern capital but with strong roots in the past. It is welcoming, dynamic, lively and charming, but it is also an ideal base to explore Denmark. Sights of interests are The Royal Palace Amalienborg, The Little Mermaid statue and The Tivoli Garden.

Day 2: Copenhagen - Ilulissat

Departure from Copenhagen is in the morning, and after approximately 4½ hours’ flight, you will set foot on the world’s largest island. Following a brief stop in Kangerlussuaq, we continue toward Ilulissat on a smaller plane. It is a beautiful 45-minute flight, which allows you to take in the magnificent Arctic landscape, the barren wilderness, and the magnitude of the Inland Ice Cape. During our approach to Ilulissat, the city will appear as a colorful dot in the middle of nowhere. The colored houses stand in stark contrast to the rugged mountains, and you can look forward to the next days filled with icebergs, nature clad in autumn colors, and cultural impressions from a highly traditional Greenland town.

The bus of Hotel Arctic will pick you up at the airport, and you check in at the wonderfully situated four-star hotel. Here you will meet one of our guides who will brief you about the city, the area, dining, and excursion possibilities. You can book excursions at the meeting, or have your pre-booked excursions confirmed.

OPTIONAL (ALL DEPARTURES): Guided town walk 
The first excursion in the excursion package is a guided tour of the town. You will learn about the history of the Ilulissat and experience its many interesting aspects. One of them is the many sled dogs that live here. Most of the dogs stay outside of the town at a large dog site if they are not roaming the terrain.

This evening, you will have a lovely welcome dinner in the hotel’s amazing restaurant (drinks not included).

Day 3:  Ilulissat & Optional Tours

If you have purchased the excursion package, you can look forward to today’s adventures:

OPTIONAL (JAN - APR): Sailing among icebergs
Almost every visitor in Ilulissat chooses to go on this boat trip among the icebergs at least once. Every day, more than 40 million ton of ice flow out into the fjord. The icebergs are gigantic, sometimes measuring more than 100 meters wide – and with a height of more than 60 meters above the water surface as well. These giants gather at the end of the fjord, providing you with a great opportunity to sail among them. You should not miss out on this exceptional experience when visiting Ilulissat.

Remember to bring warm clothes, or you can rent sealskin clothing.

OPTIONAL (JAN - MAR): Polar Night Explorer - Driving in the Polar Night with a Snowcat
This is an evening tour where you experience the beautiful polar night, which is always an exciting part of a winter tour to Greenland. We leave town in World of Greenland’s snowcat. It has a heated cabin, so it is a comfortable way to get out into nature and experience the harsh but beautiful polar night.

We drive up through a gorge, leaving the town’s light pollution behind as we enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will hear legends and myths about Greenlandic supernatural beings along the way.

 It takes about 40 minutes to reach our destination at the top of a mountain with a view of the polar sky.

It is time for a break, and we can keep warm with a lit burner. The Arctic darkness is a fascinating experience, and if we are lucky, the polar night will reveal itself with twinkling stars and dancing Northern Lights. If it’s cloudy, it’s still a fascinating trip with the magic of myths and the stay in the polar darkness. The tour takes about 2½ hours.

OPTIONAL (AUG - DEC): Sermermiut, the former settlement at the Ice Fjord
Beautiful iceberg vistas are the setting for the old settlement of the Sermermiut 1½ kilometers south of Ilulissat. For 4,000 years, different Inuit cultures lived in the settlement. Hear the story about the Inuit people’s life and traditions before the Europeans came to Greenland, see the ruins and touch the permafrost with your own hands.

On this hike, we will pass “Kællingekløften” where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Ice Fjord, before heading back again. During the hike, there will be time to talk about flora, fauna, geology, and not least, the story behind the omnipresent ice.

Day 4: Ilulissat & Optional Tours

The Disco Bay is one of Greenland's most popular tourist destinations. Primarily because of the ice, but also due to the beauty of the place, the many cultural attractions and the interaction between the traditional way of life and modern city life. Racks of kayaks and satellite dishes side by side.

Ilulissat and the surrounding area offer excursion possibilities aplenty and perhaps the initial briefing has inspired you to make best use of your day – or perhaps you just want to take in the fantastic view across the Disco Bay and let time freeze. You can also try an overnight stay at Igloo Lodge.

