Where it’s bestKenya Tanzania IndiaAfricaBotswana Madagascar Namibia Rwanda South Africa Uganda Zambia ZimbabweAsia & the Far EastBhutan Indonesia Japan Malaysia Mongolia Papua New Guinea Russia Sri LankaPolar & NordicAntarctica Finland Greenland Iceland Norway SwedenLatin AmericaArgentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador Guyana Peru Browse all destinations

Enquire Travel Calendar First-Time Safari Guide Packing Guide FAQ

Our Story Conservation Press Guest Reviews Contact

Enquire

Home / Greenland / Disko Bay

Island & icebergs · Greenland

Disko Bay

Disko Island across the bay of icebergs — basalt cliffs, hot springs, whales and old Greenland.

Getting there

By boat or small plane from Ilulissat across Disko Bay to Qeqertarsuaq

Best for

Disko Island and Qeqertarsuaq, basalt scenery, whales, hot springs, Inuit culture

The land

A large volcanic island and the iceberg-filled bay of West Greenland

Good to know

Disko Island (Qeqertarsuaq) is geologically distinct, with basalt cliffs and hot springs

What it is

Disko Bay is the wider world of icebergs and whales beyond Ilulissat — crowned by Disko Island, with its basalt cliffs and hot springs.

Across the iceberg-strewn bay from Ilulissat lies Disko Island and the village of Qeqertarsuaq, a volcanic landscape of black basalt cliffs, waterfalls and rare hot springs quite unlike the rest of Greenland. The bay teems with humpback and fin whales in summer, and the old settlements preserve a traditional Greenlandic way of life.

PhotoDisko Bay — island & icebergs.

The reason to come

Island, basalt and whales

Disko Bay adds a volcanic island and rich whale waters to the icefjord region.

Disko Island

Basalt cliffs, waterfalls and hot springs at Qeqertarsuaq.

Bay of icebergs

Boat journeys among the bergs and along the coast.

Whales & culture

Humpback and fin whales, and traditional settlements.

Worth knowing

Greenland's volcanic island

Disko Island's black basalt and hot springs are a geological world apart from the rest of the icefjord region.

PhotoBasalt cliffs and icebergs at Disko Bay.

When to come — honestly

A summer island region.

June – September

Best

Arctic summer — open water, whales, hiking and the midnight sun.

March – April

Good

Frozen-sea winter, dog-sledding and aurora.

Year-round

Good

Accessible from Ilulissat, with the fullest experience in summer.

Disko Island is reached by boat or small plane and is weather-dependent; the fullest access is in the summer months.

Context

Beyond the icefjord

Disko Bay and its island extend the Ilulissat experience into whale-rich waters and a volcanic landscape.

It completes the West Greenland Highlights itinerary.

We add Disko Bay and its island for the whales, the basalt scenery and old Greenland.

Beyond the obvious

More to Disko Bay.

PhotoDisko Island

Disko Island

Basalt cliffs and hot springs at Qeqertarsuaq.

PhotoIceberg boat

Iceberg boat

Across the bay.

PhotoWhale-watching

Whale-watching

Humpbacks and fin whales.

Why Wild Voyager

We make a roadless island work.

Greenland runs on small planes, boats and ships that bend to the weather. We build the buffers and the connections so the ice, the whales and the fjords come together.