Locals travelling with the Sarfaq Ittuk

Coastal Ship - West Greenland

© Visit Greenland - Mads Pihl
Individual tour

Coastal Ship - West Greenland

9 days west coast incl. 3 days on board Sarfaq Ittuk

from €1,325

On this trip you will sail with the coastal ship ‘Sarfaq Ittuk’ from Nuuk to the famous Disko Bay. Travelling with the locals on board the coastal ship will give you a great insight into the life of the Greenlanders. In Nuuk, the capital of Greenland we will have time to explore the city and learn about the history and the culture of the Inuit. On the way to Ilulissat, the city of Icebergs, you will stop at small settlements and witness the locals at the ports welcoming or bidding farewell to family and friends. In Ilulissat you can explore the breathtaking area, enjoy the view on the most impressive icebergs in the Northern Hemisphere and go on exciting day tours.

Rough summary

Day 1:

Arrival in Nuuk

Day 2:

Day at leisure in Nuuk

Day 3:

Embarkation on board the coastal ship in Nuuk

Day 4:

Sailing: Maniitsoq - Sisimiut

Day 5:

Sailing: Aasiaat - Arrival in Ilulissat

Day 6-8:

Days at leisure in Ilulissat

Day 9:

End of the trip in Ilulissat

Prices and dates

Price per person:

1 June to 1 September: Double Single
Couchette & budget rooms 1325 1790
Cabin & rooms with private facilities 1970 3060

Dates:

Wednesdays, June 1, 2023 – August 31, 2023 (available)

Further details

Price includes:

  • 2 nights in Nuuk
  • sailing on board Sarfaq Ittuk from Nuuk to Ilulissat
  • 4 nights in Ilulissat
  • breakfast included except aboard the coastal ship and in hostel in Nuuk

Price does not include:

  • meals aboard the coastal ship
  • all services not mentioned in the above "included" section

Type of trip:

This pre-arranged adventure is an individual trip, meaning you are discovering Greenland on your own but joining selected guided group activities during your stay. You will receive comprehensive travel information such as where and when to meet for the activities.

Minimum age:

8

About accommodation:

Couchette & budget room: In Nuuk in hostel in room with shared facilitates, on board the Sarfaq Ittuk in couchette in dormitory in sleeping bag accommodation with shared facilitates, in Ilulissat in hotel in room with private facilities.

Cabin & accommodation with private facilities: In Nuuk in a 3 local star hotel in room with private facilities, on board the Sarfaq Ittuk in a private cabin with private facilities, in Ilulissat in a 3 local star hotel in room with private facilities.

The ship Sarfaq Ittuk

The vessel was built in 1992 and modernised and lengthened in the winter of 1999/2000. It is now 73 meters long and 11 meters wide. With her engine of 2000 hp the vessels steams at a speed of 13 knots. The crew counts 22 people. The vessel has café, stern saloon with panorama windows, playroom and a hospital clinic to be used in case of injuries and emergency situations onboard. The vessel's capacity is 239 passengers. The overnight accommodation facilities are distributed on 104 cabin beds with private bath and toilet, and 135 couchettes. The couchettes are without private facilities and have access to lockable cabinet showers in communal areas. 'Det Norske Veritas' has classified the vessel for sailing in icy waters.

Options

Feel free to add one or more of our tour options to make them part of your request.

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Close to the ice with a sightseeing boat from Ilulissat

Evening iceberg sailing to UNESCO Icefjord

  • Ilulissat
  • Jun-Sep 15th
  • 2h
  • €95
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On a 2 hour boat trip you will sail among the gigantic icebergs in Disko Bay in the evening sun. These frozen giants calved from the most productive glacier of the Northern Hemisphere, the Sermeq Kujalleq. It annually calves 35km³ of ice into the UNESCO Icefjord. Sailing around the gigantic icebergs in the evening sun is a fantastic experience. If you are lucky you might even spot a whale or two.
Hiking along the icefjord next to Ilulissat in Greenland

Walk to UNESCO Icefjord incl. Sermermiut

  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Sep
  • 2h
  • €45
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It is a big day today. You came here to see glaciers and icebergs. And you do not mean the small ones, you mean the massive ones. Well, we promise - this is what you are going to see. Standing in front of the enormous Ilulissat Icefjord will make you feel small and humble. An endless amount of ice pushing down from the glacier Sermeq Kujalleq towards the sea, where ice is calving constantly creating those majestic icebergs floating in Disko Bay. Here, at the Ilulissat Icefjord World Heritage Site, we also stop at Sermermiut, an abandoned Inuit settlement, which had been used by Saqqaq, early Dorset and Thule cultures. Our guide will provide you with insights into the Inuit culture.
The old church in Nuuk with National Day celebrations

