Raw Mountains, Wild Waterfalls and Beautiful Flowers in Tasiilaq, East Greenland
A hike through Tasiilaq’s Flower Valley – from playful sled dog puppies by the river to beautiful waterfalls and a surprisingly rich display of Arctic flowers between bare rock and gravel.
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Hiking in the Flower Valley
During our visit to Tasiilaq in July 2026, we obviously couldn’t resist seeing the Flower Valley for ourselves and finding out whether it lives up to its name. Are there really that many flowers in the valley?
In Greenlandic, the valley is called Naasuliartarpik, a name built from naasut (“flowers”) and a suffix that roughly means “the place where there is/are”, so it matches the English (and Danish) name rather well.
We start down at the bend in the road, where the river runs out into the harbour, and follow a gravel path along the north side of the little river. It isn’t long before the first sled dog puppies come to greet us – there are several dog areas along the river, and while the adult sled dogs are chained, the playful puppies roam freely.
Further along the river, we reach the very visible cemetery with its rows of white crosses. This is where the Flower Valley begins! 🌸🌼
We follow the well-trodden paths and see a good deal of the area over a long afternoon in bright sunshine. It’s fairly easy to find your way around, as you can simply follow the paths and keep an eye out for the white circles with a dot in the middle painted on the rocks. You can also always use the lakes Kuup Imia and Lake 171 (as they’re marked on the map) to orient yourself.
As the photos below show, the Flower Valley lives up to its name to a great extent – even though the flowers can be spread quite thinly in places. In many spots the terrain is fairly barren, with raw rock, stones, gravel and boulders. But wherever there’s a little water or moisture, the green bursts forth with a rich variety of colourful Arctic flowers.
About the hike
Distance: 6-10 km
Duration: 2-5 hours
Highest point: up to 180 m
Lowest point: 0 m
●○○○○ Easy route along marked paths, tracks or gravel roads.
●●○○○ Moderately easy route along marked paths that may lack markings in places.
●●●○○ Moderately difficult route along paths that are only marked in places and in some stretches disappear completely.
●●●●○ Difficult route in unmarked mountain terrain where orientation can be difficult.
●●●●● Very difficult route in unmarked and desolate mountain terrain where orientation is often difficult.
Click for more info on difficulty level.
The Flower Valley (Naasuliartarpik) is ideal for a half-day trip, and the length can easily be adjusted to suit. The terrain is fairly easy, with gravel paths and rocky ground underfoot. A few sections are steep but don’t require any climbing. It’s also suitable as a running route.
About Tasiilaq
With just under 2,000 inhabitants, Tasiilaq is East Greenland’s largest town, beautifully situated by Kong Oscar Fjord on the south side of the large island of Ammassalik. Here you’re met by majestic mountains framed by glaciers, ice-filled fjords where whales leap, and a raw rocky landscape that here and there gives way to lush meadows.
Getting to Tasiilaq
From Nuuk, small Air Greenland planes run 2–3 times a week to the small settlement of Kulusuk, and from there you can take either a speedboat (45 min) or helicopter (15 min) to Tasiilaq. From June to August, you can also reach Kulusuk with Icelandair via Reykjavik.
Accommodation
You can stay at Hotel Angmagssalik, or in guesthouses and cabins with, among others, Arctic Dream Explorer and Red House. Camping spots can be found in the Flower Valley, just past the cemetery.
