Why travel to Greenland?
At 2,166,086 km², Greenland is the largest island in the world, yet only around 56,831 people live along its ice-free coastal fringes. Visitors see icebergs from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier in the Ilulissat Icefjord, ride dog sleds and, depending on the season, watch the northern lights or the midnight sun.
Unlike most countries, no continuous road connects the towns: between Nuuk, Ilulissat and the other settlements on the west coast, people travel by plane, boat or, in winter, dog sled. This shapes every part of trip planning, from getting there to a day trip to the glacier.
About 81% of the country's land area is covered by the Greenland ice sheet, the second-largest body of ice on Earth after Antarctica. Every inhabited place lies along the ice-free coastal strip, and many are reachable only by plane or boat.
Sources: Wikipedia · Visit Greenland · Visit Greenland
What is Greenland like?
At 2,166,086 km², Greenland is the largest island in the world, but with around 56,831 inhabitants it is one of the most sparsely populated countries. Almost all settlements lie along the west coast, with fjords, glaciers and the ice sheet in between; there is no continuous road connecting the towns.
The population is predominantly Greenlandic Inuit, with residents of Danish descent concentrated mainly in administration and business. Greenlandic has been the sole official language since the Self-Government Act of 2009, Danish remains the first foreign language taught in schools, and many younger people also speak English.
The coastal towns are small: Nuuk, the largest city, has under 20,000 inhabitants, and most other settlements have anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand people. Alongside tourism and administration, fishing and fish processing remain the most important source of income.
The climate ranges from subarctic in the south to polar in the far north. Mosquitoes and small biting flies appear in many places in summer, roughly from June to August, and mobile coverage is missing in many areas outside the towns.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Visit Greenland
What does it mean that Greenland belongs to Denmark but not to the EU and the Schengen area?
Greenland has been an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1979 and, since the Self-Government Act of 2009, has largely managed its own internal affairs; foreign and defense policy remain with Denmark. Despite this affiliation, Greenland lies outside the EU and the Schengen area: in 1985, following a 1982 referendum, it withdrew from the European Community.
In the referendum of 23 February 1982, 52% of Greenlanders voted for withdrawal on a turnout of 74.9%, driven mainly by the Community's fisheries policy. The Greenland Treaty entered into force on 1 February 1985; since then Greenland has held the status of an EU "Overseas Country and Territory" (OCT), with duty-free access for fishery products but without EU membership.
For travelers, this means a Schengen visa does not apply in Greenland, and even someone who could travel through Denmark with a national ID card needs a passport for Greenland. Anyone from a country subject to a visa requirement needs a separate visa issued explicitly for Greenland by a Danish diplomatic mission.
Payment is still made in Danish kroner, and entry control in Nuuk or Kangerlussuaq is handled by Greenlandic or Danish authorities, regardless of whether the flight originates in a Schengen country.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Visit Greenland
Which places are worth visiting in Greenland?
Nuuk is the capital and the only town with a year-round international scheduled flight from Copenhagen and, seasonally, from Newark. Ilulissat on Disko Bay sits directly on the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with kilometer-sized icebergs from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. Air Greenland connects the two towns in around 1 h 30 min.
Nuuk
Nuuk was founded as a colony in 1728 by the Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede and, with under 20,000 inhabitants, is Greenland's largest city; its name means "headland" in Greenlandic. Historic buildings stand in the colonial harbor, alongside Greenland's National Museum, the Nuuk Art Museum and the Katuaq cultural center.
Hiking trails lead out of town, for instance to Mount Ukkusissaq, and there are boat, kayak and stand-up paddle tours in Nuuk Fjord, plus, from October to March, northern lights right above the city.
Ilulissat
Ilulissat means "icebergs" in Greenlandic and lies on Disko Bay. Off the town, the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier (Jakobshavn Glacier) calves icebergs into the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. The red wooden Zion Church and the Ilulissat Museum, housed in a former priests' seminary, define the town, which is the birthplace of polar explorer Knud Rasmussen.
In summer, from June to September, the town is a launch point for hikes, kayak tours, boat trips to the icebergs and whale watching; in winter, from January to April, dog sledding, snowmobile and snowshoe tours join the northern lights on offer.
