Please book your trip to Greenland here!
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Eqi, Disko Island and Icebergs
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| EUR 3.559,- |
Itinerary
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Day 1
Copenhagen - Ilulissat |
Day 2
Archaeological settlement and the first view of the Icefiord |
Day 3
By Boat from Ilulissat to the Disko Island |
Day 4
Town life, visit to the Arctic Research Station and Kuannit |
Day 6
Hike to the glacier ‘Lyngmarksbræen’ |
Day 7
Back to Ilulissat by boat |
Day 8
With boat to Ice Camp Eqi |
Day 9
Trekking to The Icecap |
Day 10
Trekking to the morraine at the Eqi Glacier. |
Day 11
Ilulissat to Denmark via Kangerlussuaq |
status info
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| Open for booking |
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| Open for booking – guaranted departure – limited availability. |
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| Sold out – Please, contact the tour-operator if you would like to be waitlisted. |
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ADVENTURE |
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Eqi, Disko Island and Icebergs
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11 days in the land of the midnight sun. Experience Ilulissat and the Greenlanders in their own country. Near the city of Ilulissat we trek to the World heritage site Kangia Icefiord, where enormous icebergs from the largest glacier on the northern hemisphere float by. Follow the exciting path of one of the great French Arctic explorer, Paul Emilie Victor, who used the area at Ice Camp Eqi as a base for the exploration of the ice cap. Explore the exciting Disko Island - a treasure in a land where the horizon seems endless.
- A beautiful boat trip to the Eqip Sermia glacier
- Trekking on the Disko Island in a landscape of volcanic basalt mountains
- Huge icebergs in the bay just outside the hotel in Ilulissat
- Stay overnight in the Greenlandic wilderness in the comfortable huts at Ice Camp Eqi
- Trek to the ice cap where the scenery is ice as far as you can see
- Trek to the edge of the ancient moraine, from where it is possible to see the glacier calve off ice in immediate vicinity
- Impressive treks with views of some of Greenland’s most beautiful arctic nature
- Experience the midnight sun rise over the glacier Eqip Sermia
- Possibility of dog sledding on Lyngmarksbræen on the Disko Island.
- Experience the vibrant life of a Greenlandic city
- Long, light evenings accompanied by huskies barking
- Musk oxes at Kangerlussuaq
- Traditional greenlandic meals
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Appetizer — see zoom edition on maps.google.com
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Day 1. Copenhagen - Ilulissat
We fly from Copenhagen to Ilulissat via Kangerlussuaq. In Ilulissat you are accommodated in a hotel beautifully located on the shore of the Disko Bay. The afternoon is free to explore the town and get a feeling of the atmosphere of Greenland's third-largest town. You might want to visit the town museum, formerly the college of education, and later the birthplace of Knud Rasmussen. Or perhaps you feel like stopping by the art museum, which displays some beautiful watercolour paintings of local painters. In the harbour, fishermen unload their catches of halibut from their small fragile dinghies after a day in the icefiord - life as a fisherman is hard and has its dangers. At "Brættet", the local fish market, where hunters sell their catch, you can try out a small piece of halibut, seal and, on good days, whale and maybe even polar bear. The town is full of life, and you will often experience playing greenlandic children, challenging gravity while they jump around waterpipes, fences or fishing boats on land. -/-/-
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Day 2. Archaeological settlement and the first view of the Icefiord
We will start the day at the quarry in the south-east end of town. From here we will take the path which will lead us through a stunning ravine with high rockwalls, and the snow bunting might show itself to us. Once arriving at the top we will see a small white stripe of the ice cap in the horizon. The hike continues downwards to a small lake from where we will get the first view of the Icefiord and the huge icebergs floating around in it. Passing by a small stream we fill up our water bottles and find a nice place to have a picnic. The remaining part of the hike will take place along the icefiord and we will get to experience the ice with all our senses. The creaking, crunching and rumbling sounds from the icebergs overwhelm our ears, and we can even smell the ice. As far as the eye can se there is ice and more ice. Along the icefiord we continue to Holm’s Hill, the place where the Greenlanders from Ilulissat meet every 13th of January to greet the sun after spending the winter in complete darkness. Towards the end of the day we will start exploring the largest of the old Greenlandic settlements, Sermermiut, which has been the home to both the paleo-eskimo and neo-eskimo societies. During the Thule-culture period around 250 people lived and died in this remarkable rugged area. Sporadic immigrations to the area count both the early Saqqaq-culture, the Dorset culture but also the subsequent Thule-culture settled in the area that surrounds Ilulissat. In the afternoon we return to Ilulissat and the rest of the day is at your own disposal and there is plenty of time to go shopping for various handicrafts and sealskin items such as gloves and carvings "the tupilak" in the shops in town. You could also visit the two museums or perhaps pass by the beautiful Zion church and the hospital with its stunning location. Later on in the evening we meet in one of Ilulissat’s restaurant and enjoy a meal together. Maybe you feel like ending the day by doing a midnight boat trip to the Kangia Icefiord (not included in the package), sailing among the massive icebergs, which will glow in the sunset and the many colours in the ice create a view beyond comprehension. B/L/-
