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Ilulissat Icefjord

Icebergs are one of the Big Arctic Five experiences in Greenland, and you can see them by the thousands from air, water, or land at the Ilulissat Icefjord.

There is no downplaying that this gallery of enormous ice sculptures is a spectacular sight. But just as the majority of an iceberg lurks unseen beneath the water, there is more to the Ilulissat Icefjord than its natural beauty. It tells a profound story of the planet’s history, and it is humbling in a time of climate change debate.

There are a handful of ways to experience this wonder of the world, and we like to think we came up with the perfect combination of experiences to fully grasp the scale and significance of the Ilulissat Icefjord.

ICEFJORD FLYBY

For most things in life, it is best to start with an overview, and the Ilulissat Icefjord is no different. This icefjord, one of the northernmost UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is a massive collection of icebergs that have calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier one by one. It is necessary to first get a bird’s eye view so you know exactly how grand of a scale the Ilulissat Icefjord has.

Unless you arrive to Ilulissat on the coastal ferry, your first sight of the Ilulissat Icefjord will actually be from the window of an airplane. It’s a nice view, but get an even better look by flightseeing with a helicopter or fixed-wing plane. These smaller aircraft fly slower and lower all the way to the glacier wall, and with only a handful of seats, everyone has the best view in the cabin. You might even feel the rumble of the glacier calving beneath you, and then it really feels like an adventurous ride!

“The Ice Fjord was fantastic! You can take pictures, but they will never get it the same as when you stand there and look at it. It was just fantastic!”

Package Tours

Disko Line: Disko Bay Whale Watching and Icebergs

Disko Line

Disko Bay Whale Watching and Icebergs

Several sailings on Disko Bay are included, giving you plenty of time to see the many huge icebergs floating past.

FROM €1,266
Greenland by Topas – Dog Sledding, Igloo Lodge and Northern Lights in Ilulissat

Greenland by Topas

Dog Sledding and Northern Lights in Ilulissat

Sled dogs are in their element under the frosty sky, crackling snow and fluttering Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) of the Greenlandic winter. Overnight stay in Igloo Lodge.

FROM €2,275
Greenland Adventures by Icelandic Mountain Guides: Arctic Moments

Greenland Adventures by Icelandic Mountain Guides

Arctic Moments

Immerse yourself in some of the best of Greenland’s amazing nature and culture.

FROM €1,700
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SAILING IN ILULISSAT ICEFJORD

After seeing the full picture of the Ilulissat Icefjord, one must get down to the water’s level to see the parts that create the whole. A 41-foot masted vessel may seem large sitting in the harbor, but once you start sailing between the skyscraper icebergs, taking minutes to get past a single one, the Ilulissat Icefjord comes into a different perspective.

Ice looks best during the ‘golden hour’, and in the land of the midnight sun, this happens late into the evening. After dinner, take a midnight cruise in the Ilulissat Icefjord and marvel at how the icebergs change from white and blue to shades of orange and red when struck by the midnight sun.

HIKE ALONG ILULISSAT ICEFJORD

Once you have had the thrills of hovering just overhead the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier and sailing through the maze of icebergs it creates, it is time to reflect on the Ilulissat Icefjord. Take the raised pathway to Sermermiut or hike along the marked Blue Route trail to claim your own plot of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Without a headset or the low chugging of a boat engine, the sounds of the Ilulissat Icefjord are suddenly clear – popping air as it escapes from the ice, icebergs colliding with one another as they find their way out to sea, and waves crashing on the rocky coastline. When you are sitting still, you can finally detect how the Ilulissat Icefjord really is full of life.

  • The Ilulissat Icefjord is filled with icebergs that calve from Sermeq Kujalleq, the fastest moving glacier in the world (40 meters daily).

  • The Ilulissat Icefjord is the same area as 66,000 football fields. It reaches 6 km wide and approximately 55 km long, but it is growing longer as glacier retreat occurs due to climate change.

  • Sermeq Kujalleq runs directly from the Greenland Ice Cap, and it produces 10% of all icebergs in Greenland.

  • The Ilulissat Icefjord became one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2004.

Package Tours

Icelandic Mountain guides: From Sun Gate to Icefjord

Greenland Adventures by Icelandic Mountain Guides

From Sun Gate to Icefjord

This trip will instill peace and quiet in you as you take in the Greenland ice cap, a massive ice field, ancient and still.

