Qeqertarsuaq - July 11, 2011
Town sights
After an introduction on board you are free to explore the settlement on your own. You can pass through the quarter of the old buildings of trade and administration that date back to the time when Qeqertarsuaq was the capital of Northern Greenland. On the way, you will also have the opportunity to see the very special octagonal church, called "Our Lord's Little Ink Pot." The walk may lead you further through town where you will get a vivid impression of the hunters’ society which is also Qeqertarsuaq of today. The history of the town can be illustrated through a visit to the museum which you are welcome to visit on your own. The entrance fee is approx. 25 DKK and can only be paid in cash.
Hike in Blæsedalen
Duration: approx. 2-3 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: Included
A guided walk over Rødeelv (the Red River) through Blæsedalen (the valley of the winds) is a highlight. Walk through characteristic mountain heath to see flora specific to Disko Island. The hike starts from the Women’s House and ends at the waterfall, but passes by the stunning 2,950 ft high Skarvefjeld (Mountain of the Cormorant).
Ilulissat - July 12, 2011
Town sights
Enjoy a stroll in this beautiful town. Ilulissat means “icebergs” in Greenlandic and lies at the mouth of the 35 mile long Ice Fjord. The introduction on board will prepare you for the active harbor area, the busy life of a bigger town and the house where Knud Rasmussen, the famous explorer, was born. In this museum you may take some time for the extensive collection from Knud Rasmussen’s expeditions and the history of Ilulissat. The entrance fee is of approx. 40 DKK.
Hike to Sermermiut
Duration: approx. 2-3 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: Included
Guided hike to the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut, which is situated less than a mile south of the town. Different Inuit cultures have lived here during the last 4,000 years – in the estuary of the Ice Fjord.
Boat trip to the Ice Fjord
Excursion code: G-ILU1
Duration: approx. 2-2.5 hours
Level: easy
Price: $96
Ilulissat is renowned for its beautiful and breathtaking Ice Fjord - best experienced from a boat. Sail in traditional red cutters to the estuary where gigantic icebergs in the northern part of the fjord are stranded. You can see the structure of the ice, hear the sound and feel the cold streaming out. The gigantic icebergs are over 300 feet above sea level. Remember to bring warm clothes for this excursion. Coffee/tea will be served on board.
Helicopter to the Icecap
Excursion code: G-ILU2 Not available to pre book, only bookable onboard
Duration: approx. 2.5 hours
Level: easy
Price: $540
Ilulissat glacier is the most productive glacier on the northern hemisphere. Fly at low altitude over the icebergs that fill this 25 mile long fjord. The helicopter will fly close to the glacier and land on the rock at Kangia with a view over the glacier and the ice cap. After a brief stop on the ground, continue over the Ice Fjord to the icebergs stranded at the mouth of the fjord. Enjoy magnificent views before flying back to Ilulissat.
Note: Due to unpredictable weather conditions this helicopter flight can only be booked on board.
Hike to Holms Bakke
Excursion code: G-ILU3
Duration: approx. 4-5 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: $85
Note: includes lunch
After months of winter darkness, it is traditional for the people of Ilulissat to hike to “Holms Bakke” January 13th to welcome the sun after the long dark winter. It is a time for festivity and community where the rejoicing is not complete without food, drink and merriment. Holms Bakke has a magnificent view over the Jakobshavn Icefjord, where the icebergs move at an average speed of 62 feet a day. This glacier produces approximately 10% of all calving of ice in Greenland. Hike onwards to the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut and the old Inuit graves, before stopping for a lunch break. After which the hike continues along the ice fjord where information will be provided about the local flora & fauna, as well as glaciology. Please take note that this splendid hike requires good hiking skills.
Boat Tour to Rodebay
Excursion code: G-ILU4
Duration: approx. 4-5 hours
Level: moderate
Price: $234
The settlement Oqaatsut (Rodebay) was through several centuries the resort of the Dutch whale hunters, and whales are still drawn ashore here once in a while. Oqaatsut is beautiful situated approx. 9 miles north of Ilulissat and even though it only has 45 inhabitants, it has its own school, church, shop and a small restaurant called “H8,” which is one of the old buildings from the colonial time. A highlight is having lunch consisting of Greenlandic dishes at “H8.” Lunch is included, drinks are extra.
Sisimiut - July 13, 2011
Town sights
You are welcome to discover the town on your own with the help of a city map. On board you will get an introduction presentation of Sisimiut. Explore the historical center of Sisimiut with its pretty 17th century buildings. The Sisimiut Museum is a culture-historical local museum that focuses on Greenland trade, industry and shipping. The museum is housed in beautiful old buildings originating from the colonial period, situated close to the harbor. We recommend a visit; the entrance fee is approx. 30 DKK and can only be paid cash.
