Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Greenland: Nuuk, Ilulissat and the Icefjord
8 days from Nuuk: the capital and its fjord, then four nights in Ilulissat for the UNESCO Icefjord, the Eqi glacier and Ilimanaq.
8 days · Round trip from Nuuk · up to 12 guests
Icebergs in the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilulissat_Icefjord.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Nuuk
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 2 to 4 km a day on gravel, bare rock and tundra, with short steep sections on the yellow trail to Holms Bakke and 2 to 4 hours on your feet on walking days. One long boat day to the Eqi glacier, about 10 hours, mostly seated in a heated cabin. Every walking day has an easier option, such as staying on the wooden boardwalk at the Icefjord.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 2,295 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- The boardwalk to the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord in the morning, and the yellow trail to the Holms Bakke viewpoint
- An evening boat among the icebergs at the fjord mouth, under the midnight sun in June and July
- A full day to the Eqi glacier, with lunch in view of a calving ice front several kilometres wide
- Ilimanaq by boat, a settlement of about 50 people across the Icefjord
- A kaffemik, coffee and cake in a local family's home in Ilulissat
- The Qilakitsoq mummies at the National Museum and a boat into Nuuk fjord, where humpbacks feed in summer
- Four nights in Ilulissat, so the boat days can wait for the weather
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 2,295 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Nuuk
Nuuk airport to your hotel, then on foot to the colonial harbour
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Nuuk
- Drive about 15 min
Evening
Fly into Nuuk, Greenland's capital, usually through Copenhagen or Iceland; flight times vary by season and airline, so we check the schedule for your dates and confirm the latest arrival that still makes the evening walk. Nuuk's longer runway opened in late 2024, so jets now land a few minutes from the centre, and a driver meets you outside the small terminal. After check-in, your See Sight Tours guide walks the group down to Kolonihavnen, the colonial harbour where the town began in 1728: the red wooden cathedral, the Hans Egede House, the missionary's statue on the hill above and, if the tide is low, the Mother of the Sea sculpture at the water's edge. Nuuk is a city of just under 20,000 people, with apartment blocks, cafés and the Katuaq cultural centre, set against the peak of Sermitsiaq across the fjord. We finish with a short briefing on the week, the weather and the flights, then sit down together to a welcome dinner of local fish and lamb.
Included
- Pick-up at Nuuk airport (GOH)
- Walk through old Nuuk with your guide: Kolonihavnen, the cathedral, the Hans Egede House and statue
- Welcome briefing
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free between check-in and the late-afternoon walk
Activity: About 2 km on foot on pavement and gravel, with one short climb to the Hans Egede statue.
The National Museum and Nuuk fjord by boat
Nuuk, then by boat into Nuup Kangerlua and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nuuk
- By boat
Morning
A gentle morning on foot. The Greenland National Museum sits by the old harbour, and its best-known room holds the Qilakitsoq mummies: six women and two children buried around 1475 near Uummannaq and discovered in 1972, their sealskin clothing still intact. Your guide takes you through the kayaks, hunting tools and Norse finds that tell the story of four thousand years of people on this coast.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in town we board a local boat for an afternoon on Nuup Kangerlua, the fjord system that reaches well over 100 km inland behind the city. Humpback whales feed here in summer, and seals haul out on the skerries. Where the skipper can land, we step ashore at an old settlement site and walk the tundra for a while. If the morning forecast is calmer than the afternoon, we swap the order.
Evening
Back in Nuuk by early evening, with the light still high and dinner wherever you choose.
Included
- Greenland National Museum with your guide, including the Qilakitsoq mummies
- Sit-down lunch in Nuuk
- Afternoon boat trip on Nuuk fjord (Nuup Kangerlua), with a landing where conditions allow
Optional experiences
- Nuuk Art Museum on your own (small entry fee)
Free time: Evening free in Nuuk
Activity: About 3 to 4 hours on the water; the boat has a covered cabin. Whales are likely in summer but never certain.
