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Greenland 🇬🇱

backpacking North America Greenland 🇬🇱Iceberg fjords and long treks, reached only by plane or boat.

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Backpacking Greenland in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
The big picture before you go

Backpacking Greenland
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 24, 2026

Unprepared travelers in Greenland lose time first, and money right after. No road links any two towns in the country, so every move is a flight or a boat, and one stubborn bank of fog over Kangerlussuaq or Nuuk can ground the small propeller planes for a day or two, knocking over every booking stacked behind them.

Then the fog lifts and the reason for the trip is right in front of you. At Ilulissat, icebergs the size of apartment blocks drift out of the fjord with a crack and groan you feel in your ribs, and the low midnight sun turns them peach well after midnight. On the Arctic Circle Trail you walk for a week over spongy tundra that smells of crowberry and Labrador tea, meeting more musk oxen than people. In the south, the stone walls of Hvalsey Church still stand where Norse farmers prayed six centuries ago. The hard parts are plain: domestic flights and boat tickets swallow the biggest share of any budget, beds in small towns fill up in July, and once you leave town limits your safety is your own job.

Iceland has a ring road and tour buses. Greenland has neither, with about a seventh of Iceland’s population spread over twenty times the land. Canada’s Nunavut feels closer in spirit but is harder to reach. Greenland suits self-sufficient hikers, slow travelers and anyone at ease with silence. Box-tickers on a tight budget, and anyone who needs nightlife, will struggle.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Greenland

Disko Bay (Ilulissat, Qeqertarsuaq, Ilulissat Icefjord)

Sled dogs howl from their chains on the rocks above Ilulissat, the most visited town in Greenland, and the boardwalk to Sermermiut ends at a fjord jammed with icebergs that creak, groan and split with a crack like rifle fire. Boats cross to Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island, where dark basalt cliffs rise behind a small town. Flights from Nuuk take about 1.5 hours. It suits first-timers who want huge ice on an easy midnight-sun walk.

Nuuk and Nuuk Fjord (Nuuk, Kapisillit, Sermitsiaq)

Nuuk feels like a small city: rush-hour traffic, apartment blocks painted red and mustard, and cafés where Danish and Kalaallisut drift across from the next table. The National Museum, home of the Qilakitsoq mummies, fills a wet afternoon. Boat trips run up Nuuk Fjord toward Kapisillit and the glacier fronts, salt spray stinging your cheeks under the bulk of Sermitsiaq. Direct jets from Copenhagen land here. It suits travelers who like wilderness by day and a proper espresso afterward.

South Greenland (Narsarsuaq, Qaqortoq, Igaliku)

Sheep graze green slopes between Norse church ruins, and the air smells of cut grass and outboard diesel. From Narsarsuaq you cross the fjord to Qassiarsuk, where Erik the Red’s farm stood, or walk the stony Flower Valley to a glacier tongue. Igaliku is a farming hamlet of stone ruins and hayfields, and Qaqortoq has faces carved into its bedrock. Flights from Nuuk take roughly 1.5 hours, then boats link the towns. It suits walkers and history fans who can wait out fog.

Arctic Circle Trail (Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, Russell Glacier)

Kangerlussuaq is a former US air base where a dusty gravel road leads toward the ice sheet and the Russell Glacier, a blue wall dropping chunks into a roaring meltwater river. From here the Arctic Circle Trail runs about 160 kilometers west to Sisimiut: eight to ten days of tundra, mosquito clouds, cold lake water and silence so complete you hear your own pulse. Kangerlussuaq is a 45-minute flight from Nuuk. It suits self-sufficient hikers carrying every meal.

