Earlier I shared my travel bucket list, with the places that I’d most like to visit in the near future. Perhaps the single place that I’d most like to travel to is Greenland, so in this post I wanted to talk about that a bit more. The territory is becoming more accessible (for better or worse), and I’d love to go next summer… I just don’t even know where to start with planning.
Greenland is becoming more accessible by air
It’s kind of impressive how rapidly the Greenland aviation scene is evolving at the moment. Historically, Kangerlussuaq (SFJ) has been Greenland’s only airport capable of handling jets, as Greenland’s capital of Nuuk (GOH) only had a small airport. This greatly complicated travel logistics, not just in terms of needing to connect, but also in terms of frequent cancelations due to weather issues, leaving travelers stranded.
In the coming months, Nuuk’s expanded airport will open, and this has exciting implications, since it means that people will be able to fly directly to Nuuk more easily.
With that in mind, travelers have quite the variety of choices for getting to Greenland in 2025:
- Air Greenland offers a year-round flight from Nuuk to Copenhagen (CPH), using a rare Airbus A330-800neo
- Air Greenland operates a seasonal flight between Nuuk and Iqaluit, Canada, using a De Havilland Dash 8-200
- Icelandair has a year-round flight to Nuuk out of Keflavik (KEF), using a De Havilland Dash 8-200
- United will launch a seasonal flight to Nuuk out of Newark (EWR), using a Boeing 737 MAX 8
I definitely want to fly Air Greenland’s A330-800neo. So if I visit Greenland, the only question is whether I’d rather fly United out of Newark (which is cool for being a direct link between the US and Greenland), or Air Greenland’s flight out of Iqaluit (which is a fascinating route, and I’d also love to visit the Canadian Arctic).
Where to start with planning a trip to Greenland?
When it comes to travel, personally I’m much more into nature than cities. Some of my most memorable trips over the years have been to rather secluded destinations, from Bhutan, to Easter Island, to Svalbard. I’d much rather go on a hike and enjoy nature than be in a city going to restaurants, shops, museums, etc.
But here’s the thing — I don’t even know where to start with planning a trip to Greenland. It’s not exactly a mainstream tourist destination (at least compared to most places), and it’s also not necessarily that easy to get around.
So I’d love some feedback on how others have approached this, or any resources people have found useful for planning Greenland travel. I’m sure I’m not alone in appreciating this information, since I know others are considering a Greenland trip as well.
The slight catch here is that I’d probably only be able to plan a trip with maybe five days on the ground. I don’t think this is a good trip for our son, and I also don’t like to leave him for too long, so I’m just trying to be realistic. With that in mind, I’ve heard that at a minimum, Nuuk and Ilulissat are worth visiting.
Nuuk is largest city in Greenland, though still only has ~20,000 residents. So presumably it’s worth stopping here, both to see what town life is like, and to do some excursions to nearby sights. As far as I can tell, Hotel Hans Egede is the best option in town, but if someone has any other recommendations, I’d of course love to hear them.
Ilulissat is known for ice fjords and glaciers, which I suppose is the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Greenland. It’s located around 350 miles north of Nuuk, and Air Greenland operates frequent services between the two airports. There are quite a few hotel options here, from Hotel Arctic, to Hotel Icefiord, to the Best Western Plus.
So, if you were to visit two places in Greenland, is that the right approach to take? Anything in particular that should be done in those places, in terms of specific excursions? Or is there another place in Greenland that absolutely needs to be visited?
Bottom line
Visiting Greenland is becoming significantly easier as of 2025, between United launching nonstop flights from Newark, plus Nuuk’s expanded airport opening. Admittedly easier tourism to Greenland is a double-edged sword, given what an unspoiled and off the beaten path destination it is.
I’m hoping that 2025 is the year where I finally visit Greenland, so it’s time to get planning. I’d love ideas from anyone who has been or who has looked into this in great detail. Are Nuuk and Ilulissat the two destinations that must be visited, or is there a better approach to take? And if those are the places to see, any tips for the best things to do?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.