Fly north to Ilulissat and a kaffemik
Nuuk to Ilulissat by domestic flight, then on foot through town
- Breakfast
- Stay in Ilulissat
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
A late-morning flight north: about 1.5 hours when nonstop, longer when the schedule routes it through Kangerlussuaq. The planes are small turboprops, so take a window seat: you cross the Arctic Circle over a coast of fjords and the edge of the ice sheet, and the last minutes come in over Disko Bay with icebergs below. Ilulissat lies about 300 km north of the Arctic Circle; its name means icebergs in Greenlandic. After check-in your guide walks the group through town: the harbour, crowded with fishing boats and drifting ice, Zion's Church from 1779, and the house where the polar explorer Knud Rasmussen was born, now the town museum. Sled dogs rest on the rocks at the edge of town in summer.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon a local family welcomes us into their home for a kaffemik, the Greenlandic open house, with coffee, cake and conversation. If weather delays the flight, we wait with you, and the Ilulissat days are reordered so nothing is lost.
Included
- Domestic flight from Nuuk to Ilulissat, with transfers at both ends
- Walk through Ilulissat with your guide: the harbour, Zion's Church and the Knud Rasmussen birthplace museum
- Kaffemik with a local family
Free time: Evening free in Ilulissat
Activity: Flight times depend on the domestic schedule for your date and are confirmed with your final itinerary. About 2 km on foot, on paved and gravel streets with short hills.
The Icefjord on foot and an evening among icebergs
Ilulissat to the Icefjord Centre, Sermermiut and Holms Bakke, then an evening boat at the fjord mouth
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ilulissat
- Drive about 6 min
We set out early on the boardwalk that starts beside the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre at the edge of town. The trails are open at all hours, so we are at the fjord before cruise-ship shore parties arrive on the days a ship is in. The boardwalk runs through the Sermermiut valley to the edge of the Icefjord, UNESCO-listed since 2004, where icebergs calved from Sermeq Kujalleq, a glacier whose front moves tens of metres a day, jam the fjord mouth. Your guide shows you the turf-house hollows of Sermermiut, lived in on and off for some 4,000 years, then leads the yellow trail along the rocks to the Holms Bakke viewpoint, about 2.7 km. Back at the centre once it has opened, the exhibition explains how the glacier and the ice sheet work.
Afternoon
Lunch is in town, and the afternoon is free to rest.
Evening
In the evening we take a boat out among the icebergs at the mouth of the fjord, about two hours on the water in low, gold light; in June and July the sun does not set at all.
Included
- The boardwalk to Sermermiut and the Icefjord edge with your guide, early in the morning
- Yellow trail to the Holms Bakke viewpoint
- Ilulissat Icefjord Centre exhibition, after the walk
- Sit-down lunch in Ilulissat
- Evening iceberg cruise at the mouth of the Icefjord
Optional experiences
- Evening sea kayaking among the icebergs with a local outfitter (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Walk the boardwalk to the Icefjord edge and back, about 1.5 km each way on wooden decking, and skip the rocky yellow trail.
More active option: Take the longer blue trail, about 7 km over rock and tundra along the fjord, with a local hiking guide.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: The yellow trail crosses bare rock with painted markers and short steep sections; good walking shoes are needed. Expect cool wind at the fjord edge even in July.
Eqi glacier by boat
Ilulissat north by boat along Disko Bay to the Eqi glacier front and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ilulissat
- By boat
The long day of the trip, and the only early start: we board around 8 am for the boat north to Eqi, one of the most active calving glaciers in West Greenland, about three to three and a half hours each way. The route runs up the coast past headlands, small islands and drifting ice, and whales are often seen on the way. At the glacier the skipper stops at a safe distance from an ice front several kilometres wide, and we spend about two hours watching and listening: the ice cracks like gunshots, and pieces the size of houses fall into the sea and send a slow swell rolling past the boat.
Afternoon
Lunch is served with the glacier in view. The boat has a heated cabin and an open deck, so you can move between the two all day.
Evening
We are back in Ilulissat in the early evening, with dinner on your own and the rest of the light to enjoy.
Included
- Full-day boat trip to the Eqi glacier with lunch in view of the ice front
Easier option: This day is mostly seated. If you would rather not spend 10 hours on a boat, or the forecast is rough and you are prone to seasickness, stay in Ilulissat for a free day. Tell us at booking and we will try to swap the seat for a shorter local outing; whether that is possible, or any refund, depends on the boat operator's terms, which we confirm before you pay.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 10 to 11 hours door to door, most of it seated. Open water can be choppy, so bring seasickness tablets if you need them, plus a warm hat, gloves and a windproof layer for the deck.
