Getting to Greenland
We flew into Greenland with Air Greenland, out of Copenhagen. There was one stop on the way to our final destination of Ilulissat, with a change of planes at Kangerlussuaq. On arrival there is a small international terminal, with a customs desk. You need to go past this, to get to the internal Greenland flights, although this isn’t immediately obvious. They do not do announcements in English either, so you need to look at the board, as you need to get a bus transfer out to the plane. The flight to Ilulissat was short and did not get very high, which allowed us to see a lot of the Greenland snow covered landscape as we went.
Arrival in Ilulissat
We were met at the airport by our tour operator from Arctic Adventure, who ensured that we had got on the shuttle bus to our hotel. He met us again at the hotel, where we were given an overview of our activities. Our previous flight to Copenhagen (via Stockholm) had resulted in a lost suitcase. When we told him that our luggage was lost in Stockholm he offered to take us to some shops so that we could purchase some clothes and toiletries. He also lent us some cold weather overalls for the duration of our stay. Fantastic service and a great introduction to Greenland.
Hotel Arctic
The Hotel Arctic proved to be a great place to stay. The staff were very friendly and helpful and our stay there was very pleasant. There are two options for meals with informal dining available at the bar or more formal meals in the restaurant. We tried both a were happy with the food and the local beer on offer. Yes Ilulissat has its own brewery!
Although it is located outside to the actual town a shuttle bus operates every hour and is a reliable way to get to and from town for tours, shopping or meals. They even saw us walking back to the hotel once and stopped to give us a lift. If you do want to walk yourself its only a 20 minute , but is cold in winter!
The hotel also offers transfers to and from the airport. They take care of boarding passes and weigh suitcases and put them on the bus prior to departure, so you do not have to worry about any of those things.
As an option, several igloo rooms are available overlooking the bay. these are currently being renovated, but would be great fun to stay in once complete.
Town tour of Ilulissat
After a stop at a local shop our guide took us on a tour of Ilulissat showing us all of the major points of interest and explaining the history of the town. The highlight was a visit to the local harbour where we saw the fishermen bringing the day’s catch. The harbour still had a lot of ice and many boats were ice bound and looking surreal.
On another occasion while driving in the Hotel Arctic’s shuttle bus, we passed some Husky puppies, looking very cute. The driver stopped so that we could get a good look at them.
Harbour
Zion’s Church
Another interesting stop in town was Zion’s Church. It was closed when we were there but we were able take some great photos.
Snow Shoe and a Northern Light Walk
After dinner at hotel on our first night, we went on a snow shoe walk in the dark. The walk took us about two hours and walking through the snow in the dark was a great experience. It was a clear cold night and the stars were brilliant although the northern lights only put in a small appearance, it was great to see.
Iceberg Sight Seeing
Our guide met us outside World of Greenland before driving us to the harbour, where we boarded our ship for the tour. Although catering for 36 people in the peak season, only ten of us took this trip. This meant that there was plenty of room for everyone.
The tour started with a safety briefing in the cabin and then some tips on taking photos. The guide was also available to explain the local bird and wildlife, as well as the effects of climate change on the local area. You have options of staying outside or spending time inside having tea and biscuits. The crew are really helpful at all times, and are exceptionally experienced at navigating the ice under the water. So safety is not a problem.
Snowmobile Exploration
We were the first customers for the new tourist season and had the trip to ourselves along with our guide. After an initial safety briefing and operating instructions, we were away.
The trip first ran over flat ground, which gave us an opportunity to get used to the 350kg machines and their handling. This was important, because before long we were going up steep hills and around bends.
Driving through amazing arctic scenery, we passed several dog sled teams, before stopping for a coffee and admiring the Arctic sunrise from on top of a mountain overlooking the ice fjord.
This was a fantastic experience, not the least of which was discovering that although these heavy machines sit on top of the snow, when you get off, you might sink waste deep. Probably best to take snow shoes!
Lunch in town
Several times we walked into and then around town to take photos of tbe colourful Greenlandic buildings and magnificent views out to sea. There were icebergs in Disko Bay visible from Ilulissat. After walking around in the minus 20 degrees Celsius we went to the cafe to have a hot chocolate a meal and warm up. The locals are extremely friendly,
Museum
The Ilulissat Museum is a three storied building in the centre of town. Opening hours vary depending on the time of year, so check before visiting. There is a small entrance fee, which also entitles you to entry at the art gallery.
Exhibits are spread over the top two floors, where they are well laid out with information cards in several languages including English.
The third floor contains an informative display of pre Christian Greenlandic culture, with an emphasis on shamanistic religion.
Helicopter Flight to the Glacier
A great way to see the interior of Greenland is by helicopter. We had a flight booked, to take us up onto the glacier, but unfortunately due to bad weather, it was cancelled. It was snowing all day so we walked around town, admired the views and had hot drinks and snacks at the cafe.
Flying back to Copenhagen, we again transferred planes in Kangerlussuaq, where we caught up with our missing bag.
What Did We Think?
We had a fantastic time in Greenland. The people were friendly, the accommodation great and the sights and activities amazing. We went in winter to experience the cold and ice and it easily lived up to our expectations.
Our photos are available for purchase on
