Discover the edge of the Arctic world on this handcrafted 10-day expedition through Greenland’s two most iconic regions: Nuuk, the vibrant capital pulsing with Indigenous heritage and modern creativity, and Ilulissat, the UNESCO-listed gateway to the Icefjord and Greenland’s iceberg kingdom.
Travel with a personal guide and driver throughout, enjoying the comfort of door-to-door service, curated accommodations, and insider access at every turn. Whether you’re chasing light across Disko Bay or listening to ancestral tales beside a home-cooked meal, this Arctic itinerary connects you to the land, the people, and the stories that make Greenland unforgettable.
Destinations on Your Arctic Expedition – 10 Days
Day 1: Nuuk – Colonial Harbor, Parliament & National Museum
Day 2: Nuuk – Fjord Boat Excursion & Modern Art Walk
Day 3: Nuuk – Quassussuaq Hike & Local Cultural Exchange
Day 4: Ilulissat – Old Town Orientation & Sermermiut Sunset Walk
Day 5: Ilulissat – Private Icefjord Cruise & Interpretation Center
Day 6: Oqaatsut – Arctic Village Visit & Fishing Culture Experience
Day 7: Ilulissat – Nakkaavik Hike & Traditional Cooking Class
Day 8: Disko Bay – Whale Safari & Arctic Photography Session
Day 9: Ilulissat – Flexible Exploration & Farewell Dinner
Day 10: Ilulissat – Private Airport Transfer & Departure
Day 1: Arrival in Nuuk & Cultural Introduction
Step into the heart of Greenland’s capital for a rich and revealing first glimpse of Arctic life, where layered history and modern expression meet beneath a dramatic mountain skyline.
Private Walking Tour of Historic Nuuk
Upon arrival at Nuuk Airport, your private driver-guide welcomes you and escorts you into the city.
After check-in and a moment to settle in, you’ll head out on foot for an orientation walk through Greenland’s oldest and most storied town.
Explore the colonial harbor, where red wooden buildings cling to the rocky shore and fishing boats bob beside the iconic statue of missionary Hans Egede.
Your guide paints a vivid picture of Nuuk’s evolution—from an Inuit settlement to a Danish colony to an autonomous capital—highlighting contrasts between the old and the new at sites like the Greenlandic Parliament building, Nuuk Cathedral, and the waterfront promenade adorned with contemporary public art.
Visit to the Greenland National Museum with Curator Insights
In the afternoon, dive deeper into Greenland’s cultural heritage with a private visit to the Greenland National Museum. Here, curated collections bring to life the country’s long and complex human story. Stand in quiet awe before the preserved Qilakitsoq mummies—8 women and children whose burial more than 500 years ago offers haunting insight into ancient life.
Your guide or museum curator will lead you through other fascinating exhibits, featuring Viking runes and Norse relics, as well as the delicate tools, clothing, and carvings of Greenland’s Inuit ancestors. This introduction to the Arctic’s cultural past sets a powerful context for the days ahead.
Day 2: Nuuk by Land & Sea
Today reveals Greenland’s natural grandeur and urban pulse—from the towering peaks and icy waters of Nuuk Fjord to the creative heartbeat of the city’s streets and institutions.
Boat Excursion in Nuuk Fjord
Board a private boat and set off into one of the largest fjord systems in the world. Your captain and guide will navigate among sheer rock faces, drifting icebergs, and secluded coves as seabirds soar overhead. Stop at the ghostly remnants of Kangeq, an abandoned fishing village once central to early missionary life, and walk among its timeworn buildings as your guide shares stories of resilience and change.
Enjoy lunch aboard or picnic-style on a rocky shore, with sweeping views and the pure silence that defines the Arctic wilderness.
Guided Art & Architecture Walk in Modern Nuuk
Back on land, explore how modern Greenlandic identity is expressed in public art, architecture, and civic space. Walk through the Katuaq Cultural Centre, admire the striking murals that speak to Indigenous pride and climate awareness, and visit institutions such as the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources or the university campus.
Throughout the walk, your guide will spotlight how Nuuk’s artists, architects, and leaders are shaping the capital into a city that honors tradition while embracing the future.
Day 3: Nature and Local Life
Today, this blend of Arctic adventure and heartfelt human connection awaits you as you head into the hills and into the lives of those who call Nuuk home.
Private Hike up Quassussuaq (Lille Malene)
Rise early for a half-day hike on one of Nuuk’s most accessible yet rewarding mountain trails. Known locally as Lille Malene, Quassussuaq rises just beyond the city limits, offering expansive views over fjords, peaks, and the colorful town below.
