Greenland
Greenland Travel Guide — Nuuk, Ilulissat & the Icefjord, the ferry in between & more
Greenland was on our list long before it was in the headlines. Eli had been waiting to see the icebergs of Disko Bay since she watched a documentary about them as a kid — three decades of patience, finally cashed in. When we heard about the new international airport in Nuuk and direct flights from the US, we booked before we'd even finished the sentence.
We came back longing for more.
Greenland is the world's largest island and, officially, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark — though its people, the Greenlandic Inuit (Kalaallit), have been here for thousands of years and are increasingly charting their own path. It’s not for sale. It’s, however, open to visitors — and genuinely unlike anywhere else on Earth.
We covered the two destinations most travellers will base themselves in: Nuuk, the compact, surprisingly cool capital with fjords on every side and a vibe that makes you never want to leave; and Ilulissat, the main event, with its UNESCO-listed icefjord and icebergs the size of apartment buildings cracking under the northern lights or in the midnight sun. We also took the Sarfaq Ittuk ferry between the two — three days of slow travel past glaciers, fishing villages, and a horizon that rewires your sense of scale. We hate cruises. This had nothing to do with one.
This is not a cheap destination. It takes planning. It's worth every bit of both.
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Greenland Travel Guides
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Greenland takes more planning than most destinations, and it's not cheap. But it's also genuinely unlike anywhere else on Earth. Most travelers base themselves in Nuuk, Ilulissat, or both. We've written a full Greenland travel guide covering flights, costs, what to book in advance, and how to build an itinerary that actually makes sense. And if you want to talk through the logistics for your specific trip, we offer personal 1-hour consultations.
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Greenland has seen real changes in accessibility in recent years. Nuuk Airport now handles international flights, including direct connections from the US, which has made the country significantly easier to reach than it used to be. From Europe, you'll typically connect through Copenhagen or Reykjavik. Ilulissat also has its own airport for domestic connections once you're in the country.
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Nuuk is a compact, surprisingly cool capital with fjords on every side. Hotels range from comfortable business-style options to smaller, more characterful stays. We have a dedicated Nuuk hotels guide based on where we actually stayed, covering the best options by location and budget. The city is small enough that you can walk most of it, so location matters less than it might elsewhere.
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Ilulissat is the main event. It sits on the edge of Disko Bay, next to a UNESCO-listed icefjord that produces some of the largest icebergs in the Northern Hemisphere. The Ilulissat Icefjord feeds directly into the bay, and the icebergs that come off it are the size of apartment buildings. You can hike the rim of the fjord, take boat trips out into Disko Bay, and watch icebergs crack and roll in silence. It's one of the most dramatic places on the planet. We stayed at Cabin Jomsborg and have a full guide to hotels and things to do there.
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Yes, and the combination of northern lights over icebergs is something you won't find anywhere else. The aurora season runs roughly from September through April in both Nuuk and Ilulissat. We've put together a full northern lights Greenland guide covering the best spots, timing, and what makes it different from other aurora destinations.
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The Sarfaq Ittuk is a coastal ferry that runs between settlements along the west coast, including Nuuk and Ilulissat. We took it for three days, travelling slowly past glaciers, fishing villages, and a scale of landscape that's almost impossible to process from a plane window. It's not a cruise. It's working transport that happens to go through one of the most beautiful places on Earth. If you have the time, it's absolutely worth it. We have a full guide to traveling Greenland by ferry.