Other regions
South of Nuuk lies the Kujataa cultural landscape near Qaqortoq and Narsarsuaq, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017 recognizing over 1,000 years of Norse and Inuit farming; Hvalsey and Brattahlíð there hold the best-preserved ruins of Greenland's Norse settlements. East Greenland around Tasiilaq on Ammassalik Island — population 1,985 (2020) — and the Sermilik Fjord is considered one of the country's most remote inhabited areas, with its own time zone relative to the west coast; with no roads outside the town itself, the only way to reach Tasiilaq from Kulusuk Airport, 24 km away, is by helicopter or boat.
Sources: Visit Greenland · Visit Greenland · Wikipedia · UNESCO · Wikipedia
When is the best time to visit Greenland?
From June to August the midnight sun and the mildest weather prevail, ideal for hiking, kayaking and boat tours to the icebergs. Northern lights appear from late September to April, most reliably during the dark winter months of December to February. According to the tourism board, March is best for dog sledding tours.
Nuuk and Ilulissat: average daily highs and lows (°C) and monthly rainfall (mm)
| Nuuk | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -3 | -5 | -3 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 0 | -2 |
| Low °C | -9 | -11 | -9 | -5 | -1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | -1 | -5 | -7 |
| Rainfall mm | 55 | 51 | 51 | 59 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 95 | 108 | 78 | 84 | 76 |
| Ilulissat | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -8 | -10 | -8 | -2 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 1 | -3 | -6 |
| Low °C | -15 | -18 | -16 | -10 | -3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | -0 | -6 | -10 | -12 |
| Rainfall mm | 20 | 16 | 20 | 26 | 35 | 35 | 39 | 58 | 46 | 42 | 37 | 28 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station NUUK (GODTHAAB) (1 km, 84 m), auf 5 m umgerechnet. Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station JAKOBSHAVN LUFTHAVN (2 km, 31 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
| Period | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| June–August | Midnight sun, hiking, kayaking | whole country, most pronounced in the north |
| June–September | Whale watching | Disko Bay near Ilulissat |
| Late September–April | Northern lights | whole country under clear skies |
| March | Dog sledding, best conditions | above the Arctic Circle, East Greenland |
| January–April | Snowmobile, snowshoe | Ilulissat and surroundings |
Station data show cold, dry winters and short, cool summers for both towns: due to its position on the open Disko Bay, Ilulissat stays colder and drier in winter than Nuuk, which lies farther south.
Between the seasons come transitional months: in April and May, temperatures according to the tourism board usually range between −15°C and 6°C, and in September and October between −20°C and 6°C, depending on the region. Mosquitoes and small biting flies occur mainly from June to August.
Sources: Visit Greenland · Visit Greenland
What do you need to enter Greenland?
Swiss, German and Austrian nationals enter without a visa, but a passport valid for at least three months beyond departure is mandatory; a national ID card is not sufficient. Different rules apply to other nationalities, because a Schengen visa is not valid in Greenland (as of September 2026).
The Danish immigration authority maintains the list of countries whose citizens may enter visa-free; Switzerland, Germany and Austria are on it. Nordic nationals from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland enter without any control at all.
For all other nationalities: a valid Schengen visa is not sufficient. A separate visa is required, issued explicitly by a Danish diplomatic mission with the notation "valid for Greenland." Only the current information from the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office, the BMEIA and the relevant Danish representation is authoritative.
Sources: Visit Greenland · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria · Federal Foreign Office, Germany
What vaccinations and health precautions are needed for Greenland?
No vaccination is required. Healthytravel.ch recommends keeping the standard Swiss vaccinations up to date, and the CDC additionally advises a hepatitis A vaccination and, depending on the trip, hepatitis B. Outside Nuuk, medical care is very limited, and serious cases are flown to Denmark or Iceland.
Basic medical care is provided by small health centers in the settlements and a larger hospital in Nuuk; according to the BMEIA, serious illnesses or injuries cannot be treated locally and must be handled in Denmark or Iceland. Travel insurance including air repatriation is therefore advisable.
For tours outside the settlements, a well-stocked first aid kit is recommended, as well as, depending on the route, a navigation device and a satellite phone, since there is often no mobile network away from the towns.
