Flower Valley Trail
A popular, short day-hike from Maniitsoq with great mountain views. Note that cruise ship guests and others with limited hiking experience should follow the green trail from the airport road
| Trail type | return / loop |
| Time | 2 – 4 hrs |
| Distance | 3.6 km |
| Altitude | 85 m |
| Physical | easy |
| Technical | moderate / easy |
What you can expect on the trail
The Flower Valley route is the most popular from Maniitsoq. It is relatively short and leads to a verdent valley with views towards Iviangiusat and across the fjord to the highest mountains on the west coast of Greenland.
If leaving from the museum end, the first part of the trail is a little challenging and not suitable for those who are unstable on their feet. It requires walking on loose rocks that can move under your weight, and scrambling through a field of large boulders.
Once through this section, the rest of the trail is easy, though there can be some wet areas. Follow the blue dots to the large water pipe, and then follow that back to town.
This easier route (marked in green on the map) is what we encourage cruise ship guests to take. Start at the airport end and do an out-and-back hike to the valley (where the red, green and blue trails meet) and Uluusia viewpoint.
Trail Description (Blue/Green)
The trail begins near the stairs leading up to the “Eiffel Tower”. Rather than climbing, follow the edge of the shore around the large rockfall and continue along the blasted “road”. Be very careful of your footing on the large stones as you make your way through this zone as not all the rocks are stable, and they can move under your weight.
The trail then navigates through the large boulders at the bottom of the cliff. Be prepared for a bit of a scramble as you must climb over and negotiate around the large rocks. This is the most difficult section of the hike and very challenging for those who are not steady on their feet.
Once you reach the end of the boulders, the Flower Valley lays stretched out before you with the mountain Iviangiusat (the highest mountain on Maniitsoq Island) towering in the distance. Here a foot-width trail emerges to guide you along the left-hand (southern) side of the valley.
After ~1.5 km, you reach an intersection point. The Flower Valley trail heads up to the left, while the Extended Flower Valley loop crosses the valley and starts to climb the hills opposite. Here, the blue dots for the Flower Valley trail stop as you can simply follow the water pipeline back to town. The foot-width trail itself is fairly obvious as it keeps to the right-hand side of the valley between the mountains.
A short, easy extension for this hike is to cross the valley near the pipeline, but rather than starting to climb, follow the very obvious trail that heads straight towards the ocean. After only 550m, you arrive at the gorgeous picnic spot of Uluusia with incredible views across the straight to the high, snow-capped mountains.
For an easier hike
Start the hike at the opposite end near the airport road and follow the pipeline across to the valley and the Uluusia viewpoint. Return along the same route to the airport road. This avoids all the issues with unsteady rocks and boulder scrambling.
We recommend this option for guests of large cruise ships.
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Other resources
Safety Information
- There is no cell phone coverage along parts of this trail. Ideally, you should do this hike with another person, but at least let someone know your plans and when you expect to return.
- Weather can change very quickly. Even on a sunny day, make sure you bring a wind- and waterproof jacket with you as a minimum.
- Make sure you bring a water bottle. You can refill your bottle from the stream near the pipeline (the water is clean and safe to drink). We also recommend you bring sunscreen, a sun hat, and a mosquito head-net.
- Please minimize your impact on the environment. Follow existing roads and trails, don’t build or alter cairns, and take all your rubbish back to Sisimiut with you.
- If you are hiking early or late in the season, be careful of slippery surfaces.
Please make sure you are familiar with all our safety recommendations and the 7 Leave No Trace principles before you hike.