East & West

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 give you insights of the Inuit culture and will answer your questions.

We leave Ilulissat early in the morning and sail north in the direction of Eqi Glacier. Very few places in Greenland are as breathtaking as Eqi. On the way we will sail around the most impressive icebergs in the Northern Hemisphere. We will sail close the massive glacier wall, turn off the engines for about an hour, enjoy some lunch as well as the breathtaking view of the calving glacier. In the afternoon we make our way back to Ilulissat.

Dressed in floating suit and life west you head out in the morning by open boat (RIB - rigid-inflatable boat) to have a taste of Greenlandic nature just north of Ilulissat. After a guided tour around the small settlement Oqaatsut you will leave towards a wilderness hut and on the way collect mussels, Greenlandic herbs and mushrooms - just like the Inuit that had to complement their diet that mainly consisted of meat and fish with further vitamins. The hut is much alike a local hunters hut with no electricity or running water and serves as a shelter if needed. Besides gathering food you will also do a short hike by the shore where old Inuit graves and tent rings can be found. Afterwards a delicious lunch will be prepared with the ingredients found in the nature. In the afternoon you head back to Ilulissat.

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).

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).

We start with a city walk of Tasiilaq. We will first have a look to the Skunk, the workshop where local artists manufacture the most beautiful and renowned handicraft. We continue with a visit of the museum located in the old church built in 1903, where you could learn about the live and history of East Greenland. We walk then up to the new church from where we will have a beautiful view over the whole town. From up there you can see the oldest houses of the town. We will head further to the beautiful Flower Valley. On the way, we could see as the name indicates, many different flowers, such as arctic thyme, arctic bluebell, arctic dandelion, the national flower broad-leafed willow herb, and many others. We will continue the small curved path along the river, until we will reach a small waterfall. Here we will stop for a while and enjoy the beautiful landscape and quietness, before heading back to Tasiilaq.

We leave in the morning from the harbour and sail into the impressive Ammassalik fjord. After about an hour of sailing, the fjords are getting more narrow and the surrounding mountain peaks even more breathtaking. Shortly after we will stop in Ikateq, an old American military base, also known as "Bluie East Two" during war times. The airbase was operational from 1942 to 1947 and was placed in this strategic spot to facilitate transatlantic air traffic, navigation, search-and-rescue operations as well as weather forecast. When the airport was moved to Kulusuk the US army left considerable fuel drums, vehicles and buildings behind. The rusted relics of the past offer an interesting and disputed contrast to the beautiful wilderness surrounding Ikateq. Our journey continues towards Fjord Sermiligaaq. Sermiligaq in Greenlandic means "beautiful glacier". And this is exactly where we are heading. At the end of the fjord the two majestic glaciers Karale and Knud Rasmussen calve into the sea. With our safe boats we will try to get as close as save to Knud Rasmussen Glacier. Here we will also go ashore and enjoy our lunch break with a mesmerising view. We spend 1-2 hours in the area before heading back to Tasiilaq.

This adventure is 5-6 hours long and starts with a boat trip that will get us in front of Apusiajik glacier. During the 40 minutes sailing from Tasiilaq it is possible to see wildlife, such as humpback and fin whales, orcas and seals. Arriving at the glacier your guide will provide all the gear and will lead you safely on the glacier. During the walk on the ice you will be able to explore an ice cave, see all the features of a glacier and admire the calving front of the glacier that sits on top of the ocean. On the way back by boat, we will have another opportunity to see wildlife and gaze at the impressive icebergs of East Greenland.