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The Ice Sheet

The vast scale of the ice cap puts the world in its proper perspective – whether you see it from a dog sled, the sea, on a pair of skis or in a pair of walking boots.

A GREENLANDIC NATURAL ATTRACTION

The Greenlandic ice sheet is a gigantic ice cap that both overwhelms and astounds nature-lovers. The impressions of the magnificence of the ice and the deafening silence are memories you will never forget from your first encounter with the ice sheet.

You can fly, sail, drive and walk to the fringe of the ice which at its edge can be up to 100,000 years old.

ACCESS TO THE ICE SHEET

In some places you can walk on this permanent historical monument from the last ice age, for instance at Kangerlussuaq. It is an experience that is out of this world!

Travellers looking for an extreme experience also have the chance to cross the ice sheet. It is a great challenge, requiring special permission and competence, which only a handful of bureaus have specialised in offering to customers.

Several well-known sports events in Greenland contain stages to the ice sheet.

"You can fly, sail, drive and walk to the fringe of the ice which at its edge can be up to 100,000 years old."

Package Tours

Disko Line: Icefjord Cruise

Disko Line

Icefjord Cruise

Get closer to the impressive Greenlandic nature with Icefjord Cruise.

FROM €93
Blue Ice Explorer – UNESCO sites 5 days

Blue Ice Explorer

UNESCO sites 5 days

Visit Hvalsey, Igaliku and Qassiarsuk – 3 of the UNESCO sites – together with South Greenland’s colourful town Qaqortoq.

FROM €915
Greenland Tours: Northern Lights & Icebergs

Greenland Tours

Northern Lights & Icebergs

4 days in Ilulissat incl. dog sledding & Northern Lights tour

FROM €830
Greenland Travel: Zoom in on Ice and Snow

Greenland Travel

Zoom in on Ice and Snow

Winter Bestseller! Greenland Ice Sheet at Kangerlussuaq and Ilulissat Ice Fjord. Winter activities, great nature, culture, and thousands of sled dogs.

From €1,875
Show More

THE SIZE OF THE ICE SHEET

Greenland’s ice sheet creates enormous glaciers, which under the influence of the force of gravity are forced out towards the coasts.

Here the ice breaks off and forms the icebergs that are one of Greenland’s major natural attractions.

The ice’s total area of 1.8 million km² (695,000 square miles) corresponds to 14 times the size of England. The ice-free area amounts to 350,000 km² (135,000 square miles) – equivalent to the area of Germany.

FROZEN FRESHWATER

The ice sheet has covered large parts of Greenland for the last 2-3 million years, but active glaciers and constant melting have meant that the ice has been recycled many times.

The aging ice sheet is only a few metres thick at the ice fringe, but more than 3,200 metres (10,500 feet) thick at its highest point.

The ice contains 10 per cent of the world’s reserves of fresh water as well as atmospheric particles which scientists can use to gain an insight into the climate of both Greenland and the Earth going back some 250,000 years. “

THE MELTING ICE SHEET

“Greenland’s ice sheet is melting today far more rapidly than at the turn of the millennium. Many researchers think that every year the ice is losing more mass than is being created.

If the entire ice sheet melted, the world’s oceans would rise by approx. 6-7 metres (20-23 feet). Fortunately this will not happen from one day to the next.

However, at a time characterised by heated debate on global warming, a visit to the fascinating ice sheet gives even more food for thought.

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The northern lights Northern lights over mountains. By Mads Pihl Dogsledding in North-East Greenland, by Magnus Elander The Inuit’s view of life
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