OPTIONAL (JAN - APR): Dog Sled Ride
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.

This trip usually takes place in flat terrain on a plain near Ilulissat. In addition to the sled driver, you are two participants on each of the sleds, so if you have booked the excursion on your own, you may share a sled with another person. However, all dogs are different, so if you are out with family and friends, we can not guarantee that you will be riding together on the entire trip as some dogs are fast, and others are not. This trip is recommended for those with neck or back problems or if you are immobile. Participants must be 12 years and older.

OPTIONAL (JAN - APR): Overnight in an Igloo Lodge & Snowshoe Hike
On days 4-5, you can experience a real igloo where you will spend the night and, from here, go on some unique excursions.

Our partner in Ilulissat, has been very successful with their summer lodges at the Eqi Glacier and in the settlement of Ilimanaq. Now, they also offer winter lodges in the shape of igloos. You will be taken on a snowmobile into the wonderful winter landscape where we hope to see the northern lights dance in the sky in the evening.

Here, at the foot of the mountains, you will spend the night in an igloo (with the possibility of staying in a heated cabin). Igloo Lodge consists of five spacious igloos, each of which accommodates two people. Reindeer pelts and warm winter sleeping bags are covering the beds. There are also candles on the bedside table, which means that the temperature is around the freezing point inside the igloo. It is comparatively warm compared to the minus 20 degrees Celcius/ minus 4 Fahrenheit outside. The wooden cabin by the lodge is where we will eat our meals. In the wooden cabin, there is also an outhouse type restroom.

While staying at the Igloo Lodge, you are going on two excursions. The first excursion is a snowshoe trip where we head to a vantage point, overlooking the Kangia Icefjord. The second is a snowmobile ride to the huts overlooking the winter fishing spots at Aattartoq in the Ilulissat hinterland.

The trip to Igloo Lodge itself is an adventure! You are driven in a snowcat for about an hour into the Ilulissat hinterland with amazing views along the way. You will be met at the cabin with coffee and lunch. Afterward, you will go on the excursions mentioned above, have an afternoon coffee with cake, dinner, and evening coffee followed by a look outside to see if the northern lights are out. Then you will stay overnight in an igloo, and, in the morning, breakfast is served and, finally, there’s the snowmobile trip back to civilization.

Please notice: If you are interested in our outdoor package, please contact us by phone or email, so we can check if there is space at the time you want 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 other days than those mentioned in the day-to-day program.

OPTIONAL (AUG - DEC): Sailing Among Icebergs
Almost every visitor in Ilulissat chooses to try a boat trip among the icebergs at least once. More than 40 million ton of ice flows out into the fjord every day. The result is gigantic icebergs, which can be more than 100 meters on each side and with a height of up to 100 meters above the water surface. These giants strand at the end of the fjord, and that gives you a good opportunity to sail among them. An exceptional experience, you do not want to be without while visiting Ilulissat. Remember to bring warm clothes, or you can rent a suit of sealskin.

OPTIONAL (18 SEP - DEC): Northern Lights Safari
When the sky is clear on cold nights, you can see the most beautiful northern lights over Ilulissat. Aurora Borealis is, without a doubt, the night sky’s most spectacular phenomenon. We are going to drive away from the lights of the town and go to where the darkness is most intense. The guide will tell us all about the causes of the phenomenon. You will also get tips and tricks to enable you to take the best pictures of the colored lights as they cross the night sky.

Day 5: Ilulissat & Optional Tours

Use the final day to experience the atmosphere and life in the town, go back in time and feel a sense of history at the cozy museum established in Knud Rasmussen’s birthplace. The fishermen at ‘Brættet,’ the local marketplace, provide you with an impression of the interesting food products of Greenland. They do not come any fresher than this.

When you have satisfied your appetite for visual experiences, it is time to treat your palate and fill your stomach. The restaurants in Ilulissat invite you on a journey through local specialties such as Greenlandic sushi, deep-fried ammassats (small fish), whale and seal – and in the cafés, freshly-baked cakes will tempt everyone with a sweet tooth. This is indeed a journey that will put all your senses to work.

And gazing at the Ice Fjord will never get tiresome, by the way.

