A true Greenland expedition from Nuuk to Disco Bay!
We’re nearing the heart of West Greenland: Disco Bay! Our journey from Nuuk to our northernmost destination in this Greenland expedition will take us through stunning fjords and breath taking landscapes. Along the way, we’ll make stops at several must-see spots ashore. Finally, we’ll conclude this leg with a glimpse into the renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, Ilulissatfjord. Here, the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier calving into the fjord creates the world’s largest icebergs, sourced directly from the expansive inland ice sheet.
From Nuuk to Ilulissat
We start this leg in the capital of Greenland, Nuuk (or Godthåp as the Danes call it). A vibrant arctic city and clearly the cultural and political centre of this huge country! From here we work our way north along the rugged and scenic coast of western Greenland.
We will spend quite some time of this week inshore among the fjords, mountains and islands. However, we’ll also venture further offshore for longer stretches, sailing through some nights. Picture our wheelhouse bathed in the glow of the midnight sun during our night watches..
Inuit villages and UNESCO fjords
On our way north we will pass along some small cosy villages. Where colourful houses cling onto the mountain sides among green fields on the blue seafront. Some of the villages on this leg include Maniitsoq, Kangaamiut, Sisimut and Aasiaat. We will land in several of these villages, aiming to get some new friends and learn about the local Inuit heritage and traditions. The trip ends at our most northern goal for this whole expedition; Disco Bay, in the charming little fishing village of Ilulissat. Here we also find the Ilulissat Icefjord, which is declared a UNESCO World heritage site!
Join as part of the crew on board
From SeilNorge we will be skipper, co-skipper and crew/guide onboard. All good sailors, at least one of whom will have solid sailing time and experience from similar expeditions. The guide and remaining crew on board also take responsibility for being polar bear watch when we are on land, where needed. En route for sail or motor, we include everyone on board in the sailing. We will mostly sail around the clock, and divides everyone into watch teams. We rotate between the duty shifts and go 4 hours on and 8 hours off. In addition, we include a couple of shorter shifts in the rotation in the afternoon, so that we also rotate the night shifts between the different watch teams.
Our expedition vessel, Valiente
It’s not just any sailboat we’re using on this trip, but our 70-foot expedition boat Valiente. She is a very stable and comfortable boat built in steel for sailing in arctic waters. The boat is well equipped and has large outdoor areas, and a wheelhouse and a saloon with a 360-degree view. Find pictures and more information about the vessel Valiente here.
The great Greenland expedition 2025
This expedition, like our other longer trips, is primarily a great voyage of discovery, but also an excellent opportunity to learn a lot about sailing and navigation. And not least using a boat as a starting point for discoveries and experiences on land. Are you ready for our big expedition from Greenland?
We recommend all participants stay a few extra days in Greenland, there is a lot to see and do here. We will send out tips and information about activities and accommodation to all participants. This is also part of our big Greenland expedition in 2025, where we will go all the way up to Disco Bay and back. If you want to join several of the stages up/down the west coast of Greenland, you are also most welcome!
Environment and sustainability
The Arctic is a vulnerable area under pressure from people and the climate. However in SeilNorge, we are concerned with taking care of the environment to the greatest extent possible. We believe that small boats with fewer people and little pollution and waste are much less harmful to the environment, climate and local wildlife, than larger boats and cruise ships. In the places we visit, we also try to clean up litter rather than leaving anything behind, so we leave a positive handprint. In Svalbard and Greenland, we follow AECO’s guidelines for encounters with wildlife, beach cleaning, cultural heritage sites and for visitors and operators in the Arctic. You can read more about AECO’s guidelines here.
This longer expedition to Greenland is a dream we’ve had for a long time. Last year we had to postpone - so in 2025 we set sail for new adventures! Many have already showed their interest for the different legs so this will be very exciting!
Emil, SeilNorge
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome on board in Nuuk
We meet in the habour in Nuuk at 16:00 this first day. To start us off, we will get to know the boat and the other expedition participants. We walk through how life is on board, safety briefs and basics about sailing and navigation. When we are all ready we hoist sails for our adventure already this first afternoon and sail into the midnight sun! Maybe the fjords north of Nuuk, with Qingaq island (Storø) will be our first stop on our way north.
Day 2: Hiking in Nuup Kangerlua and nightsail north
We wake up the first day at our adventure to an impressive scenery; with peaks rising 1000 and 1500 vertical meters up from the deep blue fjord. We kick of our adventure with a hike on land this morning. Hopefully with some good views from an accessible peak we find here around our anchorage. Towards the evening we sail out of the Nuuk fjord (Nuup Kangerlua) and head north during the night.
Day 3: Sailing day to Maniitsoq
During summer we can often have all clear weather and good visibility in the fjords of West Greenland, but as soon as we get out at sea it can get very foggy. This is due to the big difference in sea and air temperature at these latitudes during this season with a cold polar sea in the Davis Straight. Sailing through the night we rotate the watch teams around the shifts and enjoy the peace of mind you only get while underway. We probably reach Maniitsoq sometime during this day, and look around and stretch our legs when we arrive.
Day 4: Eternity Fjord and sailing to Sisimiut
Maniitsoq with its Eternity Fjord, is said to have the most scenic mountains of the whole West Greenland coast. Where glacier tumble down steep mountain sides into the greenish fjord. So we need to explore this stunning fjord landscape for a day before we set sail further north. Maybe some want to climb a mountain here, try our fishing luck or just sail around the icebergs. For the evening we sail out offshore again and head further north.