As you ascend through the Arctic tundra, your guide shares knowledge of native flora and fauna—look for reindeer tracks, Arctic poppies, and ptarmigan feathers along the trail. At the summit ridge, breathe in the stillness and take in the wild beauty that defines life in Greenland.
Visit to a Local Workshop or Storytelling with a Greenlandic Host
Later, return to town for an intimate cultural encounter. Visit a local craft studio, musician’s home, or community gathering space, where your host will share stories of daily life, Greenlandic traditions, and the rhythms of a culture shaped by both hardship and deep connection.
Whether through beadwork, a drum song, or personal tales of seasonal hunting, this exchange adds a personal, unforgettable dimension to your Arctic journey.
Day 4: Scenic Transfer to Ilulissat
Travel north into Disko Bay and step into a world sculpted by ice, where glacial giants drift and crackle just offshore, and colorful houses cling to ancient bedrock.
Morning Flight to Ilulissat & Welcome Orientation
Your morning begins with a scenic flight from Nuuk to Ilulissat, tracing Greenland’s dramatic coastline en route. Upon arrival, meet your new local guide, who’ll accompany you for the next leg of your Arctic journey. After check-in and a brief rest, it’s time to get acquainted with this unforgettable UNESCO-listed town.
Orientation Walk of Ilulissat’s Old Town
Join your guide for a walking tour through the charming heart of Ilulissat, where the spirit of the Arctic is woven into every creaking pier and brightly painted home.
Pass the wooden Zion Church, where seafarers once knelt before icy voyages, and pause at the Knud Rasmussen statue to hear tales of the legendary explorer born right here. At the bustling harbor, fishing boats unload the day’s catch as sled dogs bark in chorus from nearby pens—reminders that life here still dances to the rhythm of sea and snow.
Evening Icefjord Boardwalk Walk to Sermermiut
As evening approaches, follow the raised boardwalk beyond town to the Sermermiut Valley. This gentle trail leads through ancient Inuit settlement grounds toward the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord.
With golden light reflecting off jagged icebergs and your guide narrating the stories of those who once lived here, the scene feels almost sacred. Stop at the final viewpoint to gaze out across the calving face of Sermeq Kujalleq—one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world. Tonight, the silence is broken only by the distant thunder of ice breaking into the bay.
Day 5: The Icefjord Up Close
Today brings you eye-to-eye with Greenland’s frozen giants—carved by time, shaped by climate, and floating freely through a shifting, icy realm.
Private Boat Tour Among Icebergs
Set sail on a private boat through Disko Bay, where some of the world’s largest icebergs drift, spun off from the massive glacier that feeds Ilulissat’s Icefjord.
Your guide navigates narrow channels between these luminous sculptures—each one towering, translucent, and humming with ancient energy. Learn how ocean currents, wind, and tides shape the Bergs’ journey, and hear how climate change is rewriting the rules of this frozen theater.
Pause the engine now and then to absorb the stillness, punctuated only by the creaks and groans of ice. If you’re lucky, you may witness an iceberg calve, sending a ripple across the bay.
Visit to Ilulissat’s Icefjord Center with Private Guide
Back on land, dive into the deeper context at the Icefjord Center—an architectural gem that bridges science, art, and storytelling.
With your guide, explore hands-on exhibits and immersive projections that reveal how the Icefjord shapes global climate systems, how it inspired Indigenous legends, and how it connects to Earth’s glacial past and warming future. Whether you’re tracing the flow of meltwater or studying seismic ice sounds, this visit grounds your emotional impressions with a robust understanding.
Day 6: Arctic Village Life
Today, connect with Greenland’s heart through the lives of those who still live off land and sea in one of the most remote corners of the world.
Private Excursion to Oqaatsut by Boat
Set off across Disko Bay to the tiny village of Oqaatsut (formerly Rodebay), where a handful of homes overlook a sheltered cove, and the pace of life follows the tides.
Embark on a journey to explore this tight-knit community with your guide, visiting the school, the simple white church, and the local fish market, if open. Over a home-cooked seafood lunch—perhaps halibut or snow crab—you’ll gain insight into how modern Greenlandic families balance tradition and change.
Fishing Demonstration or Nature Walk with a Local Fisherman
Spend your afternoon alongside a local fisherman who’ll share firsthand knowledge of subsistence practices passed down through generations.
