Spring in Ilulissat

Accommodation – in a historic hotel.

Your stay at Hotel Hvide Falk is in a shared double room with city views. The hotel has been – and still is today – a link between the local community in Ilulissat and visitors from all over the world.

City walking, the early Inuit and life today.

On a guided city walk you’ll learn about the historic “Hotel Hvide Falk”, “Zion Church”, “The Board”, the harbor and various viewpoints. Each place holds a special meaning for Ilulissat and holds stories about how the city has developed, where it is today – and where it is heading. Experienced guides will be attached to the tour and will be inspired by you as a participant, your questions and interest – together you create a unique tour.

Snowmobile – play – arrival at the unsurpassed.

There’s something unrivaled about the frozen tundra, with wind in your face and the feeling of riding on freedom. A snowmobile tour allows you to get up close and personal with the icebergs and massive ice formations. One of the biggest benefits (besides being fun, adrenaline-filled and exciting) of snowmobiling is that it allows you to experience areas of Greenland that would otherwise be inaccessible. You’ll only truly understand this when you explore remote valleys, cross frozen lakes, and maybe even encounter wild animals in their natural habitat. Arriving at the numerous locations and views of Disko Bay, the vast hinterland and the ice cap are experiences that we hear from our guests are something you take home with you forever. Snowmobiling is a safe activity when done with an experienced guide. You will receive thorough instruction and all necessary equipment to ensure a safe and comfortable trip.

Dog sledding – wide open spaces – tranquillity and great nature.

Sled dogs are an integral part of life in Greenland, and on this tour you will experience first-hand why they are known for both strength and endurance. An experienced sled driver will be your guide throughout the trip through the snowy expanses. You will learn about the dogs’ ability to pull heavy sleds over long distances and why they thrive in the cold Arctic climate and prefer to live outdoors. Being pulled by the dogs, experiencing their interaction with the mushers, and driving through a nature that is so quiet and at the same time so loudly raw is an experience that stays with you long after you’ve left the tracks in the snow. Before the tour, you will be introduced to the dog handlers who will take care of the dogs and help you prepare for the tour in the snowy landscape. The tour starts from the outskirts of the city over the frozen lakes with the big mountains in the background and takes about 1-1.5 hours. We recommend warm clothing, especially something that can cover the face.

Oqaatsut, a small settlement, snowshoeing or ice fishing – the choice is yours.

* The tours are either a day trip with lunch or an afternoon trip with dinner at Restaurant H8. 20 kilometers north of Ilulissat is Oqaatsut, a settlement with about 30 inhabitants. Locally, the settlement is called Red Bay, which refers to the blood of the whales that have been hauled ashore here for centuries – and still do today. Your sailing trip to Oqaatsut starts in Ilulissat Harbour. Along the way, you will experience the surrounding landscape and the changing shapes of the icebergs from the boat. If there is ice in the harbor when the boat is docked, you will have the experience of walking across the ice to get to shore.

Oqaatsut snowshoe hiking – feel the freedom of keeping your balance in places you wouldn’t otherwise go.

At Restaurant H8, sheep in snowshoes are handed out. An adventurous hike in the mountains awaits as the tour takes in the beautiful viewpoints of Disko Bay, with views of the drifting icebergs, and along the way you will hear about life in the settlement of Oqaatsut. The hike lasts approximately 1-1.5 hours, after which you return to restaurant H8 where you can relax, enjoy the view, or head off to explore the area on your own.

Oqaatsut ice fishing in the frosty fjord.

A test of patience between man and nature, ice fishing is a method that is still used today. It’s an ancient way of drilling a hole in thick ice – and it’s almost like opening a window to a hidden underwater world. Here, in the icy waters swim the large Greenland halibut, which Greenlandic hunters still fish for. You catch with a longline where you sink the line into the depths. It can feel like a victory if a halibut finally bites – patience pays off, because standing still can be cold despite the warm clothes – and we warm ourselves with hot chocolate along the way. The tour lasts approximately one hour. The hosts at Restaurant H8 will help you with the gear you’ll wear to keep warm – just like the Greenlandic hunters. *During the day tour, lunch is served in Restaurant H8, and the evening tour ends with a meal in Restaurant H8 before we cross the ice to the boat for the return trip to Ilulissat.

About Restaurant H8 and the taste of Greenlandic specialties

It’s low-ceilinged, in a cozy way, but the view you look out over while dining at one of Greenland’s best village restaurants is magnificent. The blue fjord contrasts sharply with the white icebergs, and the food served is composed of meat and fish from the Greenlandic nature and Greenlandic specialties.

The ice fjord – mountains of ice – and the surface of the water being broken by the boat.

To experience the Illussat Icefjord, which is where most icebergs are created, it is advantageous to sail into the fjord and in between the colossal icebergs to get up close to this fascinating area of ice. Ilulissat Icefjord is one of the finest examples of an Icefjord in the world. The fjord is shaped by the enormous Sermeq Kujalleq glacier and is one of the most active and fastest glaciers in the northern hemisphere. Experiencing the fjord is like being an eyewitness to one of nature’s most remarkable phenomena – up close you see the dynamics of the glaciers and the processes that shape the Arctic landscape. Whatever the weather, the sight of the huge icebergs and their shades from deep blue and deep white, sparkling and glittering, to shadowy and ever-changing, is an experience. An experienced guide will explain the area, the ice and the importance of the fjord to both Greenland and the rest of the world.  

The camera can’t capture the impression of the giant iceberg you just sailed past, but your body remembers the feeling of leaning your neck all the way back to take in the whole sight. – Marianne , traveler with Travel by Heart