DAY TO DAY PROGRAM
Day 1 – Monday: Copenhagen-Kangerlussuaq
Departure from Copenhagen at 09.00 am with arrival to Kangerlussuaq 09.40am
Pick up at the airport and transfer to Polar Lodge Hostel, where you will stay while in Kangerlussuaq. Polar Lodge is a cosy hostel with dbl. rooms and shared toilet and shower facilities. Upon arrival at Polar Lodge, we will hold a short briefing about the activities in Kangerlussuaq. The first day in Greenland you will go on a trip to the ice cap, which is situated around 40 km away from the old American military base. You will be driving in 4×4 van and the trip runs through a beautiful mountain landscape formed by the ice. If you are lucky, you will see musk ox and arctic foxes. Kangerlussuq has the highest concentration of musk ox: around 20.000 animals. If the conditions are good, we will have the chance of getting all the way up and walk on the ice cap. Some places the ice cap is more than 3 km thick. We will have a beautiful view over the ice cap.
Back in Kangerlussuaq you will have enough time to have a closer look at the old American base, which was handed over to the home rule of Greenland in 1992. A visit on the local museum will give you an interesting insight in Kangerlussuq and the Greenlandic history. Or you can add on an overnight stay at the ice cap in expedition tents.
In the evening we recommend eating dinner at restaurant Roklubben (Rowing Club), which is beautiful situated at the shore of Lake Ferguson. They serve a really good dinner, and it’s a very good area to experience northern light on a clear night. You can book a table upon arrival to the hostel.
Extra – sleep on the Ice Cap??
You can also choose to try to sleep on the Ice Cap and hike with crampons. On this two-day ‘mini-expedition’ you will walk in the footsteps of the legendary polar explorers, and you’ll experience the magnitude and greatness of the ice cap. You’ll sleep in expedition tents on the ice cap. All safety equipment and sleeping gear is included. Request time and prices.
Day 2 –Tuesday: Kangerlussuaq – Ilulissat: Guided city walk in Ilulissat
Breakfast at Polar Lodge. Around noon you will fly north for about 45 minutes before landing in Ilulissat (‘Ilulissat’ means ‘icebergs’ in Greenlandic – and for a reason). When you approach Ilulissat by air you will see the gigantic icebergs as long as you can see.
Your transfer will be waiting for you in Ilulissat and drive you to your hotel “Hvide Falk”, which has a fantastic view over the Disko Bay. The first thing on your program is to meet our local guide and get a 2 hour city walk. If you have any questions regarding your program in Ilulissat you can just ask the guide. The first day in Ilulissat you will do a walk around town and get to know the interesting history and the town where you will spend the next days. You will see the fishing harbor, the old colonial part of Ilulissat and town museum, which was also home of the famous Polar explorer Knud Rasmussen.
If you want to rent warm clothing for your dog sledge trip tomorrow, you should do it today. Ask our guide where to organize.
Day 3 – Wednesday: Ilulissat – Dog sled trip
Breakfast at Hotel Hvide Falk
After breakfast you will be picked up and driven to the dog area. This is where today’s adventure begins, when a local hunter is taking you on a dog sled trip in the back country of Ilulissat. The trip takes around 2 hours, and will take your through different beautiful winter landscapes. It’s important, that you are in good physical shape to go on this trip. Please don’t hesitate to call us for more information about this trip. If you want, you can also prolong the trip for a 3 hours trip.
Day 4 – Thursday: Sermermiut hike and boat tour
Breakfast at the Hotel Hvide falk.
Before lunch you will do a hike with our guide to the Sermermiut Valley, which has been protected by UNESCO since 2004. This hike might be the most beautiful hike you will ever do. It is not hard, it is not long, but the views over Kangia icefjord is a sight to behold! Here you can also experience remains of old Inuit cultures, but the biggest attraction is the amazing view to the icefjord, were 10% of of all ice coming from the ice cap, goes through this narrow straight. The view is breathtaking!
In the afternoon you will go on a boat tour to the ice fiord, where you see the icebergs from a very close but safe distance. During the summer time the glacier Kangia can move up to 50 meters a day.
Day 5 – Friday: Ilulissat Iglo Lodge
Breakfast at Hotel Hvide Falk
Today it is time for another high light of your trip. You are going to stay the night in an igloo
The trip starts after breakfast, when you go on a snowmobile out through the winter landscape to the Igloo Lodge. The trip takes around 45 minutes and after arriving, you will be greeted with hot coffee and refreshments. There are in total 6 iglos with space enough for 2 persons in each iglo. In the coldest winters, the temperatures can get down to -40 degrees celcius, but inside the iglo the temperature is normally around 0 to negative 5 degrees celcius. You will get warm sleeping bags and reindeer skin to sleep on. Reindeer skin has the advantage that the hairs are hollow and trap the warm air, which will help you stay warm. If you during the night thinks it’s too cold for you, you can always go inside the nearby hut.
The afternoon program includes a snow shoe hike to a beautiful view point over the Ice Fiord of Ilulissat. When back in the hut, you will have dinner, before you hopefully will see the northern light. If you get to see the northern light, you are in the right spot – it’s pitch black out here with no light to be seen from Ilulissat – an experience you will never forget.
Including in this trip is warm clothing for the snowmobile ride and hike snowshoe hike.
Day 6 – Saturday: Iglo Lodge
We will wake up in our own iglos and slowly everybody will get up and will join the breakfast table inside the warm hut before getting ready to return to Ilulissat by snow mobile.
Back in Ilulissat you will check in at Hotel Hvide Falk again for the last 2 nights. You have no program this afternoon. You have time to relax or just enjoy Ilulissat on your own.
Day 7 – Sunday: Ilulissat – day at leisure
Breakfast at the hotel. You have the day off to explore Ilulissat on your own. We recommend one of the marked hiking routes in the UNESCO-area which offers nice views of the area, or you can visit one of the local museums or workshops for local art crafts
This very last day you can squeeze what you have left of your Greenlandic adventure, in one of the very nice restaurants in Ilulissat
You can also consider trying out our wellness sauna with a panoramic view over the Disko Bay including towels, water, shower and a mix of etheric oils. Scheduled wellness sauna DKK 185,- per person or private sauna DKK 1195,-
Day 8 – Monday: Ilulissat – Kangerlussuaq – Copenhagen
Breakfast at the hotel. Early morning you fly out of Ilulissat to Kangerlussuaq. The flight will around 45 minutes, before you will catch your flight at 11.40 back to Copenhagen. Arrival in Copenhagen 20.00.
