Wondering how to visit Ilulissat’s awe-inspiring giant icebergs? Curious about how to plan & get the most from your trip to Ilulissat? Then read on for 10 tips to know before you go!
Without a doubt, Greenland is one of the most beautiful – and untouched – places on our planet.
But out of all the incredible places to visit on this striking, boundless island, Ilulissat – with its towering icebergs and UNESCO-protected icefjord – is the most awe-inspiring of all.
Ilulissat’s famous icefjord is truly not something you want to miss while in Greenland!
And if you’re lucky enough to have the chance to visit Ilulissat yourself, then there are a few important travel tips you should know before you go. So to help you make the most of your trip, I put together today’s article.
But before we get to the “things to know,” let’s cover some basics.
Where is Ilulissat and what makes it so special, anyway?
Ilulissat is a picturesque harbor town, the third largest on the island, located in western Greenland approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the Arctic Circle.
The town is situated in the heart of the Disko Bay area, which is famous for its massive icebergs – a product of nearby Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the world’s fastest and most active glaciers – and its stunning icefjord, a UNESCO world heritage site where the icebergs get stuck on their journey out to sea.
Icebergs getting stuck in the icefjord on their way out to sea
In fact, the name “Ilulissat” is a Greenlandic word meaning “iceberg.”
How can you see the icebergs in Ilulissat, Greenland?
Honestly, you can’t really avoid them in Ilulissat 🙂
For one, they truly are massive, with some coming in at several kilometers long and hundreds of meters high.
You’ll see icebergs just walking through town in Ilulissat
This means you can get a spectacular view of Ilulissat’s icebergs simply by walking through the town, taking one of the coastal walking trails, or heading towards the icefjord with a boat, kayak, or even SUP excursion.
How can you get to Ilulissat, Greenland?
If you’re already in Greenland, you can hop on one of Air Greenland’s domestic flights.
Otherwise, there are just two airlines that have international flights to Greenland.
View of Ilulissat’s icebergs, and icefjord (seen on the left), from the plane
Air Greenland has weekly flights from Copenhagen to Ilulissat (with a connection in Kangerlussuaq, a town home to Greenland’s largest airport). And Air Iceland has a few routes to Greenland from Reykjavik’s Keflavík airport.
During certain parts of the year, you may also be able to get to Ilulissat by cruise ship or by western Greenland’s public ferry.
What are the best and cheapest tour companies (and best/cheapest tours) in Ilulissat?
While I’m sure there are many highly-rated tour companies in Ilulissat, we did all of our tours and activities with Ilulissat Adventure…and walked away very happy with them!
While not cheap (see “thing” #3 below!), we also didn’t find any Ilulissat tour companies that were cheaper. So, it’s probably safe to say that this is one of the “cheapest” tour companies you’ll find in Ilulissat.
Personally, we used Ilulissat Adventure for all of our tours in Ilulissat and were very happy!
As for the best tours, that’s certainly up to you and what you’re interested in!
Here’s a quick look at what we did, though, and would highly recommend to anyone else:
- Icefjord cruise/open-air boat tour
- The “kayak among icebergs” tour
- 1-day guided waterfall hike & tour to Oqaatsut settlement
You can see more Ilulissat Adventures tours here. (And no, we didn’t receive any commission or discounts from them. We just had a really great experience!)
(Note that we also tried to do their “SUP iceberg sightseeing” tour but it was canceled because the wind was too strong. So, we happily subbed in the “icefjord cruise” instead.)
10 things to know before your trip to Ilulissat, Greenland
1. BOOK EARLY!
Out of all the Ilulissat travel tips I’m offering up today, this one may be the most important: book your trip (flights, accommodation & excursions) as EARLY as you possibly can.
Ilulissat’s main tourist season – AKA the summer season when most excursions and transportation options are running before everything freezes over – is quite short. Not to mention, Ilulissat itself is quite small.
View of Ilulissat from the “yellow” trail (see below)
This means that the demand is very high for a limited supply of facilities…leading to flights, hotels, and tours that get booked out MONTHS in advance.
For reference, we booked everything for our September trip to Ilulissat about 9 months beforehand in January of that same year.
