Farm Holiday: 9 Days of Farm-to-Farm Hiking in South Greenland

Your Itinerary

The day-by-day travel program below is a recommended itinerary combining the Farm Holiday with a hiking round trip over 9 days / 8 nights.

The program is indicative and can be customized according to your choice of activities and hotels. The price indication is a guideline for the proposed trip and may vary depending on the season and your preferences. Upon inquiry, a specific travel offer will be prepared.

Please note! Due to limited capacity at some overnight accommodations, the order of the itinerary may change.

Day 1. Welcome to South Greenland

Arrive at Qaqortoq Airport (JJU)

Today, you fly to Greenland via Nuuk (flight from Copenhagen, Denmark included), before continuing to Qaqortoq, the largest town in South Greenland. The rest of the day is yours to explore the town at your own pace.

Qaqortoq has around 3,300 inhabitants and is an important centre for education in South Greenland. The town is home to an upper secondary school, a business school, adult vocational education, as well as programmes in tourism and guide training.

Qaqortoq is also home to several larger local businesses, including Great Greenland, which operates a tannery and sewing workshops producing sealskin products.

Day 2. A Day in Narsarsuaq: Gateway to the Inland Ice

The day begins with a boat transfer from Qaqortoq to Narsarsuaq (approx. 2 hours). Here, you have the rest of the day at leisure to explore the area on your own.

Narsarsuaq offers beautiful hiking opportunities and is the place in Greenland with the shortest hiking distance to the inland ice. Take a look at all the different hiking trails in Narsarsuaq here. 

Optional selfguided hiking tours (Day 2)

Day 3. Fjordside Hiking from Qassiasuk to Qorlortup Farm (10 km)

With around 40 inhabitants, Qassiarsuk is a small farming community where sheep farming is the main livelihood, alongside a school, a church, and a local shop.

Also known as Brattahlid, this is where Erik the Red established his settlement in 982. Today, the area is home to well-preserved Norse ruins, which you can explore at your own pace. The open-air museum can also be visited (admission fee not included).

• Sailing from Narsarsuaq to Qassiarsuk just on the opposite side of the fjord. 
• From Qassiarsuk, you continue your hike north along a gravel road following the scenic shores of Tunulliarfik Fjord. The route is easy to walk and offers continuous views across the fjord towards Narsarsuaq on the opposite side.
• If you bring a fishing rod, this stretch offers a good opportunity to try your luck in the fjord, especially near the mouth of the Qorlortoq River.
• Before reaching the river, you turn left and follow a gravel road uphill to Qorlortup Ittinnera Farm, your destination for the day. 

The total hike today is approximately 10 km. Today’s hike is self-guided.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 4. Through the Qorlortup Itinnera Valley to Tasiusaq Sheep Farm (10 km)

Today’s hike takes you through the beautiful Qorlortup Itinnera valley, heading towards the bay of Tasiusaq in the Sermilik Fjord. There is no marked trail through the valley, but the route is easy to follow as you walk along a small stream leading all the way towards the fjord.

Today’s highlights:

• In many places, you can follow sheep tracks that naturally guide you through the landscape. Looking up, you may be lucky enough to spot white-tailed eagles soaring above the valley. 
• As you get closer to the bay of Tasiusaq, gravel roads and paths begin to appear, leading you towards the Tasiusaq sheep farm. 

Today’s hike is approximately 10 km. Today’s hike is self-guided.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 5. Hike from Tasiusaq to Sillisit Along the Sheep Track (15 km)

Today’s hike takes you from Tasiusaq to Sillisit, a long and varied day covering approximately 15 km. Today’s hike is self-guided.

Today’s highlights:

• From Tasiusaq, you begin by following a sheep track along the innermost part of the fjord for the first 3 kilometres. At Nunataaq, you join the gravel road towards Qassiarsuk, before leaving it again after about 1 km to continue across slightly undulating terrain towards Sillisit.
• This section of the route is a true “alone in the wild” experience in South Greenland, and you navigate by following small stone cairns built by farmers and fellow hikers.
• Sillisit is beautifully located opposite the Qooroq Ice Fjord. Here, you find today's farm stay in idyllic settings.

