Tour Disko Bay 2025 (Includes Return Flight From Copenhagen To Ka

Accommodation

Ocean Albatros has total of 94 comfortable staterooms and suites, all with unobstructed sea view, most with their own balcony. All stateroom types contain a safety box, television, refrigerator, several 230 W power and USB outlets—additionally, bathrobes, slippers, toiletries (body wash, lotion, shampoo) and a hairdryer are also included. Learn more about different cabin types under STATEROOMS here: https://albatros-expeditions.com/ships/ocean-albatros

Flights

Flights included: Copenhagen – Kangerlussuaq - Copenhagen This package includes the flight from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq, where the expedition starts. On the return journey, the flight from Kangerlussuaq to Copenhagen. Each passenger is responsible for arranging their connecting flight from Copenhagen to their final destination, as well as for ensuring they reach Copenhagen airport before the start of the voyage. We include the flight from Kangerlussaq due to its remote location, which can pose challenges in securing flights. Copenhagen, being well-connected to most cities, ensures good accessibility for our customer from all around the world.

Others

8-day/7-night cruise on Ocean Albatros in a shared outside double room with a private bathroom in the category chosen Flights: Copenhagen – Kangerlussuaq - Copenhagen Local transport in Kangerlussuaq on days 1 and 8 English-speaking expedition staff Guided walks with the expedition team Nature hikes and Zodiac cruises per itinerary Information briefings and lectures by the expedition team City tours in Sisimiut, Qeqertarsuaq, Uummannaq and Ilulissat Museum visits in Sisimiut, Qeqertarsuaq and Ilulissat Church visits in Qeqertarsuaq and Ilulissat ’Kaffemik’ visit in Qeqertarsuaq Special photo workshop Full board on the ship Dinner drink package Free coffee, tea, and afternoon snacks on the ship Welcome and farewell cocktails Taxes, tariffs, and landing fees Digital visual journal link after the voyage, including voyage log, gallery, species list, and more

Transport

Ocean Albatros is the ideal vessel for small-ship cruising due to her sturdy construction and X-Bow®-Infinity class, which provides high stability in rough weather and allows for the smoothest movements on high waves, and a Solas 2012 classification which facilitates a safe return to port. The vessel is part of a brand new generation of low-energy vessels, with 4 diesel engines and 2 electro engines, all controlled electronically to optimize speed and fuel consumption.

Meals

Full board is included on all cruises – Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon snacks. The program also includes free tea and coffee 24 hours a day as well as a welcome and farewell cocktail. To accommodate different tastes and dietary requirements, dinners always include a meat option, fish option and vegetarian option. Our fully equipped onboard bar offers a wide variety of cocktails, beers, non-alcoholic beverages and water. All meals on board the vessel is chef-prepared. If you have special dietary requirements (food allergies, intolerances, health conditions or religious preferences), please inform us as early as possible - ideally, no later than 2 weeks before departure. In order to ensure efficient service, please re-confirm your requirements with the crew upon boarding the ship.

Guide

All our cruises have an English-speaking Expedition Team. Our expedition cruise team consists of expedition leaders and staff, biologists, and professionals who have extensive knowledge of Polar Regions and a passion for exploration. The team speak several languages and are eager to assist you throughout the journey. We aim to include and support the local areas that we visit: you will often find that our onboard staff are from destinations visited on the itinerary.

Not included:

Optional

We offer many optional excursions, for additional cost. You can learn more here: https://albatros-expeditions.com/expeditions/arctic/disko-bay

Insurance

Insurance is not included.

Others

Extra excursions and activities not mentioned in the itinerary Single room supplement and cabin upgrades Meals not on board the ship Beverages (other than coffee and tea and dinner-drink package) Tips for the crew (we recommend USD 16 per person per day) Personal expenses Travel, cancellation, and senior insurance Anything not mentioned under ’Inclusions’

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Day 1 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Embarkation
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Embarkation

On the first day of our expedition, we board our chartered flights in Copenhagen, Denmark, bound for Kangerlussuaq on the west coast of Greenland (both flight options are available, please contact us for more information).

