Independent South Greenland Tour

Itinerary

Day 1 - Fly Reykjavik to Narsarsuaq, South East Greenland.

Flight from Reykjavik to Narsarsuaq. Transfer to your accommodation. In the afternoon you can take a little hike to the Signal Hill viewpoint (about 1 hour). From the top you can admire an impressive view of the glacier. You will get a sheet with detailed walking descriptions.

Accommodation in Narsarsuaq.

Accommodation

Private facilities

Day 2 - Narsarsuaq Glacier

Day hike to Narsarsuaq Glacier, which is a part of the ice cap and located only 8 km from Narsarsuaq. The hike takes you through the Flower Valley (there are no sheep grazing in this area so you can enjoy the flowers) before the trail winds up a 300 m ascent to a plateau that rewards you a magnificent view of the glacier. From here you walk for about half an hour downhill to the glacier, where you can touch the ice. The way back to Narsarsuaq follows the same route.

Meals

1 Breakfast

Day 3 - Boat transfer Narsarsuaq – Qassiarsuk – Itilleq (Igaliku)

Boat transfer from Narsarsuaq to Qassiarsuk. Qassiarsuk is also known as Brattahlid, the place where Eric the Red settled in 982. The Norse ruins are well preserved and the open-air museum (Brattahlid) can be visited on your own (admission is not included). The approx. 40 inhabitants earn their livelihoods from sheep farming, but the village also has a school, a shop and a church.

After a couple of hours you take the boat to Itilleq, followed by a 4 km hike along the “King’s Road” (named after the Danish King Frederik 9th’s visit in 1952) to Igaliku. Igaliku is one of the most beautiful villages in Greenland! The colourful houses are situated on lush grassland next to a milky-blue fjord. On the other side of the fjord the landmark Illerfissalik (Burfjeld) Mountain towers over a rough and desolate landscape.

Accommodation in Igaliku for 2 nights.

Meals

1 Breakfast

Accommodation

Local guesthouse with shared facilities

Day 4 - A day in Igaliku

Igaliku was the Episcopal seat (named Gardar) for a period of about 300 years (1100-1400) during the Norse era, and the ruins from that time are very impressive. In 1782 Anders Olsen and his Greenlandic wife Tuperna established themselves as farmers and that was the beginning of Igaliku’s more recent history. There is a permanent exhibit in the church that tells this particular story.

Today, Igaliku and its surroundings have some of the best hiking opportunities in South Greenland. One optional day hike (17 km) goes to the plateau, which offers a superb view of the Qooroq Ice Fjord, the stranded icebergs on the underwater moraine at the entrance to the fjord and the enormous glacier at the head of the fjord. It is the perfect place for a picnic! On the way back, you may be lucky enough to find minerals and stones, like the shining “moonstone” (labradorite). The “waterfall hike” (about 15 km) is another popular day trip. A set of beautiful waterfalls tumble like pearls on a string down towards Tunulliarfik Fjord. This hike can be combined with the summit of Nuuluk Mountain (823 m), which lies south of Igaliku (20-22 km).

Meals

1 Breakfast

Day 5 - Boat transfer Itilleq – Narsarsuaq. Departure Narsarsuaq

Boat transfer Itilleq – Narsarsuaq. Boat trip to the Qooroq Ice Fjord. A boat trip among icebergs of all colours, sizes and shapes. When the glacier is in view, the boat engine is stopped, so you can enjoy the absolute silence and a drink chilled with glacier ice – more than 1,000 years old!

Departure to Reykjavik (check-in one hour before your flight).