Where to base yourself
Central Ilulissat. Near the harbour, church and shops, with mid-range hotels and guesthouses within walking distance of the tour offices.
North end, towards the airport. The larger hotels stand on headlands north of the centre with open views over the bay and its icebergs; they run shuttle buses into town.
Settlements and lodges. Ilimanaq, Oqaatsut and the lodge at Eqi offer a night or two in near-silence, with transfers by boat. Book as a package.
Nuuk. Stay in the centre, near the colonial harbour and Katuaq; the airport is a short taxi or bus ride away.
Food & drink
Greenlandic halibut, cod, snow crab and prawns come straight from the bay, and menus also feature musk ox, reindeer and lamb from the south. Many restaurants offer a ‘Greenlandic buffet’ or tasting plate that may include dried fish, whale and seal: these are legal, traditional foods from regulated local hunts, and whether you try them is your choice. Nearly everything else is imported by ship, so prices are high and fresh vegetables limited. Coffee with cake at a kaffemik, an open-house celebration in a family home, is offered on some tours.
Money-saving and safety tips
- Budget generously: flights, hotels and boat trips all cost more than in Iceland or Norway, and there is little at the low end.
- Keep at least a full buffer day before your international flight home, and buy insurance that covers delays and missed connections.
- Stay well back from the shoreline near the icefjord. Calving or rolling icebergs can send sudden waves up the rocks; warning signs mark the danger zone at Sermermiut.
- Do not approach sled dogs. Puppies may roam free, but adults are chained working animals and can bite.
- Ask before photographing people, and treat hunting and fishing as what they are here — a livelihood, not a spectacle.
- Do not buy souvenirs made from whale, walrus or polar bear unless you have checked your home country’s import rules; many ban them.
Sample plans
Three days in Ilulissat (summer)
- Icefjord Centre and the boardwalk to Sermermiut; blue trail back
- Whale-watching trip by day, iceberg cruise under the midnight sun
- Full-day boat to Eqi glacier
Three days in Ilulissat (March–April)
- Snowshoe or walk to the icefjord viewpoint
- Dog-sled trip into the hills
- Snowmobile or northern-lights outing; museum and town
A day in Nuuk
- National Museum and the colonial harbour
- Fjord cruise or city tour
- Dinner with Greenlandic produce at Katuaq or the harbour
West Greenland: where to stay
Ilulissat has only a few hundred hotel rooms and fills in July and August; reserve as early as you can. Nuuk has more choice and is useful for a night between flights.
