Exploring Ilulissat, Greenland

Watching the icebergs floats slowly past you leaves you breathless. The Icefjord’s position on UNESCO’s world heritage list is entirely deserved, and you feel like the planet Earth has bigger plans for you.

Hiking through the beautiful nature reserves and scouting the habitats of this northern place. Sailing the fjords while iceberg spotting for countless of hours, this remote landscape – not only by ship but also on foot and dog sledge – really leaves you in awe. This journey indeed highlights the contrast and change in the Arctic as the icebergs keep cracking and mark its powers by the sound and ripples in the water. The eyes are not only fixated on the floes – but also the horizon for the unique wildlife. These highlights are just some of Ilulissat’s genuinely unforgettable voyage through the Arctic.

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Copenhagen (CPH) ↝ Kangerlussuaq (SFJ) ↝ Ilulissat (JAV)

To get to Ilulissat by air requires a stopover in Kangerlussuaq. Kangerlussuaq, which in English means “Big Fjord” from the Greenlandic language. It’s a settlement in the western part of Greenland located in in the Qeqqata municipality. Kangerlussuaq is Greenland’s largest commercial airport and central air transport hub. The airport history goes back to the American settlement during and after World War II. Here it was known as Bluie West-8 and later on Sondrestrom Air Base. The population amounts to roughly 500, and the settlement is highly dependent on the airport and the tourist industry in general.

There exist diverse terrestrial fauna in the Kangerlussuaq area; including muskoxen, gyrfalcons and caribou.

Arriving in Ilulissat

We finally arrived at Ilulissat around noon. You will need to book a cab – we just went inside the airport and asked one of the employees to call one for us (remember to give them your name, as the cab might pick someone else up).

Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven, is the largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland and is the municipal seat. It’s the third-largest city in Greenland (right after Nuuk and Sisimut), and there are almost as many sledge-dogs as there are people. In 2013, the population amounted to 4,541. It’s located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

Ilulissat is the direct translation from the Kalaallisut word for “Icebergs”. You will in the ‘backyard’ find Ilulissat Icefjord which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has made Ilulissat the most popular tourist destination in Greenland, although many locals from other parts of Greenland consider the southern areas more superior. Tourism in Ilulissat is now the town’s principal industry. Right next to the city you’ll find the Ilulissat Icefjord, where enormous icebergs glide out from the Arctic’s most productive glacier.

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Hiking Around Ilulissat, Greenland

RED ROUTE
Distance: 1,0 km
Duration: 0,5 – 1 hour
Description:

YELLOW ROUTE
Distance: 2,7 km
Duration: 1,5 – 2 hours
Description:

BLUE ROUTE
Distance: 6,9 km
Duration: 4 – 5 hours
Description:

Please note that the above distance and durance does not include the time spent from your accommodation to the starting point and back again. Also remember to factor in the weather conditions and that the mentioned distance / duration is during summer time.

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Chasing the Northern Lights at Ilulissat, Greenland

You will have plentiful options to view the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, in Ilulissat. The best option is to get out of the town and preferably up to the Old Heliport where the light from the city is eliminated. If the Northern Light isn’t that strong it can be mistaken for ordinary clouds while residing in the city; so remember to go out in the evening even if you think you won’t see it. It will be worthwhile and something to remember. The Old Heliport is probably the best spot for Northern Light viewing in Ilulissat.

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Amazing Sunset Viewing at Ilulissat

The sunsets in Ilulissat is phenomenal and almost never identical. The floating icebergs always change the “canvas” of a new long exposure photograph of a beautiful sunset. Find your preferred location and remember to bring your tripod, ND filter, a timer and of course a good portion of patience 🙂 Here are a small selection of my HDR sunsets.

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Sailing the Fjords at Ilulissat

We went on a 3-5 hours boat trip with Esle (it might only have been three hours, can’t honestly remember how long it was as I was freezing!), seeing the Disko Bay first hand and cruise among the mighty icebergs in the icefjord. The glacier near Ilulissat moves roughly 30 metres every day and produces about 20 billion tons of ice every year! We even got some ice home with us to pour in a well-deserved drink in the evening! Needless to say, alcohol isn’t cheap up here!

The icebergs from the glacier float from the icefjord out into the Disco Bay before it begins their journey northwards and will eventually become part of the Atlantic Ocean. I can highly recommend the experience of sailing among the icebergs to experience the shapes, colours and sheer scale of the icebergs. No two icebergs are alike, and you can spend several days admiring them while they majestically rise in the horizon.

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Experiencing Dog Sledding in Ilulissat

A classic way to experience the fascinating landscape (and the arctic temperatures!) is from the perspective of experiencing a musher and his pack of dogs working together; forming what we term a sledge dog tour. Although nature is unrivalled in all of its beauty and will warm your soul, don’t underestimate the arctic temperature on a long dog sledge trip. Remember to bring your warmest clothes on a windy day, as well as a warm cup of coffee for when you take a break and some photos.

Going on a sledge dog tour, whether for a couple of hours or several days, brings you closer to the Greenlandic identity and its nature and thus the Greenlandic culture. You will be able to accompany the musher to his or her preferred fishing hole or hunting grounds. Many mushers start early with their training and quickly learns that these dogs are not pets but working animals.

The sledge dogs are a ‘pure’ breed due to strict crossbreeding regulations, and if a sledge dog leaves the area, they are not allowed to re-enter. The sledge dogs have enhanced senses and can read the environment. For example, they will stop if they sense that the ice is to thin. If you are intrigued by these fantastic creatures, an annual dog sledging competition called Avannaata Qimussersua, takes place in North Greenland.