Greenland Itineraries: Multi-Day Routes
Greenland’s fjord-carved coastline, vast distances and ice-dependent access routes make it a destination where itineraries must be flexible by nature. Weather windows, ice conditions and wildlife sightings all influence the day’s plan, and your captain and expedition leader will adjust the route in real time to deliver the best possible experience. The itineraries below are designed as starting frameworks – your Boatcrowd charter specialist and onboard team will tailor every stop, activity and meal to your group’s interests and the conditions on the water.
10-Day Greenland Yacht Charter: Disko Bay and the Icefjords
Day 1: Arrival in Ilulissat
Fly into Ilulissat Airport and transfer by tender to your yacht anchored in the harbour. After a welcome briefing from your captain and expedition leader, settle into your stateroom and explore the deck as your chef serves a Greenlandic-inspired lunch – smoked halibut, rye bread, crowberry compote and a chilled Chablis. In the late afternoon, walk the boardwalk trail along the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord for your first view of the ice – a river of icebergs jammed together as far as the eye can see, creaking and shifting in the golden light. Return to the yacht for dinner aboard, with the icebergs of Disko Bay visible from the saloon windows.
Day 2: Ilulissat Icefjord by Tender
Depart in the expedition tender for a morning cruise into the mouth of the Icefjord. Your guide navigates between towering bergs – some blue-white and freshly calved, others weathered into arches, spires and mushroom shapes. The scale is humbling: individual icebergs can be 100 metres above the waterline, with seven times that mass hidden below. Watch for kittiwakes nesting on the ice faces and the occasional seal hauled out on a flat berg. Return to the yacht for lunch, then spend the afternoon ashore in Ilulissat – visit the Icefjord Centre, browse the local workshops for Inuit soapstone carvings, or walk south along the old hiking trail to Sermermiut, an ancient Inuit settlement site with views deep into the fjord. Dinner ashore at Restaurant Ulo – the 15-course tasting menu of Arctic ingredients is not to be missed.
Day 3: Disko Bay and Whale Watching
Cruise south-west into the heart of Disko Bay, where icebergs calved from the Icefjord drift slowly in the current. Your captain reads the surface for whale signs – blow spouts, fluke prints, circling seabirds – and positions the yacht for optimal viewing. Humpback whales are the main attraction from June through September, often feeding in groups using bubble-net techniques that bring them to the surface in explosive lunges. Minke whales and fin whales are regular sightings. Your crew serves lunch on the aft deck as bergs drift past. In the afternoon, continue west towards Disko Island, anchoring in a sheltered bay on the island’s south coast for the night. The silence after the engines shut down is remarkable.
Day 4: Disko Island
Spend the day exploring Disko Island (Qeqertarsuaq). Tender ashore at the settlement of Qeqertarsuaq (population c. 800) – brightly painted houses clustered around a harbour backed by dramatic basalt columns and volcanic formations. Hike to Kuannersuit, where warm springs emerge from the volcanic rock, or walk to the Lyngmark Glacier viewpoint for panoramic views across Disko Bay. The island’s flora is surprisingly lush in summer – Arctic poppies, fireweed and cotton grass carpet the hillsides. Return to the yacht for an afternoon at leisure – kayaking among the coastal skerries, fishing for Arctic char, or simply watching icebergs drift from the flybridge with a glass of wine. Your chef prepares dinner aboard using fresh-caught ingredients.
Day 5: Eqip Sermia Glacier
Cruise north from Disko Bay towards the Eqip Sermia glacier, roughly 50 nautical miles from Ilulissat. The approach takes you through increasingly ice-strewn waters, with the glacier’s 5-kilometre-wide face becoming visible long before you reach it. Your captain holds a safe distance (typically 500–1,000 metres) as you watch calving events in real time – house-sized blocks of ice shearing from the face and crashing into the fjord with a roar that echoes off the valley walls. Launch the tender or kayaks for a closer perspective among the brash ice (guide-accompanied). Your chef serves lunch at anchor, with the glacier as your dining backdrop. Cruise south in the late afternoon, anchoring in a quiet fjord for the night.
Day 6: Aasiaat and Coastal Cruising
Cruise south from Disko Bay to Aasiaat, a town of roughly 3,000 people set on the southern boundary of the bay in a landscape of thousands of low islands and rocky skerries. Aasiaat is one of Greenland’s best year-round whale-watching locations, with bowhead whales occasionally sighted alongside the more common humpbacks. Tender ashore to explore the town – the Aasiaat Museum, the Arctic garden at the old colonial administration building, and the local workshops selling sealskin goods and Greenlandic crafts. In the afternoon, cruise through the island maze south of Aasiaat, where your captain threads the yacht between granite islets and past colonies of Arctic terns. Anchor in a sheltered bay for the night.
Day 7: Sisimiut
Continue south along the coast to Sisimiut, Greenland’s second-largest town, situated just above the Arctic Circle. The passage covers roughly 90 nautical miles and takes most of the day at expedition cruising speed, with stops possible at sheltered anchorages along the way if whale or wildlife sightings warrant it. Arrive in Sisimiut by late afternoon and tender ashore. The town has a well-preserved colonial quarter with an 18th-century blue church, a regional museum housed in historic buildings, and a growing food scene. Walk the marked trail to the summit of Palaasip Qaqqaa for panoramic views over the town and the surrounding fjord system. Dinner aboard at anchor.
Day 8: Kangerlussuaq Fjord
Cruise east into the Kangerlussuaq fjord system, a 190-kilometre-long fjord that penetrates deep into the Greenland landmass towards the ice-sheet margin. The fjord walls rise steeply on both sides, and the water is mirror-still on calm days. This is musk-ox territory – the Kangerlussuaq area supports one of the largest musk-ox populations in Greenland, and you can often spot herds grazing on the tundra slopes from the yacht or during a guided shore excursion. Arctic foxes, Arctic hares and caribou are also present. Anchor deep in the fjord for the night, with views towards the ice-sheet edge glowing white on the eastern horizon.
Day 9: Ice-Sheet Edge and Return to Coast
Tender or hike to a viewpoint overlooking the Greenland Ice Sheet – the vast white expanse that covers 80% of the island, stretching to the horizon in every direction. The silence is immense. Meltwater rivers pour from the ice edge in summer, carving channels through the tundra. Return to the yacht and begin the coastal passage back north-west towards Ilulissat, stopping at a sheltered anchorage for a final evening’s wildlife watch. The crew prepares a special farewell dinner aboard – reindeer loin, pan-fried Arctic char, and wild berry tart with a Greenlandic aquavit toast.
Day 10: Ilulissat and Departure
Arrive back in Ilulissat by mid-morning. Enjoy a final walk along the Icefjord boardwalk or browse the town’s craft shops for soapstone carvings and sealskin goods. Your crew serves brunch aboard before disembarkation and transfer to Ilulissat Airport for your onward flight. Depart with a memory bank of images that no photograph quite captures – the crack of a calving glacier, the sound of a humpback exhaling in the Arctic stillness, and the particular quality of light that only Greenland delivers.
14-Day Greenland Yacht Charter: South to North – The Grand Coastal Voyage
Day 1: Arrival in Narsarsuaq, South Greenland
Fly into Narsarsuaq, one of Greenland’s gateway airports, nestled at the head of Tunulliarfik Fjord in the heart of the Norse Eastern Settlement. Board your yacht at the harbour and settle in as the captain briefs you on the voyage ahead – a 14-day passage from the green valleys and Norse ruins of the south to the icebergs and midnight sun of Disko Bay in the north. Your chef serves a welcome lunch of Greenlandic shrimp, smoked Arctic char and freshly baked rye bread as the yacht departs into the fjord. Cruise to Qassiarsuk (Brattahlíd) and tender ashore to walk the site of Erik the Red’s homestead, established in 985 AD. Visit the reconstructed longhouse and Tjodhilde’s Church – believed to be the first Christian church on the North American continent. Return to the yacht for dinner at anchor in the fjord, surrounded by green slopes and grazing sheep.
Day 2: Hvalsey Church and Qaqortoq
Cruise south-west through the fjord system to Hvalsey, where the 14th-century church ruins stand in a green valley overlooking the water. These are the best-preserved Norse ruins in Greenland – stone walls still rising to 5–6 metres, with the mountains and fjord providing a setting of extraordinary beauty. This was the site of the last recorded event in Norse Greenland: a wedding on 16 September 1408. After exploring the ruins, continue to Qaqortoq, South Greenland’s largest town. Walk the Stone and Man outdoor sculpture trail through the town’s colourful streets, visit the only fountain in Greenland (a small but charming distinction), and provision local specialities at the harbourside market. Dinner aboard at anchor in Qaqortoq’s sheltered harbour.