Ilimanaq, a settlement across the Icefjord
Ilulissat to Ilimanaq by boat, past the icebergs grounded at the fjord mouth, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ilulissat
- By boat
Morning
A mid-morning boat south to Ilimanaq, about 45 minutes to an hour, crossing the mouth of the Icefjord where the largest icebergs ground on the shallow bank before they break free into Disko Bay. Ilimanaq is a settlement of about 50 people, one of the oldest trading posts on this coast, with colonial-era houses that have been restored, a small church and a few dozen homes facing the ice. A local guide walks us through the village and talks about life in a place with no road, no car and a supply boat for a lifeline: fishing, hunting seal, and winters when the bay freezes.
Afternoon
We have lunch in the settlement, then a short walk up onto the tundra above the village for the view back across to Ilulissat.
Evening
The boat returns by mid-afternoon, leaving the rest of the day and your last Ilulissat evening free.
Included
- Boat trip to Ilimanaq and back, through the icebergs at the Icefjord mouth
- Walk through the settlement with a local guide
- Lunch in Ilimanaq
Optional experiences
- Flightseeing over the Icefjord and the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier front, by small plane or helicopter (price shown at booking)
- Whale-watching boat from Ilulissat in the late afternoon (price shown at booking)
- Sled dog kennel visit in Ilulissat
Easier option: Stay in the village for the afternoon walk instead of climbing onto the tundra.
More active option: A longer guided tundra walk above Ilimanaq, about 4 to 5 km, with views over the Icefjord mouth.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 to 4 km on foot on gravel paths and rough tundra.
Back to Nuuk for the last night
Ilulissat to Nuuk by domestic flight
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Nuuk
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
A last walk to the water before breakfast if you are up early, then the flight back south to Nuuk, about an hour and a half nonstop. We fly back today rather than on the morning of your international flight for one reason: weather.
Evening
Fog and wind can hold the small planes in Disko Bay for hours or, now and then, a day, and a night in Nuuk means a delay here costs you an afternoon, not your flight home. Once we land, the afternoon is free. You might visit the Nuuk Art Museum, walk the shore path past the colourful houses at the edge of town, or look for Greenlandic design and sealskin in the shops of the centre. In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner, a last chance to taste Greenlandic dishes such as halibut, musk ox and snow crab and to swap photos of the week's ice.
Included
- Domestic flight from Ilulissat to Nuuk, with transfers at both ends
- Farewell dinner in Nuuk
Optional experiences
- Nuuk Art Museum (small entry fee)
Free time: Afternoon free in Nuuk
Activity: If the flight is delayed, your guide stays with the group and rearranges the evening; the farewell dinner moves, the flight home does not.
Fly home from Nuuk
Your Nuuk hotel to Nuuk airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 12 min
Morning
Breakfast, a last look at Sermitsiaq across the water, and a transfer to Nuuk airport, a few minutes from the centre, for your flight to Copenhagen, Iceland or onward. Your guide sees the group off and checks that flights are on time. Because we returned from Ilulissat yesterday, there is no domestic connection to worry about today. Most travellers from North America connect through Copenhagen or Iceland; if you want to add time in either city, or continue on our Iceland Ring Road trip, ask us when you book and we can plan the dates around this one. Greenland in summer books up early, so extra hotel nights in Nuuk should be requested well ahead. Book an international flight leaving after about 11 am, or tell us your flight before you buy it and we will check the timing. The trip ends at the airport after breakfast.
Included
- Drop-off at Nuuk airport (GOH)
Activity: Book a flight leaving Nuuk after about 11 am.