East Greenland (Tasiilaq, Kulusuk, Ittoqqortoormiit)

Kulusuk’s gravel runway sits about two hours by air from Reykjavik, and a short helicopter or boat hop brings you to Tasiilaq, where houses climb a granite bowl above a harbor often choked with sea ice into early summer. Hunting sets the rhythm here: seal skins stretched to dry, rifles slung over shoulders. Far north, Ittoqqortoormiit sits on Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system on Earth. It suits seasoned travelers who treat weather cancellations as part of the trip.
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Why go?Reasons people choose to visit

Uniqueness

Exploring Greenland means living on the edge of a frozen continent: roughly 56,000 people share an island where ice covers about four-fifths of the land. Towns are islands of color in a gray-green wilderness, and the outskirts … read more 👉
Exploring Greenland means living on the edge of a frozen continent: roughly 56,000 people share an island where ice covers about four-fifths of the land. Towns are islands of color in a gray-green wilderness, and the outskirts belong to sled dogs, whose howling chorus rises at dusk and drops into silence just as suddenly. Freezers hum in every shed, full of fish and seal for winter. Strangers get noticed, kindly, and kids on bikes will ask where you’re from. The hard part is that nothing is staged for you; there are few tours outside the main towns and long gaps between services. For the strongest sense of the place, spend a night or two in a small settlement like Oqaatsut, home to only a few dozen people, a few hours’ walk north of Ilulissat.

Scenery

The light is what hits you first in Greenland. From late May to late July the sun barely dips north of the Arctic Circle, and icebergs glow from bone white to deep blue as it rolls along the horizon. By September the dark returns … read more 👉
The light is what hits you first in Greenland. From late May to late July the sun barely dips north of the Arctic Circle, and icebergs glow from bone white to deep blue as it rolls along the horizon. By September the dark returns and the northern lights ripple green over fjords that smell of salt and kelp. The south breaks the mold of ice and tundra with granite: in the Tasermiut Fjord near Nanortalik, sheer walls climb well over a kilometer straight out of the water, and Ketil peak towers above them. The catch is that this landscape demands warm layers even in summer, when wind off the ice sheet can drop temperatures fast. For aurora hunting, head inland to Kangerlussuaq, where the dry climate brings clearer skies than the foggy coast.

⭐ HighlightsUnmissable destinations

  • Ilulissat Icefjord: The boardwalk through the Sermermiut valley ends on bare rock above a fjord packed solid with ice calved by Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest-moving glaciers on Earth. The scale scrambles your sense of distance, so a berg that looks a short swim away is a kilometer off. Sit still and you hear the ice fizz and pop as ancient air bubbles escape, a soft crackle that carries across the water like frying oil.
  • Arctic Circle Trail: Around 160 kilometers of cairns, lakes and empty valleys link Kangerlussuaq to the coast at Sisimiut, with basic unstaffed huts along the way. Most people take seven to ten days. There is no shop, no signal and no one to rescue you quickly, which is exactly why it feels so large. You drink straight from the streams, and the water tastes of cold stone.
  • Hvalsey Church: The best-preserved Norse ruin in Greenland stands on a grassy slope above a fjord near Qaqortoq, its gable walls still rising to full height with empty window frames facing the water.
… read more 👉
  • Ilulissat Icefjord: The boardwalk through the Sermermiut valley ends on bare rock above a fjord packed solid with ice calved by Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest-moving glaciers on Earth. The scale scrambles your sense of distance, so a berg that looks a short swim away is a kilometer off. Sit still and you hear the ice fizz and pop as ancient air bubbles escape, a soft crackle that carries across the water like frying oil.
  • Arctic Circle Trail: Around 160 kilometers of cairns, lakes and empty valleys link Kangerlussuaq to the coast at Sisimiut, with basic unstaffed huts along the way. Most people take seven to ten days. There is no shop, no signal and no one to rescue you quickly, which is exactly why it feels so large. You drink straight from the streams, and the water tastes of cold stone.
  • Hvalsey Church: The best-preserved Norse ruin in Greenland stands on a grassy slope above a fjord near Qaqortoq, its gable walls still rising to full height with empty window frames facing the water. A wedding held here in 1408 is the last written record of the Norse colony. Sheep graze right up to the walls, and the only sounds are their bleating and wind pushing through the doorway.
  • Greenland National Museum, Nuuk: Set in old harbor warehouses, this compact museum holds skin kayaks, women’s boats and hunting gear that explain how people survived here for centuries. The room with the Qilakitsoq mummies, Inuit women and children who died around 500 years ago near Uummannaq, is hushed and dimly lit. The tattoo lines still visible on one woman’s face make the past feel uncomfortably close.
  • Point 660 and the Ice Sheet: A gravel road from Kangerlussuaq runs about 35 kilometers to a spot where you can step straight onto the ice sheet that covers most of the country. The surface is gritty gray at the edge and turns white and endless further in, cut by meltwater channels running an impossible turquoise. Your crampons crunch, and the meltwater roars somewhere below your boots.
For quieter corners, soak in the natural hot springs on Uunartoq island in the far south, stare up at heart-shaped Uummannaq mountain above its village, or make the long trip to Ittoqqortoormiit on the remote east coast.
Spotted a mistake or missing a highlight? Contact us.
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🧭 RoutesHow to structure a trip

