Autumn in Greenland: Highlights of Nuuk & Ilulissat

Day by day itinerary

• Day 1 » UK to Copenhagen

  Your trip begins with a flight to Copenhagen, where you’ll be staying at a modern hotel close to the airport terminal. Depending on your arrival time, you may wish to take the metro into the city centre to get an initial feel for the Danish capital – one of Scandinavia’s trendiest and most charming cities. With its plethora of world-class restaurants and buzzy bars, it’s a fabulous place to spend an evening before continuing your onward journey tomorrow.

  Stay: Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport

• Day 2 » Fly to Nuuk & enjoy sightseeing tour

  This morning, you’ll board a flight from Copenhagen to Nuuk – a journey of around four-and-a-half hours. On arrival in Greenland’s capital, an included transfer will bring you to your cosy hotel where you’ll be based for the next two nights. A guide will be waiting to give you an introductory talk about Nuuk, including the range of dining options and experiences on offer. Then, once you’ve settled in, you’ll head out on a guided sightseeing tour of Nuuk, offering a fascinating introduction to life in one of the world’s smallest and most remote capital cities. Home to around 19,500 people (roughly a third of Greenland’s total population), it’s a dynamic, constantly growing city with a vibrant cultural scene and a wealth of opportunities for outdoor adventures in the rugged backcountry that surrounds it.

  Your tour includes a visit to the Greenland National Museum, followed by an exploration of Old Nuuk, where you’ll pass by the house and statue of Hans Egede, the Danish-Norwegian missionary who founded Nuuk (originally Godthåb) in 1728. You’ll continue to Kalaaliaraq, a traditional market where fish, seals and reindeer meat are sold, before ending your tour at the Katuaq Cultural Centre – one of Nuuk’s most striking pieces of modernist architecture. From here, you’re perfectly placed to browse the local shops and take your pick from Nuuk’s diverse choice of restaurants, spanning everything from traditional Greenlandic cuisine and fresh seafood to Thai cuisine and pizza. 

  Stay: Hotel Søma, Nuuk

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 3 » Explore Nuuk at leisure & Northern Lights boat tour

  You have a whole day free to explore Nuuk at your own pace, perhaps venturing to some of the spots you may not have visited on yesterday’s guided tour. Although relatively compact in comparison to most European cities, there’s plenty to see and do, while the views of the surrounding mountains and the fjord are spectacular. A walk along the Nuuk Boardwalk – a wooden pathway running along the seafront – is a must, as is a visit to Myggedalen, the ultimate viewpoint of Nuuk’s colourful wooden houses with the distinctive peak of Sermitsiaq mountain in the background. You might also stop by the Nuuk Art Museum, check out the local cafe scene and perhaps visit the Nuuk Center, Greenland’s only shopping mall.

  In the evening, you’ll set off on a boat tour on the Nuuk Fjord in search of the Northern Lights, far away from the light pollution of the city centre. While a little luck is required regarding cloud cover and solar activity, Nuuk is ideally positioned at 64 °N, beneath the auroral oval, making it an excellent place to witness this celestial phenomenon. The boat will stop several times, allowing you to take in the beauty of the night sky in total silence. 

  Stay: Hotel Søma, Nuuk

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 4 » Fly to Ilulissat, town walk & meet the sled dogs

  Your Greenland adventure continues northwards today as you catch a flight from Nuuk to Ilulissat, 300 kilometres inside the Arctic Circle. The town’s name means ‘icebergs’ in the West Greenlandic language – rather appropriately, given the constant stream of gigantic icebergs that float past Ilulissat all year round. On arrival, you’ll be transferred to your hotel, beautifully situated on a hilltop just outside the town centre with magnificent views overlooking Disko Bay. After an introductory meeting, you’ll head out on a guided tour of Ilulissat, providing a richly informative insight into Greenland’s third-largest town, which was founded in 1741. It's a remarkably photogenic place, spread across a series of hillsides dotted with brightly-painted timber houses that add splashes of colour to the harsh Arctic landscapes.