Watch how lines are set, nets repaired, or fish fillet with practiced ease—or, if preferred, take a gentle nature walk to nearby bluffs and rocky beaches where seabirds nest and berries ripen under the summer sun. In either case, your guide will translate stories, traditions, and personal reflections, offering a window into the quiet dignity and resilience of life in the Arctic.
Day 7: Hiking & Glacial Heritage
Step into the legends and landscapes that shaped Greenland’s oldest stories, where every valley and rock face holds echoes of ancestral voices and deep time.
Guided Hike to Nakkaavik – The Old Women’s Gorge
Set out with your private guide for a morning hike to Nakkaavik, a dramatic ravine steeped in Inuit mythology and known as the “Place Where the Old Women Fell.” This site combines geological wonder with oral history, inviting quiet reflection as you tread paths carved by retreating ice and ancient footsteps.
The landscape feels otherworldly—moss-tufted boulders, wind-sculpted ridges, and glacial scars on stone. Along the way, your guide shares legends of sacrifice, strength, and survival, linking nature’s raw power to Greenland’s cultural heritage.
Workshop Visit or Private Cooking Class
After your hike and a well-earned rest, step into the warm welcome of a local home kitchen or community space. Here, a Greenlandic cook or food historian will introduce you to traditional flavors—perhaps dried fish with angelica herb, mattak (whale skin), or seasonal greens foraged nearby.
Whether you watch, taste, or get hands-on, the experience offers insight into how people have nourished themselves in this Arctic climate for centuries. Expect storytelling, laughter, and perhaps even a treasured recipe to take home with you.
Day 8: Wildlife & Photography
Today offers two unforgettable ways to connect with Greenland’s wild beauty: up close with migrating giants and through the lens of Arctic light.
Whale Watching Safari by Private Boat (Seasonal)
Board a privately chartered vessel and head into Disko Bay’s deeper waters in search of humpback, minke, orca, and even the elusive fin whale.
Your wildlife guide will help you scan the horizon and interpret behaviors, pointing out tail slaps, spouts, and fluke dives. Along the way, learn how these great mammals navigate ice-filled channels and how local communities have coexisted with the sea for generations.
The air smells of salt and ice. The silence that follows the engine’s cut is vast. Then a flash of movement—a tail arcs, and all thought quiets into awe.
Photography Session with a Local Guide
Later, meet a Greenlandic photographer or visual storyteller who’ll take you to their favorite secret spots—clifftop overlooks, iceberg alleyways, or winding village paths.
Whether you’re using a DSLR or a smartphone, you’ll receive practical tips and deeper context: how light behaves in Arctic skies, how to photograph respectfully in local communities, and how to capture the essence of Ilulissat beyond the postcard view.
Day 9: Ilulissat – Life Between Ice & Tradition
Slow the rhythm and connect with Greenland’s quiet beauty and enduring heritage.
Private Knud Rasmussen House Tour or Oral History Session
In the afternoon, continue your cultural immersion with a private visit to the childhood home of Knud Rasmussen—Greenland’s most famous polar explorer.
Your guide will bring his story to life as you explore the humble rooms that once echoed with plans of Arctic expeditions.
Photographs, journals, and old maps serve as silent witnesses to an era of adventure while your guide unpacks Rasmussen’s complex legacy: part anthropologist, part explorer, part romantic of the North.
Alternatively, meet with a Greenlandic elder or storyteller at a local gathering space. Over coffee or a bowl of Mattak, hear first-person tales of seasonal rhythms, spiritual beliefs, and family life lived on the edge of the ice. The experience is unpolished, heartfelt, and unforgettable.
Farewell Dinner
As your journey nears its close, gather in a quiet corner of town for a private farewell dinner prepared by a local chef.
Settle into a cozy home-style setting or waterside bistro as plates arrive: Arctic char with herbs gathered from the tundra, savory reindeer stew with wild berries, and warm rye bread fresh from the oven.
Your host shares closing thoughts, local toasts, and a few personal memories of the landscapes and stories you’ve crossed together. As twilight falls over Disko Bay, the feeling is clear: you are no longer just a visitor but a part of Greenland’s story.
Day 10: Departure from Ilulissat
All journeys must end, but Greenland leaves a lasting trace, etched into memory like ice against stone.
Private Transfer to Ilulissat Airport
Your driver-guide will ensure a seamless journey to the airport, assisting with baggage and departure details. If your flight is later in the day, you may choose to add one final walk to a favorite viewpoint or revisit a local gallery for a last moment of quiet beauty.
As your plane lifts over Disko Bay and its drifting white sculptures, know that Greenland travels with you—its silence, its stories, its splendor.
