Explore our glaciers
Greenland’s coastline is absolutely riddled with fjords and inlets, through which the magnificent ice sheet seeps out into the surrounding oceans. This means that there are hundreds more glaciers in Greenland than we can possibly describe on this page. Here, we introduce those glaciers which are the most accessible and well-known, divided by region.
People often ask:
“Where is the blue river?”
- It is common for research into Greenland to lead one to the viral photos of kayakers floating down a crystal clear blue river that trickles serenely across a desolate glacial landscape. And this is hardly surprising, since these photos are truly stunning.
- Unfortunately, this experience is not a tourist product and the river is not accessible by tourists. The “Blue River” is meltwater on top of Petermann Glacier, which is found right in the very north of Greenland, further than it is possible for tourists to go. The glacier sits right on the edge of Greenland’s National Park (the largest national park in the world), which is generally only entered by scientists and expeditionists who have a special permit.
- Glaciers can be dangerous and unpredictable and the Blue River itself changes constantly as the glacier melts. Although this is surely a truly incredible experience, it is simply not safe or realistic to develop it into a tourist product. Fortunately, there are plenty of other glaciers in Greenland where you can have unique and safe experiences as a tourist.
North Greenland
North Greenland is synonymous with icebergs and glaciers. It is home to what is said to be the world’s fastest-moving glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq, which is located close to the town of Ilulissat. In fact, the word ‘Ilulissat’ even means iceberg in Greenlandic!
About Sermeq Kujalleq
Sermeq Kujalleq has seen some spectacular calving events and it is said that the iceberg that sank the Titanic originated here. An area encompassing the glacier itself as well as the icefjord it feeds into has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, and the magnificence and accessibility of the icefjord has made the town of Ilulissat one of Greenland’s top tourism destinations.
How to experience this glacier
You can witness the spectacle of the icefjord very easily from the town of Ilulissat – a 20 minute walk from the town centre brings you right to its edge. This article outlines the different ways tourists can get up close and personal with the icefjord. However, you cannot see the glacier itself from here. To see the glacier, you have to swoop over it on a flightseeing tour. There is far too much ice in the fjord to be able to sail up to the glacier’s calving face.
If you’d like to get up close to a glacier in this area, you can sail from Ilulissat to Eqi glacier (slightly north of Ilulissat) in a day boat trip. You can even spend the night in a luxury lodge that overlooks this glacier’s dramatic calving face.
Local providers operating in this area
Glacier Lodge Eqi
Glacier Lodge Eqi offers unrivalled glacier view accommodation at a prime backcountry north of Ilulissat in Greenland.
Air Zafari
Air Zafari offers sightseeing from the air. All aircraft have large windows next to each seat – which makes it perfect for photography.
IceCap Explore
IceCap Explore is located in the heart of Ilulissat in a building, which also houses a tourist office, café, microbrewery and discotheque.
Amazing Boat Tours – Ilulissat
If you value 30 years of sailing experience in Greenland by captain and owner Wilhelm Gemander on his comfortable and safe motor cruiser “MB/MAYA”.
DESTINATION DISKO BAY
The waters around Greenland’s coast are packed with islands, but Disko Island is the largest of them. It’s so big that it has plenty of its own glaciers to explore.
About Uunartuarsuup Sermia
Uunartuarsuup Sermia is visually strikingly different to other glaciers you may visit around Greenland. This is because it is situated on top of a mountain, which towers over the town of Qeqertarsuaq at a height of approximately 900 metres. In summer, the mountain’s sides are free of snow but its plateau remains icy, meaning it is relatively easy to access the glacier without specialised equipment.
How to experience this glacier
Hiking up the mountain to the glacier takes 3 – 4 hours one way and can be tough in places, so allow a day for a return trip. As the glacier is so close to the coast, it is the perfect vantage point to enjoy a spectacular view over Qeqertarsuaq and Disko Bay, and to watch whales playing in the summer. You can do the hike self-guided (the trail is marked) or through any of the local tourism operators in town.
Disko Mountain Lodge is a hut on top of the glacier in which you can overnight if you want to extend your glacier experience even longer. The lodge is operated by Hotel Disko Island so stays should be arranged through them.
Local providers operating in this area
Skansen – Your Home
Surrounded by magnificent scenery is a small red house occupying just 50 sqm of space. The house was built in the late 1960s and is well looked after.
SikuAput
SikuAput is based in Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island. The company offers dog sledding, hiking, snowmobile and boat trips.
Hotel Disko Island
Hotel Disko Island is situated in the centre of Qeqertarsuaq. It comprises 5 buildings one of which is the old house that once served as the residence for the colonial administrator.
Destination Arctic Circle
Destination Arctic Circle gives perhaps the easiest access to the ice cap of any of Greenland’s regions – which, of course, means easy access to glaciers, too!