Sources: HealthyTravel, Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine · CDC Travelers' Health · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
How safe is Greenland?
Travel to Greenland is considered quite possible; check the current situation with the FDFA, the German Federal Foreign Office and the BMEIA. The greatest danger is not crime but the Arctic climate: outside the settlements, rescue is often barely possible due to limited infrastructure.
The Federal Foreign Office and the BMEIA advise against independent travel outside the larger towns unless properly equipped and accompanied by someone with local knowledge. A guide familiar with weather, ice and tides is therefore worthwhile for hikes and boat trips.
Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
How do you get to Greenland?
Greenland has no scheduled ferry service to Europe or North America; the only ways to arrive are by plane or on cruise and expedition ships. Air Greenland flies year-round between Copenhagen and Nuuk (GOH), and United Airlines also flies seasonally between Newark and Nuuk, alongside Icelandair and Air Greenland from Reykjavík-Keflavík.
From Europe
Air Greenland connects Copenhagen with Nuuk year-round; Nuuk's runway was extended to 2,200 m on 28 November 2024, and since then has allowed direct Airbus A330 flights instead of a stopover in Kangerlussuaq. Both Air Greenland and Icelandair fly from Reykjavík-Keflavík, with shorter flight times than via Copenhagen. In addition, SAS serves the Copenhagen–Nuuk route seasonally.
Ilulissat (JAV) is usually reached by a connecting flight from Nuuk; the route is flown with propeller aircraft and depends on the weather, so a time buffer before the return flight makes sense.
From North America
United Airlines flies seasonally, twice weekly, nonstop between Newark and Nuuk. There is no year-round connection from North America; outside the season, the route goes via Copenhagen or Reykjavik.
From Latin America and other regions
There are no direct flights from Latin America, Asia or Oceania. Travelers from these regions connect via one of the European or North American hubs.
Within Greenland
Air Greenland's Dash 8-200 propeller planes fly several times a day between Nuuk and Ilulissat, with a flight time of around 1 h 30 min over roughly 600 km along Disko Bay. There is no continuous road between the towns; boats and, in winter, dog sleds also serve traffic between settlements.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Visit Greenland · Air Greenland
What currency applies, and how do you pay in Greenland?
Payment is made in Danish kroner (DKK); other currencies such as euros or US dollars are rarely accepted outside a few souvenir shops. Cards such as Visa, Mastercard and Dankort work in most places, and ATMs, which the tourism board says are available in 15 towns including Nuuk and Ilulissat.
Outside these 15 towns, for example on boat trips or in smaller settlements, it is worth carrying some cash in DKK as a reserve. According to the tourism board, tipping is included in prices and not expected; anyone particularly happy with a service can add something at their own discretion.
Sources: Visit Greenland · Visit Greenland
Where do you stay overnight in Greenland?
The selection is small and demand is high in season: in Nuuk, the 4-star Hotel Hans Egede with 156 rooms is the largest property, while in Ilulissat the equally 4-star Hotel Arctic, with views of the icefjord, is the best known.
From May to October, Hotel Arctic also offers stays in freestanding igloo cabins directly above the icefjord. Both towns also have smaller guesthouses and inns; outside Nuuk and Ilulissat, the options narrow to a few lodges and, on expedition ships, cabins.
Because the overall number of rooms remains small, accommodations should be booked well in advance for the high season from June to August and around the winter season for northern lights.
Sources: Hotel Hans Egede, Nuuk · Visit Greenland
What do people eat in Greenland?
Greenlandic cuisine is built on fish and marine mammals: the national dish is suaasat, a soup made from seal meat, alongside mattak (whale skin with blubber), muskox, reindeer and fish such as cod, Arctic char and the well-known Greenland halibut.
Modern restaurants such as Sarfalik at the Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk serve these ingredients in a contemporary way, for example smoked muskox carpaccio or reindeer steak with berry sauce. A "Greenlandic Tapas" platter with mattak, dried fish, smoked Arctic char and fermented seal blubber offers a compact introduction to traditional cuisine.
Reindeer and muskox meat often comes from private autumn hunts, with which families stock their freezers; according to the tourism board, salmon from Greenlandic waters may not be exported and thus remains a local specialty.