Today’s hike is approximately 15 km. In case of bad weather, it is recommended to stay on the gravel road all the way, passing by the Inneruulalik sheep farm, before reaching Sillisit. This is somewhat longer, approximately 23 km.

Day 6. Cruise through Qooroq Ice Fjord to Igaliku

After three days of hiking from farm to farm, today offers a more relaxed pace. We will visit Qooroq Ice Fjord, where massive icebergs drift in constantly changing shapes and shades.

Today’s highlights:

• You will be driven from Sillisit back to Qassiarsuk.
• As you approach the glacier, the engine is turned off, allowing you to experience the absolute silence of the Arctic—and enjoy a drink chilled with thousand-year-old glacier ice.
• From the ice fjord, the journey continues to Itilleq, followed by a 4 km hike along a scenic unpaved country road to Igaliku, one of the most beautiful villages in Greenland. 
• The colourful houses are set in green grasslands beside a milky-blue fjord, while across the water the dramatic peak of Illerfissalik (Burfjeld) rises above the rugged landscape.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 7. Explore Igaliku on a Day Hike or visit the Norse Ruins

Today is dedicated to exploring Igaliku and its surrounding landscapes at your own pace.

Igaliku, known in the Norse era as Gardar, was the episcopal seat for around 300 years between 1100 and 1400. The impressive ruins from this period can still be seen today, offering a unique glimpse into Greenland’s Viking history. In 1782, Anders Olsen and his Greenlandic wife Tuperna settled here as farmers, marking the beginning of the village’s more recent history.

Today, Igaliku is surrounded by some of the finest hiking terrain in South Greenland. Check all the different hiking trails in Igaliku here.

You may choose between several selfguided day hikes:

Day 8. Explore Qaqortoq on your own

Today, you have the day to explore Qaqortoq and the surrounding area at your own pace. The day begins with a boat trip to Qaqortoq. With its colourful houses, busy harbour and active local community, Qaqortoq is the cultural and commercial centre of South Greenland.

Today’s highlights

• Travel by boat through South Greenland’s fjord system, with views of Burfjeld, green fields and icebergs, and, if you are lucky, whales.
• Discover the well-known Stone & Man art project, which consists of more than 30 sculptures carved directly into the granite rock by different artists. The permanent exhibition can be explored as you walk through the town.
• Visit the town square and Greenland’s oldest fountain, located near the harbour. Take a seat and watch local hunters and fishermen sell the day’s catch at the nearby fish marke
• Wander through the streets of Qaqortoq and experience everyday life in South Greenland’s largest town.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 9. Farewell to South Greenland

Depart from Qaqortoq Airport (JJU)

From Qaqortoq, you will be transferred by car to the airport for your departure, taking with you memories of remote sheep farms and unforgettable “alone in the wild” hikes.

Meals: Breakfast

Extend Your Trip?

This trip includes return flights from Copenhagen to Qaqortoq via Nuuk. If you would like to extend your stay in Greenland or add a stopover in Nuuk, please contact us.
We have extensive knowledge of Greenland and can provide guidance quickly and easily.

Click here for Price and Practical information

Season and practical info

Greenland is a truly unique destination – majestic, yet not always easy to reach. That is part of its charm. Our travel advisors are happy to help you tailor a trip that matches your wishes and interests. As part of our guidance, we also advise you on the best time to plan your journey, ensuring you bring home the most memorable experiences.

About South Greenland and this itinerary

South Greenland is the only place in Greenland where you will find agriculture. Today, more than 30 farms are located throughout the entire region. Often in very remote and beautiful areas with green pastures and sheep, cattle and horses roaming freely in the hills. On this tour we welcome you to visit a few of the farms and get a first-hand experience to the daily life of the Greenlanders who live of the land.

