A Greenland dog in front of colourful houses in Disko Bay
© Dylan Furst
Individual tour

Frozen West

5 days exploring Disko Bay in winter incl. visit to the Greenland Ice Cap

from €1,495 per person
Difficulty level: Easy to Moderate

Greenland's west coast in winter is beyond comprehension and calls with its ancient glaciers, massive icebergs, Inuit traditions and captivating northern lights any traveller seeking a true arctic adventure.

On your way to famous Disko Bay you will stop in Kangerlussuaq, providing best access to visit the massive Greenland Ice Cap. Enjoy sweeping views across an endless world of ice before continuing further north. Now, far beyond the Arctic Circle, you have time to explore Ilulissat with its icy surroundings. A heavy dose of Inuit culture seems guaranteed when joining our musher and his dogs on a short dog sled ride into the backlands of Ilulissat.

Don't forget, our fine selection of options allow to further customise this trip and make it your very own adventure.

Rough summary

Day 1:

Arrival in Kangerlussuaq - Visit to the Ice Cap

Day 2:

Flight to Ilulissat - Sermermiut Hike

Day 3:

Iceberg sailing

Day 4:

Dog sledding in Ilulissat

Day 5:

Departure from Ilulissat

Prices and dates

Price per person from:

Package based on: Double Single
Guesthouse 1495 1775
3* hotel 1665 2125
4* hotel 1800 2450

Dates:

Mondays, February 1, 2024 – February 15, 2024 (available)
Mondays & Thursdays, February 16, 2024 – April 15, 2024 (available)

Further details

Price includes:

  • 5 hour sightseeing tour to the Greenland Ice Cap in Kangerlussuaq
  • 1 night in Kangerlussuaq
  • domestic flight from Kangerlussuaq to Ilulissat
  • 2 hour walk at Ilulissat Icefjord and Sermermiut (Local guide)
  • 2 hour iceberg sightseeing tour by boat in Ilulissat (Local guide)
  • 1.5 hour dog sledding trip in Ilulissat (Local guide)
  • 3 nights in Ilulissat
  • Breakfast included when staying in hotel category
  • airport transfers in Ilulissat (not included when staying at guesthouse)

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 trip. You will receive comprehensive travel information such as where and when to meet for the activities.

Minimum age:

12

Options

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

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In front of giant icebergs near Ilulissat

Overnight in an Igloo & iceberg adventure

  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Mar
  • 25h
  • €565
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Add this option to stay overnight at Igloo Lodge, a camp consisting of traditional igloos and a heated hut. We get there by snow cat. Lunch, dinner, breakfast and a high-performance winter sleeping bag are included. With a bit of luck Northern Lights as well (Feb-Mar). Once you have settled in, you will head out on an unforgettable snowmobile and snowshoe adventure (2.5 hours, moderate difficulty) to towering ice icebergs. Choosing the Igloo Lodge option will extend your program by one day.
Leaving Ilulissat with the sled dogs

Upgrade to 4h dog sledding (2 person p. sledge)

  • Local guide
  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Apr 6th
  • 4h
  • + €205
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Upgrade the included basic dog sledding tour to an adventurous dog sled ride in Ilulissat with this 4-hour option. The ride involves crossing a plain, climbing 350 altimeters up Big Akinnaq mountain, and sledding through the vast expanse of back-country. Enjoy a thrilling ride down Big Akinnaq with a breathtaking view of the town and Disko Bay. Note that participants should be in good physical shape for the trip.
Snowshoeing in Disko Bay

Tour to Oqaatsut incl. snowshoeing & lunch

  • Ilulissat
  • Mar-Apr 10th
  • 6h
  • €255
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This guided day trip takes visitors north of Ilulissat by boat to the small settlement of Oqaatsut, where they will be welcomed by hosts and equipped with snowshoes for a 1-1.5 hour hike. Along the way, our guide will take them to viewpoints to learn about the life and history of Oqaatsut. Afterwards, a delicious meal will be served at the H8 restaurant with local ingredients such as fish and meat, before returning to Ilulissat. This is an amazing way to explore an authentic settlement north of Ilulissat.
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A local musher from Ilulissat