The 7-Day Disko Bay Ice Route


One week, one bay and more icebergs than you can count, with almost no time lost to connections. It suits first-timers who want Greenland’s most famous ice at an easy walking pace.
  • Evening light over the Ilulissat Icefjord
  • The boardwalk into Sermermiut Valley
  • A boat ride among the bergs to Disko Island
  • Black basalt hikes around Qeqertarsuaq

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day East-to-West Route


Two weeks that cross the ice sheet to pair the wild, mountainous east coast with the capital and Disko Bay. Expect remote villages, iceberg-choked fjords and a solid dose of Greenlandic history.
  • Overnight in tiny Kulusuk and the peaks around Tasiilaq
  • Sermilik Fjord and the village of Tiniteqilaaq
  • The Qilakitsoq mummies in Nuuk
  • Five unhurried nights in Ilulissat

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Arctic Circle Trail Route


Three weeks for hikers who want to cross the tundra on foot before collecting their iceberg reward. It mixes a self-sufficient trek with slow coastal travel … read more 👉

The 7-Day Disko Bay Ice Route


One week, one bay and more icebergs than you can count, with almost no time lost to connections. It suits first-timers who want Greenland’s most famous ice at an easy walking pace.
  • Evening light over the Ilulissat Icefjord
  • The boardwalk into Sermermiut Valley
  • A boat ride among the bergs to Disko Island
  • Black basalt hikes around Qeqertarsuaq

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day East-to-West Route


Two weeks that cross the ice sheet to pair the wild, mountainous east coast with the capital and Disko Bay. Expect remote villages, iceberg-choked fjords and a solid dose of Greenlandic history.
  • Overnight in tiny Kulusuk and the peaks around Tasiilaq
  • Sermilik Fjord and the village of Tiniteqilaaq
  • The Qilakitsoq mummies in Nuuk
  • Five unhurried nights in Ilulissat

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Arctic Circle Trail Route


Three weeks for hikers who want to cross the tundra on foot before collecting their iceberg reward. It mixes a self-sufficient trek with slow coastal travel and the bay’s most spectacular glacier.
  • The edge of the ice sheet near Kangerlussuaq
  • Eight days on the Arctic Circle Trail
  • A coastal ferry leg via Aasiaat
  • A full-day boat trip to the calving Eqi Glacier

👉 explore this 21-day route

🌤️ When to go?A month-by-month overview

The best time for backpacking Greenland is July to September, when temperatures sit around 5 to 15°C, trails are snow-free, boats run on most routes, and September adds autumn tundra colors, the first northern lights and fewer travelers than midsummer.
Region matters a lot here. South Greenland (Narsarsuaq, Qaqortoq) greens up first and stays mild longest, while East Greenland around Tasiilaq is often blocked by sea ice until July. Disko Bay and Ilulissat have polar night from late November to mid-January.