If you purchased the outdoor excursion package, you will today return home from your Iglo overnight stay with the option of a 1½-hour dog sled ride. (see Day 4)

OPTIONAL (AUG - SEP): Day Tour to Eqi Glacier – the calving glacier
Only a few places in Greenland are as beautiful as the Eqi Glacier, which spills into the fjord 80 kilometers north of Ilulissat. It is possible to get close to the glacier by boat and experience huge pieces of ice breaking off. The sounds are loud, and the sight of the ice crashing into the water is breathtaking. We sail in modern and convenient boats at the excursion to the Eqi Glacier. The route goes north along the coast passing Bredebugt, the settlement of Oqaatsut and the big fjord system called Pakitsoq, where whales and seals often are seen. Further on, we pass through the Ataa Strait, which is surrounded by steep mountains with bird life and waterfalls. Our ice secured boats lie approximately two hours in front of the glacier and wait for the ice to calve, while a delicious lunch is served. This is an full-day excursion, where you will have a good opportunity to be immersed in the experience and the boat trip in the ice-filled water.

Please note:
The length of the boat trip to and from the glacier can last between 2 – 5 hours each way. It depends on the boat used on the given day.

Day 6: Ilulissat – Copenhagen

After an intense extended weekend, it is time to say your goodbyes to Ilulissat and Greenland, who are likely to have made quite an impressions on you that will spark a special feeling and flash a series of indelible mental images whenever you hear the word Greenland mentioned in the future.

Departure from Ilulissat via Kangerlussuaq, arriving in Copenhagen by evening. Overnight in a Comfort Hotel Copenhagen Airport or similar.

Day 7: Departure from Copenhagen 

Breakfast at the hotel and enjoy your last day in Denmark before your return flights back to the UK in the afternoon.

JAN - MAR: Optional 4 Excursion Package: £ 555 per person 

• City walk in Ilulissat (2 hours)
• Sailing at Ilulissat Ice Fjord (2½ hours)
• Polar Night Explorer (2 ½ hours)
• Dogsledding in Ilulissat incl. rent of clothes and boots, 2 people per sled (1½ hours)

JAN - MAR: Optional 5 excursion package: £ 1,075 per person 

• Town walk in Ilulissat (2 hours)
• Sailing at Ilulissat Ice Fjord (2 ½ hours)
• Dog sled trip in Ilulissat, rental of warm clothes and boots, 2 persons per sled (1 ½ hour)
• 1 night in an igloo with full board
• Trip on snowshoes with a view over the Ice Fjord
• Polar Night Explorer (2 ½ hours)

APR: Optional 3 excursion package: £ 445 per person 

• City walk in Ilulissat (2 hours)
• Sailing at Ilulissat Ice Fjord (2½ hours)
• Dogsledding in Ilulissat incl. rent of clothes and boots, 2 people per sled (1½ hours)

APR: Optional 4 excursion package: £ 965 per person 

• Town walk in Ilulissat (2 hours)
• Sailing at Ilulissat Ice Fjord (2 ½ hours)
• Dog sled trip in Ilulissat, rental of warm clothes and boots, 2 persons per sled (1 ½ hour)
• 1 night in an igloo with full board
• Trip on snowshoes with a view over the Ice Fjord

AUG - DEC: Optional 3 excursion package: £ 200 per person 

• City walk in Ilulissat (2 hours)
• Sailing at Ilulissat Ice Fjord (2½ hours)
• Hike to Sermermiut by Ilulissat Ice Fjord (2 hours)

AUG - SEP: Optional 1 excursion: £ 390 per person 

• Day cruise to Eqi Glacier

18 SEP - DEC: Optional 1 excursion: £ 50 per person 

• Northern Light Safari

This map uses Google Maps, so you can zoom and interact with it as we hope it is familiar to you.

For a larger version of this map which opens in a new window, click here

The lines shown give you an indication of our destinations and are not the exact route used.

You'll see...

• Christiania »
• Christianshavn »
• Christianshavns Canal »
• Copenhagen »
• Copenhagen Opera House »
• Dogsledding in Greenland »
• Dyrehaven/Bakken »
• Ilulissat Icefjord UNESCO World Heritage Site 2004 »
• Northern Lights »
• Sledding - Tobogganing »
• The Big Arctic Five »
• The Little Mermaid »

Will I see the Northern Lights?