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Day 3. By Boat from Ilulissat to the Disko Island
After breakfast we leave for the harbour from where we will sail to Qeqertarsuaq on the Disko Island. At first we set out between numorous icebergs, the numbers of these decrease as we aproach the fascinating peaks of the Disko Island. Upon arrival in Qeqertarsuaq we check in at our hotel and leave the afternoon open to go to Qaqqaliaq - the whale spotting site - in order to look for fin whales, humpback whales and the greenlandic minke whales. B/-/-
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Day 4. Town life, visit to the Arctic Research Station and Kuannit
We start the morning with breakfast and set off with a hike to Kuannit, which is also the Greenlandic word for Angelica, ever popular plant among the locals. They use it both as a spice and as a vegetable. This place has some amazing basalt formations, and you will find yourself encountering some of the Disko Island's many hot springs — more than 2000 are to be found on the island. Minerals in the hot springs give the plants some dramatic green colours and can be seen from a long distance. Depending on the weather situation we have lunch outside in these remarkable surroundings. In the afternoon it is possible to visit the Arctic Research Station (not included), which was founded by Morten Porsild, a famous Danish botanist, and taken over by Copenhagen University in 1953. Today the Arctic Research Station accomodates students within the area of biology, zoology, botany and glaciology. An alternative to this is a visit to the town museum. B/L/-
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Day 5. Trekking in the valley "Blæsedalen"
After a substantial breakfast in our hotel it is time to have a closer look at some of the Disko Island’s beautiful nature — we are going to do a hike in the well-known valley “Blæsedalen" with its many side valleys. We have a stunning day ahead of us and a full day of hiking through valleys, passing waterfalls, crossing brooks and rivers. We start off from our hotel in Qeqertarsuaq and pass by the Arctic Station, which we may already have visited (visit to the Arctic Station is not included in the package). Infront of us we can hear the turbulent river “Røde Elv", which with all its power yields melted ice from the Lyngmark glacier into the Disko Bay. We hike along the river to the head of the river — here we will have a small break just next to two powerful and impressive waterfalls. The water seems turbid and almost greenish due to the moraine material, which is dragged along with the ice as it melts on the glacier and continues further on its journey towards the Disko Bay as melt water. Next to "Røde Elv" the varied and diversed species of flora are in full bloom and if we take a closer look we might spot the Greenlandic butterfly orchid - one of the five types of orchids which are to be found in Greenland. The trip takes us further into the valley “Blæsedalen" with its characteristic basalt mountains, which rise masterfully on each side of the valley. In summertime the basalt mountains are covered by a carpet of flowers, crowberries and heather plants. The valley treats you with a silence and a tranquility not found in many places! Everywhere we will encounter the diversed flora and perhaps listen to the chirp of the Greenlandic snow bunting. Well ahead in the valley we will encounter yet another turbulent river “Bielven", which cuts the valley of “Blæsedalen" into two parts. This river also has an impressive waterfall, which leads melt water from one of the many glaciers into the blue waters of the Disko Bay. The place is the perfect spot for enjoying our lunch and let the beautiful scenery settle in our minds. We will take a good long break here with time to enjoy the tranquility and have a closer look at the flora in the area — maybe curiosity will make you move up into the side valley to look after blueberries before we head off towards Qeqertarsuaq. After a good long hike we arrive to our hotel in the afternoon and there will be time to relax before we gather for dinner in our hotel. B/L/-
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Day 6. Hike to the glacier ‘Lyngmarksbræen’
We start the day early by trekking to 'Lyngmarksbræen'. On our accent we will experience a fantastic view of Qeqertarsuaq and the Disko Bay, while we enjoy the beautiful trip along the mountian side "Apostelfjeldet". Upon arrival at the glacier it is possible to go dog sledding (not included) and experiencing the ancient Greenlandic means of transportation. We will be divided into teams of 2 persons per sledge. Sitting on the sledge and feeling the excitement of the dogs straining to run out into Greenland's natural wilderness is a remarkable experience. From the top we will have an outstanding view and it is possible to see the mainland of Greenland at a distance of 100 km. Later on we will take the same path back to Qeqertarsuaq. If you do not wish to participate in the hike to ‘Lyngmarksbræen’ to go dog sledding, you have many other opportunities of doing smaller hikes in the surroundings of Qeqertarsuaq or you can just relax and enjoy the atmosphere in town. B/-/-
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Day 7. Back to Ilulissat by boat