Day 3: Uunartoq Hot Springs
Cruise south from Qaqortoq through iceberg-dotted waters to the island of Uunartoq – roughly two hours by yacht. The natural hot springs maintain a year-round temperature of 38°C, fed by geothermal heat rising through deep rock fissures rather than volcanic activity. Ease into the stone-lined pool while icebergs drift past in the neighbouring fjord and snow-dusted mountains frame the horizon on every side. There are no other facilities on the island – your crew sets up towels, warm drinks and snacks on the rocks while you soak. After the springs, explore the surrounding coastline by tender, watching for seals on the rocky outcrops. Return to the yacht for lunch and begin the coastal passage north-west towards Nuuk, anchoring overnight in a sheltered fjord.
Day 4: Coastal Passage to Nuuk
Continue the passage north along Greenland’s south-western coast. The landscape shifts from the relatively green, sheltered valleys of the south to a more rugged, exposed shoreline of granite headlands, rocky islands and long fjord openings. Watch for humpback whales on this stretch – the waters between Paamiut and Nuuk are one of Greenland’s most productive whale-feeding grounds. Your chef serves lunch and dinner aboard as the yacht covers the distance, arriving in the approaches to Nuuk by late evening. Anchor in the outer fjord with views towards the city lights reflected on the water.
Day 5: Nuuk, the Capital
Spend the day exploring Greenland’s capital, home to roughly 19,000 people – a third of the country’s entire population. Tender ashore to the old colonial harbour and walk to the Greenland National Museum, where the Qilakitsoq mummies – six naturally preserved Inuit bodies dating to approximately 1475 AD, discovered in a rock shelter in 1972 – are the centrepiece of a collection that spans 4,500 years of Greenlandic history. Visit the Katuaq Cultural Centre (designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects), a landmark of undulating wooden curves inspired by the northern lights. Lunch at Cafétuaq inside the centre, or walk to Restaurant Sarfalik at Hotel Hans Egede for contemporary Greenlandic cuisine with harbour views. In the afternoon, cruise into the Nuuk Icefjord (Kangia) for an up-close encounter with icebergs calved from the local glacier. Dinner aboard in the fjord.
Day 6: Nuuk Fjord System
The Nuup Kangerlua fjord system stretches over 100 kilometres east of Nuuk, branching into a network of side-fjords, glacier tongues and uninhabited bays. Spend the day exploring by yacht and tender. Your captain selects anchorages based on ice conditions and wildlife sightings – expect glacier viewpoints, Arctic char fishing opportunities, and the chance to spot humpback whales feeding in the sheltered inner waters. Hike ashore where conditions permit – the tundra is carpeted with wildflowers in July, including Arctic poppies, purple saxifrage and cotton grass. Anchor overnight in a quiet bay with the ice sheet visible as a white line on the eastern horizon.
Day 7: Maniitsoq and the Fjords
Cruise north from Nuuk to Maniitsoq, roughly 80 nautical miles along the coast. Known locally as the ‘Venice of Greenland’ for the channels and waterways that wind through the town, Maniitsoq (population c. 2,500) sits on an island surrounded by a labyrinth of fjords. The surrounding waters are excellent for humpback whale watching – the fjords here funnel nutrients that attract large concentrations of feeding whales. Tender ashore to explore the town’s colourful houses, visit the local church and sample dried fish and seal jerky from the harbourside vendors. In the afternoon, cruise into one of the surrounding fjords for a zodiac excursion or a hike along the shore. Anchor overnight in the fjord system.
Day 8: Sisimiut and the Arctic Circle
Continue north to Sisimiut, crossing the Arctic Circle en route – your crew marks the occasion with a champagne toast on the flybridge. Sisimiut (population c. 5,600) is Greenland’s second city, with a well-preserved colonial quarter, a museum district housed in 18th-century buildings, and the blue Bethel Church (built 1775). Hike to the summit of Palaasip Qaqqaa for panoramic views, or explore the coastal islands by tender. The town has an increasingly adventurous culinary scene, and your chef may source local ingredients – musk-ox steak, crowberries, dried halibut – from the market. Dinner aboard at anchor.
