Greenland tours

We will be arriving on a cruise ship. Are there any tour companies in Q?

Thank you

Higly unlike that there are local tour companies. Greenland is a very uncommon cruise stop.

I'm actually looking for Greenland information myself so found this post by using search. I don't know if you are subscribed to this thread or not, so you may never get to read my response, but I'll give it a try!

Qaqortoq is very small with only about 3000 inhabitants. We were there in September, 2011 on a northern transatlantic. Once we tendered over to shore, we simply walked around and explored the town. The homes there are very colorful so we were interested in seeing as much as possible. We walked up the roads that went up the hillside, and at that point my DH and another friend on the cruise hiked up to the top of the hillside, no road, but a real hike. At the top they got a view of an iceberg on the other side of the harbor that we hadn't seen from the ship. While all the passengers were in town, a group of pre-schoolers were brought to the town center with their daycare handlers to see all the strangers. We of course enjoyed seeing them as well! A few teens came around to ask us if we would answer a few questions for a school project. They wanted to know where we came from, etc. It was a very low key visit. Interesting to walk in the shops, and there was a little museum I believe.

But not many cruise lines have tours here. I've heard there is a hot springs nearby but I'm not sure how you would get there unless some enterprising individual would take you there for a little cash! You will probably be able to buy some arts and crafts for sale.

My upcoming cruise on Seabourn Quest has a stop here (and in 5 other Greenland ports), and Seabourn offers two tours from Qaqortoq to a nearby village called Hvalsey to see some church ruins. These are a boat tour and a Zodiac tour. Then there is a kayak excursion to explore the coastline around Qaqortoq.

When we were there the first time they told us to pronounce it Cah-ca-Tock. It's not easy!

At Qaqortoq, in the tourist/gift center they did offer a few boat and walking tours but they filled real fast as soon as we docked. Smaller boats for the tours so maybe 20 at the most.

I'm actually looking for Greenland information myself so found this post by using search. I don't know if you are subscribed to this thread or not, so you may never get to read my response, but I'll give it a try!

 

Qaqortoq is very small with only about 3000 inhabitants. We were there in September, 2011 on a northern transatlantic. Once we tendered over to shore, we simply walked around and explored the town. The homes there are very colorful so we were interested in seeing as much as possible. We walked up the roads that went up the hillside, and at that point my DH and another friend on the cruise hiked up to the top of the hillside, no road, but a real hike. At the top they got a view of an iceberg on the other side of the harbor that we hadn't seen from the ship. While all the passengers were in town, a group of pre-schoolers were brought to the town center with their daycare handlers to see all the strangers. We of course enjoyed seeing them as well! A few teens came around to ask us if we would answer a few questions for a school project. They wanted to know where we came from, etc. It was a very low key visit. Interesting to walk in the shops, and there was a little museum I believe.

 

But not many cruise lines have tours here. I've heard there is a hot springs nearby but I'm not sure how you would get there unless some enterprising individual would take you there for a little cash! You will probably be able to buy some arts and crafts for sale.

 

My upcoming cruise on Seabourn Quest has a stop here (and in 5 other Greenland ports), and Seabourn offers two tours from Qaqortoq to a nearby village called Hvalsey to see some church ruins. These are a boat tour and a Zodiac tour. Then there is a kayak excursion to explore the coastline around Qaqortoq.

 

When we were there the first time they told us to pronounce it Cah-ca-Tock. It's not easy!

Thanks for posting! Please come back and tell us all about your trip! I am looking forward to three scheduled ports in Greenland in August 2019.

I'll add my experience in case of future searches! :)

We had a port call in Ittoqqortoormiit (known formerly as Scoresbysund, and Illoqqortoormiut in other parts of Greenland). It's extremely small and fairly remote, so there were no tours. But they opened the church and the local museum for us. There's also a small gallery near the landing pier and a tiny souvenir shop attached to the tourism office.

(I'm not sure about the gallery, since we didn't purchase anything, but the tourism office and the post office (attached to the supermarket) both accepted my chip & pin bank card.)

Thanks for posting! Please come back and tell us all about your trip! I am looking forward to three scheduled ports in Greenland in August 2019.

Hi! we may be on the same cruise -- Caribbean Princess to Nova Scotia & Greenland?

