Itinerary Details

Terms and conditions and cancellation policies are detailed on a separate page. Please read through the terms carefully and email or schedule a call with me if you have any questions. When we are confirming your spot on the trip, you will be required to e-sign the terms and conditions and a copy of the document will be provided to you.

Pricing

This is a deluxe itinerary that includes visiting places that most travelers to Greenland will not experience but unfortunately, it doesn’t come cheap.

The cost of this itinerary in summer starts at 48,000 DKK for double occupancy per person and 55,000 DKK single occupancy. It is about 5,000 DKK less in the winter per person.

If you are willing to stay in apartment style accommodation with a roommate and opt out of some of the meals in Ilulissat, we can get the price down to 42,700 DKK.

Send a request if interested by filling out the form below. IBC Adventures is an end-to-end experience so all you’ll need to do is pack the gear list, buy your international flights, and travel insurance. We will take care of the rest and we look forward to seeing you in Greenland.

Day 1: Flights from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq

We will meet together as a group for the first time after breakfast for introductions and a trip briefing at the airport in Copenhagen. After, we will take the nonstop flight (approximately 5 hours) to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland as our first destination for one night. Shortly after we have a brief lunch and drop our baggage off at the hotel, we will embark on a fascinating tour that will take us to several glaciers (shown above) as well as the inland ice sheet. It is a must and different each time.

Immediately after the conclusion of the tour, we will have a special dinner at the award-winning restaurant on the outskirts of the town. If we are in luck, we will be able to have the Greenlandic Buffet.

Finally, if the conditions are clear, we will be able to go search for the northern lights / aurora and photograph them.

Please let us know if you prefer a certain property. The options will be Polar Lodge or Old Camp. Polar Lodge has the superior location to the grocery store and airport.
Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Day 2: Flight to Ilulissat to transfer to Qaarsut followed by helicopter to Uummannaq

After breakfast, we take an exciting and scenic short flight to Ilulissat for a brief stop followed by a second 35-minute flight north to the small settlement of Qaarsut where we will transfer to a helicopter which takes us to Uummannaq our base for the next three nights.

We will stay in actual homes that can accommodate groups and we will self cater. Some guests will be in the large house while others will stay in other homes based on availability. Please see the vendors page for a link to Avani and the photos on their website. We also have photos on the accommodation page of this website.

The tourist infrastructure of the settlement is just developing and our accommodation is warm, cosy, modern and right at the heart of this working island settlement. Our local team at Avani and Uummannaq SeaSafaris will provide an orientation and we can head out to the local shop Pilersuisoq for our food shopping. Each home is equipped with a kitchen and we will need to self-cater or make arrangements with Avani to have our meals delivered.

Guests will need to inform us of dietary restrictions and if we would like to try local foods besides the fresh catch of halibut, we can place an order for muskox, seal meat, narwhal skin (mattak), and even polar bear to try. Please share your interest in exotic Arctic cuisine so we can put the word out and procure it by the time we arrive in Uummannaq. Your trip leader is skilled in cooking the seal, polar bear, and preparing the mattak.
Accommodation Avani

Days 3-5: In and Around Uummannaq

Uummannaq is a very special place located almost 600km north of the Arctic Circle on a small island of the same name. Uummannaq and its surrounding fjord is a traveler’s paradise that completely changes character, but loses none of its grandeur, as the seasons change. During summer in Uummannaq, sailing trips will take you to where the Qilakitsoq mummies (Greenland’s oldest mummies) were discovered, to the brilliantly yellow “Arctic Desert” with rocks more than 1.5 billion years old, to nearby settlements, impossibly steep bird cliffs, actively calving glacier faces, and past icebergs that are at least as big as those found in Ilulissat.

A fantastic resource is the Uummannaq Polar Institute. Please visit their website for more information about Uummannaq and their film, Inuk, and other projects including info about the Uummannaq Children’s Home. Uummannaq is home to the most northern 24-hour care centre for children and young people with social problems – the Uummannaq Children’s Home. Uummannaq Music and its therapies are an important part of the pedagogical work at the home.

Our days spent in Uummannaq will be structured around the prevailing conditions and guest energy. We aim to give our guests a full immersion into settlement life and an opportunity to explore a town that is unique and situated in a very dramatic polar landscape. We will not have a set day by day itinerary as we will explore according to the prevailing conditions.

Here are some of our options:

Landscapes – the landscapes around our base are spectacular. In winter, we will go by foot onto the sea-ice, where many icebergs are embedded and we will be able to venture relatively close. There is also a very beautiful clear ice lake near the settlement which provides a striking and changeable foreground for the ‘heart mountain’. In the summer months, Uummannaq SeaSafaris will take us on several boating trips to see glaciers, settlements, and or activities.

Whale Watching - Sailing in Uummannaq Fjords is a very good chance to see Fin whales, Humback whales, Minke whales, Pilot whales and other sea mammals. It is a great experience to op close these whales. Wether this is your first or tenth whale safari tour, seeing such a magnificent creature right before your eyes can be overwhelming.