Please scroll down to see the specifics for the country you wish to visit:

Iceland:
The Northern Lights are in the Northern sky from September through April but are only visible when the sky is clear and free of clouds. Like many of natures wonders, it’s ephemeral – they may be visible, they may appear for a bit and then be gone. But it’s worth it to be patient. Because they’re a winter event, you need to be prepared to wait outside, while looking for them. It’s best to dress very warmly, in layers, with good footwear, gloves, hats and whatever else will make you comfortable while you await this truly amazing event. The Northern Lights can be pretty spectacular, and for the best photos we recommend using a tripod. Much of Iceland offers a very a good chance to see the Northern Lights when conditions are right. Remember – the Northern Lights are natural phenomena, not guaranteed, but appreciated all the more for their elusive qualities.

Norway:
Northern Norway is one of the world's best places to experience the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). In Northern Norway, Northern Lights occur in up to 90% of every clear night in the period from late September to late March. Most Northern Lights occur in the time span from 6pm to slightly after midnight, with an absolute peak at around 10-11pm. 

In Norway, the area north of the Arctic Circle is prime aurora territory. The various destinations in the High North have a distinct personality, and are well worth exploring. Major places in Northern Norway are Tromsø, Kirkenes, Alta, Bodø, Lofoten and Vesterålen Islands and Svalbard.

Finland:
The best place to see the Northern Lights in Finland is in the Northern Lapland region, which is almost entirely located within the realm of the Arctic Circle. During the dark winter months here, when the sun rarely peaks its head over the horizon, you can expect to see the Finland Northern Lights with regularity, and other peak seasons include February through March and September through October. The most common colours of the Northern Lights are greenish-yellow and red.

The Finnish term for the Northern Lights, Revontulet, meaning fox fire, comes from an old tale where the fox was believed to swish its bushy tail on the snowy fell landscapes, throwing sparks into the air.

As mentioned, Lapland is the best place to see the Finland Aurora Borealis, with the Kilpisjarvi area offering the most abundant opportunities. The best time of the day to see the Finland Northern Lights is between 9 pm and 11:30 pm, though they are certainly not restricted to this time frame.

Sweden:
In Northern Sweden, the Northern Lights usually occur during the winter months through late March or early April, but they can be spotted as early as September in the Northernmost parts. Your best chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights is on cold winter nights when the sky is clear and cloudless. You need to be away from city lights, which dilute the effects of these natural phenomena, so head out into the countryside. On clear nights, the Northern Lights can be visible from most locations in Swedish Lapland, occurring between 6 pm to and 2 am, with the strongest shows happening between 10 pm and 11 pm. For those willing to brave the cold on winter nights, here are some of the best locations in Swedish Lapland for viewing these phenomena:

Abisko National Park
Abisko National Park, a couple of kilometers north of Kiruna, is a prime location for viewing the Northen Lights. The scientifically proven “blue hole” — a patch of sky over the Torneträsk lake that usually remains clear despite overcast weather in surrounding areas — gives Abisko its own micro-climate, which is suitable for catching the lights.

Jukkasjärvi and the Torne Valley
Not only does the village of Jukkasjärvi (population roughly 541) boast the world’s first ice hotel (rebuilt ever year from Torne River ice), it’s also one of the best regions to view the Northern Lights. ICEHOTEL organizes guided tours for guests which takes the to the Esrange Space Center located 30 minutes from Kiruna. You can dine at a wilderness camp and get the chance to scan the Arctic winter sky for aurora borealis.

Other regions in Swedish Lapland
As mentioned earlier, if weather conditions are just right (clear, dark, cold, and cloudless), you might catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights from any location within subarctic and arctic Sweden — even close to larger towns such as Luleå, Jokkmokk, Arvidsjaur, and Gällivare.

Greenland:
The northern lights - or Aurora Borealis as it is officially known - actually occur all year round, but cannot be seen during the summer months in Greenland due to the midnight sun. The phenomenon is often seen around midnight and is best experienced on a dark, clear night in the period from September to the beginning of April. If you are travelling during this period, you can see the Northern Lights from anywhere in the country, whilst in South Greenland the northern lights can be seen from as early as the end of August.