Qaqortoq is the largest town in South Greenland with approximately 3,300 inhabitants. The town serves as an important regional centre for education and training, including an upper secondary school, a business school, vocational education for adults, and programmes within tourism and guide training.

The town also has a number of local enterprises, including Great Greenland, which operates a tannery and sewing facilities producing traditional sealskin garments.

Qaqortoq is particularly known for the Stone & Man project, Greenland's oldest fountain in the town square an the harbour, where local fishermen and hunters often sell the day's catch.

When is the best time to travel?

You can start this tour every day of the week and are free to choose your own pace and what to see and do each day.

The best time to travel for this itinerary in South Greenland is from June to September.

Difficulty

The hikes between the farms are mostly easy and follow gravel roads. However, one hike is long (15 km) and with many height meters. Your luggage is transported by car or boat between the accommodations.

Self-guided

All our package tours are self-guided. This means that you are not a part of a bigger group with a tour leader to guide you around. We will send you very detailed information about the tour before you arrive in Greenland. However, you will need to bring your own hiking map to help you navigate between the sheep farms. We recommend this hiking map. 

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation at guest houses (private room at hotels and farms with shared toilet facilities). Rooms include bed linens and towels. Breakfast, lunch, packed lunches and dinner can often be added at an extra cost, but must be ordered well in advance to ensure availability. This trip includes the accommodation described. Please contact us if you would like to upgrade or downgrade.

Meals

Breakfast is included.

Cooking facilities available at all sheep farms and in Narsarsuaq so you can prepare your own meals. You can also choose to prebook dinner at some/all sheep farms. A nice way to meet the local family at the farm. All dinners have to be ordered in advance and paid directly to the farmer on site. Prices are around 350 DKK/meal.

You can go shopping in Narsarsuaq, Qassiarsuk and Igaliku.

At the hotels in Igaliku and Qaqortoq you can buy dinner and lunch packs.

How to get here

There are direct flights to Qaqortoq (South Greenland) from Nuuk (GOH) all year round and from Iceland (Reykjavik, KEF) in the high season from mid-June to early September.

The following airlines fly to South Greenland:

• Air Greenland flies from Nuuk to Qaqortoq.
• Icelandair flies from Reykjavik to Qaqortoq. Iceland air provides connecting flights from many major cities in US and EU. With just one stopover in Reykjavik.

Several airlines fly from Europe and the US to Denmark and Iceland.

Please note: We can help you book and include the relevant flight ticket. Simply let us know where you would like to depart from: Copenhagen or Aalborg. Departures from Reykjavik or New York are also possible.

Food and drink

Meat and fish are the foundation of the Greenlandic diet, so be prepared for high-protein fare with relatively few vegetables and side dishes.

In South Greenland you will primarily be served lamb, but also musk ox, reindeer and whale meat. Cod, trout and shrimp are the most common fish and seafood used in South Greenlandic cuisine.

If you have an opportunity to cook your own meals, you won’t want to miss out on a visit to the local meat and fish market, where hunters and fishermen sell the catch of the day.

In South Greenland several sheep farmers have also begun to grow potatoes, turnips, lettuce and cabbage on a larger scale and you can enjoy this fresh produce if you are travelling in late summer.

Opening hours

There are grocery stores (the Pilersuisoq chain) in the villages of Narsarsuaq, Qassiarsuk and Igaliku, where you can buy canned, dried and frozen food, and to a limited extend fresh products. If your package tour includes one of the major towns, we always recommend that you buy food in a supermarket there before continuing on to a small village.

In the towns of Narsaq, Qaqortoq and Nanortalik shops are generally open from 8-9 am to 5-6 pm on weekdays, with slightly shorter opening hours on Saturdays and Sundays. In the settlements (Narsarsuaq, Qassiarsuk and Igaliku) shop opening hours are somewhat more limited: weekdays often from 10 am to 3 pm, Saturdays 10-12 am and closed on Sundays.

