Day 1.
After breakfast at the hotel we drive to the Reykjavik Domestic Airport (10 minutes), where we will board a plane to Scoresbysund in Greenland, the longest fjord in the world. The flight to Greenland takes about 2 hours, so we land at Constable Point around 10:00 local time. The time difference between Iceland and Greenland is two hours. We start by meeting with our local guides, who will go through all the necessary equipment needed for the expeditions ahead; as well as how to behave around the teams of sled dogs, which are waiting for us outside the airport; and how to behave around the local wildlife. Next we jump onto the sleds, which take us out into the frozen fjord on our way to our base camp for the next couple of days: the Igloo Village. The sled trip to the Igloo Village will take approximately 4 hours. We will enjoy the magnificent landscape on the way: mountains tower on one side, gigantic icebergs on the other. Be on the look-out for local wildlife: you never know what kind of creatures you’ll run into on the ice. We will stop a few times on the way to take a closer look at things we cross on the way, perhaps climb a foothill or an iceberg. Arriving at the Igloo Village late in the afternoon, we start by settling into the igloos and putting our gear away. Two people will stay in each igloo. Then dinner has to be prepared, as it is starting to get dark. The days in the Arctic Circle are short at this time of year. After dinner we can take short orientation walks from the base camp to get to know the surrounding area. Before turning in for the night, we exchange stories of our wilderness experiences over a glass of cocoa with rum.
Day 2.
After a good night’s sleep in the igloos, we start day two in Greenland with a good breakfast: you will need the energy for the active day ahead of you. This day will be dedicated to discovering the most fearsome creature in the world: the polar bear. We will drive out onto the ice on our dog sleds, heading towards the area where our local guides will have previously spotted polar bears. Out on the ice we might be able to see some of the other arctic wildlife: arctic foxes, arctic hare, musk oxen, wolves, seals and even walruses. While driving through the snow on the dog sleds, your heart will pound with excitement: will a polar bear be standing in front of me when I come over the next hill, or will I see a bear family when we pass the next iceberg? We will have lunch somewhere out on the ice. We stop to monitor and take pictures of the animals we come across on our way. If we meet up with polar bears – which is likely – we will have to be very careful and keep a certain distance between us and them for reasons of safety. But we will be close enough to get goose bumps all over our bodies. Before sunset we head back to the Igloo Village for another overnight stay. After dinner we can share brand new stories about what we experienced during the day before turning in for the night.
Day 3.
After breakfast on Day 3 we jump onto the dog sleds once again. Now visit the local people, the Inuit. Our first destination is an old deserted village, Kap Tobin. We will walk among the abandoned houses of this ghost town and imagine what made the people abandon it, leaving so much behind. We will have lunch somewhere along the way. We drive our dog sleds further along the coastline until we reach the village of Ittoqqortoormiit, where we will stay for our last night in Greenland. After checking in and placing our luggage in our rooms at the local guesthouse, we can enjoy taking a shower and maybe a shave. We will then have a chance to walk around the village and examine how the Inuit live, check out the local grocery stores and hunt for souvenirs at local arts and crafts shops. After spending some time mingling with the natives, we will get together for a dinner prepared by our group leaders at the guesthouse. After a few drinks in the warm, cozy guesthouse, we turn in for the night.
Day 4.
After breakfast, the groups are transported back to the airport by helicopter. This 15-minute flight is really something: flying between the breathtaking mountains, along the coastline and over the beautiful frozen fjord where you started your trip. Around 11:00 Greenland time, we fly back to Iceland, arriving in Reykjavik around 15:00 local time.