Which brings us to our next point…
2. Take some time to consider when you want to travel to Ilulissat (and consider the shoulder season, if you can).
Just about every season in Ilulissat has something to offer.
In summer, you’ll get more manageable weather, nearly 24 hours of daylight (which is far more impressive – and disorienting – than “just” the midnight sun :-), and a “peak” season for icebergs as the warmer weather causes them to break off from the glacier in a greater abundance than any other time of the year.
Ilulissat’s winter, on the other hand, has its own charms (even if those charms may be a little cold and dark!) and seasonal activities, like dog sledding, to enjoy.
Now, as I mentioned above, the vast majority of tourists come during the summer months (namely, June, July, and August) as there are far more activities operating at that time and transportation is much more reliable.
But the problem is that these three peak months in Ilulissat can get busy.
However, we booked our trip for the 3rd week in September and found that time of the year to be just about perfect.
It was just late enough in the season that we could avoid most of the crowds (including the cruise-ship-season crowds). But it was still early enough that we were able to do the activities we wanted to do (like kayaking around the icebergs, which tour companies were going to stop offering at the end of the month).
Another perk of visiting in September or the shoulder season in general? You’ll actually get the chance to see the sunset behind the icefjord
It’s worth mentioning that temperatures can drop significantly in September as we ourselves ran into wind chills of about -10 C (15 F). But nothing a bit of layering didn’t solve. Plus, we even got a bit of snow…which was a welcome surprise!
3. Don’t forget to add Ilulissat’s coastal walking trails to your itinerary.
While there are many amazing tours and experiences you can take on while in Ilulissat (kayaking among the icebergs, visiting local settlements, speeding toward the icefjord by Zodiac boat, etc.), some of our favorite moments from our trip were spent looking out over the icefjord from the town’s coastal trails.
You can choose from three main trails: the yellow, the red, and the blue. All three trails are well-marked, easy to navigate, and start from the Icefjord Center (an impressive, modern building situated at the top of a hill, just past the howling sled dog fields).
Ilulissat trail map (note you can find this right outside the entrance to the Icejord Center!)
While each trail offers incredible views and different perspectives of the icefjord, if you can only choose one, I highly recommend the yellow trail. Bonus points if you’re there when Ilulissat isn’t experiencing 24-hour daylight so you can see the sunset 🙂
Watching the sun dip behind the icebergs in a burst of color is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (In fact, it was so spectacular I made it my new phone background!)
4. That said…also try to venture out to the icefjord by boat to get close and personal with the icebergs.
If you’re stuck on which tour/activity/excursion to choose during your stay in Ilulissat, then you can’t go wrong with the quintessential experience: a boat trip to the icefjord.
While the view from the shore is impressive, there’s nothing quite like venturing deeper into the icefjord and admiring the formations of the towering icebergs from the water.
As I mentioned above, we did our “icefjord cruise” with Ilulissat Adventure, the same tour company we chose for our other activities. Personally, we enjoyed their “cruise” style as they took us out on an open-air Zodiac boat that really let us feel the cool Greenlandic air.
Getting up close and personal with the icefjord by boat
And don’t worry…they did provide us with thick, waterproof, Arctic-expedition-quality suits to keep us warm!
But if you want a boat tour that’s a bit more comfortable or relaxing, you’ll find plenty of other Ilulissat tour companies offering alternatives. After all, this is one of Ilulissat’s most classic (and most popular) experiences!
5. On your way to Ilulissat, see if you can score a free overnight layover in Kangerlussuaq so you can visit the impressive Greenland ice sheet.
Kangerlussuaq, a town in western Greenland that’s home to the island’s largest airport, is likely to be your entry point into Greenland if you’re arriving by air.
Conveniently, Kangerlussuaq is also known as the “gateway” to Greenland’s mighty ice sheet, as it is the only place in Greenland that has road access to it. (Albeit road access that’s a little bumpy and slow!)
So if you have to have a layover in Kangerlussuaq anyway on your way to Ilulissat…why not see about making it an overnight one, giving you the opportunity to add the ice sheet to your Ilulissat/Greenland itinerary?
