If you are planning a trip to Greenland and love hiking, then look no further than Ilulissat. This city, lies 300 km above the Arctic Circle and has hiking trails with some breathtaking views! These trails are of varying lengths and levels of difficulty, which means that there is something for everyone! This post covers all these hiking trails in Ilulissat in detail.
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Table of Contents
Notes about Hiking in Ilulissat
- All hiking trails are completely free to access
- You can hike most trails throughout the year but it’s not recommended to hike the difficult trails during the heavy winter months
- During the summer, you can even hike some of the easier trails under the mid-night sun
- Most trails below start from the Ilulissat Icefjord Center which is next to the Old Heliport
- All trails are easy to follow as they are marked by the color of their name. For example the Yellow Trail is marked by the color yellow.
There are essentially 5 hiking trails in and around Ilulissat. These are:
- Hike to Sermermiut
- Yellow Trail
- Red Trail
- Blue Trail
- Orange Trail
I will provide details on each one of the hiking trails in Ilulissat below:
Hike to Sermermiut
- Distance 1.3 km one way
- Type – Out and back
- Difficulty – Easy
- Start/End – Ilulissat Icefjord
The hike to Sermermiut is the easiest hiking trail in Ilulissat. It starts near the Icefjord Center. Some may refer to this area as the Old Heliport. The trail is very easy and even wheelchair accessible as it has a boardwalk. Sermermiut is an old Inuit settlement that was active for over 4000 years. If you have the means, you may want to look into booking a guided tour for this hike. This is not because the hike is hard but because a guide will be able to give you more details on the history of this area.
Once the boardwalk ends, keep going to climb the bit of rocky terrain (still nothing too difficult) in front of you. You will be greeted to some amazing views of Disko Bay and the ice fjord. This area is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tip – If you are planning on doing the Blue Trail (see below), you don’t have to hike to Sermermiut separately as you have to pass it to the Blue Trail.
Yellow Trail
- Distance 2.7 km start to end
- Type – Half loop
- Difficulty – Medium
- Start/End – Ilulissat Power Plant/Ilulissat Icefjord Center (Old heliport)
This was one of my favorite hikes. You basically hike for almost 270 degrees along the ice fjord with the most incredible views in front of you. You can start this hike either at the Ilulissat Power Plant or the Icefjord Center/ Old Heliport but I think going anti-clockwise by starting at the power plant is probably better as the views are in front of you.
The ups and downs of the hike is gradual for the most part and not too difficult. The “hardest” part if at all is just before you turn the corner (coming from the power plant as there is a bit of a drop (would be a bit of a climb if you are coming from the Old Heliport). You need to wear study shoes as there was some mud, marsh and even a bit of snow on the ground.
Tip – If you don’t have time for the full Blue Trail hike or don’t want to do a difficult or long hike, then the Yellow Trail is your best option. It’s relatively short but there is nothing short about the views that it offers!
Red Trail
- Distance – 2 km
- Type – Out and Back OR loop (see below)
- Difficulty – Medium
- Start/End – Ilulissat Power Plant/Ilulissat Icefjord Center (Old heliport)
The Red Trail is not as exciting as the other trails in my opinion. You don’t really have great views until you come to the end of the trail. There are two alternative ways to hike the Red Trail. 1. when you get to the end, turn right and hike the rest of the Blue Trail instead of going back on the Red Trail. 2. if you are coming from the Blue Trail and want a shortcut, you could turn right and go down the Red Trail.
Blue Trail
- Distance – 6.9 km start to end
- Type – Loop
- Difficulty – Medium
- Start/End – Quarry/Ilulissat Icefjord Center (Old heliport)
The Blue Trail is the longest and most difficult hike in Ilulissat. But the views are worth it. You can start the hike from either end but my recommendation is to start at the quarry for 2 reasons. 1. finish the hardest part first and 2. walk with the views in front of you. You start the hike after passing sled dog kennels. The difficult part of the hike takes you through a deep ravine with high cliffs on either side. This part of the trail is steep and rocky and if it has rained recently will be muddy and slippery too. Trekking poles may help a bit.
Once you get through the somewhat steep climb, then you almost come all the way down to a lake. Once at the lake, you need to turn right and keep going until you are greeted with amazing views of the ice fjord. Keep walking towards the views and take another right turn (trail is marked in blue). At this point, you will start walking along the ice fjord! The views are really breathtaking! I stopped so many times to take pictures! You have 2 options towards the end. 1. you could take the Red Trail OR 2. keep going and eventually hike through the Sermermiut settlement. I recommend option 2.
Orange Trail
- Distance 22 km one way
- Type – Out and back or one way (see below)
- Difficulty – Medium
- Start/End – Ilulissat/Oqaatsut
The Orange Trail is not exactly in Ilulissat but one of its end points are so I wanted to include it in this post. To hike the Orange Trail, you have to either book a boat trip from Ilulissat to Oqaatsut and then hike back to Ilulissat from Oqaatsut OR you need to hike from Ilulissat to Oqaatsut and arrange for a boat trip back to Ilulissat.
This is a long hike and will take 6-7 hours. My recommendation is to start early and take a boat to Oqaatsut, explore Oqaatsut for a bit and then start your hike back to Ilulissat.
What to Pack for Hiking in Ilulissat
Clothing
- Sturdy hiking shoes – This is also a must! It needs to be waterproof and insulated. I highly recommend this pair. I wore these in both Iceland and Greenland and hiked through rocks, mud, water and snow
- Outer layer (medium) – A medium weight outer layer like the Patagonia Down Jacket (Men’s HERE)
- Base layer top – A breathable base layer or thermal layer is a must in my opinion. I love merino wool because it keeps you warm, dry and does not smell (Men’s HERE)
- Base layer bottoms – I am usually not cold in my legs, but if you get cold in your legs then I recommend a merino wool bottom layer too
- Mid layer – If you opt for merino wool base layers, then pack a few long sleeve moisture wicking top. If you do not opt for merino wool base layers, then you should pack a fleece like this
- Pants – I always prefer to wear leggings but most people prefer waterproof hiking pants
- Merino wool socks – Merino wool makes sure your feet stay dry and blister free. I love the Darn Tough hiking socks (men’s HERE)!
Other Items
- Rain jacket – If you cannot find a waterproof jacket, then make sure to pack a rain jacket
- A small daypack – I love this daypack for day hiking. It comes with a rain cover and is the perfect size to hold a jacket, water bladder or bottle and snacks.
- Rain cover – A cover for your daypack if you don’t have a backpack that comes with one like the one above
- Trekking Poles – These are totally optional but I found them useful, especially on the Blue Trail with the gliding mud and marsh. I took this particular one to Everest Base Camp too and love it!
- A water bladder. I really love using a water bladder or hydration pack as you can drink water on the go
- Water bottle – If you are not using a bladder
- Fanny pack – This one is totally optional. I found carrying my personal belongings in a fanny pack tied to my waist saved me some weight off my back
- Polarized sunglasses – I love this pair. It’s stylist and functional
- Hiking hat or cap
- Snacks
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent
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