City sightseeing Nuuk

  • Local guide
  • Nuuk
  • Jun-Sep
  • 1.5h
  • €45
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A guide takes you on a historical tour through all of the neightborhoods in Nuuk. The tour starts (either in car or bus) in 'Qinngorput' the newest suburb in Nuuk, where you will hear about everything from architecture to the everyday life of the town's 16,000 inhabitants. From Qinngorput we go 'back in time’ through the 70’s buildings in the suburb of Nuussuaq, through the 50s apartment buildings in the city center, the colorful typehouses in 'Nuutoqaq' and finally ending the tour in the colonial harbor where it all started when Hans Egede arrived in the 1700th century. This historical insight to the city will give you a greater understanding of the conditions and customs of this country. During the trip there will be plenty of opportunities to stop and take pictures or take a short walk up to the Hans Egede Statue next to the Cathedral. The tour can conveniently end ar the national museum of Nuuk, where you can easily spent a couple of hours.
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A small passenger boat in front of the huge glacier wall at the Eqi glacier in Greenland

Boat tour to Eqi Glacier

  • Ilulissat
  • Jun-Sep
  • 6h
  • €350
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We leave Ilulissat in the early morning by boat heading north to the famous Eqi Glacier, one of the most breathtaking places in Greenland. We stop for about an hour close to the massive glacier wall, turn off the engines and admire the magnificent views of this huge calving glacier. A packed lunch on board is included. In the afternoon we make our way back to Ilulissat.
Glacier hike during glacier adventure

Full day adventure incl. glacier walk

  • Local guide
  • Ilulissat
  • Jun 21st-Aug
  • 9h
  • €485
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From Ilulissat you start by sailing south to the beach of Itilliup Ilua. From here you set off with your guide by UTV, driving through the ever-changing landscape until you reach Tasiusaq fjord. From here it is a short hike down to the open boat which will take you deep into the ancient fjord where hunters and prey have been battling for centuries. Soon you jump ashore with your guide and walk towards Saqqarleq Sermia - a glacier that looks inviting but also craves humility. This is where you start to feel like a polar explorer and just want to walk on the thousands-of-years old glacial ice. So that is exactly what you will do. Your glacier guide explains about safety and precautions and takes you through this endless world of ice. Amazing! You will return to Ilulissat in the early evening.
View of Ilulissat with Zion church and museum

Guided city walk Ilulissat

  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Sep
  • 2h
  • €40
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On a city walk through Ilulissat your guide will show you the most important sites of this charming little town located next to the UNESCO Icefjord for instance the old part of town where the houses of the first Danish settlers are situated at the harbour as well as the Knud Rasmussen Museum and the old wooden church Zion. He will provide us with valuable insight into the history of Ilulissat and the Greenlandic culture.
Kayaking from Ilulissat in Disko Bay

Evening kayaking

  • Ilulissat
  • Jun-Sep 15th
  • 3h
  • €180
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In the evening, you go for an impressive kayaking trip among the gigantic icebergs in Disko Bay. The activity consists in kayaking along the coast of Ilulissat, from where you can see big icebergs coming from the Ilulissat Icefjord. You experience this breathtaking scenery in the most natural and traditional way. Just you and your kayak, paddling as Inuits used to so and some still do. Nonetheless all the safety measures are included: the best equipment in the market (clothing that enables you to swim in freezing waters and the most safe and stable kayaks) and if that were not enough, our kayak instructors have the highest qualifications and lots of experience kayaking in Arctic regions (to participate in this trip max height is 2m and weight is 110kg).
Kayaking past Oqaatsut in the Disko Bay in Greenland

Inuit village & kayaking

  • Ilulissat
  • Jun-Sep 15th
  • 7h
  • €285
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In the morning you will be transferred by boat to the small settlement of Oqaatsut. Here we will go kayaking in Disko Bay. Before we start, you will get a short introduction to kayaking and then we will practice a bit just off the coast of Oqaatsut. We then head towards the icebergs. We will paddle among the icebergs in the bay and enjoy the spectacular views surrounding us. We will have some refreshment in Oqaatsut before we take the boat back to Ilulissat (to participate in this trip max height is 2m and weight is 110kg).
Whale diving near Ilulissat among icebergs

