Things to Do in Greenland: The Complete Guide for First-Time Visitors

Greenland is one of those places that sounds extreme on paper — remote, cold, expensive to reach — and then shows you something different once you're there . The things to do in Greenland span from watching icebergs the size of city blocks drift past fishing villages to sleeping in a canvas tent under the northern lights with nothing but silence around you. Most of what's worth doing here takes some planning — boats, flights, and trail conditions all depend on season and weather, and booking late often means missing the thing you actually came for . A practical starting point for planning is NordicSaga, where you can browse itineraries by season, departure point, and trip length. 

What to See in Greenland First: The Icefjord at Ilulissat

The Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the single most visited natural landmark in Greenland — for good reason. It's the outlet glacier for Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest-moving and most productive glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere. Icebergs calve off continuously, pile up at the mouth of the fjord, and then drift out to sea in formations that no photograph fully captures.

What to see in Greenland starts here for most visitors. The classic route is the marked trail from Ilulissat town to the viewpoint above the fjord — about 2.5 miles each way, rocky in sections, and genuinely rewarding at every turn. What you'll actually see: towers of blue-white ice locked in a slow-motion traffic jam, some rising 100 feet above the waterline. The light here at golden hour does something strange and beautiful to the ice — it turns amber, then violet.

Boat tours into the fjord give you a closer look, though the proximity to active calving means tours keep a respectful distance. The sound of ice cracking and shifting is something most visitors describe as unlike anything they've heard before.

Greenland Tourist Attractions Beyond the Ice

Nuuk is Greenland's capital and home to about 18,000 people — roughly a quarter of the entire country's population. The Greenland National Museum holds the Qilakitsoq mummies, a collection of 15th-century Inuit mummies discovered in 1972. They're one of the most significant archaeological finds in Arctic history, and the museum presents them with context and care. Nuuk's old colonial harbor district, Kolonihavnen, is worth an afternoon — it's compact, colorful, and gives you a real sense of how the city layers its Danish colonial past with a distinct Greenlandic identity.

Qaqortoq in South Greenland is where the Norse settled when Erik the Red arrived around 985 AD. The ruins of the Eastern Settlement are scattered across the landscape near Narsarsuaq and Narsaq, and they're open to anyone willing to hike out to them. The Norse ruins at Hvalsey include what remains of a medieval church — the last recorded event there was a wedding in 1408, and then the settlement disappeared entirely. No one knows exactly why. South Greenland is most conveniently reached via Iceland — Greenland tours from Reykjavik frequently include the southern region as part of a wider itinerary.

Disko Island, accessible by ferry from Ilulissat, has a different feel from the mainland — volcanic basalt cliffs, hot springs at Pingu, and a quieter pace than anywhere else in the region. Most visitors skip it. That's their loss. 

Greenland Activities by Season

Greenland has two very distinct tourism windows, and what you can do depends almost entirely on when you go.

Summer (June–August)

Hiking in the Arctic Circle Trail, a 100-mile route from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut that crosses open tundra, river valleys, and highland plateaus with no roads and minimal facilities

Whale watching — humpback, fin, and minke whales are common in Disko Bay from July onward

Kayaking through iceberg fields near Ilulissat or in the calm fjords around Narsaq

Boat trips to see puffins, arctic foxes, and musk oxen

Winter (November–March)

Greenland activities in winter center on darkness, cold, and the aurora. Dog sledding is the standout — not the recreational version offered at resorts elsewhere, but actual working sled-dog teams used by local hunters, particularly around Ilulissat, Sisimiut, and Aasiaat. A full-day excursion covers real terrain and real distance.

If you go in February or March, you might also cross the sea ice to reach remote settlements that are otherwise only accessible by helicopter.

Northern lights are visible on clear nights from September through March. The darkest months (December–January) offer the longest windows, though weather is less predictable. For those wanting to experience Greenland in winter, winter Greenland tours are specifically structured around these seasonal conditions.

Beautiful Places in Greenland That Require Effort to Reach

Some of the most striking landscapes here are not accessible by road. Greenland has virtually no road network connecting its towns — travel between settlements happens by boat, helicopter, or small propeller aircraft. That's not a flaw. It means the places that are hardest to reach stay relatively uncrowded.

The East Coast is the most isolated part of an already isolated country. Tasiilaq (Ammassalik) is the largest settlement, reachable by flight from Reykjavik or Nuuk. The fjord system around it is dramatic — steep walls dropping into dark water, glaciers visible from town, and a population that has maintained strong connections to traditional Inuit practices. This is one of the beautiful places in Greenland that genuinely challenges your sense of where you are in the world.

