How to explore Greenland

How to explore Greenland

Greenland is not the kind of place you stumble across. It demands planning, flexibility and a willingness to embrace the unknown. With no roads between towns or villages, travel is by air, boat or sled, and often a combination of all three.

I often describe Greenland as a Giant’s Playground, such is the scale of everything. Somehow, it makes Patagonia feel small, yet comparatively speaking, so few people have been. That may well be because the infrastructure has not really been there to make it easy. There are no luxury hotels, and not enough tourism for there to be any full-time guides. Yet it is one of the most captivating destinations of the many that I’ve visited.

I’ve been lucky enough to explore it in all seasons: paddling through iceberg-laced fjords in high summer, driving dogs across frozen sea ice in winter, trekking into the mountains and sitting beside elders as they shared stories under the Northern Lights. This is a country where the luxury lies in the undiscovered; each journey has been completely different, and that’s precisely the point.

By Land – Summer

In summer (late June to early September), the days stretch long and the sea ice retreats, opening up hiking trails, kayaking routes and boat journeys between otherwise inaccessible places. The rhythm is slow, the light astonishing, and the silence total.

In South and West Greenland, you can hike between villages, fish for Arctic char in glassy rivers, and explore Norse ruins overrun by wildflowers. Ilulissat makes an excellent base, offering easy access to the UNESCO-listed Icefjord and regular whale sightings in Disko Bay. This is also the time to head out onto the icecap and camp under the stars and, if you’re lucky, the Northern Lights.

For those looking to combine isolation with comfort, Camp Kiattua offers a rare balance of both. Perched on a remote fjord near Nuuk, it’s only accessible by boat or helicopter and feels completely off the map. Days are spent hiking to nearby waterfalls, kayaking past ancient rocks or bathing in hot springs tucked into the hillside. Evenings are for fresh Greenlandic fare by the fire and sleeping under canvas, albeit with wood-burning stoves, fine linen and proper duvets.

Further east, a seasonal camp set deep in the fjords near Tasiilaq offers a more pared-back but no less remarkable experience. Here, it’s all about immersion, glacier hikes, iceberg paddles and drifting to sleep with the sound of calving ice in the distance.

c+l favourite: An afternoon spent hiking across the ridgeline behind camp in East Greenland, where the views opened out into an amphitheatre of ice and rock, not another soul in sight. That kind of wilderness, pure and personal, is increasingly rare.

By Land – Winter

Winter transforms the landscape. The sea freezes, darkness sets in, and the country adopts a slower, more elemental rhythm. It’s cold, yes, but it’s also extraordinarily beautiful (and it’s a “dry-cold” that is somehow nowhere near as bad as a damp February day in London!).

Dog-sledging with locals remains one of the most evocative ways to travel, following ancient routes across the frozen fjords and tundra. Nights are spent in simple guesthouses or local homes, and the hospitality, hot soup, strong coffee, and layers of reindeer skin is unwavering. It’s not all about the dogs, though; ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and even Arctic Spas are all options you should try at some point.

With so many hours of darkness, the Northern Lights are visible almost every night, even in the capital, Nuuk, where even the streetlights can’t block their brightness.

For those seeking a more physical adventure, fat biking from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut along the Arctic Circle Trail is a standout. Covering roughly 160km over several days, the route winds through snow-covered valleys and past frozen lakes, ending on the coast. The solitude is immense, but so is the reward.

c+l favourite: There are some incredible trails to explore with a team of dogs. Sisimiut offers some of the best, with one taking you to a UFO!

By Sea – Summer Only

Summer opens Greenland’s west coast to small expedition ships, offering a different vantage point, one of vast horizons, drifting bergs and deep, glacial fjords and the ever present chance (albeit a slim one) of spotting a polar bear.

Routes vary, but many begin in Kangerlussuaq, weaving northwards past Sisimiut, Disko Island and Uummannaq, with daily landings by Zodiac. Icefjord cruises, hikes on the tundra, visits to Inuit communities and encounters with humpbacks are all part of the rhythm.

Some voyages go further, combining Greenland’s west coast with the Canadian Arctic on routes through the Northwest Passage. These longer journeys blend Inuit culture, explorer history and serious wilderness. There’s a strong sense of movement through both time and terrain.

Ships are small, carrying between 12 and 200 passengers, and the best expeditions are shaped by weather, not schedules. Expect spontaneity: a landing redirected by drifting pack ice; a pod of whales spotted mid-transit; an unplanned hike up a glacial valley just because the light is too good to miss.

c+l favourite: Watching the midnight sun turn an iceberg gold as it passed silently past the ship, not another sound or soul for miles. Just be wary of the Greenland Air Force; the mosquitoes can be fierce in places.

A final word

Greenland doesn’t try to impress. It simply is. Vast, stoic and quietly spectacular. It requires a certain mindset – and rewards it tenfold. Choose your season, choose your path, but be prepared to return a little changed. This is a destination that should be on every travellers list.