  • Winter (November to March): Coastal towns average roughly -5 to -10°C in Nuuk and -15 to -20°C in Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq, with short days or none at all in the north. Tourist numbers are tiny and some tour operators and seasonal lodges close. Northern lights, dog sledding from February and a quiet look at town life are the draws.
  • Spring (April to May): Long, bright days, solid sea ice in the north and the best sledding and ski-touring conditions of the year. Temperatures climb from around -10°C toward freezing. Crowds stay low and prices sit below summer levels.
  • Summer (June to August): Peak season. Midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle, open hiking routes, iceberg boat trips and whale watching. June brings snowmelt and soggy ground, and mosquitoes peak from late June into July. Flights and guesthouses cost the most, and Ilulissat fills up.
  • Autumn (September to October): The shoulder season, and the one I’d pick. Frosty nights, red and gold tundra, auroras returning and airfares easing. By October boat tours wind down and snow starts arriving.
Book Air Greenland domestic flights and Ilulissat beds three to six months ahead for July and August, and pack a head net for the mosquitoes whatever your summer plans.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: good for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: highly recommended for travelingAUGAugust: highly recommended for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: good for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
greenland - pixabay - expedition-5559244

💰 Costs (as of 2026)Prices, expenses, and money tips

Backpacking Greenland on a budget costs about US$150 to 250 a day once you’re in the country, which makes it the most expensive place in the North Atlantic by a long way.
For comparison, a frugal day in Iceland runs about US$100 to 150, and in Denmark about US$80 to 120. Most goods here arrive by ship or plane, so even basics carry a freight markup. You pay in Danish kroner, and cards work almost everywhere, including the smallest settlement shops.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$55 to 100 per nightA hostel dorm bed in Nuuk usually costs US$55 to 75. A shared room at the old airport camp in Kangerlussuaq costs US$75 to 100. Both are roughly double what you’d pay in a Reykjavík or Copenhagen dorm. Wild camping outside town limits is free, so a tent cuts this line to nothing on hiking days.
MealsUS$35 to 60 per daySelf-catering from Pisiffik, Brugseni or Pilersuisoq supermarkets keeps food to about US$35 to 45 a day, though prices sit 30 to 60 percent above Denmark’s. A kiosk hot dog costs US$5 to 7. A café lunch runs US$25 to 40, and a restaurant main with musk ox or halibut costs US$40 to 60.
Local transportUS$3 to 300 per tripInside towns it’s cheap: a Nuuk city
… read more 👉
Backpacking Greenland on a budget costs about US$150 to 250 a day once you’re in the country, which makes it the most expensive place in the North Atlantic by a long way.
For comparison, a frugal day in Iceland runs about US$100 to 150, and in Denmark about US$80 to 120. Most goods here arrive by ship or plane, so even basics carry a freight markup. You pay in Danish kroner, and cards work almost everywhere, including the smallest settlement shops.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$55 to 100 per nightA hostel dorm bed in Nuuk usually costs US$55 to 75. A shared room at the old airport camp in Kangerlussuaq costs US$75 to 100. Both are roughly double what you’d pay in a Reykjavík or Copenhagen dorm. Wild camping outside town limits is free, so a tent cuts this line to nothing on hiking days.
MealsUS$35 to 60 per daySelf-catering from Pisiffik, Brugseni or Pilersuisoq supermarkets keeps food to about US$35 to 45 a day, though prices sit 30 to 60 percent above Denmark’s. A kiosk hot dog costs US$5 to 7. A café lunch runs US$25 to 40, and a restaurant main with musk ox or halibut costs US$40 to 60.
Local transportUS$3 to 300 per tripInside towns it’s cheap: a Nuuk city bus ticket costs about US$3, and Ilulissat and Sisimiut are walkable. No roads link the towns, so getting between them costs real money. An Arctic Umiaq Line ferry from Nuuk to Sisimiut runs about US$200 to 300 one way. A short Air Greenland hop such as Nuuk to Ilulissat costs US$400 to 700.
ActivitiesUS$0 to 230 per outingThe Sermermiut trail to the Ilulissat Icefjord is free and is the best free view in the Arctic. An iceberg boat trip from Ilulissat costs US$125 to 170. A day trip to the ice sheet from Kangerlussuaq runs US$160 to 230. Helicopter flights start above US$500. The Greenland National Museum in Nuuk charges about US$8 to 12.
MiscellaneousUS$10 to 25 per dayA pint of beer in a bar costs US$9 to 12. Mobile data from Tusass is priced well above European rates, so expect US$15 to 30 for a small prepaid package. Stove gas, laundry and a few souvenirs push the total up further.
Total Daily BudgetUS$150 to 250A camping, self-catering day in Sisimiut can come in near US$80 to 100. A dorm night, one paid boat trip and a café meal in Ilulissat lands at US$250 or more. Count domestic flights and ferries as separate trip costs.
The biggest saving you can make is planning your route around one or two towns. Each extra town adds a ferry or flight that can cost more than a week of dorm beds. If you bring a tent, a stove and dehydrated meals from home, your spending falls closer to what you’d pay in Iceland than to Greenland’s hotel-and-tour prices.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutGreenland Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (154 pages) contains:
✅ 33 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
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✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
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✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
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🛏️ Where to stay?Areas travelers tend to prefer