Situated at the head of a 160km long fjord of the same name, Kangerlussuaq is Greenland’s only inland town, and was established as Sondrestrom Air Base/Bluie West-8 by American troops in 1941. Existing largely to service the airport, the town of Kangerlussuaq itself retains a strong ’Cold War’ feeling, hinting at its extensive American military use before it was signed over to the Greenlandic Government in 1992. Today Kangerlussuaq is Greenland’s largest air hub, with flights arriving daily from Denmark and around the country. It’s stable climate and lack of fog makes it ideal as an airport, but it exhibits some of the most varied temperatures in the country, commonly registering the highest summer and lowest winter temperatures due to its inland location.

Upon arrival in Kangerlussuaq, you will be transported to the small port located west of the airport, where the Ocean Albatros awaits at anchor. Zodiacs will transfer us the short distance to the ship, where you will be checked in to your stateroom. After the mandatory safety drill, enjoy dinner and a glass of champagne as we set sail a course for adventure through the 160-kilometre Kangerlussuaq fjord.
Day 2 Sisimiut - Greenland’S Second City
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Sisimiut - Greenland’S Second City

After breakfast, Ocean Albatros will arrive in the colourful city of Sisimiut. With around 5,400 inhabitants, it is Greenland’s second largest city, and one of the most interesting to explore. Paleo-Inuit people have lived around Sisimiut on and off since 2,500 BC, arriving in waves of migration from Arctic Canada. Remnants of turf huts and tent camps from this time can be found thorughout the vast back country which surrounds Sisimiut, including on Tele Island, a short pleasant walk from the harbour.

In 1756, Count Johan Ludvig Holstein established a colony here and called it “Holsteinsborg”. The oldest part of Sisimiut features town houses from this era, and the oldest dates back to 1756. One of the most culturally significant buildings is the Blue Church, built in 1775, now a landmark in the city’s historical museum district, arguably the best preserved in Greenland, and the perfect place to discover the Greenland of old.

Nowadays, Sisimiut is an important hub of education and industry, and local factories process the bulk of fish caught in the country (Greenland’s largest export). The fish processing plant in the harbour is one of the largest in Greenland, and among the most modern in the world. Just beyond the harbour sits the headquarters of KNI, the government-operated company which resupplies the many small settlements throughout Greenland - a vital service in a country with so many remote communties.

The busy city centre of Sisimiut offers a glimpse of what daily life is like in 21st-century Greenland, where seal hunts and smartphones collide. Take a refreshing stroll around Spedjesø and take in an exhibition at the city’s cultural centre, explore the region’s fascinating heritage at the city museum, or visit the Artists Workshop, where savvy shoppers can purchase traditional artworks direct from the artist. As evening falls, we will leave Sisimiut and set a course for the iceberg studded waters of Disko Bay (Qeqertarsuup Tunua) as Ocean Albatros sails for Qeqertarsuaq.
Day 3 Qeqertarsuaq, Disko Island
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Qeqertarsuaq, Disko Island

Nestled below Disko Island’s 1,000-metre mountains, we pull into port in a beautifully sheltered natural harbour. The place was aptly named Godhavn (“Good Harbour”) in Danish, while its Greenlandic name “Qeqertarsuaq” simply means “The Big Island”.

For most of Greenland’s modern history, Godhavn was the political and economic capital of North Greenland (while Godthåb, now Nuuk, served this role in Southern Greenland). Its importance was due to the vast economic activity generated by whaling in Disko Bay, the preeminent Arctic industry since the 16th Century. As the whaling industry collapsed in the early 1900s, Godhavn lost its political status as all government functions moved south to Godthåb/Nuuk, and the town was forced to reinvent itself, changing its name to Qeqertarsuaq in 1979 . Today, hunting and fishing are the main industries in Qeqertarsuaq, while tourism is becoming increasingly important. Ferries arrive in the town daily in summer from around Disko Bay, while in winter, access is only by helicopter from nearby Ilulissat.

