The Hairy giraffe… IN GREENLAND
How long? We went to Greenland for 5 days, in the Ilulissat region.
When? We went there in August. Summer is the only period suitable for cruises and hikes; the climate is very favorable. There is no more snow on the ground, it is not cold at all, and the sun is often present. The coasts are clear (but don’t worry, you will inevitably see icebergs), and whales can be easily spotted from the coast.
Ease of independent travel: 3 giraffes 
There are no roads connecting Ilulissat to other towns or villages in Greenland. You’ll have to take a plane or a boat if you want to go further. The town of Ilulissat is compact enough to get around on foot.
Costs: 5 giraffes 
Due to its remoteness, everything is quite expensive: accommodation, transportation, food, and activities require a high budget.
Ease of communication: 4 giraffes 
If you’re comfortable with English, you won’t have any trouble making yourself understood.
Security: 5 giraffes No insecurity and no risk of road accidents (due to the almost non-existent road network). You can relax and enjoy your trip!
Health: 4 giraffes Not many health risks either. The water is drinkable, and the hygiene standards are high. However, health facilities are limited due to the size and remoteness of the town.
Gay friendly : 5 giraffes It’s difficult to comment on the daily life of the LGBT+ community in Ilulissat, but as tourists, you should have a peaceful stay.
Travel ease: 5 giraffes We stayed in Ilulissat and its surroundings, where everything is quite easily accessible. The kindness of the locals makes you feel comfortable, and the level of modernity is surprising.
Highlights: The change of scenery, the icy beauty of the landscapes, watching whales from the shore, the colors of the houses in Ilulissat. And of course, one never tires of watching the icebergs drift peacefully along the coast.
Letdowns: 
The price of accommodations and activities. The invasion of the city when a cruise ship docks.
Check out our Travel Reflections articles on Greenland:
5-DAY ITINERARY IN ILULISSAT
Here is the detailed itinerary of our five days in Greenland:
We stayed for five days in Greenland. We took advantage of a trip to Iceland to catch a direct flight from Reykjavik to Ilulissat on the west coast of Greenland.
Day 1: Arrival in Ilulissat at 1 a.m. The airport is connected to the town by one of the very few roads in the region. After a good night’s sleep, we set out to explore the town center.
Ilulissat is a small town of 5000 inhabitants (making it the third-largest town in Greenland) with colorful houses. There are some tourist facilities, mainly because cruise ships regularly stop there.
We obviously visit the Sermeq Kujalleq, the frozen fjord of Ilulissat, one of the most active glaciers in the world, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We spend part of the day admiring the coming and going of the whales from the coast. Everything is calm; there isn’t a sound, except for the whales. Ilulissat is definitely a more relaxing and soothing place than even a paradisiacal beach on the other side of the world.
Day 2: In the morning, we took a 5-hour boat trip to reach the unforgettable Eqi Glacier, about a hundred kilometers north of Ilulissat. It’s possible to do a round trip in a day or disembark near the glacier.
The boat always stops in front of the glacier, allowing us to enjoy the unique spectacle: a wall of ice constantly shedding icebergs of various sizes, accompanied by a deafening thunderous sound. The boat keeps a reasonable distance from the glacier; if a too-large iceberg breaks off, it could create a mini-tsunami.
We dock at the Eqi Lodge; the boat heads back to Ilulissat, which from here, seems to be the heart of civilization. We are definitely at the edge of the world.
Day 3: What could be better than embarking on a beautiful hike with a guide from the lodge to get closer to the glacier?
We have a splendid view from the top, with those thunderous sounds that haven’t stopped resonating all night and day. The moment holds great beauty but also immense melancholy: if the glacier melts in summer, it doesn’t regain its size in winter. In other words, what we’re witnessing is indeed the disappearance, the death, of a giant.
We return to Ilulissat by boat.
Day 4: Museum day: beyond nature, Greenland also offers genuine cultural interest. We visit the Emanuel Petersen Art Museum, a lovely small museum that provides insights into Inuit art.
In the afternoon, we explore Greenlandic history and traditions at the Knud Rasmussen Museum.
We return to stroll around the Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier: we never tire of this feeling of serenity, of this vast whiteness.
Day 5: We enjoy Ilulissat one last time and go on a beautiful hike to admire the Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier from another perspective. Whales accompany us for part of the journey.
Day 6: It’s already time to leave Greenland, to close the chapter of these timeless and otherworldly days. A final farewell to the glaciers from the sky…
Find all our other articles on Greenland:
