Visiting Greenland for the First Time? Here's What To See and Do

Few places introduce Greenland’s signature attraction—ice—like the Illulissat Icefjord. Towering icebergs pass through this UNESCO World Heritage Site after calving from Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the world’s fastest-moving glaciers.

The best way to see the icebergs and the whales that feed beneath them is with a boat tour. Back on land, don’t miss the Ilulissat Icefjord Center for an overview of Greenland’s history and to learn more about the effects of climate change on the country’s ice.

The Greenland ice sheet, the second largest in the world, is among the Arctic’s most magnificent landscapes. The ice sheet is accessible via a rugged 15-mile (24-kilometer) drive from the inland town and aviation hub of Kangerlussuaq.

The drive alone is a tourist attraction, with wildlife sightings like reindeer and historic plane-crash remnants. Once you reach the ice, you have several ways to enjoy it: a short half-day hike or, for the more intrepid, overnight camping.

Few experiences provide a sense of place like a local walking tour—including a stroll through Greenland’s capital city, Nuuk, which is home to around 20,000 residents (one-third of the Greenland population).

A Nuuk walking tour runs through the city’s top sights, from the Greenland National Museum and Archives to the Nuuk Cathedral, including stops at vantage points to admire the sea of multi-hued houses in the historic Old Nuuk neighborhood.

Given Greenland’s high latitude, it’s easy to spot the northern lights just about anywhere—including from the heart of the capital city, Nuuk. For aurora hunting without ever leaving the capital, watch the skies from the waterfront near the Greenland National Museum.

If you want to see those viridescent hues at their brightest, take a northern lights tour away from city lights. This 2-hour aurora tour includes narration about the phenomenon, as well as hot coffee, tea, and snacks while you enjoy this incredible show.

Related: Chasing the Aurora: Where to See the Northern Lights Around the World

Those teeth may be chattering, but cold weather doesn’t keep Greenlanders indoors.

See how Greenlandic people embrace the elements with an off-the-beaten-path guided tour that includes outdoor activities like dog sledding and an ice-fishing lesson with local fishermen, followed by a traditional cook-your-catch dinner. This experience takes place in Uummannaq, an island along Greenland’s central-west coast.

Kangerlussuaq’s far-inland location attracts an array of Arctic wildlife. You can see polar fauna like the Arctic hare and foxes without even leaving town. That said, heading to the backcountry via four-wheel-drive tundra safari ups your odds of spotting the island’s four-legged wonders, including showstoppers like the musk-ox and reindeer.

However, seeing a polar bear proves to be a more difficult feat. North and east Greenland share the bulk of the island’s polar bear populations, and since these areas are trickier to reach, spottings are rare. If polar bear sightings top your bucket list, consider a wildlife tour in Churchill, Manitoba, instead.

Gastronomy is the backbone of any culture. In Greenland, traditional cuisine stems from the Arctic surrounds; there’s musk-ox, mattak (narwhal skin), crowberries, and lumpfish roe, not to mention Greenlandic coffee (whiskey, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, a bit of coffee, and a hearty dollop of whipped cream).

Food tours are limited in Greenland, but you can easily try these staples with a DIY Nuuk food crawl through traditional haunts like Sarfalik, Restaurant Nordlys, and Cafétuaq at the Nuuk Cultural Center.