FROM €2,100
Icelandic Mountain guides: Icefjord and remote villages

Greenland Adventures by Icelandic Mountain Guides

Icefjord and remote villages

Dive back into time, learn about the culture of Inuit, how they have survived for generations despite being so isolated.

FROM €2,900
Greenland Travel: Summer paradise in the Arctic wilderness

Greenland Travel

Summer paradise in the Arctic wilderness

Experience the incredible UNESCO listed Ilulissat Ice Fjord! Fantastic icebergs. Sailing in the midnight sun. See the Ice Cap and much more

FROM €2,530
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CLIMATE CHANGE ‘GROUND ZERO’

Climate change becomes more of a hot topic each day. The Ilulissat Icefjord, and the Greenland Ice Cap that produces it, are increasingly in the spotlight. We Greenlanders are thankful for the growing interest in an issue that we live with and adapt to constantly, but even more so, we are proud to be at the center of important research with global implications.

Visiting the Ilulissat Icefjord is not only about seeing a large calving glacier or melting icebergs before it’s too late. It is a unique opportunity to be active in the climate change conversation here at ‘ground zero’ and to let your experiences in Greenland inspire your life back home.

Local providers

Double bed at Nuka Hostel in Ilulissat, North Greenland. Photo by Nuka Hostel

Nuka Hostel

Ilulissat, Kussangajaannguaq 32,
3952,
Phone: +299 94 24 24 / +299 54 24 24More information
Red view from livingroom, Photo by Ilulissat Guesthouse

Ilulissat Guesthouse

Ilulissat, Qupaloraasuk 56,
3952,
Phone: +299 27 89 80More information
Tasermiut 3

Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions

Qassiarsuk, B-873 Qassiarsuk
3923,
Phone: (+299) 522 822More information
Frontside of hostel in Ilulissat in North Greenland. Photo by Ilulissat Youth Hostel

Ilulissat Youth Hostel

Ilulissat, c/o World of Greenland Marralinnguaq 49,
3952,
Phone: +299 94 33 77More information
Nuuk Water Taxi Boat. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen

Nuuk Water Taxi

Nuussuaq, Qarsaalik 25A,
3905,
Phone: +299 54 56 90More information
Unnuisarfik Accommodation 03

Unnuisarfik Accommodation

Ililussat, Peter Rosingip Aqq. 5,
3952,
Phone: (+299) 944 210, (+299) 546 944More information

Hotel Icefiord

Ilulissat, Jørgen Sverdrupip Aqq. 10,
3952,
Phone: (+299) 944 480More information
Hotel Hvide Falk 03

Hotel Hvide Falk

Ilulissat, Postboks 20,
3952,
Phone: (+299) 943 343More information
Hotel Avannaa in Ilulissat in Greenland. Photo by Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

Hotel Avannaa

Ilulissat, Box 142
3952,
Phone: +299 94 40 02More information
Hotel Arctic 11

Hotel Arctic

Ilulissat, Mittarfimmut Aqq. B1128,
1501,
Phone: (+299) 944 153More information
Greenland Travel 01

Greenland Travel

Copenhagen, Wilders Plads 13 A,
1403,
Phone: +45 33 13 10 11More information
An overview of the Eqi Glacier Lodge camp with the glacier in the background in North Greenland. Photo by Mad Pihl, Visit Greenland

Glacier Lodge Eqi

Ilulissat, B-
3952,
Phone: +299 94 43 00More information
A tour boat in front of an iceberg wall near Ilulissat in Greenland. By Mads Pihl

Disko Line

Ilulissat, Kussangajaannguaq 13,
3952,
Phone: +299 94 53 01More information
Sarfaq Ittuk cruising in the Disko Bay outside Ilulissat ice fjord in Greenland. Visit Greenland

Arctic Umiaq Line

Nuuk, Aqqusinersuaq 48 A,
3900,
Phone: +299 34 91 90More information

World of Greenland

Ilulissat, Kussangajaannguaq 7,
3952,
Phone: (+299) 944 300More information
A view of two Air Zafari flightseeing planes over the Greenland Ice Sheet near Kangerlussuaq Airport

Air Zafari

Nuuk, Box 568
3900,
Phone: +299 58 40 68 / +299 24 85 54More information

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Icebergs The reflection of an iceberg in the Disko Bay Two Hikers enjoying the Midnight Sun in Greenland The midnight sun
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