Deep Sea Fishing - The fjords around Uummannaq are very deep. Some of the area reaches down to 1500 meters. These fjords are rich with fishlife like, halibut, red fish, catfish, cod, greenlandic halibut and many more. There is also a good chance to catch a Greenlandic shark. During the summer when the caplin swim into the shores of the coast, there will be a lot of activity. You can see small fishing boats and fishing ships sailing night and day.If you like to go for a deep sea fishing, we can take you to the best spots in the area. We have fishing gear onboard or you can just bring your own fishing gear.

Aurora borealis – whenever possible in the evenings we will go out to view or shoot the aurora in a variety of locations depending on local conditions and where exactly the aurora manifests. Uummannaq is so far north that quite often the aurora will be in the southern sky. The aurora are potentially visible on dark and clear nights during our trips to Greenland in February, March and September trips.

Dogsledding / dog sledging is an ancient form of travel in the Arctic and a must-do experience when visiting Uummannaq during winter. This is the way the Greenlanders traveled during winter, and it is still a common form of transportation for hunters, fishermen and families once the fjord freezes over. Guests will have the option to dog sledge. We will include a photographic session devoted to the preparation of the dogs by the musher before and after with some action shots of the dogs pulling the sledge with their musher. Dog sledging is not for all and in our experience the best photos come from being an observer and not a participant. We will focus on taking photos of you if you choose to participate. Additionally the dogs are tied up at stations around town which makes them easy to photograph and puppies up to six months are free to roam.

Aerial / Drone – for those with their own drone, we can arrange for a guide to take you out on the sea ice to fly your drone. If you have a license, you will be able to take more flights as long as you comply with regulations. From experience, you need as many batteries as possible. The flight time is cut in half in the winter (e.g. DJI Mini2 is rated 30 minutes per battery but in the winter your trip leader has only been able to get 15 minutes max per battery).

Snowmobile / Ski-doo – another possibility is to go on a snowmobiling adventure with a guide in the backcountry or out on the safe parts of the sea ice. You will be the passenger in most cases.

Uummannaq Settlement is well-preserved with many historic buildings easily accessible around the harbour area. Its turf houses were used until as recently as 1989. These are fascinating constructions to examine from the outside and visiting the interiors will give an idea of the size of the dwelling that the Inuit extended families used to spend their winters together. The church is an absolutely beautiful building built out of granite cut from the hillside behind it. It is the largest stone church in Greenland and an icon of the town. There is a whale blubber house an odd collection of things that don’t really have an explanation. It feels a little like a jumble/garage sale, though you can’t buy anything! Upstairs you will find some interesting whale artwork.

We have also arranged to have a visit at the Children’s Home and learn about the work they’re doing on the ground.

Ice Fishing is the other main activity locals engage in during winter. They fish through holes in the ice using lines of 500m or more for catching Greenland Halibut, Redfish or Wolffish.

In the summer months, we will be taking a variety of trips with Uummannaq SeaSafaris. We have the opportunity to go to Store Glacier, a climate change expedition, whale watching, a captain’s choice trip, among others depending on our group’s interests. More details of the possibilities can be found on the Uummannaq SeaSafaris site.

Accommodation: Avani

Day 5: Journey to Qeqertarsuaq

After a morning in Uummannaq we return in the afternoon by helicopter/flight to Ilulissat. We will then transfer to the harbor and embark on a two hour journey on Disko Line to Qeqertarsuaq, also known as Disko Island.

Qeqertarsuaq is the name of Greenland’s largest island. The small port town now has approximately 850 inhabitants and enjoys a beautiful location. Large parts of the island consist of tall, steep basalt mountains created by volcanic activity 25-65 million years ago. Featuring black sand beaches littered with small sparkling ice fragments, tall reddish-black mountains that rise precipitously above its colourful buildings, an impossibly lush backcountry in which more than half of Greenland’s plant species are found.

Hikers, in particular, are drawn to the unusual geology and colourful landscapes around Qeqertarsuaq, which also offer front-row seats to the enormous icebergs and some of the best whale watching in Disko Bay. An abundance of fish and other marine life in the waters around the island brings large numbers of migrating whales. In spring, the area is one of the best in the world from which to observe the great Greenland whales. In summer, humpback whales are regularly sighted just off the shoreline.

The tourist infrastructure is still fledgling in Qeqertarsuaq much like Uummannaq so it will be a special experience. As such, the opportunity to interact with locals and hear their perspectives on their traditions and how the climate is changing will be particularly insightful.

Accommodation: Hotel Disko Island

Day 6-8: Qeqertarsuaq

Similar to Uummannaq, we will have opportunities for similar activities like aurora viewing depending on conditions, exceptional whale watching, dog sledding, ATV (all terrain vehicle) adventures depending on the day. In addition, for the more active members of the group, the best hiking, kayaking and trekking in Greenland will be an opportunity to do with local guides accompanying you. Our preferred vendor is Qeqertarsuaq Tours.

Here is a guide to practical info and maps of Qeqertarsuaq.

Our days in Qeqertarsuaq will be markedly less structured and our activities will be governed by local weather and wildlife prospects. These are indeed our “buffer days.” In Greenland, itineraries have to be flexible because of the almost inevitable weather or mechanical delay. It’s the reality of high Arctic travel but this plan is the lowest risk.