A Hike Back in Time
Excursion code: G-SIS2
Duration: approx. 2.5 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: $47
Down through the ages, the enormous size of Greenland seems to have had little influence on new groups of people determining where to settle. Teleøen or Sallinnguit as it is called in Greenlandic is one of these places where the past and present meet. The various Inuit cultures have lived here for the last 4,000 years. Learn about the Inuit and their history prior to the arrival of the Europeans. See the ruins and enjoy the beautiful view of the town and the ancient fishing, whaling and sealing grounds. This hike takes place in hilly and rocky terrain and requires that participants are in good physical condition.
Boat trip to Assaqutaq
Excursion code: G-SIS3
Duration: approx. 2 hours
Level: moderate
Price: $132
In the 1960s and 1970s several Greenlandic settlements were abandoned for economic reasons and the residents moved to larger cities. Assaqutaq, located at the foot of Sisimiut’s famous mountain, the Kællingehætten, is such a settlement. Today it is used as a summer camp for the local schools but for a short period in June, it becomes a vibrant hub of life when the inhabitants from Sisimiut gather to fish for the capelin, a small local fish. A short boat trip to Assaqutaq is followed by a leisurely walk through the village visiting the old fish factory, the summer camp and the small church beautifully situated top of a hill.
Hike to Palasip Qaqqa Mountain
Excursion code: G-SIS4
Duration: approx. 4-5 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: $84
Enjoy the beautiful green mountains, the pristine air and the crystal clear water. Join a beautiful hike on a lush south-facing slope, where you can enjoy the view of the town and the sea on the whole way. The hike takes you through a surprisingly fertile terrain with abundant bushes, flowers and mosses. Along the way we will also encounter several small waterfalls with the clearest spring water. From the top of the mountain there is an amazing view over the town in the south and the Kangerluarsuk Tulleq Fjord in the north. In the recent years, musk oxen have been spotted in this area. Transfer back to starting point by mini bus.
Nuuk - July 14, 2011
Boat Tour into Nuuk Fjord
Excursion code: G-NUU1
Duration: approx. 2.5-3 hours
Level: easy
Price: $134
After departure we sail to Nuuk Fjord (Godthåbsfjord). The boat tour offers fantastic views of Nuuk, the mountain Sermitsiaq and the surrounding islands. One attraction is the waterfall of Sermitsiaq where the water falls from the melting glacier on the top of Sermitsiaq. Afterwards we sail across and along the fjord while we scout for all kinds of wildlife such as seals, birds and if we are lucky even a whale.
Nuuk City Tour
Excursion code: G-NUU2
Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
Level: easy
Price: $44
This guided city tour by bus will give you a good impression of the capital of Greenland. Starting at the pier the bus takes you to the suburbs Nuussuaq and Qinngorput. After that you continue to the city center and pass important sights as the Government buildings, the award-winning cultural venue Katuaq, Greenland’s University, the cathedral from 1849 and the National Museum, where you can spend hours learning about Greenland’s ancient history. Some photo stops are planned during the city tour. The city tour ends at the National Museum of Nuuk, where you are welcome to visit the Museum on your own. Entrance fee is of approx. 30 DKK.
Lille Malene Hike
Excursion code: G-NUU3
Duration: approx. 4 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: $72
The excursion starts at the pier from where you will be transported to the small mountain of Quassunnguaq close to the airport of Nuuk. Your local guide will take you on a beautiful hike along the foot of Mt. Lille Malene and tell about the nature during the course of the hike. We eat a light lunch while we enjoying the beautiful views of Mt. Sermitsiaq, Akia and Nuuk. It is a difficult and demanding hike. We recommend good hiking shoes. Includes sandwich.
Ivittuut - July 15, 2011
Old Mining Settlement Walk
Ivittuut means “the grassy place” in Greenlandic; and is situated in one of Greenland’s most beautiful areas, the Arsuk fjord complex. Take an individual walk at the old mining settlement Ivittuut and enjoy the nice view on the surrounding landscape. Entrance to the museum is free.
Hike around Ivittuut
Excursion code: G-IVI1
Duration: approx. 2-3 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: $34
Join a guided hike in the area around Ivittuut. En route you may be lucky and meet musk oxen from South Greenland’s only musk ox population in their natural surroundings. Enjoy the unique flora of Southern Greenland which is very beautiful at this time of the year.
Narsaq - July 16, 2011
Narsaq Settlement Walk
Enjoy an individual walk in Narsaq which is located in a sheltered location within a large network of fjords. The area's gentle subarctic climate is ideal for sheep farming and agriculture, and its deep green valleys create an astonishing contrast to the dazzling displays of icebergs produced by nearby glaciers. Narsaq is the only town that offers a clear view of the ice cap, and this is the perfect setting for iceberg watching. Narsaq Museum is located in a beautiful area at the town’s old harbor. Some of the oldest buildings of the town, dating back to the founding of Narsaq in 1830, are housing the museum’s exhibitions here. The entrance fee is approx. 25 DKK and can only be paid cash.