Tour to Oqaatsut incl. dog sledding & lunch

  • Local guide
  • Ilulissat
  • Mar-Apr 10th
  • 6h
  • €395
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This guided day tour takes you from Ilulissat Harbor by boat to the small settlement of Oqaatsut. From there you have the chance to cross the frozen bay on a sled with a local musher and his team of dogs, an ancient tradition still used today. At Restaurant H8, you will enjoy a delicious lunch made from local ingredients before returning back to Ilulissat by boat.
Igloo's beneath the Northern Lights in Greenland

Overnight in an Igloo & snowshoeing

  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Mar
  • 25h
  • €470
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Add this option to stay overnight at Igloo Lodge, a camp consisting of traditional igloos and a heated hut. We get there by snow cat. Lunch, dinner, breakfast and a high-performance winter sleeping bag are included. With a bit of luck Northern Lights as well (Feb-Mar). Once you have settled in, you will head on a a snow shoe hike (1.5 hours, moderate difficulty) to a view point towards Ilulissat Icefjord, crowned with its fantastic vista. Choosing the Igloo Lodge option will extend your program by one day.
Dog sledding through fresh snow in Greenland

Overnight in an Igloo & dog sledding

  • Local guide
  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Mar
  • 25h
  • €670
Show details Hide details
Add this option to stay overnight at Igloo Lodge, a camp consisting of traditional igloos and a heated hut. We get there by snow cat. Lunch, dinner, breakfast and a high-performance winter sleeping bag are included. With a bit of luck Northern Lights as well (Feb-Mar). Once you have settled in, you will head out to experience sheer tranquility on a dog sled ride (1.5 hours, moderate difficulty) to a breathtaking viewpoint, shared only with those participating in this adventure. Choosing the Igloo Lodge option will extend your program by one day.
Snowmobiling near Ilulissat in Disko Bay in Greenland

Snowmobiling

  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Apr 15th
  • 3h
  • €225
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During this excursion you will enjoy an amazing 3 hours snowmobiling ride from Ilulissat. We follow the old trail to the north, crossing lakes, frozen fjords and hills with breathtaking views of Disko Bay and Disko Island. Finally we cross the frozen sea to reach Oqaatsut where we have a break drinking coffee or tea, eat snacks and discover the traditional settlement. We ride back to Ilulissat taking a different route to explore the back country, visiting a spectacular frozen waterfall and the dramatic rock cliffs that dominate the scenery. Please note that the itinerary can be adjusted to weather & ice conditions. No previous experience but driving license is required. Minimum age is 18 years. We will provide all the equipment and teach all you need to know to ride completely safe with our experienced guide.
Camp overnight on the Greenland Ice Cap

Camp Ice Cap

  • Kangerlussuaq
  • Mar-Sep
  • 2 days
  • +€280
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Replace the included ice cap day tour from Kangerlussuaq with this fantastic 2 day trip to explore the fascinating Greenlandic ice cap and spend the night in a tent on the ice sheet. Choosing this option will extend your program by one day in Kangerlussuaq.
In front of the ice wall at Russell Glacier

Replace the ice cap tour with Russell Glacier

  • Kangerlussuaq
  • Feb-Apr
  • 4h
  • €0
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Add this option if you prefer in Kangerlussuaq not to go to the ice cap but instead would like to visit Russell Glacier. The glacier offers an impressive sight with its vertical ice walls rising as high as 60m. With a little luck, you might spot musk ox, snow hares or ptarmigans.
View of Ilulissat with Zion church and museum

Guided city walk Ilulissat

  • Ilulissat
  • Feb-Sep
  • 2h
  • €35
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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.

Flight connections

International flight to Greenland is not included. Domestic flight from Kangerlussuaq to Ilulissat included. Fly to Kangerlussuaq best via Copenhagen/Denmark.
Return flight from 1265 EUR per person can be added to your package.

