East Greenland Highlights
007674 - R15
This tour will introduce you to the highlights of Greenland in a relatively small area. Be amazed by ice and ice fjords, impressive glaciers and gain insight into the Inuit way of life in a typical, East Greenlandic town and village.
- See the airfield, rusted fuel drums and vehicles left behind at “Bluie East Two”, an American WWII base
- Enjoy lunch on Knud Rasmussen Glacier
- Visit the old church and school in the abandoned Ikkatteq settlement
- Hike on Hann Glacier and have a picnic lunch
- Walk through natural fauna in Flower Valley including arctic thyme, bluebell and dandelion and the national flower, broad-leafed willow herb
Tour Code:
007674 - R15
Shortly after arrival in Kulusuk you will either go by boat or by helicopter to Tasiilaq – the main town on the East coast of Greenland with about 2,000 inhabitants. Either way, it will be a beautiful experience flying above or sailing in between spectacular icebergs to the neighbouring island. You will be taken to your guesthouse where you will be staying the next 4 nights and later there in the day there will be an information meeting and dinner with the other participants. If the weather allows it, the chef will prepare a lovely barbeque on the terrace.
The excursion starts at the harbour of Tasiilaq, heading towards northwest into the broad Ammassalik Fjord. After about an hour sailing we will turn into narrow and steep fjords with breathtaking mountain peaks. We will make a stop at Ikateq and look at some remnants of World War 2. It was here the Americans ran an airfield from 1942 – 47, in wartime code-names called “Bluie East Two”. It was built in order to facilitate transatlantic air traffic, navigation, search-and-rescue operations and weather forecast. You can still see the airfield, and rusted fuel drums, vehicles and ruins. We will continue our journey and arrive in Sermiligaaq Fjord, which means “The Beautiful Glacier Fjord”. The name will not disappoint you. At some point you will be able to have the view of two calving glaciers simultaneously, Karale Glacier on your left side, and Knud Rasmussen Glacier right ahead of you. We will sail as close as the situation allows to Knud Rasmussen Glacier, go ashore and enjoy lunch here. After about 1-2 hours, we will head back to Tasiilaq.
Note: Bring some warm clothes with you, but in case you are freezing, we will have a down cover for you.
We start in the harbour in Tasiilaq and sail toward north along the Ammassalik Island trough a breathtaking landscape, passing floating ice that looks like sculptures. After 1 – 2 hours, we will arrive in a small settlement called Tiniteqilaaq (which means in Greenlandic “the strait that runs dry at low tide”). The settlement has a spectacular view on the Sermilik Fjord (in Greenlandic “Icefjord”) with colossal icebergs and on the horizon the Greenland Ice Shield touches the sky. 113 people lived permanently in Tiniteqilaaq on January 2015. You will have the possibility for a stroll around the settlement by your own. After that we will continue to Sermilik Fjord and enjoy our lunch with a view on the gigantic icebergs. Then we head southwards in the Sermilik Fjord and sail around the Ammassalik Island passing more icebergs and return to Tasiilaq.
Note: Bring some warm clothes with you, but in case you are freezing, we will have a down cover for you. Lunch, warm drinks and refreshments are included.
The city walk will take us to a workshop where local artists make beautiful and renowned handicraft. Then towards the harbour and visit the museum, which is the old church built in 1903. The museum has many historical treasures, and you can learn about the life and history of East Greenland. The walk continues along the shore to the Hospital and up to the new church. Above the church, you will enjoy a beautiful view over the town. In this area, you will be able to see the oldest houses of the town where the first colony manager Johann Pedersen or the polar explorer Ejnar Mikkelsen lived. Before heading to the Flower Valley, you can visit the tourist office Skæven where it is possible to buy handicraft of all kinds, maps, etc. As the name of the valley indicates, you will be able to see many different flowers, such as arctic thyme, arctic bluebell, arctic dandelion, the national flower broad-leafed willow herb, and many more. We continue the small curved path along the river for a few kilometres, until we reach a small waterfall. Here we will spend some time to enjoy the beautiful landscape and peacefulness, before heading back to Tasiilaq.
Note: It is an easy walk through town, but we recommend sturdy shoes for the walk in the Flower Valley. We recommend you to bring some refreshments with you.
Today is a travelling day. In the morning you will take the helicopter or the boat back to Kulusuk where you will catch your flight back to Reykjavik or onward to your next destination.
Note: The itinerary can be subject to shift in order of the excursions. The content of the tour will remain the same.
For your own well being and safety we strongly suggest following the advice of our equipment list, this includes having good quality rain-gear, tops and bottoms! Also respect that cotton clothing is not appropriate for any strenuous outdoor activity – this includes jeans and t-shirts. Modern, outdoor clothing is by far more comfortable and will greatly improve your experience.
Boots and Clothing:
- Hiking boots – light hiking boots with waterproofing and ankle support are preferred.
- Long and short sleeve thermal underwear – Wool or synthetic.
- Rain Jacket with a good hood– Preferably waterproof and breathable material.
- Hiking pants.
- Rain trousers – Waterproof and breathable material.
- Gloves – Wool or synthetic.
- Socks – two or three pairs of hiking socks – Wool or synthetic.
- Warm hat – Wool or synthetic.
- Puffy jacket / down or synthetic – for the boat ride
Other gear:
- Backpack for clothes and items used during the day. Size: 20-30 litres.
- Duffel bag for your overnight gear, preferably not a suit-case.
- Towel – A light weight, fast-dry one.
- Sunglasses and sun protection.
- Water bottle.
- Casual clothes / change of clothes.
- Prescription medication and other personal health items.
- Toiletries; Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap etc.
- Protection against flies and mosquitos (nets, repellents, etc.)
Optional gear:
- Walking pole(s).
- Pen knife.
- Sun/rain Hat or a Cap.
- Thermal mat (for lunch breaks).
- Camera, spare batteries and a memory card or films.
- Slippers for indoor use.
- Aperitif or other heart-warming spirits.
- Helicopter or boat transportation between Kulusuk and Tasiilaq
- Guided excursions according to itinerary
- 4 nights of accommodation in guesthouse in a double room
- Full board at accommodation
- Flights to Greenland from Iceland and return (airfare will be quoted at the time of your request)
- Upgrade of accommodation from guesthouse to hotel
- Travel Insurance
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Optional excursions not mentioned in itinerary
Disclaimer: We do our utmost to ensure that information posted on our website is correct at the time of publication, however trip details are subject to change without notice by the suppliers and operators involved. We update the information as soon as possible when changes are advised to us, however, we cannot assume responsibility for such changes made by the suppliers and operators.