We leave the Disko Island and head back to Ilulissat. As we sail away, we get the last view of the Disko Island and its fantastic basalt formations. On the approach to Ilulissat we will see giant icebergs which are being pushed out into the Disko Bay leaving behind the Kangia icefiord close to Ilulissat. On arrival we are accommodated at the hotel again located on the shore to the icepacked bay. B/-/-
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Day 8. With boat to Ice Camp Eqi
Today we leave Ilulissat by boat northwards to follow the path of the greatest French arctic explorer, Paul Emilie Victor. On our way we pass by Oqaatsut, a small settlement with about 50 inhabitants. We continue through the Atâ strait with the rough cliffs of the island Arveprinsen Ejland to the left and several big bird cliffs to the right. On the steep and rough cliffs several cormorants, fulmars and Arctic skuas flourish.We are closing in at the Eqip Sermia glacier after approx. 5 hours of sailing, and while we enjoy lunch on board the boat, we watch as big chunks of heavy ice break off the glacier and trembles intensely into the sea. The sound is ear-splitting — big forces of nature is at display. The glacier calves off ice at least once every hour leaving us with a guerantee to observe this incredible phenomenon of ice falling into the sea from a glacier frontline rising 110 meters above the surface of the sea ! This is a unique sight. The boat calls at Port Victor at Ice Camp Eqi with only a short distance to the glacier. The harbour is named after the French arctic explorer who came here right after the Second World War to investigate the ice cap. At that time this was the only place with access to the ice cap using heavy expedition equipment. After arrival at Eqi, we are accommodated in the small red-painted wooden huts and later on we have dinner at “Café Victor". All the huts have a small terrace from where you can watch the rumbling glacier while drinking your evening coffee. If you want to do some trekking in the area, there are plenty of excellent hiking opportunities around Ice Camp Eqi, e.g. a trip to the south towards a glacial river, which has cut its way forcefully down to the sea and created a deep canyon whose waters are filled with brown sediment. With a little luck you may spot a seaeagle hover high above the cliffs thus the area is home to the northernmost seaeagle nest in Greenland.
Alternatively, you can take a look at "the French Man’s Hut", a hut constructed by Paul-Emile Victor as a base for all his expeditions to the ice cap. You can still see original inscriptions on the walls, and while looking around you might find interesting things from former expeditions. We have dinner at Café Victor. B/L/D.
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Day 9. Trekking to The Icecap
Breakfast is enjoyed while watching the Eqi glacier. We prepare our lunch packets and head off for the spectacular trek to The Icecap.The aim for our expedition is to get to the ice cap, just to be there and sense this remarkable place. We enjoy a lunch in the middle of this spectacular scenery, whereafter we start walking the final distance to the icecap itself. Upthere we understand the immense size of the Ice cap looking eastwards to the horizon and Eastgreenland approx. 600 km away! The trek from the Eqi huts to The Icecap and back normally takes between 6-8 hours and takes us through very varied landscapes, where we have good chances for spotting arctic hare, grouse and polar fox on our way.
B/L/D
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Day 10. Trekking to the morraine at the Eqi Glacier.
We have breakfast in the café to the sound of the glacier calving, sounds which on rare occasions are so powerful that you can feel it in your chest. After preparing a lunch box, we set off and make our way around a small lagoon to get closer to the front of the glacier. This takes us up on the edge of an old terminal moraine left behind as the glacier retreated. Since 1930 the glacier has been retreating up the hill and further out of the sea. This means that the front of the glacier is now more than 100 meters high in some places, and several times a day immense lumps of ice break off into the sea. The old terminal moraine gives us a safe view point from which we can really appreciate this 4 km wide glacier front at very close range. We return to Ice Camp Eqi in time to catch the boat for Ilulissat. In the early evening we check in at the nice Hotel Arctic with wonderful views towards the Icefiord.
B/L/-
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Day 11. Ilulissat to Denmark via Kangerlussuaq
In the morning we leave for the airport and fly via Kangerlussuaq to Copenhagen. If weather allows it, we will have a splendid view from the plane — from one side you can see the ice fjord, from the other side it is the Disko Bay that lies beneath. If time allows it, it is possible to take a walk in the area around Kangerlussuaq. Even close to the populated area you can see musk oxes, which makes it interesting to take a hike or even better a biking trip towards the ice cap in order to get close to these magnificent animals. (Activities in Kangerlussuaq will be on your own). We change flights in Kangerlussuaq and continue the flight to Copenhagen with enough time to let all the great experiences settle in our minds. B/-/-
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Meals:
Included meals are indicated each day by B (Breakfeast), L (Lunch) and D (Dinner). If a meal is not included it is marked with -
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Accomodation
The nights are spent in comfortable huts at Eqi and hotel in Ilulissat. On the Disko Island we will be sleeping in a hostel. All places have double rooms.