About Russell Glacier
Russell Glacier is perhaps Greenland’s most easily accessible glacier, because you can drive right up to it. This is an experience that is not to be sniffed at in Greenland, where it is most common to reach places by air or water. In fact, Russell Glacier lies at the end of the longest road in Greenland!
Russell Glacier is located 25 km away from the town of Kangerlussuaq, which is where Greenland’s main international airport is found. This is where it is easiest to access Greenland’s massive ice sheet that covers 80% of the country. Russell Glacier is one of the channels through which ice drains off the ice sheet, melting into a fjord and eventually the ocean.
How to experience this glacier
The quickest way to see Russell Glacier is to take a flightseeing tour. This way, you can swoop over the glacier and be back in an hour, meaning you can often manage a visit even if you’re not staying in Kangerlussuaq but just have a layover there. This is also often possible on a bus tour to the glacier, which usually takes around 4 hours.
If you’re looking for a more active experience, you can also bike or hike to the glacier. There are many additional adventures to be had on the ice sheet itself, which is accessed at Point 660, a few kilometres up the road from Russell Glacier.
Local providers operating in this area
Polar Lodge
Polar Lodge, which is owned by Albatros Arctic Circle, is one of Kangerlussuaq’s newest overnight accommodation centers and was built in 2006.
Kangerlussuaq Youth Hostel
Kangerlussuaq youth hostel is the newest and cheapest youth hostel in Kangerlussuaq. It is owned by Sisimiut youth hostel.
Restaurant Roklubben
Restaurant Roklubben is located on the shores of Lake Ferguson, about 5 kilometres outside of Kangerlussuaq.
Albatros Arctic Circle
Albatros Arctic Circle is a locally based company which organises trips to Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut.
Capital Region
Although you can often see icebergs in the waters around Nuuk, you will not find any glaciers close to town. Fortunately, Nuuk sits right at the entrance of an amazingly intricate fjord system into which a few different glaciers feed, so it is an easy day trip to go and witness the city’s closest glaciers.
About Narsap Sermia
The most accessible glacier is Narsap Sermia, which is found right at the top of the fjord system close to the settlement of Kapisillit. Right next to Narsap Sermia, and even closer to Kapisillit, is an icefjord which is fed into by a few different glaciers.
How to experience this glacier
You can sail to see both Narsap Sermia and the icefjord in a day trip from Nuuk.
If you have more time, book an individual boat transfer and stay for a few days in the serene settlement of Kapisillit. From here, it is a relatively short and easy hike over to the icefjord, which is packed with icebergs of all shapes and sizes. To stay the night in Kapisillit, visitors can rent a private house or cabin, or alternatively wild camp on the outskirts of the town.
Local providers operating in this area
Greenland Escape
Greenland Escape offer high level service to the demanding traveler in Greenland. The perfect partner for travel agents, organizations, VIPs, yachts, cruise ships and executives coming to Greenland.
Tupilak Travel
Tupilak Travel offers cheap travel to Greenland, in particular to the country's capital, Nuuk.
Arctic Boat Charter – ABC
Charter boat trips with Arctic Boat Charter in Nuuk is synonymous with safe, comfortable, and high-speed boat trips along Greenland’s coasts.
Two Ravens
It’s all about the stories you bring back home! Guiding in the beautiful and vast wilderness of Greenland is for us not a job - it’s a lifestyle. We live and breathe the outdoor adventure life when we are with customers and also in our free time.
South Greenland
If you’re visiting South Greenland, you’re already a part of the exhilarating tangle of fjords, glaciers, islands and winding coastlines that make up the region. There are inlets and glaciers everywhere, and moving between towns must usually be done by boat or helicopter since settlements are dotted across this fascinating terrain. This means there are many more accessible glaciers in South Greenland than can be described here.
About Kiattuut Sermiat
Kiattuut Sermiat is relatively close to the town of Narsarsuaq, which is often known as the gateway to South Greenland. It feeds into the Tunulliarfik fjord, one of the many fjords which runs all the way down from the ice cap to the ocean at the south of the country.
How to experience this glacier
Seeing Kiattuut Sermiat is an easy day trip from Narsarsuaq. After a short car transfer, you will hike through a valley and up to the glacier. This trip gives you an amazing view of the glacier from above. It can be booked with both Blue Ice Explorer and Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions.
Local providers operating in this area
Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions
Tasermiut is the specialist in adventure travel in South Greenland, the best place for adventure due to mild weather conditions and the safest fjords full of icebergs and glaciers fronts.
Blue Ice Explorer
Blue Ice Explorer has been working with tourism in South Greenland since 1996. We have established a comprehensive knowledge about South Greenland and a broad cooperation with the local community.
