Icefjord Midnight Marathon 2025
6 Days 5 Nights Package: 29 May – 3 June 2025
29th May 2025 - Copenhagen – Kangerlussuaq – Ilulissat: Town Walk
All participants will meet at Copenhagen Airport Terminal 2. The flight to Greenland departs in the afternoon.
Air Greenland does not cooperate with other airlines, meaning you must claim your luggage at Copenhagen Airport, clear customs, and check in again for the flight to Greenland.
Check-in closes one hour before departure, and if you do not arrive to Copenhagen with a morning flight Thursday 29 May we strongly recommend that you arrive in Copenhagen one or more days in advance.
A 4.5 hour flight will bring us to Kangerlussuaq, where we arrive in the evening at 18:20 local time (GMT –3 hours). We will receive a meal aboard the flight. In Kankerlussuaq, we will transfer to a domestic flight to Ilulissat. Due to the smaller size of domestic carriers and limited seat availability, the group will be divided into several flights.
Our flights will arrive in Ilulissat late evening, and here we will check into our hotels. After we have settled in, you are invited to join us for a late tour of Ilulissat. We will walk around town with one of our Tour Leaders who will explain the history and highlight places of cultural significance. The tour will begin at the historical Hotel Hvide Falk, and wind its way past the Zion Church, the local fish market, and the colorful houses on our way toward the harbor.Along the way, enjoy interesting stories on a variety of topics, such as the origin of Ilulissat, how the city has developed over the years, and the importance of its fishing culture. The walking tour is an excellent opportunity to get your first glimpse of the fascinating culture in Ilulissat, and your guide will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Meals: Plane meal
30th May 2025 - Icefjord Boating, Sermermiut Hike, and Race Briefing
This morning, after breakfast at your hotel, you can shake off the travel stiffness with a light hike through one of the region's most acclaimed areas. We will hike to the Sermermiut Valley, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its exceptionally beautiful nature and unique importance to glaciological science.
The hike is a must-do activity in the region and will take us approx. 2 kilometers south of Ilulissat, beginning at the Icefjord Visitor Center. From there, we enter the UNESCO-area on a wooden path toward the famous ruins of Sermermiut. Sermermiut is an ancient settlement that has been home to many different Inuit people for more than 4000 years. The stone ruins of old turf houses are scattered on various hilltops that we will be able to see as we walk. We continue through the old settlement to Nakkaavik, a cliff whose name means 'the place to fall.' You can ask your guide about the origin of this haunted name. From here, we are treated to a breathtaking view of the Kangia, the famous Ilulissat Icefjord with its many massive icebergs. We will follow the same wooden path back to town.
In the afternoon and the evening, you have the chance to experience the Icefjord by boat. We will embark on a boat trip with experienced guides who will give us information as we wind our way through the icy giants. No matter the weather, the icebergs make an impressive sight - they shimmer and shine with the sun, while clouds highlight the extraordinary blue colors hidden in the ice. The experience is much more exciting in small boats, so we will be using some of our 12-participant boats. This means there will be departure times for this trip both before dinner and after dinner.
In the evening, all participants will meet to enjoy a pasta dinner and get the race briefing. Please note that the race briefing will be your last chance to change distances. You can also ask race officials any questions you might have.
Tonight, you will also have the possibility to join an evening kayak excursion
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
31st May 2025 - Race Night
It's nearly time! You have the morning and afternoon to sleep, explore, and prepare yourself for the night to come.
The marathon begins at 21:00, and the half-marathon will begin at 22:30 - all races will be done by 4:00 at the latest.
This Saturday we also have our optional excursion: Meet the Sled Dogs
Meals: Breakfast
1st June 2025 - Ilulissat Day - Optional Excursions & Celebration Dinner
Today is a justified relaxation and recovery day. Most of us will likely sleep the morning away. You may also use the day to explore on your own, or join one of the optional excursions. On this day we will run a sail excursion to the Oqaatsut, a tiny, authentic settlement 20 kilometers north of Ilulissat. Otherwise, we also offer a day trip by boat to the immense Eqi Glacier. It is also possible to join our Kayak among Icebergs Excursion after breakfast.
In the evening, all participants will gather for the celebration dinner.
Together, we will revel in the prior night's victory, share stories, and enjoy a good meal together.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
2nd June 2025 - Ilulissat Day – Optional Excursions & Farewell Dinner
We have one final day to enjoy the charm of Ilulissat and its surroundings. Again, you may choose to explore on your own, or if you haven't been kayaking yet, we highly recommend it!
Today there is also our final optional sail-excursion to the Oqaatsut settlement or the Eqi Glacier , in case you haven't been able to join the previous day.
In the evening we will enjoy a farewell Greenlandic Buffet at Hotel Hvide Falk.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
3rd June 2025 - Farewell Greenland
Sadly, it is time to say farewell to Ilulissat. Some of us will fly to Kangerlussuaq in the morning, others will fly to Nuuk. Once in Kangerlussuaq and Nuuk, we will board one of the flights back to Copenhagen. If you are flying via Nuuk we estimate your arrival in Copenhagen to be around 21:00 in the evening. If you are flying via Kangerlussuaq, arrival time in Copenhagen is expected to be just before 17:00 There will be a meal served aboard the flight.
Guests are responsible for their own flights home from Copenhagen. Keep in mind that you will need time to collect your bags and check in for your new flights, and thus we don't recommend booking flights within three hours of arrival. Given the late time of our arrival, we strongly recommend booking a night in a hotel in Copenhagen and flying out the next day.
Meals: Breakfast and plane meal
*Activities subject to change.
Flight information
Note: 2025 Flight times are subject to schedule changes.
Due to the smaller size of domestic carriers and limited seat availability, the group will be divided into several flights between Kangerlussuaq/Nuuk and Ilulissat.
6 Days 5 Nights Package:
Route: Copenhagen (CPH) - Kangerlussuaq (SFJ) - Ilulissat (JAV)
29 MAY CPH-SFJ 16:30-18:20 GL
29 MAY SFJ-JAV TBA
Route: Ilulissat (JAV) - Kangerlussuaq (SFJ) - Copenhagen (CPH)
03 JUN JAV-SFJ TBA
03 JUN SFJ-CPH 09:05-16:35 GL
