Our Greenland Travel Guide: How to Explore the World’s Last Real Wilderness
Ok Greenland, you win! View from the ferry from Ilulissat to Nuuk at 23h
So, Greenland? Yes. Greenland. The kind of place that makes you stop mid-hike and think, “Wait, how is this even real?” Icebergs the size of buildings drift past sleepy harbors. The sun circles the sky like it’s had too much coffee. Tiny planes drop you off in towns with no roads in or out. And the silence? It’s so quiet it feels like a superpower.
Greenland was a childhood dream for us, and the only Arctic destination we hadn’t explored (with the exception of Siberia, but that’s not happening right now). So, when we heard about Nuuk’s new international airport and direct flights from the US, we HAD to go before everyone else does.
We just came back from Nuuk and Ilulissat — with a ferry ride in between — and we’re still thawing out emotionally. If you’re even slightly tempted to go, this is your sign. Here’s everything that might be useful if Greenland is on your bucket list (don’t worry, we’ll leave a few surprises). Adventure lies ahead!
🧳 Field Notes
When we went: April, crisp air, some snowfalls and sunny days, icebergs still crowding the fjords, low tourist season.
Where we stayed: A cabin and an apartment in Nuuk and Ilulissat, with ferry nights spent on the Arctic Umiaq Line between them.
How we got around: By boat and on foot. Distances are vast, and there are no roads between towns — just ferries, small planes, and hiking paths that end at glaciers.
Highlights: Drifting through icebergs, hiking, chatting with locals in Nuuk’s cafés, enjoying local food and realizing silence in Greenland has its own sound.
Mistakes we made: Forgetting that weather controls everything here — flights, ferries, and plans. In Greenland, flexibility isn’t optional.
🗓️ When to see the northern lights in Greenland
The aurora season in Greenland runs from late September to early April, with the best viewing usually between December and February, when nights are longest and skies clearest.
For photo settings, gear advice, and the best Northern Lights destinations across Scandinavia, check out our full 👉 Northern Lights Hub.
How to Get to Greenland
Don’t let the map fool you. Greenland looks far away, but it’s surprisingly reachable if you know where to look, especially over the past couple of years.
The plane from Nuuk to Ilulissat
From Iceland: Reykjavik flies direct to Nuuk, Ilulissat, and other towns. If you have time, you can combine Iceland and Greenland BUT make sure you have at least 15-20 days total.
From Europe: Most big routes go through Copenhagen. We flew to Copenhagen from Barcelona, to Ilulissat from Copenhagen, and from Nuuk to Copenhagen.
From the U.S.: Starting in 2025, you can fly direct from Newark to Nuuk. That’s right. You can trade skyscrapers for giant icebergs in a few hours!
💡 Heads-up: There are no roads between the towns in Greenland. Once you're there, you’re either flying (on a tiny plane, it’s like a free sightseeing tour), boating, or ferrying. And once you fly over these mighty mountains and the icecap, you’ll understand why!
Did you know?
Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) is the native language of Greenland. It’s polysynthetic, meaning a single word can pack in what would take a full sentence in English — like qaqqaliartorluni (“while going to the mountains”). Spoken mostly along the west coast, it’s deeply tied to Inuit culture and worldview, and it’s the sole official language since Danish is no longer official as of 2009.
When to Go: Summer vs. Winter
This is a very good consideration point, and a question you should definitely ask yourself before making any travel plans to Greenland. Here’s a (very) short summary of each season.
Summer (June–August): Midnight sun. Whale season. Hikes with actual flowers and no, or little snow. It’s wild and bright and strange in the best way.
Winter (Oct–March): Northern lights. Dog sleds. Frostbite if you’re not careful. Worth it if you're down for the full Arctic experience, but hikes won’t be accessible unless you have the right gear and hire a guide.
Shoulder seasons: Moody light. Fewer tourists. Surreal stillness.
We went at the end of April, which is a mix of summer-looking days and winter madness. Days were already too long for the northern lights and the weather was mostly sunny with a snow storm and cloudy days in between. Even though the temperatures were a lot higher that what we are used too (between -5 and 0 ºC), it felt a lot colder due to the surrounding ice and snow.
In Nuuk (late April), we could hike up Quassussuaq but not Sermitsiaq
🐻❄️ Far north in coastal Greenland, the ice belongs to the polar bear. You might not see one — but knowing they’re out there changes how you see the Arctic.
If you’d like to help protect them, Fahlo’s Polar Bear Bracelet supports polar research and lets you follow a real bear’s journey across the ice.
