Explore Disko Bay

Fly from Copenhagen direct to the Greenlandic settlement of Kangerlussuaq. Meet with your local guide and check-in to Hotel Kangerlussuaq for an overnight stay. After a brief meeting enjoy a tour through this former American base. See the old barracks, the museum which shows the history of arctic aviation and how the Americans built the base. See the wreckage from a T33A-fighter in Sandflugtsdalen (“The Drifting Sand Valley”). Embark on an excursion to Greenland Ice Sheet, Point 660. 
Kangerlussuaq is the perfect place to get up close to Greenland's ice cap. In a 4×4 bus, drive from the settlement pass the Russell Glacier and through the moraine landscape. The road ends and it is a short walk up on to the ice sheet. Spend some time in this vast icy universe.

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This morning fly to Aasiaat located on an island in the south-west part of Disko Bay. This is Greenland's 5th largest town and home to a great art gallery as well as many high school students (the main high school for all of North Greenland is located here). Transfer to the hotel and enjoy a short walking tour of the city, where you can discover enormous murals and finely-worked sculptures hidden in obscure places and open to the elements. A whale safari amongst the icebergs is also included today. (B,D)

This morning depart by boat to the town of Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island. On approach to the island, admire mountains rising over 1000 metres from the ocean. A giant glacier Sermersuaq covers all of the west side of Disko Island.
Around noon disembark and check-in to the Hotel Disko for 2 nights. After a brief information meeting enjoy guided walk around this idyllic colourful town gaining an insight into its past. It is not uncommon to spot whales directly from the hotel over a morning coffee.

This morning enjoy some free time in the town. For the energetic perhaps explore further by some short hikes. There are several well-marked easy trails; one that takes you to a lookout point for whalers (1 hour) and another to a good-sized waterfall at Qorlortorsuaq (1.5 hours). This afternoon set off on a guided hike to Kuannit, which is the Greenlandic word for the plant Angelica. This plant is gathered for teas and traditional dishes. This hike goes past one of the best located football pitches in the world. Cross the "Red River and hike through some stunning landscapes including spectacular lava sculptures in the shape of 6-sided basalt columns. The duration is around 4 hours (10km moderate).   

This morning board a boat for Ilulissat - town of icebergs. After a briefing with our local guide enjoy a city walk of Ilulissat. Ilulissat was founded in 1741 and is the third-largest town in Greenland with more than 4,500 inhabitants. Learn about the history of the town and contemporary life almost 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. Visit the fishermen at the harbour and the hunters at their trading post “Brættet.” Stop by the church and the birthplace of the famous Polar explorer Knud Rasmussen. In the afternoon enjoy a short hike (1.5km) to the former settlement of Sermermiut. For 4,000 years, different Inuit cultures lived in the settlement and today you can still see many remains that indicate their presence, including turf hut ruins. Listen to the guide’s stories about Inuit life and traditions before the Europeans came to Greenland. Back at the hotel enjoy a welcome dinner. (B,D)

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Today travel by bus as far as the road goes and then enjoy a guided walk along the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ilulissat Ice Fjord to Sermermiut to see the traces of ancient Inuit settlements. Sermermiut is a valley next to the ice fjord where inland you will see beautiful Arctic flowers and out to sea, magnificent icebergs. The trip will take about 2 hours. Then in the evening enjoy boat trip out amongst the icebergs. The icebergs are a wonderful sight in every kind of weather; in the sunshine, the contrasts are very clear. The blue shades are very beautiful when it is cloudy, and the midnight sun casts a unique glow on the icebergs during the night. Taking the boat trip on a bright night is an extraordinary experience. (B)

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Free day in Ilulissat or perhaps book an additional active excursion in Oqaatsut. This optional excursions departs by boat, then after a safety briefing from an expert Kayak guide, don your dry suit and venture out on the water in the kayaks. Paddle around the bay, before taking a hike by meltwater lakes and small creeks with a great view of the bay of Oqaatsut and its icebergs. After a coffee break, paddle back to Oqaatsut and enjoy a wonderful lunch of local Greenlandic produce in Restaurant H8 Explorer. After lunch, explore the old whaling settlement, before sailing back to Ilulissat. Please talk to our Greenland Specialist to include this excursion. (B)

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Today travel north by boat to the incredible Eqi Glacier, one of Greenland’s unique natural wonders. There are only few places in Greenland that are as beautiful as the Eqi Glacier, which ends in the fjord some 80 kilometres north of Ilulissat. It is possible to get very close to the glacier by boat and experience huge pieces of ice breaking off. The sounds are thunderous and the sight of ice crashing into the water is astonishing. After a delicious lunch in front of the Eqi Glacier, the boat anchors at Glacier Lodge Eqi, where you stay for 2 nights in cabins facing the glacier. From the terrace take in the overwhelming silence, which is only broken by the crashing sound from ice calving. The comfort cabins at Glacier Lodge Eqi are located on the higher slopes and connected to Café Viktor via a walkway. They have full shower and toilet facilities as well as hot water, a heat pump and electricity powered by solar cells. The cabins also have a private terrace. (B,L,D)
 

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Today is left free to enjoy this incredible nature. The area has abundant wildlife and geology. Polar foxes, hares, grouse, and sea eagles are often seen on land while seals swim near the camp. There is an easy hike you can join up to Eqi Glacier from the cabins. Walk around the small lagoon at the southern end of the glacier. There are often large flocks of geese in the lagoon in the breeding season. The trip goes further up the moraine, where you can look down into the enormous cracks in the glacier a few meters away. From here, there is an impressive view of the glacier-front. (B,L,D)

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After lunch the boat returns to Ilulissat, arriving early evening. Check-in to the hotel for 2 nights. (B,L)

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Today is free to explore Ilulissat early or perhaps join a whale watching safari and/or enjoy a kayaking experience around the bay. (B)

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This morning transfer to the airport for the flight via Kangerlussuaq to Copenhagen. (B)