About Tasermiut Fjord
This glacier has earned itself the nickname of the ‘Devil Horns Glacier’ among locals, due to its unusual appearance. Two large rocks rise out of the ice at the top of the glacier, giving it a striking resemblance to devil horns.
This glacier is a bit more isolated, lying right at the end of the long, narrow and astonishingly beautiful Tasermiut fjord. The closest settlement is Nanortalik, which lies on the island of the same name, at the other end of the fjord.
How to experience this glacier
Although it is quite isolated, there are a number of ways for tourists to experience this unique glacier. Tasermiut Camp is a local operator offering multi-day glamping experiences in Tasermiut fjord, as well as half-day boat tours to the glacier. You can also take a boat tour with Nanortalik Boat Charter.
See the glacier from above on two of the helicopter flightseeing tours offered by Sermeq Helicopters: Tasermiut Expedition and Essential South Greenland. You can also charter the local private boat, Polar-tut Narsarsuaq, to sail there.
Insider tip: On the way to this glacier, there’s a bonus glacier on the south side of the fjord just before reaching Tasermiut Sermiat. It has receded quite far in the last couple of decades, and the exposed moraine (seen as a distinct line of differently-coloured rock) is highly visible.
Local providers operating in this area
Tasiusaq Kayak Hostel
The hostel is situated in the little settlement of Tasiusaq which overlooks the extraordinarily beautiful Tasermiut fjord.
The Leif Eriksson Hostel
Not far from the little harbour in Qassiarsuk is the Leif Eriksson Hostel.
Sermeq Helicopters
Based in South of Greenland, Sermeq Helicopters aim to be the first choice when it comes to discovering Greenland by helicopter and we are committed to give you an unforgettable experience!
Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions
Tasermiut is the specialist in adventure travel in South Greenland, the best place for adventure due to mild weather conditions and the safest fjords full of icebergs and glaciers fronts.
About Qalerallit Sermiat
This glacier is accessible from the town of Narsaq, is a bit further north than the other two and closer to the ocean. It is equally as stunning although totally different.
How to experience this glacier
View this glacier in style with a helicopter flightseeing tour with Sermeq Helicopters. This tour actually lands on the glacier, so you can have the once in a lifetime opportunity of walking on Greenland’s ice cap.
Alternatively, choose a more relaxed and slower mode of transport, with a boat tour to the glacier with Greenland Sagalands.
3 glaciers in one trip: If you want to tick off multiple South Greenland glaciers in a combined trip, you can take the Greenland Multiadventure tour with Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions, in which you will hike, bike and kayak through South Greenland over 12 days, and visit the Eqalorutsit, Kiattut and Qooroq glaciers.
Local providers operating in this area
Sermeq Helicopters
Based in South of Greenland, Sermeq Helicopters aim to be the first choice when it comes to discovering Greenland by helicopter and we are committed to give you an unforgettable experience!
Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions
Tasermiut is the specialist in adventure travel in South Greenland, the best place for adventure due to mild weather conditions and the safest fjords full of icebergs and glaciers fronts.
Greenland Sagalands
Greenland Sagalands is a tour operator and tourist information site with local roots in Qaqortoq in South Greenland.
East Greenland
East Greenland’s glaciers are slightly more difficult to access, but no less spectacular. The most accessible are those within the Sermilik fjord system, which is close to East Greenland’s largest (and only) town, Tasiilaq.
About Helheim Glacier
This is a glacier which, like Sermeq Kujalleq, gets a lot of media attention due to its often dramatic calving events. It is also a favourite glacier for scientists to study. It is one of Greenland’s largest glaciers and feeds into the Sermilik fjord system, where there are a number of rapidly calving glaciers making for a spectacular icefjord experience.
How to experience this glacier
To see the Helheim Glacier itself, you need to take a helicopter tour with Arctic Wonder. Aside from this, there are plenty of options to see the Sermilik fjord by boat. Although these boat tours do not sail all the way to Helheim Glacier, there are many other glaciers along the fjord that you can see. Take a boat tour into the fjord with Arctic Dream, Tasiilaq Tours, The Red House or Dines Tours. Experience even more immersion in the fjord with a stay at Icecamp Greenland, a brand new lodge which is located right on the edge of the Sermilik fjord.
Local providers operating in this area
Tasiilaq Tours
Greenland Vacation offers different tours and experiences in and around Tasiilaq City as well as logistically help.
Arctic Dream
Arctic Dream specialises in dog sleds, hunting, boat tours, kayaking, fishing and climbing based in Tasiilaq in East Greenland.
Arctic Wonderland Tours
Arctic Wonderland Tours is one of Greenland's most experienced tour operators. They run hotels in Tasiilaq and Kulusuk, tour services and tour boats.
The Red House
The Red House is situated on a hill just to the south of Tasiilaq and enjoys stunning views of the King Oscar Fjord and the surrounding mountains and glaciers.
