Tasiilaq

Long summer days (Tasiilaq is located just 106km south of the Arctic Circle) entice hikers of all experience levels keen to embark on adventures lasting from a few hours to a few weeks. Day trips include short hikes around Tasiilaq as well as glacier hiking, ice caving, and ice climbing adventures. Meanwhile, supported (you only carry a day pack) and unsupported multi-day expeditions led by Arctic wilderness guides safely allow you to experience and camp in the remote mountains and valleys of East Greenland.

Camp set up under the northern lights in the backcountry of Tasiilaq. Photo: Chris Brinlee Jr

Similarly, kayakers can paddle for one or several days with guides expert in navigating ice and Arctic waters. Explore the vastness of the East Greenland coastline as the Inuit did, or try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding – a modern spin on this ancient form of transportation.

For a more relaxed vacation, boat tours up the Ammassalik Fjord to several glaciers, the Sermilik Icefjord (one of the most active ice fjords in Greenland), traditional settlements, and an abandoned WWII airbase all offer the potential for incredible iceberg viewing and whale watching. Or, for the best chance at getting as close as respectfully possible to the ocean’s magnificent giants, join a whale watching tour that will take you directly to where the fishermen last spotted them.

Photo tour at the Sermilik Icefjord near Tasiilaq. Photo: Mads Pihl

During the colder months, Tasiilaq becomes a magnet for ski touring and heliskiing enthusiasts from around the world. An uncountable number of virgin peaks offer unbeatable views and pristine first-runs that end in untouched, snow-filled valleys that invite further exploration.

You can do so by joining a musher on one of the oldest forms of Arctic transportation – the traditional Greenlandic dog sled. Still commonly practiced by hunters and fishermen in Greenland, dog sledding is an Inuit tradition and one of the best ways to experience the raw beauty of the Tasiilaq area in winter. Forged over countless generations, the connection between the musher and his dogs and the almost supernatural ability for the pack to read ice conditions and avoid potential danger is an experience of a lifetime. Options exist to take a short tour of a couple of hours, travel to the best locations to try your hand at ice fishing, or embark on a multi-day trip across a variety of frozen landscapes (fjord, lakes, gorges, glaciers) to visit other settlements.

Sled dogs Taking a Break in Tasiilaq. Photo – Chiara Zonca

Other winter excursions include snowshoeing, snowmobiling adventures (a faster and less relaxed way of getting around than dog sled), and numerous opportunities to head out of town for the best views of the incredible Northern Lights (though they are often visible from the centre of town).

The Ammassalik Museum (Tasiilaq Museum), which also includes a traditional peat house, is located in what was formerly the town church. It was built in 1908 by the crew of a Danish sailing vessel that ran aground nearby using timber from the ship itself. A model of their doomed vessel hangs from the ceiling.

Tasiilaq Museum in the old church in Tasiillaq. By Mads Pihl

Self-guided hiking from Tasiilaq is limited due to the small but real possibility of encountering a polar bear. Safe options include the Flower Valley (with the possibility of a sauna in the middle of nowhere if you are lucky), walking along the bay (Qinngimu), exploring the Iddimiini conservation area with its traces of early Inuit settlements, and climbing to the numerous cairns that perch upon any of the hills overlooking the town.

If you plan to hike further afield, it is strongly recommended that you hire a local guide who is equipped with a gun, safety, and navigational equipment.