Qeqertarsuaq’s sweeping red-and-black basalt mountains are radically different to the rolling granite hills which characterize much of Greenland, and provide a much richer soil. Despite being situated well above the Arctic Circle, this rich volcanic soil and the area’s mild microclimate make it much more green and lush compared to the rest of the country. Locals from all over Disko Bay come to the island in summer to hunt and collect angelica, herbs and mushrooms, and the stunning rock formations and black sand beaches attract visitors from all over the world. The town itself is typically Greenlandic, with quaint multicoloured homes, a splendid museum, and the unique octagonal church nicknamed ’God’s Inkpot’ (built in the Norwegian stave style). With excellent hiking opportunities, friendly locals, and a fascinating place in regional history, Qeqertarsuaq has a lot to offer. From here, we set sail along the edge of Disko Bay towards Uummannaq.
Day 4 Uummannaq - The Greenlandic Riviera
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Uummannaq - The Greenlandic Riviera

The small city of Uummannaq sits perched precariously at the foot of a massive mountain. Like the rest of the area, here the mountain reaches vertically out of the icy depths, punching 1170m into the clear blue sky. Uummannaq mountain (translated from Greenlandic as “heart shaped”) is a true Greenlandic icon, and is a mecca for climbers who visit from all over the world. The city itself occupies a small area of flatter ground at the foot of the mountain, founded by Danish colonists in 1763 – some of the original buildings from this era can still be visited in the harbour-front area. More recently, Uummannaq has become famous in Scandinavia as the home of Santa Claus – the small turf house belonging to the festive hero himself can be reached via a pleasant (if challenging) 2-3h hike out of town.

As for many towns in Greenland however, the Inuit history of the area reaches back much further. At some point around the year 1600, a group of Inuit women and children died in the area (possibly in a boating accident). They were lovingly laid to rest in a rocky cairn under a cliff on the mainland overlooking Uummannaq at a site called Qilakitsoq, protected from the rain and snow, but exposed to the dry Arctic wind which mummified their bodies. They were rediscovered in 1972 by two brothers from Uummannaq (possibly on the advice of elders in Uummannaq, who had preserved rumours of the site for centuries). The mummies were taken to Denmark for analysis before being returned to Greenland, where today they rest in the National Museum in Nuuk. The small museum in Uummannaq did not have the facilities to house such an important find, but several artefacts such as clothing from the archaeological site (as well as a plethora of finds from before, during and after the Qilakitsoq period) are displayed, along with a cabinet of curiosities from the city’s brief mining boom.

Uummannaq itself is a lively little town. Expect to see enterprising locals selling handicrafts in the grassy town square, while others sell their catch in the local fish market - always a fascinating sight. Watch fishermen bait their long lines as they head out in search of halibut, or load up with provisions for hunting trips deep into the vast fjordlands outside town.

Ensure you are on Ocean Albatros’ outer decks during our sail-out from Uummannaq – the deep clear blue iceberg-studded waters of the fjord and the dramatic vertical mountains around the city offer some of the best views in Greenland. With a calm microclimate and round-the-clock summer sunshine, not for nothing is this staggeringly beautiful area nicknamed the Greenlandic Riviera!
Day 5 Eqip Sermia Glacier
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Eqip Sermia Glacier

From Uummannaq, we return to the heart of Disko Bay, setting sail towards Eqip Sermia.

Eqip Sermia (a typically descriptive Greenlandic name meaning ’the Glacier at the End of the Fjord’) is a relatively small glacier compared to many in Greenland, although it is still a truly vast river of ice, flowing directly from the Greenland Ice Sheet. It is also one of the most active, and ice tumbles off the vast glacier-front almost constantly. Watching the vast cataracts of ice fall into the ocean is a sight which has to be seen to be believed - and the comfortable viewing decks of Ocean Albatros offer the best possible platform to do so... Perhaps with a specially crafted cocktail in hand!

From Eqip Sermia, we will reposition slightly southwards during the evening towards Ilulissat, the largest city in Disko Bay and the Iceberg Capital of the World. Depending on the local sea and ice conditions, we may arrive in Ilulissat in time to come ashore and see the Icefjord at sunset - one of Greenland’s greatest spectacles.
Day 6 Ilulissat - Optional Airzafari Ride Or Boat Trip To The Ice Fjord
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Ilulissat - Optional Airzafari Ride Or Boat Trip To The Ice Fjord

This is it. This is why visitors from all over the world come to Greenland. Translated from Kalaallisut simply as ‘icebergs’, Ilulissat is rightly known the world over as ‘the Iceberg Capital of the World’. Surely no other city on Earth occupies such a spectacular natural setting.

