Greenland
TerritoryAdministered by: Denmark
“The largest island on earth, with no road between any two towns”
Greenland is a country-sized island with the population of a small town — around 56,000 people spread along a coastal fringe, because the interior is an ice sheet up to three kilometres thick. There is no road linking any two settlements. Everything moves by air, by sea, or in winter by dog sled, and the timetable is weather.
It has run its own affairs under Danish sovereignty since home rule in 1979 and self-government in 2009, and Greenlandic is the sole official language. For a visitor that means a place organised around ice rather than around tourism: icebergs the size of buildings calving into Disko Bay, Norse ruins at the head of a fjord, and the northern lights from September onward.
Highlights
Ilulissat Icefjord
A UNESCO site where one of the fastest-moving glaciers on earth discharges into the sea. The boardwalk from town reaches it on foot; the boats get you among the bergs.
Disko Bay
Whales in summer, sea ice in spring, and Qeqertarsuaq on the far side with hot springs and basalt columns.
The Norse south
Hvalsey church still stands where the last recorded Norse wedding was held in 1408. The Kujataa farming landscape around it is UNESCO-listed and still farmed.
The Arctic Circle Trail
Around 160 km (100 mi) between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut with huts along the way — the one long walk in Greenland you can do unsupported.
When to go
JanPolar night in the north; deep cold.
FebLight returns; dog sledding and aurora.
MarSea ice, long light, the classic sledding month.
Getting in
Checking your passport…
Before you fly
Passport Index dataset
What it costs
A day in Greenland
Comfortable · sample day
≈ $259
Line items are real prices we track. The daily budget is an editorial estimate for this level, not their sum.
Where this sits among 55 countries we have costed
July and August carry a clear premium and sell out months ahead in Ilulissat. March and April cost less and deliver a completely different trip.
Updated Aug 2026 · Editorial synthesis — Air Greenland and Arctic Umiaq published fares, operator tariffs (2025–2026) · confidence medium
Excludes international flights — they depend on where you fly from.
Regions to know
5Nuuk
The capital: national museum, a serious restaurant scene for its size, and fjords behind the town.
Disko Bay
Ilulissat, the icefjord and the whales — the reason most people come.
South Greenland
Norse ruins, sheep farms and the softest landscape on the island.
East Greenland
Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit — remote even by Greenlandic standards.
Kangerlussuaq
The inland airport, road access to the ice sheet, and the trailhead for the Arctic Circle Trail.
Practical guide
Getting there
Nuuk and Ilulissat took over as the international gateways when their extended runways opened, with direct service from Copenhagen and seasonally from North America. Kangerlussuaq remains a hub for domestic connections.
Getting around
Air Greenland domestically, the Sarfaq Ittuk coastal ferry along the west coast in summer, and small boats for fjord transfers. Weather cancellations are normal rather than exceptional.
Money & costs
Danish krone. Cards work almost everywhere, including small settlements. Prices are high: everything that is not fish or reindeer arrives by ship.
Safety
Crime is not the risk here; cold, water and weather are. Never walk on sea ice without local advice, and tell someone your route before any hike.
Health
A hospital in Nuuk and health stations in the towns; anything serious is evacuated to Denmark. Insurance with evacuation cover is not optional.
SIM & internet
Mobile coverage in the towns and along parts of the coast, nothing in between. Satellite messengers are standard kit for hikers.
Driving
Roads exist only inside settlements and on a few short stretches around them — the longest public road in Greenland runs some 35 km (22 mi) inland from Kangerlussuaq. Hiring a car is rarely the point.
Rules change — verify with an official source before you rent.
No verified partners here yet — all 6 country seats are open.
Before you go
GreenlandFrequently asked questions
Is Greenland in the Schengen area?
No, and this catches people out. Greenland is outside both the EU and Schengen, so a Schengen visa does not admit you. Nationals who are visa-free for Denmark are generally visa-free here too, but anyone who needs a visa needs one issued specifically for Greenland.
How do I get around without roads?
Air Greenland and the coastal ferry Sarfaq Ittuk connect the settlements, with helicopters on the shortest hops. Nothing is guaranteed: fog and wind cancel flights routinely, and every itinerary should carry a spare day at each end.
When can I see the northern lights?
Roughly September to early April, when the nights are dark enough. Midsummer has no darkness at all above the Arctic Circle, so the two things cannot be combined.