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What to do in Greenland

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David Eiselt updated 12. 06. 2025
Greenland dog sledding

While Greenland may at first glance seem like an inhospitable country with a monotonous icy sleeping landscape, you'll actually find that the country offers a plethora of activities.

As Greenland is the least populated part of the world, most activities are associated with natural beauty and wilderness excursions.

Due to the very specific Arctic climate, all activities are divided into summer and winter.

Count on the fact that during spring and autumn the vast majority of activities are not available - there is not yet enough snow for winter adventures, and there is also enough snow lying around to prevent summer excursions.

Where to book trips?

In Greenland, it is very easy to find and book virtually all available activities and organised trips through Arcitc Exursions, part of the Air Greenland group.

On arcticexcursions.com you can easily find all available trips by date and location.

In addition, you can see the specific operator for each trip and check whether it will take place.

Some tours have a minimum number of participants and if not enough people book the activity for the date, the tour will not take place.

In this case, you must email Arctic Excursions directly to request a refund. In our case, two tours did not take place this way and we had our money back in our account the very next day.

Summer activities

The main summer season in Greenland runs from mid-June to mid-September.

However, some trips and activities are available from the beginning of June until the end of September or the first week of October.

Hiking

One of the few things you can do for free in Greenland is hiking in the mountains and along the magical fjords with their ice floes.

There are several hiking centres in Greenland where you can have fun walking for more than 1 day.

Hiking in Greenland
Hiking in Greenland

Sisimiut

The second largest city in Greenland is known for its large number of hiking trails - you can have fun walking here for more than 4 full days.

Detailed information about the different routes is described in the Sisimiut hiking guide.

Ilulissat

The most visited town in Greenland is famous for its glacial fjord, along which several short and relaxing trails run.

In addition, Ilulissat also has one full-day route to the settlement of Oqaatsut.

Detailed information about each route is described in the Ilulissat guidebook.

Narsaq and Narsarsuaq

The fabulous region of southern Greenland is known for its landscapes of green meadows, deep fjords with extremely steep mountains and several mostly longer hiking trails.

Detailed information about the different routes is described in the Narsaq guidebook.

Tasiilaq

East Greenland's largest tourist centre attracts visitors with multi-day hikes and unspoilt nature of rugged fjords and mountains.

Tasiilaq is even less touristy than the better-known Sisimiut and Arcitc Circle Trail, making it popular with hikers seeking absolute isolation in nature.

Detailed information about each trail is described in the Tasiilaq guidebook.

Boat trips

Greenland has no roads outside of the cities, so apart from walking, the only other option for excursions is by boat.

There is always at least one agency offering boat trips in all major towns and tourist centres.

  • The usual price for boat trips of 2-3 hours is between 90 eur and 120 eur
  • longer trips of 4-7 hours usually cost between 200 eur and 350 eur

Where do we recommend to go for boat trips?

Sightseeing cruise
Sightseeing cruise

Whale watching

Greenland is one of the best destinations for whale watching of many different species in the whole of northern Europe.

Especially on the west coast between around the towns of Nuuk, Maniitsoq, Sisimiut, Aasiaat and partly also Disko Bay (Ilulissat) is the best chance to see a whale.

Whales are also found around Kulusuk and Tasiilaq on the east coast, but less frequently than on the west.

Prices and locations of whale watching trips

All trips can be booked through arcticexcursions.com/whale-safari.

The lowest prices for a 3-hour "whale safari" are around 120 eur and are usually available from Ilulissat, where there is the most competition among tour operators.

Other places where boats depart from are Nuuk, Uummannaq or Sisimiut. Prices here range between 140 eur and 220 eur.

When is whale watching season?

Whales appear in the waters around Greenland mainly during the summer, especially from mid-June to early September.

Some agencies organise whale watching cruises as early as late May, but the chances of seeing whales then are relatively slim.

Whale tail
Whale tail

Sightseeing flights

If there's any destination worth taking an expensive sightseeing flight by helicopter or plane, it's definitely Greenland.

The views of glaciers, fjords, mountains and seas dotted with ice floes are definitely worth the money.

The most popular helicopter sightseeing flight is the Kangia Classic Helicopter Tour organised in Ilullisat. It is described in detail in a separate guide to Ilulissat,

Prices for helicopter or airplane flights are around 350 eur for 1.5 hours, and in addition to Ilulissat, there are occasional flights in Nuuk or Sisimiut.

All available air tours can be found and booked at arcticexcursions.com/type=flightseeing.

Winter activities

The main winter season in Greenland runs from December to the end of March.

However, many winter activities, especially in more northerly locations such as Ilulissat, take place from the end of October.

Find out prices for flights to Greenland during winter

Dog sledding

Travelling by dog-drawn sledge is one of the Greenlanders' historic means of transport, and in many places this mode of transport is still used for the routine transport of goods.

Dog sledding is an inherent cultural heritage of Greenland and, along with the growing tourism industry, one of the most popular winter activities.

In many places, you can pay for a dog sledding trip for a few hours or even a few days' wandering through the Greenland wilderness.

Prices and locations

Our tips

The dog-drawn sleigh ride is a bit wild, and considerably uncomfortable, but it is an extraordinary and unique experience that can't be done in many places in the world.

You will always receive detailed instruction on how to behave on the sledge and how to treat the dogs themselves. They are working animals and not pets, but during the winter they are maximally entertained by the work and are certainly no danger to humans.

Always ride on a sled with an experienced musher.

Definitely bring older clothes or at least clothes that you won't mind getting irreversibly dirty.

Be prepared to be hit by dog poop several times during the trip.

Greenland dog sledding
Greenland dog sledding
Dog sledding
Dog sledding

Aurora viewing

It's common to see the Northern Lights in Greenland from late September to April, the months when it's darkest.

If the weather is just right and the skies are clear, there's a good chance you'll see the Aurora Borealis. It is also possible to see the Northern Lights in Nuuk, but their brightness will be very limited due to the many lights, so it is worth going to small settlements, especially in southern Greenland where there is a better chance of good weather.

For detailed information, tips on aurora forecast websites and more, see the more detailed article Aurora Borealis in Greenland.

Snowmobiling

Step out of history and into the present day and swap dog sledding for an adrenaline-pumping snowmobile ride.

In our experience, we don't know of any official snowmobile hire companies directly, all trips are always with a driver.

Snowmobiles are the main means of transport during the winter outside the capital city of Nuuk, and in some towns they also function as taxis.

But if you want a real adrenaline rush, pay for a longer trip into the wilderness.

Prices and locations

  • Ilulissat - the largest range of short trips lasting up to 3 hours
  • Sisimiut - the dog sledding capital of Greenland with the widest range of short trips and multi-day tours along the Arctic Circle Trail
  • Tasiilaq - a remote area of East Greenland offering mainly multi-day trips

Spring and autumn activities

When planning a trip to Greenland, be mindful of the transition between seasons.

This is because during spring and autumn, the vast majority of activities, organised trips and self-guided hikes are not possible due to inclement weather.

The worst months are when there is not enough snow for winter activities, but at the same time there is snow making summer activities impossible.

Therefore, ideally avoid travelling to Greenland in April, the first half of May and October.

Share your experiences

Have you been to Greenland and done any of the above activities? Which agency did you book your trip with?

Do you have any tips for other activities? Share with travelers from around the world in the comments section!

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