About dining in villages and on sheep farms

We always recommend that you take the opportunity to eat locally and taste different Greenlandic dishes when you visit a sheep farm or a small settlement. However, please do not expect a large variety of dishes (à la carte menu), as well as a special children’s menu or vegetarian dishes at such places, as shopping facilities and the choice of products are limited.

If you are a vegetarian or have a food allergy (e.g., allergic to gluten), you may want to consider bringing some food along with you, unless you will be staying in the vicinity of a supermarket in one of the major towns!

Costs

The price level of food in shops is roughly the same as in the rest of Northern Europe. Fresh fruit and vegetables, alcoholic drinks and sweets are the most expensive. See below for indicative prices for meals in cafes/restaurants:

Lunch at cafes/hotels: DKK 120-150 (approx. 16-20 EUR)

Dinner at cafeteria / sheep farm / restaurant: DKK 120 (approx. 16 EUR) / DKK 200-300 (approx. 27-40 EUR) / DKK 200-400 (approx. 27-54 EUR) 

These prices are without drinks

1 beer at a bar/restaurant: from DKK 50 (approx. 7 EUR) 

1 bottle of wine at a restaurant: from DKK 230 (approx. 31 EUR)

Money, Tele & Internet

Currency and Credit cards

The currency used in Greenland is the Danish krone (DKK). You can pay by credit card in stores (also in the settlements), at hotels, restaurants (including the Igaliku Country Hotel) and at tourist offices. However, it is a good idea to have a small amount of cash with you, especially if you are going to stay and dine on a sheep farm, where cash is the only means of payment. There are ATMs in the towns of Narsaq, Qaqortoq and Nanortalik.

Telephony

There is mobile coverage in all towns and villages. Most European telecommunications providers have roaming agreements with Tele Greenland, but it might be quite expensive to use your phone in Greenland. You should also not rely on your mobile phone as a means of communicating with the outside world on a hiking trip, as there are many places in the countryside/mountains where you will not have a signal. If you are planning a longer hiking or kayaking trip in isolated areas, for safety reasons we recommend that you rent a satellite phone.

Internet

There is wireless internet at most hotels and hostels in the towns (including Narsarsuaq and the Igaliku Country Hotel). At most tourist offices you can also borrow a computer to check your emails and so on. What all of these points of access have in common is that you pay for the use of the internet in Greenland and – compared to the rest of Europe – it is quite expensive.

Mobile Phone

Using mobile data from an international phone can be very expensive in Greenland. Make sure to check what your plan covers before enabling data roaming. If you need a Greenlandic SIM card, we recommend Tusass eSIM packages. See prices and packages here (affiliate link).

Access to Electricity

It is possible to charge your devices at the accommodations (bring your own charger).

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Please note that the price of the trip is a starting price, as there may be additional costs for a more expensive type of flight ticket or a different cabin/room standard, depending on availability at the time of booking. You are, of course, only committed to the trip once any price supplements have been confirmed. The starting price is indicated for Greenland’s low season.

Right to Changes Reserved. Please note that a trip like this is weather-dependent, and some changes to the program may occur. Delays and cancellations are possible, especially for flights and boat transport.

What to bring

For our package tours in South Greenland we recommend:

• A sleeping bag and towel (only if you stay in hostels)
• Slippers or sandals (for use indoors when you stay at hostels/farms or visit a Greenlandic home)
• Hiking boots or solid walking shoes

• Wind and waterproof outerwear
• Sweater or fleece for insulation
• T-shirts and long-sleeved blouses (it can get really hot in the sun on land)
• A knit hat and gloves (it can be rather chilly on a boat trip to the ice fjord)

• A mosquito net and mosquito repellent (which can also be purchased at Blue Ice Café). The mosquitoes are worst in June and early July in southern Greenland. There may be small, annoying flies in August. Mosquitoes are virtually non-existent in sheep farming areas, but can be troublesome in Narsarsuaq and mountain areas with few or no sheep
• Sunglasses and sun lotion