Viking Ruins
Excursion code: G-NAR1
Duration: approx. 2 hours
Level: easy to moderate
Price: $84
Archaeologists believe that during his first visit to Greenland in 982, Erik the Red spent the winter on the island of Illutalik not far from Narsaq, and throughout the area there is a lot of evidence of the presence of the Norse settlers. In Narsaq itself a large farm estate has been excavated including houses, stables, storehouses and in ”Dyrnæs Valley” just outside the town a farm and church have also been excavated. We visit the Norse exhibition in the local culture house and the ruins in “Dyrnæs Valley” Transport. Walk and coach.
Hike to Narsaq Point
Excursion code: G-NAR2
Duration: approx. 3 hours
Level: moderate to more difficult
Price: $64
This scenic walk takes us along the base of Qaqqarsuaq Mountain where we can enjoy views of town and the ice in the fjord. We walk on a gravel road that is not too difficult. Guests will hear about flora and fauna, see old Inuit graves and ruins, and hear about the old telegraph station that was built at Narsaq Point during World War Two. Includes water and dry fish from Greenland
Kayaking in Narsap Ilua
Excursion code: G-NAR4
Duration: approx. 2 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: $111
Note: We do not recommend this tour for guests with severe back problems.
From the harbor you will walk to Narsap Ilua (less than 1 mile) with beautiful views of the natural bay. This is the perfect place to paddle near the icebergs. Equipped with a dry suit you take the paddling tour in double kayaks.
Qassiarsuk - July 16, 2011
Boat trip to Qooroq Ice Fjord
Excursion code: G-QAS2
Duration: approx. 1.5-3 hours
Level: easy
Price: $95
We sail from Qassiarsuk to the underwater moraine at the mouth of the Qooroq Ice Fjord. Many icebergs run aground on the moraine at the mouth of the Qooroq Fjord. Here we enjoy a breathtaking view of thousands of icebergs, sheer cliff faces and the enormous glacier. The glacier delivers about 200,000 tons of ice a day into the fjord. Many of these icebergs have a rich turquoise color. In the fjord, we have time to enjoy the panorama with the motor stopped, we drift quietly with the current. The absolute silence is disturbed by the sound of the icebergs, as they break free from the glacier and fall rolling and crashing into the fjord. During the tour, you will enjoy a cocktail on the rocks with purest glacial ice. We return to Qassiarsuk after an unforgettable boat trip.
Erik the Red – Settlement Visit
Excursion code: G-QAS4
Duration: approx. 2.5 hours
Level: moderate
Price: $40
With a guided walk through the village you experience the atmosphere of a small Greenlandic settlement, where sheep farmers are working on exactly the same land as the Viking Erik the Red. The 50 residents are mainly sheep farmers, but the village also has a school, a church and a shop. Qassiarsuk is also known as Brattahlid, the place where Erik the Red settled in 982. Reconstructions of Erik the Red's farm and Tjodhilde's Church were made in 2000. In this open-air museum guides in Norse dresses show around, and tell old stories about the Vikings and their daily life.
Hvalsø - July 17, 2011
Individual Walk
During the middle ages, Hvalsø was the largest and most influential church in Greenland, aside from the diocese in Gardar. Enjoy a walk around the amazing ruins of Hvalsø Church. This ruin is the latest evidence of Norse activities, as there is a written description of a wedding hold in the church from September 1408!
Qaqortoq - July 17, 2011
Town sights
Individual walk in Qaqortoq, which means "The White," and is with its almost 3,000 inhabitants South Greenland’s largest community. The town has a pleasant center with a small square and Greenland’s oldest fountain. There are also strikingly beautiful colonial buildings dating back to 1775 when the town was founded. Qaqortoq Museum exhibits some old Inuit boats, hunting equipments and national dresses. They have also reconstructed the "blue room" and the "red room" where Knud Rasmussen and Charles Lindberg have slept. The entrance fee is approx 20 DKK and can only be paid cash.
"Stone and Man" Tour
Excursion code: G-QAQ1
Duration: approx. 2.5 hours
Level: moderate
Price: $41
Since 1993 artists from the Nordic countries have come to Qaqortoq to carve sculptures in rocks and stones. It was a local artist who started the project, and the result is a unique sculpture park all over Qaqortoq. The artists come from Greenland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The project continues and almost every year you can meat artists carving sculptures around town.
