5 Day Tour to Kulusuk and Tasiilaq in Greenland
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
5 Day Tour to Kulusuk and Tasiilaq in Greenland Day 1: Check in for the flight to Kulusuk at Reykjavík domestic airport one hour prior to departure. Upon arrival in Greenland meet and greet at the airport by your guide for the Kulusuk walking tour. Luggage transfer to Hotel Kulusuk where you stay overnight. The hotel is a short distance away from the airport and also within walking distance from Kap Dan village (about 20 min). Afternoon free to explore the area . Also a possibility for an optional boat tour to Apusiajik Glacier (1½ hrs): Sailing past fascinating variety of floes and icebergs across the local fjord, the tour takes you close to our local glacier Apusiaajik (‘Little’ glacier) with our open 10 person open boat (warm clothes recommended). We consider the boat tour a must-do because of the possibility to go as near the glacier as safety permits. Dinner and accommodation at Hotel Kulusuk for 1 night Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel. Mid-morning transfer to Kulusuk harbor and a 30-min boat ride to Tasiilaq. Upon arrival transfer to Hotel Angmagssalik where you will stay the next 3 nights. Afternoon free to explore the town of Tasiilaq. Day 3: Tasiilaq town walk and Flower Valley (4-5 hours): The walk begins at the Arctic Dream office. Just next door to our office we find the local craft workshop and shop Skunk, where local artists manufacture and sell the most beautiful and renowned traditional handicraft. After a visit here we will continue our walk downhill towards the harbour. On our way we will visit the town museum, where we can learn about the settlement and development of Tasiilaq over the decades and the traditions of Eastern Greenland. The museum itself is housed in an old church, dating back to 1903 – making it one of the oldest buildings in Tasiilaq. In the harbor you can witness the daily activity of the fishermen and processing of the catch on which Tasiilaq heavily relies.From the harbor the walk continues long the shores of Kiung Oscar’s fjord, past the hospital and up to the new church. Above the church is a small hill from where you can enjoy a beautiful view over the whole town and surroundings. In this area you will encounter the oldest buildings in town, where the first colony manager Johan Pedersen and the polar explorer Einar Mikkelsen lived. Before we leave the town behind you will have the opportunity to visit the local tourist office. Here it is possible to buy from a selection of handicrafts, books, maps, outdoor wear and postcards. On the way to the flower valley we will pass the town churchyard. As the name indicates, you will be able to spot a whole range of different flowers in the valley; Arctic Thyme, Arctic Bluebell, Arctic Dandelion etc. Here you will also find the national flower of Greenland, the broad leafed willow. We will continue the small curved path through the valley for a few kilometers, until we reach a small waterfall at the bottom of the valley. Here we will spend some time, enjoying the views, tasting the incredibly fresh water and relax before returning to town in the afternoon. Day 4: Knud Rasmussen Fjord boat tour (7-8 hours): We begin in the morning from the harbour of Tasiilaq, on the southern side of Ammassalik island. After a quick traverse of the King Oskar’s fjord we head north west towards the Ammassalik fjord. After about an hour of sailing we will turn into the narrow and steep fjord with its jagged and imposing mountain peaks towering above us. At the site of Ikateq, we will make a stop to explore the remains of a World War II American base.You can still see the airfield, the corroded oil drums, vehicles and ruins. We will then continue our journey further north-east until we arrive at the mighty Sermiligaaq fjord. The name means “the beautiful glacier fjord” and it lives up to its name. The landscape around us is now dominated by jagged mountains, narrow fjords and calving outlet glaciers with their fronts flowing into the fjord itself. At one point you will enjoy the view of two calving glaciers simultaneously, the Karale glacier on your left and the Knud Rasmussen glacier on your right side. The skipper will navigate as close to the glacier front as it is safe to do and here we will go ashore to enjoy the packed lunch and hot drinks that we have brought with us. After lunch, we will have the time to explore the immediate area by foot before we commence our return journey towards Tasiilaq in the afternoon. Day 5: In the morning transfer from Hotel Angmagssalik to the heliport and helicopter flight to Kulusuk, where you check in for your flight to Reykjavik, arriving in the afternoon or early evening. .