Sources: Visit Greenland
How do people live in Greenland?
Around 56,831 people live in Greenland, most of them Greenlandic Inuit, with residents of Danish descent also present. On 21 June the country celebrates its national holiday, Ullortuneq: it commemorates the introduction of home rule in 1979 and falls on the same date on which the more far-reaching self-government took effect in 2009.
The day is marked in every settlement with morning song, coffee, flag-raising and speeches, along with drum dancing (qaasinnguaq) with rhythmic singing and cultural performances. Since 2016, Denmark has also officially flown the Greenlandic flag on this day.
A typical social custom is the "kaffemik": an open gathering over coffee and homemade cake, to which travelers in Greenland are also invited. Greenlandic has been the sole official language since 2009, while Danish remains the first foreign language taught in school.
Sources: Wikipedia · Visit Greenland · Wikipedia · Wikipedia
What can you experience in Greenland?
Ice and wildlife take center stage: boat tours to the icebergs of the Ilulissat Icefjord, dog sledding in winter, northern lights between late September and April, and whale watching in Disko Bay from June to September. Add to that hikes, kayak tours and, in summer, round-the-clock daylight thanks to the midnight sun.
Dog sledding is common above the Arctic Circle and in East Greenland; according to the tourism board, March is best because it combines enough daylight with stable snow. In Ilulissat, snowmobile and snowshoe tours are also on offer between January and April.
Northern lights appear most reliably during the dark months, and on clear evenings even directly over Nuuk. The midnight sun peaks around the summer solstice on 21 June and provides round-the-clock daylight in North Greenland weeks beforehand.
Off Disko Bay near Ilulissat, humpback whales and others are around from June to September. Boat tours lead close to the kilometer-sized icebergs of the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, one of the most productive glaciers in the northern hemisphere.
- Hiking: trails from Nuuk to Mount Ukkusissaq or, over several days, the Arctic Circle Trail between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut.
- Kayaking and stand-up paddling: in Nuuk Fjord and Disko Bay, usually with a guide.
- Kujataa: Norse and Inuit cultural landscape near Qaqortoq and Narsarsuaq in South Greenland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017.
- Scenic flights and helicopter tours: over fjords, glaciers and the edge of the ice sheet.
Sources: Visit Greenland · Visit Greenland · Visit Greenland · UNESCO
How do you travel respectfully in Greenland?
Visit Greenland commits the industry to five principles through a "Pledge Towards Better Tourism": preserve nature and culture, strengthen local businesses, put safety before weather, and create opportunities for young Greenlanders. According to the tourism board, the rule of thumb for travelers is to behave no differently than they would at home.
Seal, whale and reindeer hunting is part of subsistence living for many families and not a tourist attraction; anyone wanting to photograph hunters or their catch should ask permission first. Because recycling options are limited outside the larger towns, bring little plastic from home and carry your waste back out of remote areas.
Sources: Visit Greenland Traveltrade · Visit Greenland
What can Greenland be combined with?
Iceland is the most obvious choice: Reykjavík-Keflavík is one of the two main hubs to Greenland, with shorter flight times than via Copenhagen. A stopover in Copenhagen also combines easily with a few days in Denmark, and from North America, a stay in the northeastern US pairs well before or after the seasonal Newark connection.
Expedition ships often combine West Greenland with Canada's Baffin Island or the Canadian Arctic; travelers exploring East Greenland instead often combine it with Iceland.
Sources: Visit Greenland
Who is Greenland suited for, and who is it less suited for?
Greenland suits travelers who love nature, changing weather and minimal infrastructure in exchange for experiencing icebergs, northern lights or dog sleds up close. It is less suited to travelers on a tight budget, a fixed schedule, or with a high need for medical care outside Nuuk.
- Good fit: photographers and nature lovers, active travelers looking for hiking, kayaking or dog sledding, and anyone specifically seeking northern lights or the midnight sun.
- Less suited: travelers on a tight budget, since flights and accommodation remain expensive due to limited capacity; anyone with a fixed itinerary, since weather and limited flight frequency can cause delays; travelers with high medical needs outside Nuuk.
Sources: Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria · Visit Greenland