Want to know how to visit the impressive giant icebergs of Ilulissat? Curious to know how to plan and make the most of your trip to Ilulissat? Read these 10 tips before you go!
Without a doubt, Greenland is one of the most beautiful – and untouched – places on our planet.
But from all the amazing places to visit on this impressive, limitless island, Ilulissat – with its imposing icebergs and the UNESCO-protected ice fjord – is the most inspiring of all.
The famous Ilulissat ice fjord is not something you will want to miss while you are in Greenland!
And if you are lucky enough to visit Ilulissat, there are some important travel tips that you should know before you go. So, to help you get the most out of your trip, I wrote the article today.
But before you get to know, we’ll talk about some basic principles.
Where is Ilulissat and what makes the city so special?
Ilulissat is a captivating port city, the third largest on the island, located in western Greenland, approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the Arctic Circle.
The city is situated in the heart of the Disko Bay area, which is famous for its huge icebergs – a product of nearby Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world – and for its impressive ice fjord, a UNESCO world heritage site where icebergs are trapped on their journey to the sea.
Icebergs get stuck in the ice fjord on the way to the sea
In fact, the name “Ilulissat” is a Greenlandic word meaning “iceberg”.
How can you see the icebergs in Ilulissat, Greenland?
Honestly, I don’t know how you might not see them in Ilulissat
On the one hand, they are really huge, with some reaching several kilometers in length and hundreds of meters high.
You will see icebergs walking through the town of Ilulissat
This means you can have a spectacular view of the icebergs of Ilulissat simply walking through the city, going down one of the coastal trails or heading towards the ice fjord with a boat, kayaking or even an SUP excursion.
How can you get to Ilulissat, Greenland?
If you are already in Greenland, you can board one of the domestic flights of Air Greenland.
Otherwise, there are only two airlines that have international flights to Greenland.
View of the icebergs of Ilulissat and the ice fjord (seen on the left), of the plane
Air Greenland has weekly flights from Copenhagen to Ilulissat (with connection in Kangerlussuaq, home to the largest airport in Greenland). And Air Iceland has some routes to Greenland from Keflavík Airport in Reykjavik.
During certain times of the year, you can also reach Ilulissat by cruise ship or by the public ferry of western Greenland.
What are the best and cheapest tourism companies (and best/the best/the cheapest tours) in Ilulissat?
Although I am sure that there are many highly reputable tourism companies in Ilulissat, we did all our tours and activities with Ilulissat Adventure… and got along very well with them!
Although it is not cheap (see “thing” in the 3 below!), we also do not find any Ilulissat tourism company that was cheaper. So it’s probably safe to say that this is one of the “cheaper” tourism companies you’ll find in Ilulissat.
We use Ilulissat Adventure on all our tours in Ilulissat and were very happy!
As for the best tours, this certainly depends on you and your interest!
Here’s a quick look at the things we’ve done and strongly recommend it to anyone else:
- Ice Fjor Cruise/Outdoor Boat Pass
- The tour “caiaque among icebergs”
- 1 Day Guided Walk in the waterfall and tour to the Oqaatsut settlement
You can see more Ilulissat Adventures tours here. (And no, we have not received any commission or discount from them. We just had a great experience!)
(Note that we also tried to take the “SUP walk through the iceberg”, but it was canceled because the wind was very strong. So, fortunately, we replaced the “cruise with the ice fjord.”)
10 Things You Should Know Before Your Trip to Ilulissat, Greenland
1. BOOKLY ANTECTED!
Of all the travel tips for Ilulissat I am giving today, this may be the most important thing: book your trip (fflows, accommodation and excursions) as possible CEDO.
Ilulissat’s main tourist season – also known as the summer season, when most excursions and transportation options happen before everything is squats – is quite short. Not to mention that Ilulissat herself is quite small.
View of Ilulissat from the “yellow” trail (see below)
This means that the demand is very high for a limited offer of facilities… leading to flights, hotels and tours that are booked with MONTHS in advance.
For reference, we book everything for our trip to Ilulissat in September, about 9 months before, in January of the same year.