Greenland has only a handful of true hostels, so budget accommodation here mostly means dorm beds, simple guesthouses, seamen’s homes and campsites, with a dorm bed typically costing DKK 350 to 600 (about US$50 to 85) a night. In Nuuk, staying in Nuuk Centrum puts you within walking distance of the old colonial harbor, the museums and the town’s few bars, while Nuussuaq and Qinngorput are quieter residential districts, mostly private rooms and apartment rentals, where you need the bus to reach anything. Elsewhere, budget beds in Ilulissat cluster in the compact center near the harbor and the Icefjord … read more 👉
Greenland has only a handful of true hostels, so budget accommodation here mostly means dorm beds, simple guesthouses, seamen’s homes and campsites, with a dorm bed typically costing DKK 350 to 600 (about US$50 to 85) a night. In Nuuk, staying in Nuuk Centrum puts you within walking distance of the old colonial harbor, the museums and the town’s few bars, while Nuussuaq and Qinngorput are quieter residential districts, mostly private rooms and apartment rentals, where you need the bus to reach anything. Elsewhere, budget beds in Ilulissat cluster in the compact center near the harbor and the Icefjord trails, and Kangerlussuaq has basic lodging right by the airport, handy for connecting flights but with almost no nightlife; safety is rarely a concern in any of these areas.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Greenland


Best quality hotels in Greenland

🚌 Getting aroundTransportation options and logistics

Backpacking Greenland means flying, because no roads connect any two towns: a typical hop such as Nuuk to Ilulissat is roughly 1.5 hours on a twin-prop plane and costs about DKK 2,000 to 4,500 (US$290 to 650) one way. Your day is shaped by weather more than by the timetable, so expect a small terminal, a coffee machine, and a fog bank that decides when you leave.
  • Air Greenland domestic flights: Fares run DKK 1,500 to 5,000 (US$215 to 720) depending on route and how early you book; most legs last
… read more 👉
Backpacking Greenland means flying, because no roads connect any two towns: a typical hop such as Nuuk to Ilulissat is roughly 1.5 hours on a twin-prop plane and costs about DKK 2,000 to 4,500 (US$290 to 650) one way. Your day is shaped by weather more than by the timetable, so expect a small terminal, a coffee machine, and a fog bank that decides when you leave.
  • Air Greenland domestic flights: Fares run DKK 1,500 to 5,000 (US$215 to 720) depending on route and how early you book; most legs last 45 minutes to 2 hours. Seats on the Dash 8 are narrow and the cabin hums loud enough to drown out conversation. Book on the Air Greenland website, where cheaper fares appear months ahead. Delays of a day are normal, so never schedule a tight connection to your international flight. In return you get a window full of ice sheet, meltwater rivers and calving glaciers.
  • Arctic Umiaq Line coastal ferry: The Sarfaq Ittuk sails the west coast between Qaqortoq and Ilulissat, mainly from spring to autumn, with Nuuk to Ilulissat taking about two days. Deck and couchette tickets cost roughly DKK 1,500 to 3,500 (US$215 to 500), cabins more; book on the operator’s website. Bring your own food, since the cafeteria is pricey. You trade speed for diesel thrum, salt wind on deck and humpbacks surfacing beside the hull.
  • Disko Line and regional boats: Small passenger boats link towns and settlements in Disko Bay and South Greenland, typically DKK 300 to 1,000 (US$45 to 145) and 1 to 4 hours per leg. Book online or at the harbor office, and dress for open-deck spray at freezing temperatures. You weave between icebergs the size of apartment blocks.
  • Helicopters: Some settlements, such as Tasiilaq from Kulusuk, are served by helicopter in about 10 minutes for roughly DKK 700 to 1,200 (US$100 to 175). Luggage limits are strict and bookings go through Air Greenland. In winter, sea ice and snow can make it the only option, and the low flight over fjords is a sightseeing tour at ticket price.
  • Arctic Circle Trail: The free way between two towns is walking the roughly 160 km from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut in 7 to 10 days, with unstaffed huts along the route. Carry all your food and a mosquito head net for July. You earn total silence, crunching tundra and reindeer on the ridgelines.
To cross the country efficiently, build one buffer day before every international departure and string your flights through a single hub, because weather cancellations ripple through the whole network.
Nuuk Airport (GOH) in Greenland sits about 4 km (2.5 miles) northeast of the city center, and the cheapest reliable way in is the Nuup Bussii city bus.
  • Nuup Bussii Route 3 (10 to 15 minutes, DKK 20 / about US$3) stops just outside the terminal and runs to the center, with payment in coins on board or through the Nuup Bussii ticket app; service runs on weekdays and thins out in the evening.
  • Taxi (about 10 minutes, roughly DKK 150 to 200 / US$22 to 29) waits at the rank outside arrivals when flights land, and drivers accept cards as well as Danish kroner.
  • Walking (45 to 60 minutes, free) follows the main road downhill into town on sidewalks, a fair option in summer daylight with a light pack but hard going with luggage in snow or wind.
Greenland has no ride-hailing apps, so if your flight lands late, ask your accommodation to book a taxi for you in advance, because only a few cars meet the last arrivals.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: low)Staying safe while traveling