Day 9: Coastal Cruising to Disko Bay
Cruise north from Sisimiut through increasingly dramatic scenery as you approach Disko Bay. The coast is a mosaic of granite headlands, rocky skerries and sheltered bays, with the ice-capped peaks of the Greenland interior visible to the east. Pause at sheltered anchorages for whale watching, zodiac excursions or simply to admire the landscape from the aft deck. The light at these latitudes is extraordinary – long, low-angle hours that photographers call ‘golden hour’ lasting for much of the day. Your chef serves meals on deck whenever the weather permits. Arrive at the approaches to Disko Bay by evening and anchor among the first of the icebergs drifting south from the Icefjord.
Day 10: Disko Bay Icebergs and Whale Watching
Spend the day cruising among the icebergs of Disko Bay – one of the most visually arresting seascapes on the planet. Your captain navigates between bergs that tower 50–100 metres above the waterline, their surfaces carved by wind and wave into arches, caves, spires and mushroom shapes. The colours shift with the light – white, blue, turquoise, sometimes veined with dark stripes of compressed sediment. Watch for humpback whales feeding among the ice. Launch the tender or kayaks for a closer perspective. Your chef serves lunch at anchor among the bergs. In the late afternoon, cruise towards Ilulissat, arriving as the midnight sun bathes the icebergs in golden light.
Day 11: Ilulissat and the Icefjord
A full day at Ilulissat, the crown jewel of West Greenland. In the morning, take the expedition tender into the mouth of the Icefjord for an up-close encounter with the ice – massive bergs jammed together in a slow-motion traffic jam, creaking, groaning and occasionally splitting with a sharp crack that echoes across the water. Walk the boardwalk trail along the southern edge of the fjord for elevated views over the ice, with the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier visible at the head of the fjord, 40 kilometres away. Visit the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre, designed by Dorte Mandrup – a sculptural building that seems to grow from the landscape, with exhibitions on glaciology, climate and Inuit culture. Dinner ashore at Restaurant Ulo for the celebrated 15-course tasting menu.
Day 12: Eqip Sermia Glacier
Cruise north from Ilulissat to the Eqip Sermia glacier, one of Greenland’s most actively calving ice fronts. The approach takes you through waters increasingly filled with brash ice and smaller bergs. The glacier’s 5-kilometre-wide face, rising roughly 200 metres from the fjord surface, calves with dramatic regularity – you hear the deep rumble before you see the ice fracture and plunge into the water, sending waves radiating across the fjord. Launch kayaks or the zodiac for a closer perspective (guide-accompanied, safe distance maintained). Your chef serves lunch at anchor below the glacier. In the late afternoon, cruise to a sheltered bay nearby and anchor for the night, with the glacier visible in the long evening light.
Day 13: Disko Island
Cross Disko Bay to Disko Island (Qeqertarsuaq), the largest island in the bay at 8,578 square kilometres. Tender ashore at the settlement and hike to the volcanic basalt formations that rise dramatically from the coastline – columnar basalt cliffs, remnants of ancient volcanic activity that set Disko Island apart geologically from the rest of West Greenland. Walk to the Kuannersuit warm springs, visit the Arctic Station (a research facility open to visitors in summer), and explore the settlement’s small museum. In the afternoon, cruise along Disko Island’s south coast, watching for whales and photographing the dramatic coastal scenery. Your crew prepares a farewell dinner aboard – a multi-course celebration of Greenlandic ingredients: reindeer tartare, pan-fried Arctic char, musk-ox medallions with crowberry sauce, and a dessert of wild berry sorbet.
Day 14: Final Morning and Departure from Ilulissat
Cruise back to Ilulissat for a final morning. Walk the waterfront one last time, photograph the icebergs from the harbour, and pick up any last soapstone carvings or sealskin crafts from the local workshops. Your crew serves brunch aboard before disembarkation and transfer to Ilulissat Airport. Depart with 14 days of Arctic memories – the crack of calving ice, the spout of a humpback whale in the morning stillness, the warmth of the Uunartoq springs against an iceberg backdrop, and the deep, resonant silence of a Greenland fjord with no other vessel in sight.
