UNESCO sites 6 days

In 2017 five core areas in South Greenland were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. They represent a unique landscape and arctic farming history, dating from the Norse settlement to the present day Greenlandic sheep farmers. On this tour, you can visit Hvalsey, Igaliku and Qassiarsuk – 3 of the UNESCO sites – together with South Greenland’s colourful town Qaqortoq. In addition we will take you on an unforgettable boat ride into the Qooroq Ice Fjord.

Accommodation
Accommodation at hotel and guest house with private or shared facilities.

Meals
Breakfast included.
Dinner and lunch packets can be ordered at the hotels in Qaqortoq and Igaliku.
In Narsarsuaq there is a large kitchen available for preparing your own meals. Alternatively, you can buy a ready prepared meal on site.

Difficulty
No special requirements on this trip. The hike between Itilleq and Igaliku is 4 km.

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 Igaliku (1 hour ). From the harbor in Igaliku there is a short walk to Igaliku Country hotel where you will check in for the coming days. Depending on the arrival time you have the rest of the day for sightseeing in Igaliku.
Accommodation in Igaliku for 2 nights.

Day 2
Igaliku is 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.

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 “moon stone” (Labradorit). 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 3
The day begins with a beautiful hike along the King’s road from Igaliku to Itilleq ( 4 km). It is a gravel road all the way, so it is easy to find your way. From the pontoon bridge in Itilleq we sail to Qooroq Ice fiord. A trip among icebergs of all colors, sizes and shapes. When the glacier is in view, the boat engine is stopped, so you can enjoy the absolute silence and a drink chilled with glacier ice – more than 1000 years old! 
From Qooroq the tour continues to Qassiarsuk UNESCO site. Qassiarsuk is also known as Brattahlid, the place where Eric the Red settled in 982. The Norse ruins are well preserved and the open-air museum (Brattahlid) can be visited on your own (admission fee is not included). The approx. 40 inhabitants earn their livelihoods from sheep farming, but the village also has a school, a shop and a church. After a couple of hours, you take the boat to Narsarsuaq. We will pick you up at the harbor and drive you to your accommodation.
Accommodation in Narsarsuaq for 2 nights.

Day 4
Today you have the entire 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. 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 5
Boat transfer from Narsarsuaq to Qaqortoq (duration about 2 hours). 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 have an included visit to the famous UNESCO site Hvalsey Church on a short excursion. 
Accommodation in Qaqortoq for 1 night.

Day 6
Departure from Qaqortoq. We will pick you up and drive you to the airport.

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

Private facilities (*)
Double room: EUR 1.238 per person
Single room: EUR 1.790 per person

Shared facilities
Double room: EUR 1.133 per person
Single room: EUR 1.497 per person

25% discount for children 2-11 years

(*) All rooms in Narsarsuaq are with shared toilet facilities.

Price includes

• All accommodation incl. breakfast
• Transport of luggage in Igaliku and Narsarsuaq
• All boat transfers
• Boat trip to the Qooroq Ice Fjord
• Boat trip to Hvalsey Church
• Airport transfers in Qaqortoq
• Tourist tax

Price excludes
Flights
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