Top Ilulissat Half-Day Tours: Reviews & Recommendations
So, planning a quick getaway to Ilulissat and want to squeeze in some unforgettable experiences? Very, very good choice, I must say! Very famous for its breathtaking Icefjord, Ilulissat is calling all those wanderers. A short half-day trip can pack quite the punch in this Greenlandic treasure, that’s the thing.
1. Ilulissat Classic Boat Trip to the Icefjord
This is likely one of the more well known experiences for visitors in Ilulissat, so naturally we’re going to begin here. You board a boat, then sail between icebergs. Icebergs so incredibly gigantic that they could only be described as floating sculptures. Arguably, there’s no better, or I might even say more calming way to experience the raw magnificence of the Ilulissat Icefjord than drifting lazily along the waters in a boat. The tours are typically about 2-3 hours, just a little duration which provides plenty of time to marvel at nature’s artwork without taking up your whole day, as I was saying.
Very cool to see on these tours: Whales, potentially making a cameo depending on the season. Any whales spotted just take the viewing experience up a notch. Pack your camera, that is if you don’t want to regret missing something later! Layering up on clothes, that is also something I suggest, given it can get pretty chilly out on the water. Keep an eye on the sky – the shifting light over the ice is a marvel. In fact, I recall reading somewhere, that one particular review highlighted that even on a cloudy day, the ambiance created by the icebergs is otherworldly.
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2. Hiking Tour to Sermermiut – Explore Inuit History
Feel like stretching your legs a bit? Then maybe consider the hiking tour to Sermermiut. It’s more than just a walk; basically, it’s like taking a step back in time. In the way, it takes you to an area where the ancient Inuit people used to live, just a little ways before the Europeans showed up.
It’s pretty amazing to be able to walk in the footsteps of the old. Now, about 1.5 hours, maybe a tad more, just to provide you with plenty of time to take in the sights, is what this tour takes. Guides tell stories, it seems almost like breathing life into the abandoned settlements, basically turning the hike into a cultural lesson, if you know what I mean. What used to be, like turf huts and hunting grounds, that you might stumble across while trekking in the vast region around you.
Don’t pass up seeing how history merges with nature in such a spectacular way, right? Bring comfy walking shoes – it is a hike, after all! If it’s possible for you to do so, attempt to catch the Northern Lights during a late evening or nighttime hike – it adds something very unique to it, you know. Then I bet that the blend of the stars and the old ruins creates a spectacular scene which is so amazing, too it’s almost, really like out of a movie.
Read our full review: Hiking Tour to Sermermiut Full Review and Details
3. Helicopter Sightseeing Tour
Splurge on a helicopter trip if you have the means, just to see Ilulissat from way up high! Sure it might leave a dent in your pocket, it still leaves you a lifetime of remembering just what you saw that day. Seeing how the ice extends and extends seemingly endlessly out in all directions can not be matched by pretty much any other vantage point.
This kind of tour is often customizable to you. So, like, maybe tell the pilot of specific things you’d be very, very interested in seeing ahead of take-off! And, of course, get some photographs as well. I bet that viewing the Icefjord from an aerial view adds a complete level of perception that you likely will never ever forget. Helicopter tours, by the way, are the best choices to get the most amazing images, alright? Tours of the Icefjord, and the settlements of the natives on the nearby shores, there all things to experience by air in Ilulissat.
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4. Photography Tour of Ilulissat
Always holding a camera up to your eye, are you? Or do you always find amazing angles of the everyday? It looks like Ilulissat could be that place for you! Take a look at the organized photography trips, it’s almost like learning some trade secrets while, very, very good taking photos.
Very unique photos which stand out are the name of the game in these photography trips. So be prepared for taking plenty! Local professional photographers are, in most cases, the leaders of such excursions; in a way, they assist you with locating ideal spots and describe the ins and outs of shooting inside an environment that presents distinct and different challenges from time to time. It is of note to mention that they often tailor experiences to your interests and current level. Some photo tours can run anywhere from three to five hours, this allows groups to meander through distinct regions while improving skills.
Then be certain your gear is totally charged up for the days ahead because there’s pretty much nothing sadder than useless technology out in Ilulissat! Learn what after-capture tricks the professionals like to apply to achieve an entirely new edge over their competitors.
Read our full review: Photography Tour of Ilulissat Full Review and Details
5. Boat tour to Oqaatsut – A Remote Greenlandic Settlement
Now, I wonder, feel like going way off the beaten road? Almost as though visiting some distant spot where culture is fully raw? Why not sign up for a boat trip which heads straight for Oqaatsut? Basically, this teeny settlement gives one fantastic look into how individuals subsist so remotely in Greenland. See those houses which look brightly painted across that mountain ridge?
On these boat excursions, tourists often, times are such that they end up hanging around the natives, maybe just see exactly how a lot of them proceed about catching their supper or basically sustaining. Try new local foods such as dried fish! That taste lingers for some time, so some caution is given to first-time palates.
These expeditions usually wrap within four to six hours, typically so everyone experiences loads. Basically speaking, I would probably say one gains fresh awareness just of our place that we occupy inside all existence! I would bet that any interactions might potentially spark off enlightening revelations as related to cultures.
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