Ilulissat

The iceberg town
Ilulissat means icebergs in Greenlandic, and the town has a beautiful location at the mouth of the 56 km long ice fjord that is filled with enormous icebergs from the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere, Sermeq Kujalleq.

Ilulissat Icefjord

The biggest icebergs end up getting stranded at the mouth of the ice fjord at a depth of 225-250 metres, and they do not work free until the tide is sufficiently high or until they are so eroded that the iceberg’s centre of gravity is altered. In 2004 Ilulissat Icefjord was admitted onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Rich cultural history
Just a couple of kilometres from Ilulissat the idyllic Sermermiut valley lies out towards the ice fjord. In 1727 it was Greenland’s biggest settlement and home to more than 250 people. Excavations have subsequently revealed that for thousands of years the beautiful valley has at various times been home to all of the cultures that have lived along the west coast of Greenland.

Excursions from Ilulissat
North of Ilulissat lies the settlement of Oqaatsut/Rodebay, where some of the old buildings from colonial times are today fitted out as restaurants or huts available for rent.

Fishing boat at Ilulissat

Another couple of hours by boat further north is the Eqi glacier, where it is possible to spend a couple of days in a hut.

South of Ilulissat Icefjord is another charming settlement, Ilimanaq, which is one of the oldest settlements in Greenland. Several of the tourist offices in Ilulissat organise these tours.

Sled dog town
In Ilulissat, which is also known as Jakobshavn, there are 4,500 people living today and at least 3,500 sled dogs, which underlines the importance of the dogsled as a means of transport even in a large modern town. The harbour is full of fishing boats and trawlers that bear witness to the great importance of fishing for Ilulissat. Tourism is also an important business for the town and a great variety of excursions are on offer where the focus is on nature and culture.

How do I get to Ilulissat?
Air Greenland has daily flights to Ilulissat from the international airport in Kangerlussuaq. Some departures to Ilulissat include a stopover at other towns on the coast. If you wish to visit other towns on the coast from Ilulissat you can also sail to these destinations on Arctic Umiaq Line's passenger ships.

There are also cruise ships that call at Ilulissat for periods lasting up to several days. See more in the cruise section.

Local crossings in Disko Bay take place on Disko Line's ships.

See a map of Ilulissat

Ilulissat weather:

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