Which brings us to our next point…
2. 2. Take some time to consider when you want to travel to Ilulissat (and consider the low season if you can).
Almost all the stations in Ilulissat have something to offer.
In summer, you’ll have a more manageable climate, almost 24 hours of daylight (which is much more impressive – and disorienting – than “just” the midnight sun:-), and a season of “peak” for icebergs, as warmer weather causes them to detach from the glacier in greater abundance than at any other time of the year.
The winter of Ilulissat, on the other hand, has its own charms (even though these charms can be a little cold and dark!) and seasonal activities, such as dog sleds, to enjoy.
Now, as I mentioned above, the vast majority of tourists come during the summer months (i.e. June, July and August), as there are many more activities operating at that time and transportation is much more reliable.
But the problem is that these three months of peak in Ilulissat can get agitated.
However, we booked our trip for the 3rd week of September and found that the months mentioned were the almost perfect time of year.
It was already late enough in the season so we could avoid most of the crowds (including the crowds of the cruise ship season). But it was still too early to be able to do the activities we wanted to do (such as kayaking around the icebergs, which tourism companies would stop offering at the end of the month).
Another advantage of visiting in September or in the off season in general? You’ll get a chance to see the sunset behind the ice fjord
It is worth mentioning that temperatures can drop significantly in September, since we ourselves had cold winds of about -10 C (15 F). But nothing that some layers wouldn’t solve. Besides, we still got some snow… which was a welcome surprise!
3. Don’t forget to add the Ilulissat coastal trails to your itinerary.
Although there are many incredible tours and experiences that you can undertake while in Ilulissat (caiaque among the icebergs, visiting local settlements, speeding towards the ice fjord on the boat Zodiac, etc.), some of our favorite moments of our trip were spent looking at the ice fjord of the city’s coastal trails.
You can choose between three main trails: yellow, red and blue. All three trails are well marked, easy to navigate and start at the Icefjord Center (an impressive and modern building situated on top of a hill, just after the howling fields of sleighs).
Map of the Ilulissat trail (You can find it right at the entrance of the Icejord Center!)
Although each trail offers incredible views and different perspectives of the ice fjord, if you can choose only one, I strongly recommend the yellow trail. Bonus points if you are there when Ilulissat does not have light from the 24 hours so you can see the sunset
Seeing the sun dive behind icebergs in a burst of color is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (Actually, it was so spectacular that I made it my new screen protector from the phone!)
4. 4. That said… try to venture to the boat ice fjord to get closer to the icebergs.
If you do not know which tour/activity/cursion to choose during your stay in Ilulissat, then you can not go wrong: a boat trip to the ice fjord.
Although the view of the coast is impressive, there is nothing like venturing deeper into the ice fjord and admiring the formations of the towering water icebergs.
As I mentioned above, we made our “cruise by the ice fjord” with Ilulissat Adventure, the same touring company we chose for our other activities. Personally, we like the “cruise” style, as they took us to an open-air Zodiac boat that really let us feel the fresh air of Greenland.
Approaching the boat ice fjord
And don’t worry… they provided us with thick, impermeable costumes, with quality expedition to the Arctic, to keep us warm!
But if you want a boat ride a little more comfortable or relaxing, you will find many other tour companies in Ilulissat that offer alternatives. After all, this is one of Ilulissat’s most classic (and most popular) experiences!
5. . 5. On the way to Ilulissat, see if you can get a free nightscale in Kangerlussuaq so you can visit the impressive Greenland ice sheet.
Kangerlussuaq, a town in western Greenland that is home to the island’s largest airport, will likely be your entry point into Greenland if you arrive by plane.
Conveniently, Kangerlussuaq is also known as the “entrance door” for the powerful ice sheet of Greenland as it is the only place in Greenland that has road access to it. (Although road access is a little squandered and slow!)
So, if you have to do a stopover in Kangerlussuaq anyway on your way to Ilulissat… why not think about taking a stopover during the night, giving you the opportunity to add the ice sheet to your Ilulissat/Groenland itinerary?
