Discover the raw beauty of Greenland’s wilderness on this private “Safari to Summit” day tour from Kangerlussuaq. Your adventure begins with a drive deep into the Arctic tundra through open landscapes, and you’ll have the chance to spot roaming wildlife along the way. Throughout your day trip, you’ll travel in a luxury vehicle through vast valleys, rolling moraines, and ancient permafrost plains until you reach Point 660, the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet. There, a guided walk will take you onto the glacier’s moraine and up to its icy summit, providing a rare and humbling vantage point over one of the planet’s last great wildernesses.

Safari to Summit Day Tour Itinerary

Private Pick-Up in Kangerlussuaq

Your day trip begins with your private guide collecting you from your accommodation. Once comfortably settled into a luxury executive vehicle specially suited for Arctic terrain, you’ll be briefed on the route ahead and the conditions expected on the tundra.

Arctic Wildlife Safari on the Ice Road

As you travel along the bumpy gravel roads laid down long ago by retreating glaciers, you’ll be surrounded by a wild, wide-open landscape shaped over thousands of years. The scenery is quietly stunning—endless stretches of low tundra broken up by rocky outcrops, mossy hillsides, and winding rivers that catch the morning light. This region is home to some of Greenland’s most emblematic wildlife, and your guide will help you spot musk oxen, reindeer, Arctic hares, and foxes. With luck, you may even spot a gyrfalcon soaring overhead or a snowy owl perched on a distant ridge.

Your guide will make several scenic and interpretive stops along the way, offering insight into the geology, plant life, and traditional uses of the land by Greenlandic hunters and herders. This portion of the drive also provides a sense of the isolation and grandeur that defines Greenland’s interior plateau—an area inaccessible to most travelers.

Hike to the Summit Edge of the Ice Sheet

Eventually, the road ends at the dramatic location known as Point 660, marking the beginning of your glacier experience. Here, the towering edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet comes into full view—a wall of ancient ice stretching endlessly toward the horizon. After a brief rest and orientation, you’ll begin a guided hike across the terminal moraine and sandy glacial plain, following a well-worn but remote path that leads toward the summit ridge.

The hike, which typically takes 45 to 60 minutes each way, is moderately strenuous but deeply rewarding. As you walk, your guide will explain the glaciology of the region and tell engaging stories of Inuit legends surrounding the “White Land”. With each step, the towering mass of the ice sheet grows larger and more surreal until, finally, you arrive at the summit ridge—a dramatic perch overlooking one of Earth’s most significant ice formations.

From here, the views are truly unforgettable. Stretching in every direction, the white expanse of the Ice Sheet seems to blur into the sky. The silence is profound, broken only by the occasional crunch of shifting ice or the soft whistle of the wind across the glacier. Your guide will provide crampons if conditions allow a safe step onto the ice itself, giving you a chance to feel the ancient surface underfoot.

Picnic Lunch at the Ice Edge

At this spectacular setting, you’ll enjoy a thoughtfully prepared picnic lunch featuring local Greenlandic delicacies such as thinly sliced smoked musk ox, reindeer sausage, Arctic char pâté, and homemade bread. Hot soup, tea, and coffee are served to warm you up as you take in the views, with ample time for photography, quiet reflection, and conversation. Your guide will share stories of expeditions, ice core drilling, and how this region plays a crucial role in understanding climate change across the globe.

Russell Glacier Visit and Return Safari

After lunch, you’ll begin the return journey toward Kangerlussuaq, but not without a special detour to visit the Russell Glacier. This towering wall of ice, often tinged with blue and streaked with ancient sediment, is one of Greenland’s most impressive natural landmarks. You’ll walk alongside the meltwater river that flows from the glacier’s base and may have the opportunity to witness dramatic ice calving as large chunks break off into the stream below.

This visit is both visually stunning and intellectually engaging, offering a closer look at glacial processes and the impact of warming temperatures on Arctic ice. On the way back, the changing afternoon light offers new photographic angles of the tundra and wildlife, and your guide will keep an eye out for any returning musk oxen herds grazing in the valleys.

Return to Kangerlussuaq and Drop-Off

Your adventure concludes with a final stretch across the wide tundra plains. You’ll return to Kangerlussuaq by early evening, after a unique day that few travelers have the chance to experience. Your guide will drop you at your accommodation or whatever location is most convenient for you.