Scoresby Sound is the world's largest fjord system, entirely on the east coast, and almost never visited. It requires a specific expedition — either by cruise or charter boat. The scale is difficult to communicate: the fjord branches extend over 350 kilometers inland, lined with peaks and glaciers that have no names most people would recognize.

South Greenland's sheep farms — yes, there are sheep farms. The southern tip of the country has a microclimate mild enough to support agriculture, and the combination of Norse ruins, Inuit history, and working farms in a landscape of low mountains and calm blue fjords is quietly strange and deeply interesting.

For travelers whose priority is reaching the beautiful places in Greenland without the logistics stress of planning every leg themselves, Greenland and Arctic Circle cruises cover stretches of coastline that are simply not reachable any other way.

How to Get There and Where to Stay

Getting to Greenland

Most travelers reach Greenland via Copenhagen, Reykjavik, or a seasonal direct route from North America, depending on the year and the airline's current schedule . The main entry points are:

Via Copenhagen — Via Copenhagen — Air Greenland operates routes from Copenhagen to Greenland, including Nuuk and Ilulissat, depending on season and schedule. If you're starting from the US East Coast, this is often one of the most convenient routings through Europe. Greenland tours from Copenhagen often incorporate a stopover in the Danish capital.

Via Reykjavik — Flights from Keflavik reach Nuuk and Ilulissat in about 2–3 hours, making Iceland a natural transit point for US travelers heading to Greenland.

Via New York — United Airlines has operated a seasonal nonstop route between Newark and Nuuk in recent summers, though schedules and routes change year to year, so it's worth confirming current availability before booking . Greenland tours from New York package these connections so you're not piecing together multiple bookings manually.

Accommodation

Hotels in Greenland are limited and often fully booked months in advance, especially in Ilulissat during summer. Smaller guesthouses (called "kro" or "pensionat") exist in most towns and offer a more local experience than the larger hotels. At the higher end of the spectrum, fixed-camp glamping options have grown in recent years — insulated canvas structures with real beds and sometimes wood stoves, positioned for aurora or iceberg views. Luxury camps in Greenland fill a gap for travelers who want comfort without sacrificing proximity to the landscape.

Explore Greenland Responsibly: A Few Practical Notes

Explore Greenland and you'll quickly notice it's a place where individual behavior has visible consequences. The environment is fragile and tourism infrastructure is thin. A few things that matter:

Book flights and accommodation early. Summer availability in Ilulissat is genuinely limited, and last-minute options are expensive when they exist at all.

Pack for variable conditions year-round. Even in July, temperatures near glaciers can drop sharply. Layers, waterproofs, and sturdy footwear are not optional.

Respect wildlife distances. Musk oxen, polar bears (primarily on the east coast), and seabirds all have space requirements that visitors don't always intuit.

Cash is still useful in smaller settlements even though cards are accepted almost everywhere in larger towns.

Internal flights frequently delay or cancel due to weather. Build flexibility into your itinerary — a same-day connection between Greenlandic towns is a gamble.

The Visit Greenland official tourism site is the best resource for real-time updates on trail conditions, safety advisories, and local events.

FAQ

What is the best time to visit Greenland? 

June through August offers the longest days, accessible hiking trails, and whale-watching opportunities. March is the best month for dog sledding and a reliable combination of daylight and snow.

Do I need a visa to travel to Greenland from the US? 

US citizens do not need a visa for stays under 90 days. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark within the Kingdom of Denmark, though it is outside the Schengen Area.

Is Greenland expensive to visit? 

Yes — it's one of the more costly destinations in the world, primarily due to flight costs and limited local competition in accommodation and food. Budget around $300–500 per day including internal transport.

What language is spoken in Greenland? 

Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) is the official language, but Danish is widely spoken, and English is understood in most tourist areas and hotels.

Can I see the northern lights in Greenland? 

Yes. The aurora is visible from late August through April on clear, dark nights. The best conditions are in January and February, away from town light pollution.

How many days do I need in Greenland? 

A minimum of 5–7 days allows you to see one or two regions properly. Two weeks is a more comfortable window for combining the Ilulissat area with either Nuuk or the south.

Greenland rewards preparation more than most destinations. The travelers who get the most out of it are the ones who've thought through the logistics in advance — not because the place is dangerous, but because flexibility in the wrong direction (a missed connection, a sold-out boat tour) can take a real bite out of limited time. If you want help putting together an itinerary that makes sense for your timeframe and interests, NordicSaga is where to start.