- Nuuk2 nights
- Ilulissat4 nights
- Nuuk1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer days run from about 5 to 12°C in Ilulissat and are often bright, but fog and wind change plans; the boat days are reordered around them. Humpback whales feed in Disko Bay and Nuuk fjord from about June to September, and midges are worst in July.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want to see the Icefjord on foot and from the water, not from a ship's deck for a few hours
- People who are relaxed about plans moving a day for the weather
- A first trip to the Arctic with a guide handling flights and boats
- Travellers pairing Greenland with Iceland or Copenhagen
Not for you if you want
- Anyone on a fixed schedule with a tight onward connection on day 8
- Step-free access: trails are bare rock and boats are boarded from harbour steps
- Travellers wanting the ice sheet, East Greenland or dog sledding on snow
- A budget trip: flights and beds in Greenland are costly
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Nuuk2 nights
- Ilulissat4 nights
- Nuuk1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central 3-star-plus hotels: 2 in Nuuk, 4 in Ilulissat, 1 in Nuuk
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Domestic flights from Nuuk to Ilulissat and back
- Pick-up and drop-off at Nuuk airport (GOH) and transfers at Ilulissat airport (JAV)
- A local vehicle and driver for transfers
- Local boats for the Nuuk fjord, the iceberg cruise, Eqi and Ilimanaq
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, on both flights
- Local skippers on every boat and a local guide in Ilimanaq
Activities
- Nuuk: walk through old Nuuk and Kolonihavnen
- Nuuk: Greenland National Museum and the Qilakitsoq mummies
- Nuuk: afternoon boat trip on Nuup Kangerlua
- Ilulissat: town walk, Zion's Church and the Knud Rasmussen birthplace museum
- Ilulissat: kaffemik with a local family
- Ilulissat: Icefjord Centre, the boardwalk to Sermermiut and the yellow trail to Holms Bakke
- Ilulissat: evening iceberg cruise at the Icefjord mouth
- Ilulissat: full-day boat to the Eqi glacier
- Ilimanaq: boat trip and settlement walk
Meals
- Breakfast daily (7)
- 4 lunches: Nuuk, Ilulissat, on the Eqi day and in Ilimanaq
- 2 dinners: a welcome and a farewell dinner in Nuuk
- Coffee and cake at the kaffemik
Not included
- International flights to and from Nuuk
- Visa or travel authorisation for your connecting country, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance, including cover for weather delays
- Extra hotel nights or rebooked flights caused by weather delays
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as kayaking, flightseeing or a sled dog kennel visit
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 2,295 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Greenland trip price include?
Seven nights in central hotels in Nuuk and Ilulissat, breakfast daily, four lunches, welcome and farewell dinners, both domestic flights between Nuuk and Ilulissat, airport transfers, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan: the National Museum, the Nuuk fjord boat, the Icefjord Centre, the evening iceberg cruise, the Eqi glacier day, Ilimanaq and a kaffemik.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That suits the small planes, the local boats and the settlement visit, and it means everyone fits around one table at lunch and can hear the guide on the Icefjord boardwalk.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Nuuk airport to Nuuk airport, including both flights. Local skippers run the boats, and in Ilimanaq a guide from the settlement shows us around. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be for this Greenland trip?
Moderately fit. Walks are 2 to 4 km a day on gravel, rock and tundra, with the rocky yellow trail on day 4 the hardest. The Eqi glacier day is about 10 hours on a boat, mostly seated. Every walking day has an easier option, and you can stay on the boardwalk at the Icefjord.
I'm travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
A room of your own is from CAD 2,295 more, shown up front with no surprise at checkout. Hotel rooms in Ilulissat are scarce in summer, which is why the supplement exists. If you would rather share, ask us and we will try to match you with another solo traveller of the same gender.
When is the best time to visit Greenland?
June to September, the only months this trip runs. June and July bring the midnight sun in Ilulissat and the most daylight; August is often the warmest and calmest for boats; September adds autumn colour on the tundra, cooler nights and the first chance of northern lights.
What happens if a flight or boat is cancelled by weather?
It happens: fog and wind can delay small planes and boats. The Ilulissat boat days can be swapped around, and we fly back to Nuuk the day before your flight home so a delay does not cost your connection. We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers weather delays and extra nights.
How do I get to Nuuk from Canada?
Fly via Copenhagen or Reykjavik, then take a nonstop flight on to Nuuk. A seasonal nonstop from the US east coast has run in some summers; we check whether it operates for your dates. International flights are not included. Tell us your plans and we check the schedule before you buy.
Do I need a visa for Greenland?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a short visit to Greenland, but you need a valid passport. Greenland is outside the Schengen area, while Iceland and Denmark are inside it, so the entry rules of your connecting country also apply. Check the current rules before you fly.
Is this a cruise?
No. You sleep in hotels on land and travel on small local boats for day trips, so there are no sea days, no ship of hundreds and you see Nuuk and Ilulissat properly. Expedition cruises cover more coast; this trip spends more time in each place.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and start from CAD 13,495 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and boats. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section for a quote; that is an inquiry, not a set trip style.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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