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International departure:
This trip is sold internationally. The tour will be conducted in English by a Danish tourleader.
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Eqi:
Approximately 3 hours north of Ilulissat by boat the calving glacier Eqip Sermia is situated in a scenic area. Eqip Sermia is one of the only places in Greenland, at which location it is possible to sail close to the 4 km long glacier front that calves several times per day. Ice Camp Eqi is a true pearl situated with a stunning view of the calving glacier front whether you sit in Café Victor or at the terrace of one of the huts. The constant activity of the glacier can be seen and heard several times a day. A better location to enjoy this incredible nature phenomenon is difficult to find.
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Ilulissat - the place of icebergs:
The third largest town in Greenland, Ilulissat is home to an extensive fishing industry. Ilulissat is still expanding. The town is founded by Jacob Severin (therefore it is called Jacobshavn in Danish) and the approximate 6,000 inhabitants are outnumbered by the number of sled dogs in Ilulissat. Ilulissat is situated next to the number one tourist attraction in Greenland, the Kangia Glacier. More than 60 km long and a truly spectacular sight, Kangia is the birthplace of massive icebergs. An "ice-safari" in this area is a remarkable experience. The birth place of the famous arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen is in Ilulissat and today it houses the town museum.
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Disko Island:
Because of its recent history Disko Island is very different from the mainland. The island mostly consists of high and steep basalt mountains that were created by volcanic activity 25-65 million years ago. Qeqertarsuaq means "the great island" and is the Greenlandic name for both the island (Disko) and the town. Qeqertarsuaq is set against a backdrop of magnificent basalt mountains, which derive from streams of lava millions of years ago.
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Grading:
This trip is graded 2-3. In Greenland there are not many established trails, and we trek cross-country most of the time. You will only need to carry a small day-pack. At Camp Eqi you will need to carry your luggage a few hundred metres to the huts.
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Duration:
11 days, 6 days of hiking grade 2-3.
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Climate:
In the Ilulissat area the day temperature in July and August is approximately 10°C - 15°C. The nights can be colder, but during the day the sun and the dry air give the impression of warmer temperatures than is actually the case. Night temperatures sometimes come below 0°C. Rain and showers may occur but at this time of year the weather is usually very clear, with good visibility.
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Electricity:
There are good opportunities for charging batteries for your digital camera and mobile phone on this tour. Please be aware that electricity in Eqi is limited as it is produced by a generator only.
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Mobile phones:
It is possible to use mobile phones in certain areas of the trip. In general we urge you not to use mobile phones when with the group in order to not interrupt the treks and excursions with conversations over the phone.
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Maps:
Walking maps North Greenland, Ilulissat. 1:100.000, can be bought locally.
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The price includes:
Flights: Copenhagen — Kangerlussuaq - return
Flights: Kangerlussuaq — Ilulissat - return
Boat-transfer: Ilulissat — Eqi - return
Boat transfer: Ilulissat — Qeqertarsuaq — return
Transfer in Ilulissat between airport and hotel
Luggage transfer between all the destinations
All hiking tours
English-speaking tourleader
Meals as indicated under each day
All accommodation
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Not included
Personal traveling expenses for souvenirs, maps, drinks and beverages etc.
Allow approx. 140 DKK per person per meal for not included meals
Entrance fees to the Arctic Research Station, museums etc.
Dog sledge ride at ‘Lyngmarksbræen’
Midnight boat trip at the Kangia icefjord
Other optional day trips during your free time
Rental of bikes - Kangerlussuaq
Travel and cancellation insurance
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Please note:
The program is subject to alteration. A trip like this is very dependent on weather conditions; such as changes concerning wind, precipitation and ice. As a consequence of this some delays or cancellations of some parts of the program may occur, especially those that concern flight or boat transportation. No compensation will be offered within the first 24 hours of delay or change of program due to circumstances that can not be influenced by Topas. Your tourleader will aim to lessen the inconveniences and fill out the time with an alternative program.
Please note: Snow and ice conditions at the glacier of “Lyngmarksbræen" in mid-August to the beginning of September determine whether or not it is possible to go dog sledging. As a consequence of this dog sledging can not be guaranteed on these tours.
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PICTURES |
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FILES
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Eqi, Disko Island and Icebergs
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Greenland Inspiration-video
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What to bring |
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