Visiting the famous ice sheet was a true highlight of our trip to Greenland
Note that you won’t be able to visit the ice sheet on your own as A) there’s no transportation, and B) it’s incredibly dangerous to navigate the ice sheet without a guide who can help you avoid meltwater-caused holes (or “moulins”).
Several companies offer Kangalussuaq ice sheet tours, but we went with Albatross Arctic Circle and were very happy with them.
Our flight from Copenhagen arrived at 10:40 AM, allowing us to join their 11 AM ‘8-hour full-day ice sheet adventure tour’ with a pickup directly from the airport.
If you arrive a bit later, they also have a shorter 5-hour ice sheet tour that starts at 1:00 PM.
You can take a look at Albatross Arctic Circle’s ice sheet tours here.
(Side note: Kangalussuaq even has a youth hostel, making it a more budget-friendly option for an overnight stay than Ilulissat is!)
6. If possible, give yourself an extra day (or two) to accommodate delays and cancellations caused by bad weather.
While Greenland is undeniably beautiful, it’s not known for its mild climate or calm weather…which means that weather-related flight delays and tour/activity cancellations are quite common.
Because of this, try to build some flexibility into your trip if you can. This way, you can adapt to delays or reschedule activities as needed.
For example, we ran into some unexpected snow & high winds during our trip (it sure made it beautiful, though!)
Thankfully, local tour and activity companies are typically very understanding when it comes to delays and will work hard with you to reschedule or find a solid alternative. But do keep in mind – most of this is well beyond their control!
A side note: always make sure to check your email before heading to your tour or excursion departure point. As we learned the hard way, tour companies will typically contact you a few hours beforehand if there are any cancellations or changes you need to know about!
7. No matter the time of year you visit, bring lots (and lots) of layers!
As I said above, Greenland’s weather can be challenging. And Ilulissat, even during the summer months, can be surprisingly cold!
So, make sure you’re prepared with all your cold-weather essentials, including a heavy-duty winter jacket, long underwear, a hat, gloves, waterproof hiking boots, and a variety of other top and bottom layers you can easily add or remove as needed.
For reference: even during our mid-September trip to Ilulissat, wind chills were already dropping to as low as -10 C (15 F).
8. Make sure to take off your shoes!
In Greenland, it’s often customary to leave your shoes outside to avoid bringing in dirt and snowmelt. So do be respectful and make sure to do the same whenever you see a sign or other shoes left outside.
Don’t forget to take off your shoes indoors!
(But don’t worry – you can leave your shoes on in places like the airport and the grocery store!)
9. Set aside some time to learn about the local Greenlandic Inuit culture.
While Greenland is a Danish territory, nearly 90% of the island’s population consists of indigenous Greenlandic Inuits.
As you might imagine, surviving for centuries in a place with conditions as harsh and inhospitable as Greenland is no small feat. So taking some time to learn about the local heritage, history, and contemporary Greenlandic culture is well worth your time.
Our visit to a nearby settlement, Oqaatsut; pictured: qamutiks, traditional Inuit sleds still in use today built to travel across snow and ice with sledge dogs
If you’re passing through Nuuk, the Greenland National Museum and Archives is an excellent choice. Otherwise in Ilulissat, you’ll find the Ilulissat Museum. Or you could consider a trip to a nearby settlement, such as Oqaatsut, for deeper insight.
10. Be warned that Ilulissat (and Greenland in general) isn’t a very budget-friendly destination.
While I loved my trip to Ilulissat and would go again in a heartbeat, it was not cheap.
Between the flights (an average of 600+ euros roundtrip from Copenhagen, plus whatever you pay to get to Copenhagen), accommodation (100+ euros per night minimum), and the tours/excursions (ranging from 100-200 euros each), a trip to Ilulissat can really add up.
Given the uniqueness and the once-in-a-lifetime experience of visiting a place like Ilulissat, we did find these well-above-average costs totally worth it for us. But I did want to mention it just so you have an idea of what you’re in for!
All that said, if you’re trying to watch your budget while in Greenland, then you may be interested in our other article: 7 Tips to Visiting Greenland on a Budget.
Concluding…
And that’s it!
With these 10 tips, you should have all the info you need for a great trip to Ilulissat.
If you have any questions or other suggestions, please let us know in the comments area below and we’ll get back to you!