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Greenland is one of the safer destinations for solo travelers, with very low rates of crime against visitors and theft rarely a concern. Women traveling alone generally report few problems, though alcohol-related trouble does occur in towns on weekend nights, so avoid intoxicated groups after dark and take a taxi if you’re out late. Greenland is open toward LGBTQ+ travelers: same-sex marriage has been legal since 2016, Nuuk holds an annual Pride, and openly gay visitors rarely face hostility, although small settlements are more conservative. The biggest risks are weather, cold water and remote terrain, so register longer hikes and never go onto sea ice or glaciers without a guide.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
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✈️ VisaVisa requirements for Greenland

Citizens of the EU, the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and other countries that are visa-exempt for the Schengen Area generally do not need a visa for Greenland for stays up to 90 days, while Nordic citizens can enter without a passport. Greenland is not part of Schengen, so travelers who need a visa must apply through the Danish authorities (via a Danish embassy or consulate) for a visa specifically valid for Greenland, since an ordinary Schengen visa does not cover it. Check requirements well before departure, as processing can take several weeks.

source: nyidanmark.dk
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?What to wear and bring

Packing for Greenland is all about layers, because even in July a sunny 15°C can drop to near freezing when the wind comes off the ice sheet or a fog bank rolls in. Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support matter more than anything else, since trails are rocky, boggy and often unmarked. Bring a mosquito head net if you’re visiting from late June to August, and a sleep mask for the midnight sun. Food and gear are expensive and selection is thin outside Nuuk, so arrive with what you need rather than planning to buy it locally. Dress is casual everywhere, so leave the smart clothes at home and give that space to warm, quick-drying layers.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

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🙋 FAQFrequently asked questions

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Greenland can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Greenland itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are required to enter Greenland. Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date (measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio and seasonal flu), and consider hepatitis A if you plan to eat traditional foods in settlements. Rabies is present in Arctic foxes and some sled dogs, so a pre-exposure rabies vaccine is worth discussing with a travel clinic if you’ll be hiking remote areas or handling animals.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Greenland, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