Open map

Detailed itinerary

Day 1:

Welcome to frosty Kangerlussuaq, where you will likely be greeted by the cool winds rolling down from the highest peaks of the Greenland Ice Cap. Arriving here feels immediately like an adventure. Our plan for you today is to take you to one of the true wonders of the world - the vast Greenland Ice Cap. A powerful 4WD-vehicle will take you along a rough track all the way to the edge of the ice. Passing through the arctic scenery featuring wide plains, semi-desert valleys and a fantastic moraine landscape you start realising how massive Greenland really is. And you have only just started this trip. After a bumpy ride it is time to set your foot onto the massive Greenland Ice Cap. This will be one of your most memorable moments of your trip in Greenland. It is hard to believe that only a few decades ago the Greenland Ice Cap was inaccessible to most people. We spend some more time exploring this endless world of ice before returning to Kangerlussuaq. Overnight in Kangerlussuaq.

By the way, Kangerlussuaq is ideally situated so be on the lookout for Northern Lights (until early April).

Day 2:

Another big day ahead. In the morning you head further north by plane to visit famous Disko Bay as 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 UNESCO Ilulissat Icefjord will make you feel small and humble. An endless amount of ice is pushing down from the glacier Sermeq Kujalleq towards the sea, where ice is calving constantly creating those majestic icebergs of 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. Overnight in Ilulissat.

On a clear night we recommend to browse the Arctic sky for those magic Northern Lights, also called Aurora Borealis. We will inform you before your trip how and where you can best observe the fascinating light of the Aurora Borealis.

Day 3:

Today will be pretty amazing, but also pretty cold. You will head out by boat and visit the gigantic floating icebergs, so wrap yourself up warmly and have your cameras locked and loaded. One of our experienced captains will take you out into partly frozen Disko Bay, getting you as close as safe to the fascinating icebergs. These icy giants have calved from the most productive glacier of the Northern Hemisphere, the Sermeq Kujalleq. It annually calves 35 km³ of ice into the UNESCO Icefjord - a sheer unimaginable amount.

Kick back and enjoy the rest of the day in Ilulissat. Always good to venture out and explore Ilulissat on your own a little to get a glimpse of the local life up here in the Arctic. Overnight in Ilulissat.

Day 4:

Enjoy the silence, enjoy the scenery, feel the connection to an age-old tradition and experience something extraordinary - dog sledding in Ilulissat. The route depends on the conditions, but most often we will drive in flat terrain out on the plain behind Ilulissat...so if you're looking for a basic and easy dogsledding trip, this is the one. We suggest selecting the 4-hour tour option if you are in good physical condition and looking for a more adventurous experience. Overnight in Ilulissat.

Day 5:

All great adventures come to an end and so is this. Still feeling like you want to use an extra day here or there? No problem, let us know in your request and we will refine this trip and make it yours.

Remark

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, thus we cannot guarantee that you will see them during your trip. However, if you are traveling in Greenland from end of August to end of March, chances are good that you will be able to observe them, but best deep in the winter (from mid November to mid March). If you travel in April it is unlikely to see the Northern Lights as days are already too bright.

What our customers say

truly memorable trip

Thanks very much Nicole and team for this amazing and truly memorable trip! We loved it.

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Jarmo Pitkänen (Denmark, April 2023)

Es hat alles genial geklappt

Unsere Grönlandrundreise war rundum perfekt organisiert - auf wetterbedingte Einflüße wurde schnell und gut reagiert und für einen super Ersatz gesorgt. Alle Guides waren extrem aufmerksam, freundlich und kompetent. Es hat alles genial geklappt - die Hotels waren sauber - das Essen war sehr lecker - Es war ein unvergesslicher Urlaub mit fantastischen Eindrücken - die Natur dort ist überwältigend schön. Vielen dank für eine so gute Beratung und Betreuung - immer wieder gerne.

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Iris, Kristin & Lukas (Deutschland, March 2022)

J'ai adoré ce voyage!!

Extraordinaire. UN voyage attendu et excellant séjour sur place avec des équipes d'encadrement sympathiques et prêtes à se plier en 4 pour nous satisfaire. J'ai adoré ce voyage!!

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Bou Nathalie (France, February 2019)
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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.