  You’ll also have the opportunity to meet local Greenlandic sled dogs, whose unmistakeable howls can be heard all around Ilulissat. These dogs are the only breed allowed north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland in order to preserve their genetic purity. Unlike huskies, they are not kept as pets; they are working dogs, and have been used as a traditional mode of transport by Inuit people for thousands of years. Later on, you’ll be treated to a delicious welcome meal back at the hotel, showcasing modern Greenlandic cuisine at its very best. 

  Stay: Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat

  Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 5 » Ice fjord boat cruise & Northern Lights hunt

  Today, you’ll embark on a boat cruise on the Ilulissat Icefjord – a unique experience that enables you to get up close to the icebergs and appreciate their splendour from the ultimate vantage point. Each year, billions of tonnes of ice calve from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, flowing down the Ilulissat Icefjord and out into Disko Bay. It’s difficult to put into context the immense scale of these natural sculptures until you see them in person; some of them really are the size of large buildings, ranging in colour from pristine white to bright blue. Weaving among them by boat is a truly humbling, otherworldly experience – one that leaves a profound and long-lasting impression.

  Then, in the evening, you’ll head out on a Northern Lights hunt, driving away from the town centre to a dark sky spot with optimal viewing conditions. While you wait for the aurora to make an appearance, you’ll hear myths and legends about the Northern Lights and what causes them. If the skies are clear, there’s a strong likelihood of witnessing the ethereal green swirls of the aurora rippling across the sky. At 69 °N, there are few better places to do so than Ilulissat. 

  Stay: Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 6 » Guided hike to Sermermiut settlement

  On the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord lies the abandoned settlement of Sermermiut, where various Inuit cultures lived for over 4,000 years. You’ll visit what remains of the settlement on a guided hike today, learning about Greenland’s cultural heritage and the arrival of Europeans along the way. Afterwards, you’ll also have time to visit the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre, a futuristic masterpiece of steel, wood and glass, containing a souvenir store, a cafe and a superb exhibition showcasing the history of the ice fjord and its future in the context of climate change.

  The remainder of the day is yours to spend at leisure. 

  Stay: Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 7 » Visit to Ilimanaq settlement

  After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, you’ll venture out on a day trip to Ilimanaq, a tiny settlement of around 50 inhabitants, around 15 kilometres south of Ilulissat. The tour begins by sailing past the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord, giving you another chance to marvel at the icebergs, before arriving in Ilimanaq. On a guided walk, you’ll get a feel for life in a remote, traditional Greenlandic village, learning about Ilimanaq’s history from colonisation to the present day. During your visit, you’ll be invited into the home of a local family for a light lunch and a cup of tea or coffee, giving you a taste of Greenland’s warm hospitality and the chance to hear about life in the Arctic from the people who live there. Finally, you’ll sail back to Ilulissat, enjoying the stunning scenery en route. 

  Stay: Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 8 » Explore Ilulissat at leisure

  Your last full day in Ilulissat is free for you to explore independently. You may wish to visit the Ilulissat Cultural History Museum, which is housed within the building where the legendary polar explorer Knud Rasmussen was born in 1879, and pay a visit to the Zion’s Church – one of the oldest and most photographed wooden churches in Greenland. It’s easy to pass several hours simply strolling around the town, capturing photos of the colourful wooden houses and admiring the wonderful views of the icebergs floating in Disko Bay.

  For a truly unforgettable experience, consider booking a helicopter flightseeing tour (for an additional supplement), in which you’ll soar above the Ilulissat Icefjord and fly all the way to the edge of the Greenland ice sheet, enabling you to appreciate the region’s epic landscapes from the sky. This tour lasts an hour-and-a-half and is subject to the weather conditions at the time.

  Stay: Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 9 » Return to Copenhagen

  Enjoy one last breakfast at the hotel before your flight from Ilulissat back to Nuuk by propeller plane. In Nuuk, you’ll change to a larger aircraft as you bid farewell to Greenland and fly back to Copenhagen, where you’ll be staying at the airport hotel for the night.

  Stay: Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 10 » Return to UK

  The final leg of your trip sees you fly from Copenhagen back to the UK, returning with memories to last a lifetime. 

  Meals: Breakfast