Sisimiut, with more than 5 500 inhabitants, is the second largest town in Greenland, with its own university, an important fishing port and a tourist centre.

The town is one of the main centres for winter dog sledding trips and in summer it is a centre for hiking with several short and long multi-day treks.

Find hotel prices in Sisimiut

Hiking - short treks and the famous ACT

Sisimiut is probably the best town in Greenland for hiking. Walking the surrounding hills can keep you busy for 3-4 days, which is unusual in Greenland. In most other towns, there are at most 1-2 hiking trails and you will depend on organized tours for the rest of your stay.

Multi-day treks

Greenland's most famous long-distance route, the Arctic Circle Trail, starts in Sisimiut.

Over 160 km long, the trail leads into the interior of Greenland and ends after about 7-10 days in the town of Kangerlussuaq.

Challenging day treks

There are 3 day treks in the immediate vicinity of the city that are quite challenging.

• The Assaquataq Trail - a beautiful but physically and technically demanding trek leads to the former and now abandoned settlement of Assaquataq on the shores of the fjord.
  • There are several climbing sections, but even hikers without climbing experience can do them (good physical fitness is necessary)
  • very steep sections
  • distance one way - 10,5 km
  • we recommend to use the one-way transfer boat that sails 3 times a week in the morning from Sisimiut to Assaquataq, you always walk back, the price is 88 eur and online booking is required: arcticexcursions.com/assaqutaq-trail-transfer
• UFO Trail - a beautiful trail through a photogenic valley to a tourist lodge resembling the shape of a flying saucer UFO
  • a few steep sections, but climbing experience is not necessary
  • distance there and back together - 23 km / day hike
• Nasaassaaq Trail - a physically challenging trail to the highest mountain above Sisimiut, 784m high Nasaassaaq
  • Very steep sections and several climbing sections, but climbing experience is not necessary
  • Distance there and back together - 14 km / full day hike

Challenging half-day treks

If you don't dare to do full day hikes, go for the very popular trek to Palasip Qaqqaa mountain with breathtaking views of Sisimiut and the local airport.

From the city centre to the top, the hike is 6km and even the less trained can complete it in about an hour and a half.

Intermediate and easy treks

You can also go on less demanding half-day treks.

• Oqummiannguaq Trail - a leisurely circular route around Dog Town and then through gently hilly countryside inland back to Sisimiut
  • total distance - 17 km
  • only slightly undulating terrain
• Kangerluarsunnguaq Trail - easy circular route through Dog Town and around the lake back to Sisimiut
  • total distance - 9 km
  • mostly flat terrain

Other summer activities

Apart from hiking, Sisimiut offers significantly fewer summer activities than, for example, the better known Ilulissat.

Still, you can make your stay here more special:

• Boat trips - whale watching - average prices from 120 eur
• ATV trips inland along the Arctic Cricle Trail - prices from 45 eur
• Book an activity here: arcticexcursions.com/location=sisimiut

Sisimiut in winter - dog sledding and snowmobiling

Sisimiut is one of the centres of winter hiking, as it is here that the largest base of dog sledding packs is located.

From Sisimiut, the longest winter trail used by both hikers and Greenlanders runs about 140 km and follows the summer Arctic Circle Trail to the inland town of Kangerlussuaq.

• Dog sledding
  • 2-hour ride - from 160 eur
  • 4-hour ride - from 280 eur
  • 6-hour ride - from 415 eur
  • complete multi-day trek to Kangerlussuaq (4-6 days) - from 1 500 eur
• Snowmobile ride
  • 1 hour - from 60 eur
  • full day riding in the Sisimiut area - from 170 eur

Where to stay and shop

Sisimiut doesn't have as large a concentration of accommodation as, say, Ilulissat or the capital Nuuk, but even here you can stay in two classic hotels with similar prices:

• Hotel SØMA Sisimiut ***
• Hotel Sisimiut ***

Slightly cheaper accommodation is offered by the tourist hostel Isi4u apartments, snowmobile and dogsled.

The town offers a very wide range of well-equipped supermarkets, the largest of which are Pisiffik and Brugseni, but there is also a SPAR.

How to get to Sisimiut

The town has its own airport , Sisimiut JHS, and is only served by Air Greenland direct flights from Nuuk. There are also seasonal flights from Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq.

Sisimiut is also served by the Sarfaq Ittuk ferry, which connects all the major towns on the west coast of Greenland.

Details are described in the Transport chapter.

Search for flights to Sisimiut

What to see around

Discover all the places to see in Greenland.