EXCURSION
Excursion Day! We will go by boat to sheep farm settlements nearby Narsarsuaq with Blue Ice Explorer – a locally based tourism operator.
You can choose between Qassiarsuk or Igaliku,
both of which are honored as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site called Kujataa thanks to their combination of Viking heritage and modern-day inuit agriculture.
Photo credits: Mads Pihl – Visit Greenland
Qassiarsuk is a strikingly vibrant, colourful settlement just 5 minutes by boat across the fjord from Narsarsuaq.
It has a friendly atmosphere thanks to the open and welcoming sheep farmers, many of which are the original founders’ grandchildren and great-grandchildren. What started as a single sheep farm in 1934, on the very place where Norsemen settled back in the 10th century, grew to have settlement status through time. Now there are a handful of farms right in the settlement itself, while another handful are located in the beautiful mountainous grasslands backcountry surrounding the settlement.
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Viking ruins are riddled throughout, with the most acclaimed just 800 meters from the harbour where you arrive, namely Erik the Red's Brattahlid. A Site Guide will explain their history as well as give a tour of the reconstruction buildings on site. You will also get to taste a delicious homemade lamb dishes at Café Thorhildur, right at the harbour, run by Elna, a sheep farmer from a farm just 10 km away. There is also possibility to buy homemade desserts and locally-made souvenirs here – credit card and Danish Kroner accepted.
There are no paved roads in Qassiarsuk. The one road through town is a red clay dirt road.
There are 36 spots available for this excursion.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis.
Igaliku is a sheep farming settlement near Narsarsuaq, though technically on the next fjord south. It is accessed by a 20-minute boat ride, to a place called Itilleq, followed by a 4 kilometer / 2.4-mile car ride on what’s known as the King’s Road (a dirt road). Locals say that cresting at the top of the hill with a view over the settlement and Igaliku Fjord is one of the most stunning arrival experiences in the area.
Igaliku was established as the Norse bishop seat in 1121, called Gardar at that time, and was revived by Greenlandic farmers in 1783. Today, four sheep farms and a collection of older residents and summerhouse owners comprise Igaliku. The classic combination of modern-day inuit agriculture and Viking history, evidenced by farms lying directly next to nearly millennium-old structures, is so exciting to explore. A Site Guide will teach you about the various ruin sites, and you will also have a taste of Greenlandic specialities while in the settlement.
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There are no paved roads in Igaliku. The one road through town is a gravel road. Credit cards are accepted in the local grocery & shop, although having Danish Kroner on hand is a good idea on the chance someone is selling local handicrafts.
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There are 24 spots available for this excursion.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis.
Narsarsuaq is the meeting point for South Greenlanders and travellers, yet it maintains its charming small-town feel. Its position deep in Tunulliarfik Fjord nearly to the Greenland Ice Sheet makes it a silent, green, forested paradise perfect for nature lovers. Like the surrounding areas, this settlement also has ruins from a Viking and Inuit past, but by contrast, it also has a unique American history twist! The whole story can be found in Narsarsuaq Museum.
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