This full-day adventure pairs a scenic open-boat ride into Nuuk Fjord with a 6–7 hour hike from Sulussugutip Kangerlua across the valley to Qooqqut. The trail crosses mountain lakes, glacial streams, and broad tundra, about 500 metres of elevation gain and loss across 15 km.
Guided by an experienced local hiker, the day is built for fit walkers. The boat drops you on one side of the fjord and picks you up at the end of the trail on the other, no doubling back, no shuttle out and shuttle in. Lunch and great company is included.
The valley itself is what the trip is really about. Glacial streams running clear over polished stone, lakes that mirror the sky for hours, the deep silence of tundra walked rather than passed through. By the time the boat picks you up at Qooqqut, the day has worked its way into your legs and the kind of memory that lasts.
1 / 5
Kinga Jaromin
Poland
Mica Diamond
United States
Gearing up for the hike. The tundra is unforgiving, but with the right equipment it rewards every step.
Safety remains our first priority, on water and on land. Our guides carry satellite phones and VHF radios on every tour.
The day starts on the water. It is about an hour and a half from Nuuk harbour along granite coastline and drifting ice to the drop-off at Sulussugutip, on the far shore of the fjord. From the heated cabin you watch the valley you are about to cross open up long before you set foot on it.
The crossing is part of the trip rather than just the way to the trailhead. From the open deck of the Targa the fjord is close on every side, cold air, passing coastline, the occasional berg, with the heated cabin a step away when you want it.
From Sulussugutip the route runs 15 km across to Qooqqut, six to seven hours over mountain lakes, glacial streams, and broad tundra, with around 500 metres of climbing and the same coming down. It is built for fit walkers, the ground is uneven, and you can drink straight from the streams as you go.
The valley the trail follows was cut by ice, broad-floored with steep walls, the U-shape left when the last great Greenland glaciation pulled back around ten thousand years ago. From the higher ground the whole run of it opens below, lakes strung along the floor and smaller glaciers still sitting high in the side mountains, feeding the water you crossed.
The boat meets you at Qooqqut at the end of the trail, so there is no doubling back across the valley. The return runs through the fjord to Nuuk in the afternoon light, the day's 15 km behind you and the same coastline reading differently on the way home.
The valley the trail follows was shaped by ice. The last great Greenland glaciation pulled back around ten thousand years ago and left these broad floors and steep walls behind, the classic U-shape of a glacier-carved valley.
Smaller glaciers still sit high in the mountains, feeding the streams and ponds you cross on the way across.
Certified Arctic Adventure Guide Responsible as SOME manager, she combines her love for Greenlandic nature and the outdoors with professionalism.
Malinnguaq is a skilled sailor and guide with a passion for hunting and exploring nature. He shares the wilderness with guests through authentic experiences rooted in the sea, the land, and tradition.
Responsible for operations and outdoor adventures. Isak is a trained Arctic adventure guide with expert knowledge of Greenland’s wilderness.
Kuluk grew up in the backcountry. Hunting and sailing the fjords with her family, she now works as a sailor and with SoMe, sharing the Greenlandic way of life she’s proud to call home.
*Guides are subject to change
Share your travel plans and preferred dates — our team will review availability and get back to you with the best options.
