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Greenland
Wasn't sure where to post this, so sorry if it is the wrong forum.
Does anyone have suggestions for where to visit in Greenland? I'm looking mainly for impressive natural scenery. Aurorae would be nice. Thanks! |
Not sure where you are flying in from. In principle only two options either from CPH on GL or SK or starting this summer from Baltimore on GL. All flights go into SFJ (Søndre Strømfjord), which no more than an airport. Only sights in place are 1) This is likely the closest you get to the icecap - so stay overnight for a single night and take a daytrip in there. Book et e.g. www.greeland.com . 2) and by the way the only golf course in Greenland is located here.
All internal flights are either by air or by sea. A cruise up to Illulissat is definately a good option, so is a visit around Bay of Disco -and if you want to of the beaten track go to Thule (Qaanaaq) and the eastern Greenland. Be prepared for a costly trip though. Have fun |
Getting to Thule
I realize I'm replying to an old thread, but how does one get to Thule! I have read all sorts of thing and I'm now just confused. From what I gather there are flights from Copenhagen but I can't seem to nail down the when and how.
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Try flights from Iqaluit, YFB, with First Air or Canadian North; flights may go via Nuuk.
Alternately, and this is rather a long way round, fly with NY, Air Iceland (the domestic sister of FI, Icelandair) from RKV to Tasillaq then to THU via Kangerlussuaq with Air Greenland. I flew with NY to Tasillaq a few years ago in a Fokker-100, and it was one of the best flights I've ever made. The sight of the icebergs in the sea as we approached the coast of Greenland was amazing, and things just got better after landing and the 'copter trip to Kulusuk. Greenland was :-::-::-::-: fantastic in all ways, and I would go back in a microsecond. I hope you get to THU and enjoy your visit as much as I did mine. |
I went there quite a few years ago now - from Europe rather than from the US, and loved the place.
SFJ (Kangerlussuaq - Søndre Strømfjord in Danish) is quite a hub for GL, and you can easily get flights from there up to Ilulissat, which is a must-see destination, for the icefjord alone. I can't overstate what an amazing sight the icefjord is: it may just rank as the single most impressive natural phenomenon I've ever seen. Ilulissat is the nearest thing to a big town in this area, and quite a good base to start out from. You can then ferry-hop to nearby Qasigiannguit (good walking, lots of seals, and a beautiful little old harbour), Aasiaat (to view marine life, and wander round the traditional smokehouses dotted around the old part of town), Qeqertarsuaq (aka Disko Island - also good for walking around some bizarre rock formations, plus dog sledding up on the ice pack, even when it's passable down in town). A longer ferry trip from Ilulissat takes you to Uummannaq, perched on a slope and dominated by a giant, heart-shaped rock. From there, it's a relatively short hop to Qaanaaq (which is New Thule - where the residents from Pituffik were re-sited when the air base was built). Note that if your flight touches down at Pituffik, you will need a transit permit, as it's technically outside the Kingdom of Denmark. |
I know this is an ancient thread but I just came back from a week in Iceland with a day trip to Greenland. It was one of the high points of my trip. When I booked it there was very little information other than on the site where I booked it (IcelandAir Connect) so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm hoping that anyone who does a search on "Greenland" in this thread will find this.
The flight left from RKV, not KEF- a big plus. I'd rented an Airbnb place in the western part of Reykjavik and when we landed after the trip, I walked it and was back in my apartment 35 minutes later. We flew to Kulusuk- same latitude, on the east coast of Greenland, an 80-minute flight. We crossed two time zones! Our guide met our group at the airport. Kulusuk is actually an island- a village of 240 people who mainly make a living as subsistence hunters. We walked into town after first viewing it from an amazing scenic overlook and walking down a small glacier, and visited the small church, a grocery store and a small museum. We were given the option of going back to the airport by water in one of the boats owned by residents for another $40- it supplemented their income and gave us another view of a beautiful area. They went very slowly so we had a chance to take in the scenery. I also got some great shots from the plane coming in and going out. Obviously you can't get a full picture of the country and its culture in a portion of a day in a small fishing village but it's always enlightening to put yourself in another corner of the world. I met a group at RKV headed out for a 5-day kayak tour off a larger ship; you can also book a 5-day "Highlights of Greenland" tour form the IcelandAir connect site. Kulusuk has a hotel and a hostel. Highly recommended with two caveats: there's a lot of walking over rocks, but no great altitude gain. Still, you need to be agile. Second- bring your own food. The grocery store was really meant for the residents and didn't have a lot of ready-to-eat food. I made a picnic out of a can of tuna with a pull tab (no can opener needed) and a loaf of bread (took the leftover bread back with me). I was starved at that point (despite having a couple of Costco protein bars with me) and it was delicious! Available food at the airports was limited to empty calories- mostly salty snacks and candy- and no food was served on the flight. There was a food stand at Kulusuk Airport but it wasn't open when I arrived. I hope this post will encourage others to make the trip. |
We are considering a trip like this for our next visit to Iceland. Would you mind ballparking the price for this day trip?
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I booked it a few months ahead and it was $591. I realized when I got the receipt that I'd been hit with 8 Euros each way because I selected a window seat. Well, it was worth it- got some great pictures! The boat ride back to the airport was another $40- that was optional and it's a pretty short walk if you'd rather walk. No obvious shilling for tips.
A friend who was in Iceland at the same time I was looked at the price then and it was much higher, so he must have been quoted the walk-up airfare. Here's the link. https://www.airicelandconnect.com/to...lusuk-day-tour You can ignore the bit about needing Danish currency. The grocery store took credit cards and so did the guide for the boat ride. There was a film crew with us (I was interviewed for a sound byte at the end) so eventually they should have a video on the site but it's not there yet. |
Thanks. Definitely considering it for our next Northern trip!
