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 or a day trip to the town Qaqortoq.

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 places (except Igaliku). You can go shopping in Narsarsuaq, Qassiarsuk, Igaliku and Narsaq. There are restaurants in Narsaq, Igaliku and Narsarsuaq. Dinner at the sheep farms should be ordered in advance.

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 Narsarsuaq. 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 or wish to purchase hiking maps etc. please also visit Blue Ice Cafe. Located 50 meters next to the airport.
Upon arrival, we will bring you to your place of accommodation. Then, you have the rest of the day to get familiar with the small town Narsarsuaq.
Accommodation Narsarsuaq for 2 nights.

Day 2
Day 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.

Day 3
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.
Farm accommodation for 2 nights.

Day 4
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.

Day 5
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 2 nights. It is possible to buy a local dinner at the farm (not included and must be ordered in advance).

Day 6
There are several hiking possibilities around Sillisit. If the weather is good, you can hike to the top of Naajat (about 590 m). There is a fantastic view from the summit and you can follow sheep tracks most of the way (not marked). An alternative tour is to take the gravel road across the peninsula to Sermilik Fjord (Kangerlua sheep farm, about 9 km). This is also a spectacular hike, and Sermilik Fjord is often filled with icebergs from several active glaciers. Finally, Sillisit is the perfect place to relax and let the impressions from the previous days settle in, or have a walk around the farm and chat with the family living here.

Day 7
Boat transfer from Sillisit to Narsaq.
Accommodation at guest house in Narsaq for 3 nights.

Dag 8 and 9
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 (Twin Glacier) or an Iceberg safari. We recommend that you book the tour in advance.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 10
Boat transfer from Narsaq to Itilleq, 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 11 and 12
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).

Dag 13
Boat transfer from Itilleq to Narsarsuaq. You can spend the rest of your stay enjoying a cup of coffee at the cosy Blue Ice Café and/or visiting the museum in Narsarsuaq.
Departure Narsarsuaq.

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 1.120 / DKK 8.120 per person*

Single traveler fee: EUR 389 / DKK 2,820

25% discount for children 2-11 years

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

Price includes

• 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
• Shuttle service in Narsarsuaq in connection with included boat transfers

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