About Ilulissat, Greenland

Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven, is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. The nearby Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has made Ilulissat the most popular tourist destination in Greenland. Tourism is now the town’s principal industry. The city neighbours the Ilulissat Icefjord, where there are enormous icebergs from the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. These white giants are a source of astonishment for both residents and visitors, when the gaze drifts to the wide Disco Bay and when you walk close to the fjord.

No roads lead to Ilulissat. Access is by air or local ferry service. Visiting cruise ships include Hurtigruten’s Fram, which calls once a week in summer, and the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov. The midnight sun shines here from late May through July. Having daylight 24/7 is a boon for sightseeing and for navigating through a sea full of icebergs. Ilulissat Airport is located 2.8 km to the northeast of the town center and was built in 1983. It serves Ilulissat with connections to towns in northwestern and midwestern Greenland via Air Greenland. Service to Reykjavik, Iceland, began in April 2011 via Air Iceland.

Plan and Book:

Overview

Every town has a claim to fame, and in Ilulissat it is the icebergs, without a doubt. On a clear day, the landscape is truly surreal. Hundreds of icebergs surround Ilulissat. They vary in shape from flat-topped hunks to jagged mountain peaks and in size from small doghouses to mega-cruise ships and larger. And that’s just the part above the surface! But you need more than a few helping hands to count all the reasons why Ilulissat is more than just icebergs. Nature lovers will be drawn to hiking in the hills by the call of the wilderness. We dare you to try to find a camping spot that doesn’t impress. In town and in nearby villages, city museums and local cuisine will whet even the most discerning palates.

Ilulissat means “iceberg” in Greenlandic. The icebergs originate from the Jakobshavn Glacier, called Sermeq Kujalleq in Greenlandic. It is the most active glacier in the world outside Antarctica. The bergs collect at the mouth of the fjord just outside the harbour. Icebergs in Disko Bay come from the Ilulissat glacier, Sermeq Kujalleq, the world’s fastest glacier. It advances 40 meters daily and creates 46 cubic kilometers of icebergs annually. The iceberg that sank Titanic was probably born in Ilulissat.

All this ice has recently put Greenland in the news and on travelers’ radar screens with concerns about global warming. The country is officially part of Denmark, though it has been self-governed since 1979. It’s the largest island on earth and would stretch from New York City to Denver if tilted on its side. Roughly 85 percent of the land is covered by the polar icecap. The coastal areas, where towns like Ilulissat are located, are free of snow in summer, making exploration by cruise ship a hassle-free way to go. Beginning in 2007, this far off-the-beaten-path destination has become accessible with Hurtigruten’s new ship, the Fram, spending entire summers cruising Greenland itineraries.

Ilulissat, the hub of the west coast Disko Bay region, is the country’s third largest town, boasting a population of roughly 4,500 people and at least as many sled dogs. Located about 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle, it is the most accessible place to see both massive icebergs and the polar icecap. For this reason, tourism here is on the rise. The town offers a variety of hotel accommodations and half a dozen tour operators.

Attractions and Activities

There is so much more to Ilulissat than its name reveals. One of its many runner-up nicknames is the Gastronome’s Getaway as there is a different cuisine for every night. Down at the harbor, next to the Ilulissat glacier, and out in the villages, barbecues wait for a feast of fresh ingredients to land on their flaming grills.

Today Ilulissat welcomes adventurers from every corner of the world, but Humpback whales were the very first summer visitors. Whale watching boat tours let you see the whales while they play hide-and-seek in their natural playground.

But don’t forget the players on land, too. Greenlanders have a competitive spirit and cheering voices roar from the sports hall and football field on many a Saturday morning. The community support runs deep in Ilulissat as family members and friends stand on the sidelines cloaked in team colors. Good music and a lively polka dance is the perfect end to the day.

Winter in Ilulissat means dog sledding – a favorite amongst all residents, human and canine. When the mercury rises too high, locals often make jokes by sniffling and sneezing as though they are sick. Ask them what ails them, and they will cheekily respond that they are allergic to summer! Just as the sled dogs are pulling at the chains at the first whiff of snow, the mushers also greatly anticipate the start of dog sledding season. The sled dogs energize the whole space, and you get a jolt of power as you sit on the sled for your personal Iditarod adventure. Sled dogs are just happy to run, and they pay no attention to whether their precious cargo is eager tourist or a stack of Greenlandic halibut. Centuries of pacing over thick sea ice and powdery terrain course through their blood so just hold on tight and let them carry you like they were born to do.