🐾 Use our link for 20% off your bracelet: Track a polar bear with Fahlo
Where to go in Greenland
It’s Greenland’s capital, but not in a ‘crowded-streets-and-honking-cars’ kind of way. Think: art galleries, cool (literally) Greenlandic designer shops, sushi with snow crab, muskox burgers, cozy cafés, museums, nice hotels and killer views from every angle. Bonus: it’s got just enough city vibe to ease you in before things get really remote. Oh, and there’s a mall. Seriously!
View of old Nuuk - More picturesque, impossible!
Ilulissat
Icebergs. Everywhere. Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you’ll understand why the second you arrive. The light bounces off the ice like it’s been Photoshopped. Also: more sled dogs than people, good coffee, accommodation with a view, and boat tours you’ll never forget.
Our Icefjord tour was out of this world and a checkmark off the bucket list!
The ferry between Nuuk & Ilulissat
Most people fly. We floated like Greenlanders. Three days down the west coast, navigating through the ice, stopping at tiny settlements, eating with locals, watching magical sunsets. It’s slow travel at its absolute best.
With views like this, the ferry ride felt more like a sightseeing tour
What do do in Greenland
Sail past icebergs the size of stadiums
Hike through tundra that looks like Mars got a forest floor
Go dog sledding in winter
Meet the locals — take time to talk to them, listen to their stories, they’re extremely welcoming and a formidable example of resilience.
Eat local — reindeer, halibut, musk ox, salmon, snow crab, scallops, berries, and, it might be controversial, but seal and whale too.
Catch the northern lights (or the midnight sun — choose your fighter)
Listen to the silence. Then listen harder.
This is not a checklist country. It’s a lean-in, slow-down, look-around kind of place.
Hunting in Greenland — especially for seal, whale, and polar bear in certain regions — sparks controversy abroad, but it's deeply rooted in Inuit tradition and survival. These hunts are small-scale, community-regulated, and incredibly sustainable: nothing is wasted. Meat feeds families, fat becomes fuel, fur turns into clothing, and bones are used for tools or art. Unlike industrial systems, it’s a cycle of respect and necessity, not profit. Most Inuit hunters don’t rely on imports — they live from the land and sea, in a way that’s far more sustainable than shipping packaged goods across oceans.
Where to stay in Greenland
Hotels, guesthouses, and lodges are available, as well as a handful of Airbnbs — but book early…like, months early. The rooms go fast, and options are super limited outside “big” towns.
Don’t expect infinity pools and pillow menus. Expect handmade decor, a “hygge” vibe, big duvets, and windows facing glaciers. Some cabins don’t have running water, or have limited hot water. Also bear in mind that Wifi is not available everywhere.
Our cabin in Ilulissat: that’s what we call an accommodation with a view
What to pack
That’s a smart question! We strongly advise you to read our Ultimate Arctic Travel Guide and our Packing for Greenland List for more tips, but here’s a short list to get you started:
Layers (trust us, it changes fast)
Thermal socks and base layers
Windproof gear (not just waterproof — the wind is serious)
Sleep mask (midnight sun, baby)
Gore-TEX hiking boots (you’ll be walking on tundra, rocks, and occasionally, a small stream)
Snow boots and pants if you’re visiting in winter
Hat, gloves and neck warmer
Sunglasses & sunscreen if you’re visiting from March to September
The Inuit people of Greenland
The Inuit people of Greenland — known as Kalaallit — aren’t just welcoming; they’re quietly extraordinary. There’s a calm confidence in how they move through the world, shaped by generations of living in one of Earth’s most extreme environments.
So... is Greenland worth it?
Yes. Unequivocally. Not because it’s “bucket list” or “Instagrammable” (although it is). But because it’s real. It’s hard to get to. It’s hard to describe. It’s getting a lot of attention lately, and more tourists will come. It’s the kind of place that stays with you long after you leave — in your lungs, your bones, your brain and your heart.
You won’t be the same after you go. And that’s the point.
Penguin Trampoline tip:
Getting rescued in the Arctic — even for something as simple as a broken leg — can cost a lot. Our travel partner HeyMondo offers insurance that covers adventurous stuff like snowmobiling, and if you book through our link, you’ll get 5% off (up to 15% with seasonal offers). Not bad for peace of mind at the edge of the world.
Ready to dig deeper? We’ve got dedicated guides:
🧭 Nuuk Travel Guide
🧊 Ilulissat Travel Guide
⛴ Greenland by Ferry
🏨 Best Hotels in Nuuk
🧳 Packing for Greenland
💸 How to travel cheaper in Greenland and anywhere else
Meanwhile, get in the Greenlandic mood with some Kalaallisut music:
