Backpacking & hiking 13 days, Upgrade

A real backpacking trip where you get off the beaten track! You experience life at two different sheep farms, two settlements and the town Narsaq. From all of these places the hiking possibilities are the best you can find in Greenland and the ice is present all the time – glaciers, icebergs and the amazing ice cap on the horizon! The package only includes accommodation and boat transfers, but from Narsaq and Narsarsuaq you can buy extra tours as boat cruises.

Accommodation
Sleeping bag accommodation at farm and hostel in 4-bed and 6-bed dorm rooms. Bring your own sleeping bag.
The tour includes an upgrade with 3 nights at Igaliku country hotel  and 3 nights at Narsaq Guest house with bed linens, towels and breakfast.

Meals
No meals included at farms and hostels.
Breakfast included at Igaliku country hotel and Narsaq Guest house.

Cooking facilities available at all sheep farms and in Narsarsuaq so you can prepare your own meals. You can also choose to prebook dinner at some/all sheep farms. A nice way to meet the local family at the farm. All dinners have to be ordered in advance and paid directly to the farmer on site. Prices are around 350 DKK/meal.
You can go shopping in Narsarsuaq, Qassiarsuk, Igaliku and Narsaq.
There are restaurants in Narsaq and Igaliku.

Difficulty
Hikes between the hostels are over easy/moderate terrain or follow gravel roads. Some hikes are long 15-23 km depending on the route. Please note, that you have to carry your own luggage on this backpacker tour!

Self-guided
All our package tours are self-guided. This means that you are not a part of a bigger group with a tour leader to guide you around.
We will send you very detailed information about the tour before you arrive in Greenland.

Tour season
You can start this tour every day of the week and are free to choose your own pace and what to see and do each day. Just let us know which date/flight you will arrive with and we will book the tour for you as desired.

Day 1
Arrival in Qaqortoq. Our staff will meet you at the airport. Here, you will receive your travel itinerary with all departure times for the boat transfers. If you have any further questions we are also avilable to answer them.
Upon arrival, we will drive you from the airport to the harbor in Qaqortoq (10 km). From here, one of our boats will sail you directly to Narsaq (duration 45 minutes ) where you will spend the coming days.
Accommodation for 3 nights in Narsaq.

Day 2 and 3
Narsaq is a medium-town in South Greenland with about 1,500 inhabitants. It is beautifully situated at the foot of a mountain and next to a sound, which is always filled with icebergs from the surrounding glaciers. In the backcountry are high mountains, including the famous Kvanefjeld, which contains over 200 different minerals (including the beautiful, pink gemstone Tugtupit) and is a Mecca for anyone interested in geology. The museum is housed in the historic colonial houses around the old harbour, and is definitely worth a visit. From Narsaq you can also buy a tour by boat to the ice cap or an Iceberg safari. We recommend that you book the tour in advance.

There are several shorter and longer hiking tours around Narsaq: If you want to visit Kvanefjeld, we advise that you take a taxi to the sheep farm in the valley (about 7 km). Otherwise it is quite a long day hike (20-25 km), and you have less time to look for stones! The walks to Dyrnæs and Narsaq Point are also recommended (7-8 km), as well as to the summit of Tasiigaaq (the smaller of the two mountains near the town that serve as a landmark for Narsaq). Ask for more information at the tourist office, near the museum.

Day 4
Boat transfer from Narsaq to Narsarsuaq (duration 1 hour). Here, you have the rest of the day available in Narsarsuaq. The area offers some beautiful hikes on your own hand and is the place in Greenland with the shortest hiking distance to the inland ice
Accommodation for 2 nights in Narsarsuaq.

Day 5
Today you have the entire day available in Narsarsuaq. You can choose to hike to Narsarsuaq Glacier, which is a part of the ice cap and located only 8 km from Narsarsuaq. The hike takes you through the Flower Valley before the trail winds up a 300 m ascent to a plateau that rewards you a magnificent view of the glacier. From here you walk for about half an hour downhill to the glacier, where you can touch the ice. The way back to Narsarsuaq follows the same route. If you prefer shorter hikes we recommend that you take a look at the different hiking trails at this link.

Day 6
Boat transfer from Narsarsuaq to Qassiarsuk. Hike to the Tasiusaq sheep farm located on Sermilik Fjord. It is a relative easy hike along a gravel road, overlooking an impressive landscape dotted with small, blue lakes. There is a good chance that you can catch a glimpse of white-tailed eagles soaring overhead.
Accommodation in Tasiusaq for 2 nights.

Day 7
From Tasiusaq you can hike along the ice-filled bay towards the Ipiutaat viewpoint (22 km return). The grazing sheep keep the vegetation low, so the hike is easy. You cross several small rivers and creeks, which in August will be full of trout swimming upstream. From the viewpoint you can see a large glacier stretching up to the awe-inspiring ice cap on the opposite side of Sermilik Fjord.
Accommodation in Narsarsuaq for 2 nights.

Day 8
Hike to the Sillisit farm (about 15 km). From Tasiusaq you walk the first 3 kilometres along a sheep track following the innermost part of the fjord. When you reach Nunataaq, you take the gravel road towards Qassiarsuk. After about 1 km you leave the road and continue through the slightly undulating terrain all the way to Sillisit. If the weather is bad, you may prefer to stick to the gravel road all the way, passing by the Inneruulalik sheep farm, before reaching Sillisit. This is somewhat longer (about 23 km).
Accommodation at Sillisit farm for 1 night. 

Dag 9
Boat transfer from Sillisit to Itilleq (duration 15 minutes), followed by a 4 km hike along a picturesque unpaved country road to Igaliku, one of the most beautiful villages in Greenland! The colourful houses are situated on lush grassland next to a milky-blue fjord. On the other side of the fjord the landmark Illerfissalik (Burfjeld) Mountain towers over a rough and desolate landscape.
Accommodation in Igaliku for 3 nights.

Day 10 and 11
Igaliku was the Episcopal seat (named Gardar) for a period of about 300 years (1100-1400) during the Norse era, and the ruins from that time are very impressive. In 1782 Anders Olsen and his Greenlandic wife Tuperna established themselves as farmers and that was the beginning of Igaliku’s more recent history. Today, Igaliku and its surroundings have some of the best hiking opportunities in South Greenland.

One optional day hike (17 km) goes to the plateau, which offers a superb view of the Qooroq Ice Fjord, the stranded icebergs on the underwater moraine at the entrance to the fjord and the enormous glacier at the head of the fjord. It is the perfect place for a picnic! On the way back, you may be lucky enough to find minerals and stones, like the shining “moonstone” (labradorite). The “waterfall hike” (about 15 km) is another popular day trip. A set of beautiful waterfalls tumble like pearls on a string down towards Tunulliarfik Fjord. This hike can be combined with the summit of Nuuluk Mountain (823 m), which lies south of Igaliku (20-22 km).

Day 12
Boat transfer from Igaliku to Qaqortoq (duration 1 hour). Here, you have the rest of the day to see more of the town. Qaqortoq is the largest town in South Greenland with about 3,300 inhabitants. It is the main centre of education in South Greenland with an upper secondary school, a business school, a vocational school adults and a school for tourism management and guide training. Furthermore, the town has several fair-sized companies such as Great Greenland, with its tannery and sewing facilities for creating beautiful sealskin clothes. The town is well known for the project “Stone and Man”, which consists of more than 30 sculptures that are carved into the granite bedrock by various artists. This permanent exhibition makes a stroll around the city a very special experience.

Finally, Greenland’s oldest fountain is situated at the town square next to the harbour. Here you can sit and watch the hunters and fishermen selling the catch of the day at the nearby fish market. From Qaqortoq you can also visit the famous Hvalsey Church on a short excursion. We recommend that you book the tour in advance.

Dag 13
Departure from Qaqortoq. We will pick you up and drive you to the airport.

Please note! Due to limited capacity at some accommodations the order of the itinerary may change

Sleeping bag accommodation in 4-bed and 6-bed rooms
EUR 1.417 per person*

Single traveler fee: EUR 409 / DKK 2.970

25% discount for children 2-11 years

(*)Upgrade included: 3 nights at Igaliku country hotel & 3 nights in Narsaq guest house 

Price includes

• Airport transfer in Qaqortoq
• All accommodation excl. meals
• All boat transfers
• Igaliku country hotel with with bed linens, towels and breakfast
• Narsaq Guest house with bed linens, towels and breakfast
• Tourist tax

Price excludes
Flights
Transport of luggage
breakfast at hostels/farms
Tour guide (this tour is self-guided)
Travel and cancellation insurance

We can always add more days to this tour if you wish to extend your visit. Just let us know when you request the tour.

On the links below, you can find more information about travelling in South Greenland.

> How to get here
> The accommodation
> Food and Drink
> What to bring
> Destinations in South Greenland
> Day tours from Narsaq
> Hiking descriptions Narsarsuaq
> Hiking descriptions Qassiarsuk
> Hiking descriptions Igaliku