Day 5: Sailing to Sisimiut
We step into the over-night sailing rhythm on our way north towards Sisimiut, where we probably arrive this afternoon. Sisimiut is one of our favourite towns in Greenland. Very cute and picturesque, also the second largest town in the country.
Day 6: Kayak, SUP or biking in Sisimiut and sailing further north.
Sisimiut has a wide variety of activities to offer. From Kayak and SUP to biking or dog-yard visits. We spend the morning here today, and spread out on the different activities each of use want to do!
After lunch on land we again make our expedition vessel ship-shape for the last long sailing leg on this journey towards Disco Bay!
Day 7: Full sailing day to Disco Bay and Illulissat ice fjord
This will be the longest sailing leg of our journey. Depending on wind and conditions of course, but lasting around 24h. As we get closer into Disco Bay we see larger and larger ice bergs. And this afternoon we reach the UNESCO World Heritage site; Ilulissat Icefjord. Here the fjord itself is around 1000m deep, and the huge inland ice is calving enormous ice bergs into the fjord. At the entrance of this fjord though, its only a few hundred meters deep. Which make all the huge ice bergs ground and form a plug. Therefore, this whole fjord is packed with ice bergs, large as skyscrapers. A super impressive sight. If we have time we stop for lunch with bonfire on the beach in Ilimanaq, south of the Icefjord. And we anyways spend a few hours around the ice bergs before reaching port in Ilulissat. After a wash and tidy of the boat we go out in Ilulissat to eat and drink and celebrate a well done expedition!
Day 8: Bye for now, in Ilulissat
Ilulissat is a vibrant little city, with outdoor activities, local restaurants mixed with international flavours and influences. This leg of the expedition have come to an end. So its time to pack our stuff, do the last cleaning and say goodbye latest at 10:00 this morning. Breakfast at one of the cosy cafes here in Ilulissat for those who want. Thanks for a wonderful experience together!
Changes to the program
The program should be seen as a rough itinerary that we can adapt to the weather and conditions. We also reserve the right to change and improve our itineraries. We will have a dinghy for beach trips and small expeditions, fishing gear for cod, and gear to hike or make bonfires on the beach on all our trips – we are ready for adventure! Are you?
What is included?
- A trip experience with sailboat – experienced skipper with local knowledge on board
- Co-skipper and crew/guide on board
- All food we eat on board during the trip
- Our Comfort Package, which consists of accommodation on board in a shared double cabin (bunk or double bed) with a ready-made bed (warm and nice duvets and pillows!)
- An environmentally friendly, local, sustainable, unique, exotic and exclusive Norwegian adventure holiday
- A shared experience and friendship with like-minded adventurers from around the world
- A lot of time outdoors – raw and honest nature experiences
- Use of our shared equipment if available: dinghies, kayaks, fishing equipment, etc.
- All boat-related costs such as diesel, propane and harbor fees
- Personal safety equipment; Helly Hansen inflatable lifejacket
- Survival suit and Search and Rescue (SAR) Insurance for everyone on board
- Instruction, advice, guidance and practical training in boating and sailing
What is not included?
- Travel to and from the start/end location
- Optional meals at a cafes/restaurants during the trip
- Entrance to galleries, museums, or other alternative activities that you/we may come up with
- Rental of equipment and/or activities from external operators, ex. kayak, glacier hiking or surfing where possible
- Drinks such as wine, beer or exclusive apple juice and other luxuries (yes, we drink beer and wine on board, bring your own)
- Travel insurance and/or cancellation insurance – (up to you, but recommended!)
Important info
Departure and arrival
This trip start in Nuuk, and end in Ilulissat, Greenland.
You find more information on travel, equipment and other tips under Practical info.
Safety and risk on our expeditions
As mentioned, we take safety very seriously. Even more so on our expeditions, as we then explore really remote waters and terrain, cross open oceans and sail into areas with additional risk factors such as sea ice or poor charts and uncharted waters. We deal with this by having an extra focus on the situations we may encounter among everyone on board, for each expedition. We sail in these remote areas only in the most optimal seasons; and we use larger and very solid boats for our expeditions. Which are both equipped and sized to cope with this type of expedition trips and waters very well.
We are absolutely certain that sailing is the safest and most accessible way to visit these very inaccessible places we go on our expeditions. However, all sailing in general, and particularly sailing in arctic regions and over open seas, involves a certain risk that you must be aware of when joining.
Level of the expedition
Some have their first sailing experience ever, joining us on an ocean crossing! Please note that our expeditions require a certain physical health and mobility level.
The boats we sail on our expeditions are larger, robust and sit well in the sea. On our sailing expeditions we both sail in more coastal, sheltered waters, and cross open stretches of waters. On some of our expeditions even ocean crossings over several days at sea. An incredibly wonderful and special experience!
Weather dictates our journey, and we adapt each expedition’s program accordingly, often allowing extra days for flexibility in assessing and choosing optimal weather windows. Despite planning and preparations, we can’t control the weather, so be prepared for various conditions. The proximity to nature’s forces on such expeditions is a rare and rewarding experience.
On expeditions, we sail with many participants, forming watch teams for a solid on board team spirit. Rotating watches around the clock ensures active involvement without overwhelming fatigue.
As everyone participates actively during the week or more on board, seasickness is rare. If you anticipate seasickness, consider bringing remedies, such as seasickness plasters, often effective for longer expeditions. Consult your doctor for advice on seasickness and any necessary medications. Feel free to ask us about seasickness as well.