©Thomas L. Kelly
Optional Excursions
(limited availability)
In addition to the regular itinerary, we are offering additional excursions to provide different views, tastes, and experiences for your Greenlandic adventure. Please note that these trips fill up quickly.
Kangerlussuaq: Sightseeing
The small settlement of Kangerlussuaq is home to about 500 residents (less than 1% of Greenland’s entire population), yet over thousands of years, the residents of Kangerlussuaq have played a significant role in Greenland’s history and global contributions.
Present-day Kangerlussuaq was first established in 1941 as an American-operated military base. When the military base became inactive, the facilities were re-purposed into Greenland’s international airport. This increased accessibility created an upsurge in Kangerlussuaq’s popularity among nature lovers, researchers and adventurous spirits. Filled with wanderlust, they arrive to Kangerlussuaq inspired by its unique surroundings and culture, determined to partake in unique experiences, such as witnessing the northern lights and hiking along one of the world’s only two ice sheets.
On this sightseeing excursion, we will hear fascinating stories about the earliest populations of ancient Kangerlussuaq and fast forward though the settlement’s significance during World War II, the Korean and Cold Wars, and today.
One of Greenland’s most extensive road networks surrounds Kangerlussuaq, providing us with access to several interesting landmarks, including panoramic vistas from the harbor overlooking Kangerlussuaq Fjord, the researchers’ community of Kellyville and the old military facilities.
In between our itinerary stops, we will witness Greenland’s amazing nature and hear about its unique floras and wildlife.
This excursion will also provide you with greater insight into Greenlandic culture and the community’s unique ways of adapting to life in the Arctic. Your guide will surely share stories about the local culture, and the enormous pride Kangerlussuaq’s locals feel for their home.
Available for all Greenland voyages that start or end in Kangerlussuaq.
This excursion needs to be preordered.
Price: $65
Ilulissat: Ice-fjord Flight Sightseeing
Discover huge iceberg pushing towards the mouth of the Kangia Icefjord, and breaching their way into the Disko Bay.
Get to see the very small settlement of Ilimanaq just south of the ice fjord, and if you are lucky, you might get a glimpse of the many whales in the bay on your way back to Ilulissat. We fly Vulcanair Partenavia P68 airplanes. These airplanes are ideal for the purpose of sightseeing flights.
Being high wing mounted with large windows at each seat, you have the perfect conditions for taking pictures and bringing your memories back home, as well as giving you a clear view of the landscape. The Partenavia can carry up to 5 passengers plus the pilot Duration: approx. 40 min. Total excursion time with transfers, approx. 1½ hours
Price: $465
Kangerlussuaq: BBQ & Reindeer Glacier
The Ice Sheet Is one of Greenland’s biggest attractions. It covers 80% of the surface of the country, but the size of this mass of ice is reduced every year, because it melts more than it rebuilds. Our destination is a place we call Reindeer Glacier, which stands tall like an ice wall – in some places up to 60 meters high – displaying a clear contrast between land and ice.
The name Reindeer Glacier, comes from the frequent sightings of reindeer here, but even without the presence of the animals, this location is a world-class spectacle, with a myriad of motives for the camera and calmness that brings to our thoughts nature’s pristine, immaculate beauty. Our journey to one of the area’s most remarkable glaciers requires transport via a tundra coach, a 4WD vehicle, which is designed to take on the rocky, changeable terrain and gravel roads. Along the way, keep your eyes open for the wildlife that resides in the area, namely reindeer and musk oxen, while you let your mind wander while listening to the history and stories of the area narrated by our guide.
During the warm summer months, glacial thinning and instability within the colossal walls of ice happens more often. These structures can calve and break suddenly; therefore, it is important to maintain a safe distance from the ice giants. After approx. 90 minutes of driving, we will reach the resplendent Reindeer Glacier, where one can walk parallel to the glacier edge up from the waterfall, and there is the opportunity to photograph the scenery from many different good angles, or just enjoy the greatness and silence, interrupted only by the roaring sound of the melting ice water.
The area where we spend most of the time is equipped with about twenty benches with tables and primitive but practical mobile toilets for those in need. After an appropriate amount of time in front of the fascinating glacier, we leave the unique nature as it was when we got to it: Untouched, magnificent and unforgettable.
Some iterations of this excursion includes a BBQ lunch at the Roklubben restaurant, it will be clear in your specific booking.
Price: no charge
Ilulissat: Charter boat to Ice-Fjord
On this day, you will also have the opportunity to join a boat trip to the Icefjord. The journey takes about 2 hours in total and presents an opportunity to gain a closer look at the amazing ice-sculpted scenery. The trip is definitely something out of the ordinary and a great natural experience that you will remember for years to come.
Discover one of the most stunning places on Earth: the Ilulissat Icefjord, known as “Ilulissat Kangerlua” in Greenlandic. This area is one of the planet’s most productive ice sites. To truly appreciate the immense beauty of these massive icebergs, you must navigate between them and witness their grandeur from the waterside, a perspective only acces- sible by boat.
The entire Ilulissat Icefjord is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to the high production of icebergs from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier at its base and the colossal icebergs lodged at its end. Regardless of the weather, the icebergs are breathtaking. The sun makes them shine and sparkle, while cloudy skies enhance their blue hues. The boat trips are conducted on certified tour boats with experienced guides. They provide insights into the ice and its significance to the region as we navigate closely past the massive icebergs.
Price: $135
Kayaking
We know from those who have gone kayaking with us in Antarctica, few things can compare with kayaking among the icebergs. Who knows, maybe a humpback whale or two might pass you by. Kindly note that kayaks are only launched in calm seas and the number of paddles is therefore weather dependent. Even the chance to do it once is a lifetime memory.
Price: $350