Situated within a short walk of the harbour lies Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland’s most famous site. Choked with city-sized icebergs so closely packed one could almost walk across to the other side, Ilulissat Icefjord stretches 70 km from its outlet in Disko Bay near the city of Ilulissat back to the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. This is the single largest glacier on Earth outside Antarctica, draining 13% of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and producing 10% of all the ice in the Northern Hemisphere (enough water to supply the annual needs of the entire United States). These mind-blowing statistics, together with the indescribably beautiful scenery, have secured the Ilulissat Icefjord designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While archaeological finds detail the long Inuit habitation of the area, the modern town has steadily flourished in the 280 years since its establishment; legendary Arctic explorer, Knud Rasmussen was born in Ilulissat, and his childhood home now houses the city museum. Today, Ilulissat is Greenland’s third largest town, with more than 4,500 inhabitants, and is undoubtedly Greenland’s tourism capital, with more hotel rooms than even Nuuk. The city offers excellent amenities to visitors, with fresh locally caught seafood served in the city’s cafes and restaurants, and excellent shopping – look out especially for the Artist’s Workshop above the harbour, where you can buy handmade artworks direct from the artist. The city typically experiences dry sunny weather throughout the summer, and there are a variety of well-marked hiking routes around the Icefjord, with options to suit all abilities.

During the visit you will have the opportunity to join a boat trip with a local captain to the Icefjord (optional excursion – charge applies). The journey takes about two and a half hours and is considered the best way to experience the magic of Ilulissat Icefjord up close. If a hike or a trip by boat does not present enough excitement, there is also the opportunity to join a flightseeing excursion in fixed-wing aircraft over the Icefjord (optional excursion – charge applies).

Please note the boat and flight excursions to the Ice fjord are not included in the general tour price. Refer to Price Information for further details.
Day 7 The Settlement Of Itilleq
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

The Settlement Of Itilleq

The settlement of Itilleq, which translates roughly as "the Crossing Place from the Sea” nestles at the foothills of the mountains and and fjords which line central Greenland’s backcountry. Situated just north of the Arctic Circle, Itilleq is one of the many tiny villages dotting the coast of Greenland. The settlement is situated in the heart of the Aassivisuit-Nipisat UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was inscribed due to its ancient Inuit hunting heritage, documenting the entire habitation history of Greenland.

While the turf houses and hide tents have been replaced by colourful modern houses, the lifestyle here has changes little since the Inuit first arrived in Greenland. The local highways are the water and the ice, and the sea and tundra continue to nourish the locals, as they has for thousands of years. Arctic char, reindeer and muskoxen are typical catches, and are all plentiful in the area.

Despite this ancient heritage, locals in Itilleq are still firmly in the modern world, with smartphones, speedy wifi and satellite TV. However, the people of Itilleq remain justly proud of their ancient heritage, and continue to move their culture forward in a modern fast paced world. Locals are pleased to show off their picturesque town, and visitors are greeted with typical warm Greenlandic hospitality.

After departing Itilleq, we will head slightly south and enter the 160km-long Kangerlussuaq Fjord.
Day 8 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Disembarkation
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Disembarkation

During the night, we will sail up the 160-kilometer/100 mile Kangerlussuaq Fjord. After breakfast aboard the ship, we will bid a fond farewell to the ship’s crew, Expedition Team and fellow travellers before shuttling ashore by Zodiac.

Due to Kangerlussuaq’s military history and present-day role as an important air travel hub, Kangerlussuaq remains fairly isolated from Greenland’s rich cultural traditions, in comparison to other regions. While you still find cultural experiences when visiting Kangerlussuaq, the most impressive attraction is the surrounding nature, which is just beckoning to be explored. The town itself was largely constructed by the American military in the 1950s, and this small airport town has retained something of its Cold War atmosphere. Your Arctic adventure and time in Greenland concludes as we board the flight from Kangerlussuaq to Copenhagen, Denmark.

8 days tour

Disko Bay 2025 (Includes Return Flight From Copenhagen To Ka

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Disko Bay 2025 (Includes Return Flight From Copenhagen To Ka

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Embarkation

Sisimiut - Greenland’S Second City

Qeqertarsuaq, Disko Island

Uummannaq - The Greenlandic Riviera

Eqip Sermia Glacier

Ilulissat - Optional Airzafari Ride Or Boat Trip To The Ice Fjord

The Settlement Of Itilleq

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Disembarkation

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