Whale watching tour in Disko Bay

  • Ilulissat
  • Jun 15th-Sep 15th
  • 3h
  • €150
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Today you will go on a whale safari in Disko Bay with its giant icebergs. During the summer many different whale species migrate to the colder waters of the Disko Bay area, commonest humpback whales, fin whales and minke whales. We are in contact with local fishermen who keep us up to date on where we are likely to spot some whales.
Tourists on a boat in the Icefjord near Nuuk in Greenland

Boat tour to the icefjord

  • Local guide
  • Nuuk
  • Jun-Sep
  • 7h
  • €255
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A Targa boat takes us to Kangersuneq/Icefiord through Qoornoq passage. After about 2 hours boat tour we arrive to the mouth of Kangersuneq/Icefiord where we have the view of Narsap Sermia Glacier. After lunch we will continue to Qoornoq an abandoned settlement. In Qoornoq you can walk around and get a feeling of how life was in a settlement.
Guests at the Qooqqut Nuan restaurant in the fjord near Nuuk in Greenland

Boat tour to Qooqqut Restaurant

  • Local guide
  • Nuuk
  • Jun-Sep
  • 5.5h
  • €190
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In the afternoon we head out by boat into the fjord, sailing for approximately one hour until we reach Qooqqut which is beautifully surrounded by impressive mountains. Before going ashore we will go fishing for 20 minutes. The fjord is abundant with cod and redfish and we will take our fresh catch to the famous restaurant up here to be cooked. Qooqqut itself used to be a sheep breading station, but the old buildings have been restored and turned into a superb restaurant. At the restaurant you will enjoy your Greenlandic dinner before we take you back to Nuuk by boat.

Flight connections

Flights to Greenland are not included.
Fly to Nuuk via Reykjavík/Iceland or through Kangerlussuaq via Copenhagen/Denmark.
Return flight from 1250 EUR per person can be added to your package.

Open map

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Nuuk - visit of the capital

Today you arrive in Nuuk. Night in Nuuk.

Day 2: Nuuk

You will have the day at leisure Nuuk. You can explore the capital, visit the National Museum and see the mummies found in the north of Greenland, and take a walk at the hold harbour as well as visiting the culture center, Katuaq or join one of the guided excursions we have available in the options. Night in Nuuk.

Day 3: Nuuk - coastal ship departure

You will have the day at leisure Nuuk. In the evening, you will leave Nuuk on board the coastal ship, Sarfaq Ittuk. Night on board.

Day 4: Maniitsoq - Sisimiut

The further north we sail, the higher and steeper the mountains are. Today we will pass the Arctic Circle before we arrive in Sisimiut, which is the most northern town in Greenland free of ice all the year around. Night on board.

Day 5: Aasiaat - Ilulissat

Today, you will arrive in the famous Disko Bay. After a short stop in Aasiaat, we will continue to sail north towards Ilulissat, the town of the icebergs. Shortly before we arrive in Ilulissat, we will pass by the impressive Icefjord, Kangia, filled with enormous icebergs. You will have the afternoon at leisure in Ilulissat to visit the town and enjoy the amazing view of the icebergs. Night in Ilulissat.

Day 6 to 8: Days at leisure in Ilulissat

You will have 3 days to discover the famous Disko Bay. You can explore the beautiful area and the incredible icebergs. You can also check out our guided excursions in the options. Nights in Ilulissat.

Day 9: End of the trip in Ilulissat

Today your trip ends in Ilulissat after unforgettable days in the Arctic.

Schedule Sarfaq Ittuk

02 June - 15 September Day Arrival Departure
Nuuk Friday - 21:00
Maniitsoq Saturday 07:00 07:30
Kangaamiut 11:00 11:15
Sisimiut 19:00 21:00
Aasiaat Sunday 08:00 08:30
Ilulissat 13:00 -

What our customers say

The packing list was incredibly helpful

Everything was very well organized and the accommodations and excursions were all excellent! The packing list was incredibly helpful beforehand so we knew what to bring.

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Naomi Kasman (Canada, June 2019)

individuelle und eingehende Betreuung

Vielen Dank für die individuelle und eingehende Betreuung vor, während und nach der Reise. Es wurde auf alle (sich auch ändernden) Wünsche und Wetterbedingungen sofort eingegangen. Die finanzielle Seite (Angebot, Abrechnung, Rückerstattung) war immer nachvollziehbar, anstandslos und zuvorkommend.

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Sabine (Deutschland, May 2018)

for sure we will recommend your agency

All the services we booked from your agency were fine and excellent and we want to thank you again for everything. If some our friend would like to do the same trip to Greenland for sure we will recommend your agency.

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Catin (Italy, June 2016)
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All adventure trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Greenland Tours does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realise that all outdoor activities carry an inherent risk.