In Greenland, always ask before photographing people, especially hunters, children and anyone at work, and never photograph a dead animal being butchered without permission. Hunting seals, whales and musk ox is central to Inuit livelihoods, so keep criticism to yourself and remember that some products, like sealskin, may be banned from import in your home country. If you’re invited to a kaffemik (an open-house coffee celebration), drop by, eat a little, stay a short while and move on so others can take your seat. Take your shoes off when entering homes, and never approach or pet sled dogs, which are working animals and can bite. Respect the strict alcohol sales hours, avoid heavy drinking in public, and leave no trace on the land. Women and LGBTQ+ travelers can dress and behave as they would in Scandinavia, with a bit more modesty in small settlements.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Greenland.
  1. Suaasat: Greenland’s national dish, a thick soup of seal, whale, reindeer or seabird simmered with onion, potato and rice or barley. It’s served at family gatherings and celebrations and is the meal most locals name first.
  2. Mattak: Raw whale skin with a layer of blubber, usually from narwhal or beluga, cut into cubes and chewed slowly. It’s rich in vitamin C and has kept Inuit communities healthy for centuries without fresh vegetables.
  3. Musk ox: Lean, dark meat with a mild gamey taste, served as steaks, burgers or slow-cooked stew, especially around Kangerlussuaq. It’s the most approachable local meat for first-timers.
  4. Reindeer (caribou): Hunted in late summer and autumn, eaten roasted, dried or in soup. Hunting season is a major family event, and the meat shows up at almost every kaffemik table.
  5. Dried fish (panertut and ammassat): Wind-dried halibut, cod or capelin, often eaten as a snack with a smear of seal or whale blubber. Racks of drying fish outside houses are a common sight across the coast.
  6. Kiviaq: Little auks fermented for months inside a sealed sealskin, traditionally eaten in winter in North Greenland. It’s a celebration food with a pungent, cheese-like taste and a rare find for visitors.
Tap water in Greenland is safe to drink and among the cleanest you’ll find, sourced from lakes and meltwater and treated before distribution, and locals drink it without a second thought. Tourists can fill their bottles from any tap in towns, so bottled water is an unnecessary expense. On remote hikes, filter or treat stream water, especially near settlements or areas with grazing animals.
The main language in Greenland is Greenlandic. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Greenlandic skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Greenland includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

Get your local basic phrases 👉

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English in Greenland is widely understood in Nuuk and tourist hubs like Ilulissat, where hotel staff, tour guides and most younger people speak it well. In hostels and among under-35s you’ll rarely struggle, but older residents and people in small settlements often speak only Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) and Danish. Danish is the second language that helps most, especially in shops, offices and on signs. Learn qujanaq (thank you) and download an offline translation app with Danish, which covers most printed information.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Greenland is DKK (kr).
Greenland uses the Danish krone (DKK), and ATMs from local banks are easy to find in Nuuk, Ilulissat, Sisimiut and other towns, though small settlements may have none at all. Bank ATMs usually charge no local fee, but your home bank’s foreign transaction and withdrawal fees still apply, so a fee-free travel card saves real money here. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in most hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and tour offices in towns, while small settlement shops, fishermen selling at harbor markets and some taxis may prefer cash or the Danish payment app MobilePay. US dollars and euros are not accepted for everyday payments, so bring a card and withdraw kroner rather than carrying foreign cash. If you do need to exchange money, do it at a bank in a main town or in Denmark before you fly, and carry enough cash before heading to remote settlements.
Tipping is not expected in Greenland, because service charges are included in restaurant, hotel and taxi prices. Rounding up the bill or leaving around 5 to 10 percent for excellent service is appreciated, especially for guides on multi-day tours, but nobody will be offended if you don’t.

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We 💚 feedbackThe bottom line on traveling here

Greenland runs on patience and dry humor, and people in small towns are far more sociable than the quiet streets suggest. The best surprise is how often a short chat on a harbor bench turns into a tip about where the whales were feeding yesterday. The small warning is the bugs: in July the blackflies and mosquitoes on the tundra are relentless, and I’d never leave town without a head net. I’d also skip the urge to see every region in one trip. Pick one or two regions and go deep, spending your money on a single long boat journey or a stay in a small settlement instead of hopping between towns. Fewer moves means fewer weather gambles and far more time outdoors.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on in-depth research, insights shared by experienced travelers, and feedback from the local travel community in Greenland. While every effort is made to keep the information accurate and current, conditions can change — so if you spot anything incorrect or outdated, please get in touch.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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