Visiting the famous ice sheet was a real highlight of our trip to Greenland
Note that you cannot visit the ice sheet alone because A) have no transportation and B) it is extremely dangerous to navigate the ice sheet without a guide that can help you avoid holes caused by melting (or “moulins”).
Several companies offer tours of the Kangalussuaq ice mantle, but we went with the Albatross Arctic Circle and were very satisfied with them.
Our flight from Copenhagen arrived at 10:40 a.m., which allowed us to participate in the ‘8-hour adventure tour in the ice sheet’ at 11am, with direct boarding at the airport.
If you arrive a little later, they will also take a shorter 5-hour tour of the ice sheet that starts at 1 p.m.
You can take a look at the Albatross Arctic Circle ice sheet tours here.
(Note: Kangalussuaq still has a youth hostel, which makes it a more economical option for overnight than Ilulissat!)
6. . 6. If possible, set aside an extra day (or two) to accommodate delays and cancellations caused by bad weather.
Although Greenland is undeniably beautiful, it is not known for its mild or calm climate… which means that delays in weather-related flights and cancellations of tours/activities are quite common.
Because of this, try to include some flexibility in your trip if you can. This way, you can adapt to delays or reschedule activities as needed.
We found unexpected snow and strong winds during our trip (but for sure that made her beautiful!)
Fortunately, local tourism and activities are often very understanding when it comes to delays and will help you to reschedule or find a good alternative. But keep in mind – most of it is far beyond your control!
A note: always make sure to check your email before heading to the departure point of the tour or excursion. As we learn the hard way, tour companies will typically contact you a few hours beforehand if there are any cancellations or changes you need to know!
7. 7. No matter what time of year you visit, it brings many (and many) layers of clothing!
As I said above, Greenland’s climate can be challenging. And Ilulissat, even during the summer months, can be surprisingly cold!
Therefore, be sure to be prepared with all the essentials for cold weather, including a sturdy winter jacket, long underwear, hat, gloves, waterproof hiking boots and a variety of other upper and lower layers that you can easily add or remove as needed.
For reference: even during our trip to Ilulissat in mid-September, the chilling winds were already falling to -10 C.
8. Make sure you take off your shoes!
In Greenland, shoes are usually left outside to avoid dirt and snow melting. So be respectful and do the same whenever you see a sign or other shoes left outside.
Don’t forget to take off your shoes in the house!
(But don’t worry – you can keep putting your shoes on places like the airport and the supermarket!)
9. . . . . Take some time to learn about the local Inuit culture of Greenland.
Although Greenland is a Danish territory, almost 90% of the island’s population consists of indigenous Inuits and Engroense.
As you can imagine, surviving for centuries in a place with conditions as harsh and inhospitable as Greenland is no small thing. Therefore, it is worth taking some time to learn about Greenland’s local heritage, history and contemporary culture.
Our visit to a nearby settlement, Oqaatsut; pictured: qamutiks, traditional Inuit sleds still in use today, built to travel by snow and ice with sleigh dogs
If you are passing through Nuuk, the Museum and National Archives of Greenland is a great choice. Otherwise, in Ilulissat, you will find the Ilulissat Museum. Or you can consider a trip to a nearby village, such as Oqaatsut, to get more in-depth information.
10. Be warned that Ilulissat (and Greenland in general) is not a very economical destination.
Although I loved my trip to Ilulissat and was again in the blink of an eye, it was not cheap.
Between flights (an average of more than 600 euros return from Copenhagen, plus what you pay to get to Copenhagen), accommodation (minimum of more than 100 euros per night) and tours/excursions (ranging from 100 to 200 euros each), a trip to Ilulissat can actually cost very expensive.
Given the uniqueness and unique experience of visiting a place like Ilulissat, we think these costs well above average are totally worth it for us. But I wanted to mention it just so you have an idea of what’s coming!
That being said, if you are trying to control your budget while in Greenland, then you may be interested in our other article: 7 tips for visiting Greenland on a budget.