Great Greenland Tannery
Excursion code: G-QAQ2
Duration: approx. 1 hour
Level: easy
Price: $24
The ancient hunting culture of the Inuit remains important to livelihoods in Greenland, and is the backbone of Greenlandic culture. Great Greenland is the only tannery in the country. Most of the furs are exported abroad, but some are sewn into fine fashion creations directly at the tannery. On this tour you will learn about the processes used to treat these beautiful furs. The tour includes a visit to the fashion design studios and the impressive fur storage rooms, with huge piles of seal skins and polar bear furs.
Hike along the Great Lake
Excursion code: G-QAQ4
Duration: approx. 2.5 hours
Level: more difficult
Price: $44
Join us for a 3 mile hike to learn about flora, fauna and climate. The tour, which starts from the landing stage “Kongebroen,” takes us along the Great Lake on paths over lightly uneven terrain. The Great Lake serves as a recreational area for the town, and is a popular place for local joggers, picnickers, and children who brave the cold waters for a refreshing dip during the summer.
Grundarfjördur - July 20, 2011
Highlights of Snaefellsnes
Excursion code: G-GRU1
Duration: approx. 5 hours
Level: easy to moderate
Price: $127
We depart the small town of Grundarfjordur, with Kirkjufell Mountain looming in the distance, continuing past fishing villages Olafsvik, Rif, and Hellissandur, and around the western edge of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. The landscape is characterized by sandy beaches, rocky shoreline and jagged mountains, crowned by the shimmering Snaefellsjokull glacier, featured in Jules Verne's novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Our first stop is at Djupalonssandur, where we hike to impressively strange rock formations alone the shore. We continue past Londrangar-two prominent rocks protruding from the coast just east of the lighthouse at Malarrif-to Arnarstapi. There we start a walk from the town's beautiful harbor, which is surrounded by cliffs and considered by many the most beautiful in Iceland. We follow the cliff's sides, where we may examine and photograph one of Iceland's largest seabird colonies up close. The walk ends at the stone memorial to Bardur Snaefellsas, protector of Snaefellsnes. We continue to Budir, where we enjoy a walk to the local church and a rare yellow-sand beach before having a three-course dinner at the luxury Hotel Budir. We then drive over the Frodarheidi Heath, once regarded as one of Iceland's most haunted areas en route to Grundarfjordur.
Boat Tour on Breidafjordur Bay
Excursion code: G-GRU2
Duration: approx. 4.5 hours
Level: easy
Price: $202
The Snaefellsnes peninsula, with the Snaefellsjokull glacier rising majestically at its tip, is one of the most enchanting parts of Iceland. We start our tour with a drive to the picturesque fishing village of Stykkisholmur, where we board a boat trip on Breidafjordur Bay. On this tour we view characteristic rock formations, countless islands and skerries, and the rich local birdlife. Birds nesting and breeding in the cliffs can be observed from within a few yards. Species that may be spotted include puffins, cormorants, shags, Black guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, and several types of gull. Sometimes White-Tailed Eagles and even seals can be seen. We then drop our fishing nets and trawl the bottom of the bay. When the net is reeled in, we sample the freshly caught shellfish and other seafood, including sea urchin roe, a local delicacy.
Lava Trails and Viking Tales
Excursion code: G-GRU3
Duration: approx. 3.5 hours
Level: moderate to more difficult
Price: $118
Note: incl. shark and Schnapps taste
Stories relating to ancient traditions and beliefs are shared throughout the tour with visits to two profoundly interesting sites included. The first will be at the shark curing farm/museum at Bjarnarhöfn. Here guests will have the pleasure of meeting Iceland’s famous “Shark Man” Hildibrandur of Bjarnarhöfn. Our second stop is to the hillock of Helgafell – here you have the chance to take part in a long practiced Icelandic ritual. But let’s start at the beginning. Upon leaving the harbor, our route takes us through the notorious Berserk Lava field. Many birds, including the majestic White-Tailed Eagle, are known to nest in this rugged lava field, making use of the perfect camouflage of the spongy, moss covered lava. Following a brief stop in order to soak up a little of the imposing volcanic surroundings and take a few photographs, we continue to Bjarnarhöfn shark curing farm where a Fear Factor style experience awaits. Learn the basics from the Master himself as Hildibrandur throws a little light on the subject of shark rotting for beginners – a shot of Brennivin (a sort of Icelandic Schnapps commonly known as “The Black Death”) is thrown in for good measure, allowing you to truly go at it like a local - SKAL! You will probably be in need of a little light exercise and fresh air following this unforgettable experience and following a short transfer, a stop at nearby Mount Helgafell provides sufficient quantities of both. Those willing and able to climb to the top of this hillock can follow a few simple rules and thus have three wishes granted. A lot of local history and charm is attached to this stop. Even those not up to the climb will be sure to enjoy listening to the guide share tales of local heroines and the combination of spiritual forces connected to this holistic site. A picturesque transfer takes us back to the pier in Grundarfjordur.