Eight-Day boat Supported Trek in Greenland

Southern Greenland is a fantastic hiking area offering a great variety in landscape, everything from the rugged glacier to the soft beach pebbles and a whole lot in between. On this tour we will be hiking over hills and heaths, along old sheep paths and beach trails at the foot of the world´s largest glacier, the Greenland Icecap, with plenty of opportunities to ponder the glacier and its surroundings. Magnificent outlet glaciers calve into the ocean and majestic icebergs float off into the blue. As we wander through the modern landscape we can reflect on the fates of the Nordic settlers that disappeared mysteriously at the beginning of the 15th century. This is a classic hike in breathtaking surroundings where we sometimes have to jump on to a boat with the locals to get across a fjord!

Trekking: 8 days
Walk per day: 2 - 8 hours
Total walking distance: 48 km (30 miles)
Altitude: 0 - ~400 m.a.s. (0 - 1300 feet)
Maximum Ascent: ~ 400m  (~1300 feet)

Groups: 8 - 12 participants

Equipment list

Included : Guide for 8 days, food for 8 days (from lunch day 1 to lunch day 8, if people choose to sample the local cuisine in a restaurant in Qaqortoq, it is not included), flights: Reykjavík – Narsarsuaq – Reykjavík, all transportation of people and luggage according to itinerary, accommodation according to itinerary. During this trip all luggage will be transported except for our daypacks.
Supplement: 6 to 7 participants is 20.000ISK. per person.
Excluded : Personal equipment, drinks and personal expenses, dinner on the last night (optional) and insurance.
Meeting Point : Reykjavik domestic airport.

Day 1: Arrival in Narsarsuaq after a morning flight from Reykjavík. We walk down to the harbor and take the next boat over to Qagssiarssuq. This is place where Erik the Red settled down and we will spend our first night here. After lunch we walk to Eiríksstaðir, Eriks homestead, and Þjóðhildarkirkju, the church of Thjodhildur, a reconstructed church dating back to the early settlement. Accommodation in a hostel.
Walking: approx. 2 hrs

Day 2: Today we walk over to Tasiusaq where our accommodation is at a sheep farm. The trail takes us past many lakes where we can either look for jumping fish or enjoy the various birds of the area. This is a relatively easy walk and once we have stored our bags and eaten lunch at the farmhouse we venture out for a leisurely afternoon walk to the beaches north of the farm.
Walking: 6 - 7 hrs. total, divided into shorter walks.

Day 3: We pack our bags and head south to the farm of Nunataaq. The route takes us along ancient sheep trails where we can get a glimpse of the road constructions of the first settlers. After a short walk we come to the farmhouse where we will stay tonight. Here, we store our bags and then head out again, climbing up to the Nunakullak heath above the Tasiusaarsuk fjord. We stop where the fjord is the narrowest and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Huge icebergs roll on the tidal waters or may even simply be stranded.
Walking: 6 hrs. total divided into shorter walks.

Day 4: Today we head back over to the east coast of this peninsula. Easy walking, along picturesque lakes on the heath, where the arctic vegetation is simply at its best. We arrive at the little hamlet of Sillisit where a boat waits to take us across the fjord to Itilleq. From Itilleq we walk the old King´s way to Garðar, a renowned settlement in the medieval times.  Garðar or Igaliku, is nicely situated in a green and lush area at the bottom of the Einarsfjord, with the majestic peak Illerfissalik towering across the fjord. Here we will be staying the next two nights at the local hostel.
Walking: 7 hrs

Day 5: The landscape North of Igaliku is absolutely magnificent, and today we explore these surroundings. We follow the river from Lake 90 and hike up to the plateau that lies at 200 meters. The views over the Qooqqut fjord are breathtaking. The outlet glacier at the bottom of the fjord calves into the sea and feeds the fjord with an endless number of icebergs that float around. Having enjoyed this spectacular scene we head back to the hostel at Igaliku.
Walking: 6 - 7 hrs

Day 6: Instead of starting out on foot, we hop aboard a local boat that will take us to Hvalsey. At Hvalsey are found the most famous ruins from the medieval times, the church of Hvalsey or what remains of it. This will be an easy day with a lot of opportunity to enjoy the impressive surroundings. The Einarsfjord is narrow with high and pointy peaks on either shore. We spend ample time to explore the ruins and its surroundings before continuing to the capital of South Greenland, Qaqortoq, which is supposedly the most beautiful town in the whole of Greenland. We will spend the night here and have some time to explore the quaint little centre of town. Here is the best opportunity for sampling the local cuisine, for those who are interested.
Walking: 2 - 3 hrs.

Day 7: We continue our boat ride today and head back to Narsarsuaq. We sail north the Eiríksfjörður fjord and can reflect on our trails of the preceding days and ponder what became of the settlers of yore. We arrive in Narsarsuaq in the afternoon and head to the hostel with the rest of the day free.

Day 8: We pack our bags today but before leaving Greenland we hike to the outlet glacier at the bottom of the valley. Here is a chance to get onto the Greenland Icecap or as close to it as possible, standing at the foot of this biggest glacier on earth. In order to be at the airport on time we will not hike back, instead a car picks us up and transports us to the airport where we get on to the flight to Reykjavík.
Walking: 3 - 4 hrs.

General information: Southern Greenland is that part of Greenland that offers the most variety in landscapes. Needless to say in summer it is generally green and the name that Erik the Red placed upon his adopted motherland thus apt. Southern Greenland is the place that Erik chose for his homestead and managed to persuade many of his countrymen to follow suit. Today there are few things, apart from overgrown trails and the occasional ruin, reminding us of the Nordic settlements. Many have speculated as to the fate of the Nordic settlers, of whom nothing has been heard of since the early 15th century. Today most of the inhabitants are Inuits, the real natives of Greenland. Due to climatic changes around 0 CE these natives moved and therefore Erik the Red did not encounter any inhabitants in this part of Greenland when he moved over. The Inuits returned to the northern part of Greenland at around the same time as Erik was establishing his settlement in the south.

Climate: the summer is the best time to visit S. Greenland, the weather is generally mild and through July and August one can expect temperatures up to 20°C. Normally there is not much wind unless there is catabatic wind off of the icecap.

Additional cost for two night accommodation in Reykjavik (one night before the tour and one night after the tour):

• Accommodation in guesthouse, sleeping bag, with shared facilities, and breakfast included – price from: 8.500 ISK per person.
• Accommodation in guesthouse with shared facilities, twin share, and breakfast included – price from: 14.000 ISK per person. Single supplement from: 8.000 ISK
• Accommodation in guesthouse with private facilities, twin share, and breakfast included – price from: 19.500 ISK per person. Single supplement from: 11.000 ISK
• Accommodation in a 2-3 star hotel with private facilities, twin share, and breakfast included – price from: 22.5000 ISK. Single supplement from: 13.000 ISK

For bookings and further information, please contact our office by email: info@mountainguides.is or call: +354 587 9999.