Accommodation: Hotel Disko Island

Days 8: Journey to Ilulissat

We will say goodbye to our friends in Qeqertarsuaq and take the journey aboard Disko Line to Ilulissat. After arrival, we transfer to the luxurious Hotel Arctic. We are also offering alternative apartment style accommodation or standard hotel for more budget minded members of our group.

Upon arrival, we will be able to connect with our local guide from Authentic Greenland and IWS to get acquainted with Ilulissat. This will include an introduction to many fascinating subjects including the icefiord, a black church, colourful houses, sledge dogs and the local harbour.

In the evening, we will have our welcome to Ilulissat dinner, Greenlandic Coffee, and if the conditions allow, we can search for the northern lights on the property of Hotel Arctic with its stunning view of the iceberg filled sea. The hotel is modern, luxurious and well run with a great restaurant. I have personal pictures of the hotel here and their website on the vendors page will provide more information about the four star facilities.
Accommodation: Hotel Arctic

Days 9-12: Ilulissat + The Icefjord and Local Culture

During our time back in Ilulissat there will be many locations and experiences that our guests will want to explore more fully including walks for sunrise and sunset over the Ice Fjord, a second optional sunset cruise or dog sledging, visiting the harbour and getting to know more about settlement life. Of course the aurora will take priority each day we are in Greenland.

Even if you have already seen plenty of icebergs in your travels, you have not seen them like in Ilulissat. The dynamic ice sculpture gallery located just outside of this North Greenland town is unique and has been granted the designation of a UNESCO World Heritage Listed area of outstanding value. With millions of icebergs waiting to break free of the fjord in which they calved, small chunks of ice fill every nook and cranny between the gargantuan icy skyscrapers that dwarf even the largest ships. And when a gap opens in the wall of ice blocking the mouth of the fjord, the energetic dance as these frozen artworks spill into Disko Bay is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Ilulissat Icefjord Centre (opened 2021) is a meeting place for both locals and visitors and a not-to-be-missed architectural gem. Explore the visitor’s centre, exhibition space, and entertainment hub before walking over its gently sloping, curved wooden roof which now forms the start of the boardwalk leading Ilulissat Icefjord. The center also includes conference and research facilities in alignment with the area’s key significance in understanding climate change. It is designed to bring together climate scientists from around the world.

But Ilulissat is not only about icebergs.

It is rich in Inuit history, a favourite feeding ground for migrating whales, a paradise for outdoor adventurers both on land and at sea, and a modern and vibrant city with high-quality accommodation and some of the best gastronomy in the country.

With its relatively big population and large number of international guests each year, Ilulissat has a good selection of restaurants and cafes serving a wide range of meals. During summer, it is also one of the best places in Greenland to indulge in one of several Greenlandic buffets – the dates of which are announced on bus shelter posters around town.

The enormous icebergs for which the town is named are, justifiably, the focus of any visit to Ilulissat. Looking down on nature’s icy art gallery from one of three well-marked hiking trails, craning your neck up at the towering cliffs of ice from a boat or kayaking tour, gaining a bird’s eye view of their chiseled shapes on a scenic flight, or experiencing multiple perspectives depending on where you dog sled musher takes you, present different opportunities to grasp the full character of Ilulissat’s icebergs.

Accommodation Hotel Arctic

Day 12: Ilulissat back to Copenhagen (or Reykjavik)

Whenever your homeward flight is scheduled, transfers are included to Ilulissat’s small airport. Check out from the hotel will be around 11:00 am. You may be thinking of extending your stay in Greenland for a few days, if this is the case just get in touch and we may have some ideas to help you plan this! If you are planning to fly in from Iceland we will be happy to organise some extra days here too. IBC Adventures services finish after breakfast and the transfer to Ilulissat Airport.

Deposit

A deposit of 25% is required to secure your place as we will need to book your internal flight and helicopter well in advance of the departure. It is recommended you buy your trip insurance when the deposit is paid. Please see our link for Global Rescue in our vendors section for the recommended travel insurance providers. In addition, please check the terms and conditions and cancellation policies.

What’s Included

·    Transfers from/to Ilulissat airport

·    All meals

·    All accommodation

·    Tours as per itinerary

·    Internal flight and helicopter to Uummannaq; Disko Line to Qeqertarsuaq

What’s Not Included

·    International flights

·    Alcohol, snacks, or additional items ordered during meals

·    Anything not mentioned in the included list

Extra Activities

During our stay in Ilulissat we can organise optional activities for example kayaking, private flights, skiing, etc.
It is important that you read this full day-to-day description and further information for this holiday before making your booking.

Gear

Gear list is another consideration. Summer requires significantly less investment than in the winter. I have recommendations here and a packing list will be provided upon confirmation. To preview the list, please see this list from Greenland Travel

Sound good? Please fill out the form below to see if additional spots are still available.

Send a request if interested by filling out the form below. IBC Adventures is an end-to-end experience so all you’ll need to do is pack the gear list, buy your international flights, and travel insurance. We will take care of the rest and we look forward to seeing you in Greenland.