I'm trying to learn how I might get around the Greenland ports as I have mobility issues. I know I can't take a scooter on the tenders; hope I can take my rollator on shore.

I hoped to hear more!

Here is some information on Greenland ports from our review of our June cruise on Poseidon’s Sea Spirit. We loved Greenland.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=625244

Here is some information on Greenland ports from our review of our June cruise on Poseidon’s Sea Spirit. We loved Greenland.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=625244

Thank you for posting your review Harbourmaster,

We are on a Greenland cruise next year so I’m following this thread in case of useful tour ideas.your descriptions of the ports were fabulous, really makes me keen for the next few months to pass so I can see it for myself.

Thanks again,

Libby

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I'll add our recent experience as well, in case this helps anyone searching. My wife and I just returned from Holland America's 20-night Viking Passage, which had three scheduled port calls in Greenland, as well as a day cruising Prins Christian Sund. As things turned out, one of the Greenland ports (Paamiut) had to be cancelled because we were delayed a day in Iceland due to a major storm. Fortunately, we were able to tender in both Qaqortoq and Nanortalik, and we did make it into Prins Christian Sund (via the west entrance, after aborting an entry from the east because of dangerously high winds).

Prins Christian Sund was stunningly beautiful; if you are scheduled to cruise here, I hope you make it in!

It was of course amazing to go ashore in Greenland, and we especially enjoyed walking around Nanortalik -- the Open Air Museum ($5p p) was particularly fascinating and a don't miss imho. Also, a local choir performed a short (30-minute) concert a couple of times that morning in the old church so that passengers could attend ($10 pp). You can't miss where to go, just take a left from the tender pier. We also just walked around Qaqortoq, exploring. One of the local teachers was walking through town with her 7th grade class, so they could practice their English. Don't miss Stone & Man -- carvings of whales, fish, etc. in the rock faces around the town, especially on a rise behind the Tourist Information Office/souvenir shop, which is pretty much straight in front of the tender pier.

Nanortalik (that's the old church on the left; photo taken from small observation tower in the Open Air Museum):

Nanortalik:

Qaqortoq:

(photos by turtles06)

Thanks Turtles06,

Beautiful photos. My favourite is the Qaqortoq withrocks, houses and gorgeous reflection.

I’m hoping we get to meet some local people too. I usually take some postcards from home to give to local kids so I will do that in Greenland.

Thanks again, this was really helpful for me,

Libby

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thanks Turtles06,

Beautiful photos. My favourite is the Qaqortoq withrocks, houses and gorgeous reflection.

 

I’m hoping we get to meet some local people too. I usually take some postcards from home to give to local kids so I will do that in Greenland.

 

Thanks again, this was really helpful for me,

Libby

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

You’re most welcome, and thanks for the kind words. Have a great trip!

(That photo is Nanortalik. Glad you liked it, it’s one of my favorites. :) )

Turtles06, was there any tour -- from either of your ports in Greenland -- of the remains of the Viking settlements?

I am really interested in this cruise (or a similar one) but more because of the very interesting Viking history of the place. I'm never quite sure which (or how many) of the modern ports coincide with the archaeological areas...

Turtles06, was there any tour -- from either of your ports in Greenland -- of the remains of the Viking settlements?

 

I am really interested in this cruise (or a similar one) but more because of the very interesting Viking history of the place. I'm never quite sure which (or how many) of the modern ports coincide with the archaeological areas...

There were no tours offered by HAL in those Greenland ports (and no private tours anyone could come up with), I suspect because they were tiny little villages, with very little infrastructure for visitors (e.g., one single-seat public toilet in the info center in Nanortalik). And, quite possibly, as you say, these ports don't coincide with the archaeological areas.

I'm researching for a trip next summer and the only thing I have come up with is this: http://www.sagalands.com/

They operate out of Qaqortoc.

There were no tours offered by HAL in those Greenland ports (and no private tours anyone could come up with), I suspect because they were tiny little villages, with very little infrastructure for visitors (e.g., one single-seat public toilet in the info center in Nanortalik). And, quite possibly, as you say, these ports don't coincide with the archaeological areas.

Thanks -- back to the drawing board. Trying to avoid a very pricey specialty tour.