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They shot a video on my day trip to Kulusuk- I've been searching for it on occasion and just found it- posted a month ago. It's not even on the airline's Web site yet so there are few views.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzKUpPxPW-IV I appear briefly in the group at 1:16. The young woman who does most of the narration describes the community as "thriving" but the guide described them as "subsistence hunters"- very few homes have electricity or flush toilets. I'm glad they finally finished the video- I'd like to give this place some publicity to maybe add to their coffers, but not so many visitors that it has an adverse effect on them. |
6 Days in Greenland- Cruise Port Stops-What to do?
For any of the Nordic experts here, I'd apprciate any advice you might have for activities/sights in the following towns in Greenland:
Qaqortoq Paamiut (Frederikshab) Nuuk (Godthab Maniitsoq (Sukkertoppen) Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg) Ilulissat (Jakobshavn) We will be spending a day in each town, The ship's excursion options seem limited. Many thanks for your insights! |
TripAdvisor has a slightly more busy Greenland forum than this thread, you might get some advice there
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Originally Posted by 747FC
(Post 30830003)
For any of the Nordic experts here, I'd apprciate any advice you might have for activities/sights in the following towns in Greenland:
Qaqortoq Paamiut (Frederikshab) Nuuk (Godthab Maniitsoq (Sukkertoppen) Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg) Ilulissat (Jakobshavn) We will be spending a day in each town, The ship's excursion options seem limited. Many thanks for your insights! Qaqortoq A nice little town (though the fifth largest in Greenland) with a decent small museum and stone sculptures dotted around the place. Nearby places of interest are Hvalsey Church ruins and Uunartoq Hot Springs. I visited Hvalsey on the way by boat from Igaliku. It should be a relatively easy boat trip from Qaqortoq. I did not go to Uunartoq as it would have meant 4-5 hours getting there and back by boat and not much time at the hot springs. Other activities included a hike up to a headland overlooking the town and the fjord towards Hvalsey in the other direction, a kaffemik or a visit to a local home for coffee and cake, and a tour of a seal skin/fur processing factory. Paamiut The coastal ship I travelled on from Qaqortoq to Nuuk stopped briefly (30 minutes) in Paamiut and I joined a small group led by the ship’s English speaking guide to walk up to a church on a hill and back. I don’t know what there is to do there for a whole day. Nuuk The National Museum which houses the Qilakitsoq mummies is worth a visit and also the Art Museum especially if there is a special exhibition. I also did a self-guided ArtWalk looking at sculptures, street art and murals. Nuuk is a small city and you can walk almost everywhere though the harbour is some distance away. Greenland must be one of the few countries where tourists can just walk into the parliament building for a tour. I also went for a Fish’n’Dish dinner at Qooqqut Nuan some 50km away by boat and met people from a cruise ship who managed to squeeze it into their schedule. Interesting but expensive (remember this is Greenland) Thai-influenced fish dishes at one of the world’s remotest restaurants. Ilulissat Probably the most tourist-orientated destination on this Greenland trip. You can see icebergs from land (hiking trails on the edge of the town), from above by helicopter (I didn’t since I flew into Ilulissat and managed to see icebergs before landing, plus the weather when I was there wasn’t brilliant) or from a boat cruising among icebergs. It was cold! There are also small museums although I didn’t visit them. I will try and add some photos later. |
Originally Posted by NewbieRunner
(Post 30857539)
I visited the south west coast of Greenland last summer and spent sometime in Qaqortoq, Nuuk and Ilulissat, with a very brief stop in Paamiut on a coastal ship between Qaqortoq and Nuuk.
Qaqortoq A nice little town (though the fifth largest in Greenland) with a decent small museum and stone sculptures dotted around the place. Nearby places of interest are Hvalsey Church ruins and Uunartoq Hot Springs. I visited Hvalsey on the way by boat from Igaliku. It should be a relatively easy boat trip from Qaqortoq. I did not go to Uunartoq as it would have meant 4-5 hours getting there and back by boat and not much time at the hot springs. Other activities included a hike up to a headland overlooking the town and the fjord towards Hvalsey in the other direction, a kaffemik or a visit to a local home for coffee and cake, and a tour of a seal skin/fur processing factory. Paamiut The coastal ship I travelled on from Qaqortoq to Nuuk stopped briefly (30 minutes) in Paamiut and I joined a small group led by the ship’s English speaking guide to walk up to a church on a hill and back. I don’t know what there is to do there for a whole day. Nuuk The National Museum which houses the Qilakitsoq mummies is worth a visit and also the Art Museum especially if there is a special exhibition. I also did a self-guided ArtWalk looking at sculptures, street art and murals. Nuuk is a small city and you can walk almost everywhere though the harbour is some distance away. Greenland must be one of the few countries where tourists can just walk into the parliament building for a tour. I also went for a Fish’n’Dish dinner at Qooqqut Nuan some 50km away by boat and met people from a cruise ship who managed to squeeze it into their schedule. Interesting but expensive (remember this is Greenland) Thai-influenced fish dishes at one of the world’s remotest restaurants. Ilulissat Probably the most tourist-orientated destination on this Greenland trip. You can see icebergs from land (hiking trails on the edge of the town), from above by helicopter (I didn’t since I flew into Ilulissat and managed to see icebergs before landing, plus the weather when I was there wasn’t brilliant) or from a boat cruising among icebergs. It was cold! There are also small museums although I didn’t visit them. I will try and add some photos later. |
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