Ilulissat is the most touristy town in Greenland and worth spending at least 3 full days here.

If you want to take full advantage of all the activities and organized tours available, we would recommend spending ideally 4-5 days in Ilulissat. It is a good idea to have an extra day as a reserve in case of bad weather, which can occur quite unexpectedly in Greenland.

Check flight prices to Greenland

Due to the very specific Arctic climate in Greenland, all activities are divided into summer and winter.

Count on the fact that during spring and autumn the vast majority of activities are not available - there is not yet enough snow for winter adventures, and there is also enough snow lying around to hinder summer excursions.

Where to book trips?

In Ilulissat it is very easy to find and book virtually all available activities and organised trips through Arcitc Exursions, part of the Air Greenland group.

On arcticexcursions.com you can easily find all available trips by date and location.

In addition, you can see the specific operator for each trip and check whether it will take place.

Some tours have a minimum number of participants and if not enough people book the activity for the date, the tour will not take place.

In this case, you must email Arctic Excursions directly to request a refund. In our case, two tours did not take place this way and we had our money back in our account the very next day.

Summer activities

The main summer season in Ilulissat runs from mid-June to mid-September.

However, some trips and activities are available from early June to late September or the first week of October.

Hiking

Ilulissat is a great place for easy hiking and short half-day or simple day trips.

As one of the few places in Greenland, it offers enough trails for less trained hikers to have fun for 3 days just hiking.

On the other hand, however, there is no possibility of any multi-day wilderness treks in Ilulissat. For this option, the town of Sisimiut is more suitable.

All hiking trails in Ilulissat are marked and accessible for free without having to pay for a guide.

• Trails along the Icefjord - the fjord with floating ice floes is Greenland's most visited attraction and there are 3 marked trails along it.
  • A detailed description with our experience can be found here
• Routes to Oqaatsut - a 22 km long route through relatively easy terrain along the sea leads to the small village of Oqaatsut, where you can stay overnight at the Nordlys Hotel *** or return by boat.

Sightseeing flights over the fjord and glacier

The most expensive but absolutely epic activity is the scenic flights over the Icefjord and Jacobshavn Glacier.

There are several options for scenic flights to choose from:

Kangia Classic Helicopter Tour

The most popular is the helicopter flight over the entire Icefjord to the Kangia Glacier (Jacobshavn), where you land for 30 minutes and can walk around and take great photos.

• Price - 540 eur
• Duration - 1.5 hours
• Season - April to October
• 3-5 flights daily except Sundays

We took this flight and wrote up the experience in the Kangia Classic Helicopter Review article.

AirZafari - Classic Aircraft Flights

AirZafari offers several sightseeing circuits with conventional fixed wing aircraft.

It uses modern Vulcanair Partenavia P68 aircraft, which stand out with their large windows. Unlike a helicopter, all passengers always have a window seat, but the flights are only circular and there are no stops anywhere along the way like the Kangia Classic Helicopter Tour.

The flight season is from mid-June to mid-September.

• A short flight over the mouth of the Icefjord
  • 25 minutes
  • Price. 1 500 dkk
• Longer flight over the Icefiord and outer fjord
  • 40 minutes
  • Price - 2 195 dkk
• Icefjord + Blue Lakes
  • 1 hour
  • Price - 2 895 dkk
• Whale watching from the air (but we think the boat trips are much more interesting)
  • 75 minutes
  • Price - 3 695 dkk
• Grand tour over the fjord and glaciers
  • 100 minutes
  • Price - 4 895 dkk

Boat tours

The most popular activity is undoubtedly boat trips through the beauty of the surrounding fjords, glaciers and villages.

Many different companies offer cruises, all of which can be booked through a single website , arcticexcursions.com.

Where to go by boat from Ilulissat?

Icefjord

Most cruises clearly head to the magical world of ice floes of all sizes and shapes floating on the Icefjord, a UNESCO natural monument.

You can choose from a variety of cruises of varying lengths that take place several times a day.

• Price - from 90 eur
• Duration - 2 hours
• Season - May to October

Our tip: take a midnight cruise during June or July. The sun never sets below the horizon during this period, it only moves just above it, creating beautiful lighting conditions.

Eqi Glacier

A half-day cruise to the Eqi Glacier is sure to captivate you. You can take a boat up to the ice mass that ends in a cliff into a sea fjord.

Even the cruise from Ilulissat to the glacier itself is spectacular, as it runs along the rugged coastline between floating ice floes.

• Price - from 270 eur
• Duration - 6 hours
• Season - June to September

Cruises to Ilmanaq and Oqaatsut villages

Want to see authentic Greenlandic fishing villages that still live their peaceful lives?

Head to the nearby villages of Oqaatsut or Ilmanaq and discover what life is like in the Greenlandic countryside.

Organised cruises are available to both villages, including village tours. You can visit Oqaatsut on foot, but Ilmanaq is only accessible by boat.

• Price - from 120 eur
• Duration - 3 hours
• Season - June to September

Whale watching

Greenland is one of the best destinations for spotting perhaps every living species of whale or dolphin.

The many bays and fjords with plenty of food in the waters around the west coast attract hundreds and thousands of whales every year, and the certainty of seeing one is almost 100% in good weather.

• Price - from 120 eur
• Duration - 3 hours
• Season - June to September (best chance in July and August)

Kayaking between ice floes

Kayaking is one of the most popular sporting activities in Ilulissat and organised trips or renting a kayak on your own are offered by many agencies and hotels in town.

Plan a unique experience and enjoy a fabulous cruise on the fjord.

The waters are calm and kayaking in Ilulissat is suitable for beginners.

• Price - from 150 eur
• Duration - 3 hours
• Season - June to September

Winter activities

The main winter season in Greenland runs from mid-December to the end of March.

However, some activities may be feasible as early as November, when there is usually enough snow.

Find out prices for flights to Greenland during winter

Dog sledding

Travelling by dog-drawn sledge is one of the Greenlanders' historic means of transport, and in many places this mode of transport is still used today for the routine transport of goods.

Dog sledding is an inherent cultural heritage of Greenland and, along with the growing tourism industry, one of the most popular winter activities.

In many places, you can pay for a dog sledding trip for a few hours or even a few days' wandering through the Greenland wilderness.

Several providers offer dogsledding, all of which can be booked through a single website , arcticexcursions.com.

• Price - from 200 eur for 1 hour / from 350 eur for half-day trips
• Duration - 1 to 6 hours
• Season - December to March

The most popular routes to go dog sledding are to the Icefjord (about 1 hour) or to the village of Oqaatsut (half-day trips).

Aurora viewing

You can commonly see the Northern Lights in Greenland from late September to April, the months when it is darkest.

If the weather is just right and the skies are clear, there's a good chance you'll see the Aurora Borealis.

For detailed information, tips on aurora forecast websites, and more, check out the more detailed article Aurora Borealis in Greenland.

Snowmobiling

Step out of history and into the present and swap dog sledding for an adrenaline-pumping snowmobile ride.

In our experience, we don't know of any official snowmobile hire companies directly, all trips are always with a driver.

Snowmobiles are a means of transportation during the winter and in some cities they also function as taxis.

But if you want to enjoy a real adrenaline rush, pay for a longer trip into the wilderness.

• Price - from 200 eur
• Duration - 2 hours
• Season - December to March