What to Expect When You Travel to Greenland: Discovering the Arctic’s Best-Kept Secret

If you’ve always wanted to travel to Greenland or are busy packing for your first ever visit, it’s difficult to envisage what this incredible country will look and feel like, whether you’re dreaming of seeing the Northern Lights in the depths of the Arctic winter or are planning whale watching and hiking during the midnight sun.

In reality, no two Greenland travel experiences are identical, because the world’s largest island offers massive diversity. It is packed with historic settlements, jaw-dropping landscapes, fascinating heritage sites, and a backdrop that changes dramatically between the seasons.

To help inspire your travel plans and ensure you’ve included all the best activities and excursions in your itinerary, we’ve shared some facts and secret stop-offs recommended by the team here at the Baltic Travel Company.

1. Greenlandic Husky Sledding Is Safe, Ethical and Valuable to the Local Economy

In many holiday destinations, guests are understandably reluctant to try activities involving animals, with concerns that animals used for rides are poorly treated. This should never be a consideration in Greenland, where visitors are encouraged to use local providers and husky sleds as much as they wish!

Huskies aren’t just for fun; they’re working dogs that are an integral part of modern-day life and the heritage of Inuit culture. There have been huge efforts to protect this unique breed, which is actually the Greenlandic sled dog rather than a husky, and the traditions it represents.

Tours are an amazing way for travellers visiting Greenland to fly over the snow-covered countryside in the winter, with expeditions widely available from destinations like Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq. There are also options to book Greenland Northern Lights chases, and opportunities to meet sled dogs and their mushers to learn about their special working relationship.

2. Seeing the East Greenland Fjords by Boat Is an Unforgettable Experience

We organise varied Greenland cruises and packages with boat trips, and our advice is to take to the water at least once if you’re heading to East Greenland. The perspective of seeing mountains soaring out of the water and reaching as high as a skyscraper is genuinely astonishing. You’ll find that:

• Scoresby Sund is the longest fjord system in the world and is big enough to accommodate migrating whales in the summer, look out for bowhead, minke and humpback whales!
• Smaller inflatable boats, called Zodiacs, are a brilliant way to explore the coastlines. They’re small enough to slip into hidden bays and inlets where you can see walruses sunbathing without another soul in sight.
• Stopping off along the islands is a must, with hiking routes to suit every level of experience. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to glimpse puffins, lemmings, Arctic foxes, musk oxen and even Arctic wolves in the distance.

Of course, these excursions are always led by an experienced guide, and we’d recommend asking them questions as they have an unrivalled knowledge of the local landscapes and can recommend wonderful spots for photography, picnics and views.

3. Greenland Offers Countless Remarkable Historical Sites

We often think of Greenland as a destination to see the Northern Lights, enjoy winter sports and hike during the summer, but it’s also a country with a deep and rich history that needs to be explored.

You might, for example, head to the Sermermiut Valley close to Ilulissat, which was an Inuit settlement for more than 4,000 years. Its ancient ruins and panoramic views over the Icefjord are unbelievable, and if you’re interested in history and culture, we’d also point out the following to include in your trip:

• Deltaterrasserne in Greenland National Park, an archaeological site that predates the Inuit culture. Its enormous stone terraces and artefacts discovered here have been dated to between 2000 and 1700 BC.
• Brattahlio, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Erik the Red lived. There is a replica Norse longhouse and a reconstructed church that is thought to be the first within the ‘New World’.
• Qoornoq Fishing Village, a now-abandoned town in the southwest, which has the remains of ancient Norse and Inuit buildings and was home to the Saqqaq people in 2200 BC.

Nuuk itself has some fantastic places to learn about Greenland’s history, particularly in Old Nuuk, where you can visit Nuuk Cathedral, the Greenland Cultural Centre, the National Museum, and the Nuuk Art Museum.

If you stop in at the Greenland National Museum, you’ll be able to see a morbid but historically important exhibit called the tomb of Qilakitsoq, featuring preserved mummies about 500 years old, which were only discovered in 1972.

4. There Are Superb Natural Hot Springs on Disko Island

One of the big surprises for many guests who expect Greenland to be entirely covered in ice is the discovery of hot springs on Disko Island near the Ilulissat Icefjord. Guests who love relaxing can also take a boat or a helicopter to Uunartoq Island, which has publicly accessible natural springs where they can soak in volcanic, mineral-rich water.

Sauna culture remains alive and well, and we’d recommend Qeqertarsuaq, which has well-appointed facilities with awesome views over Disko Bay and out towards the icebergs.

5. Greenlandic Summer Days Can Last for 24 Hours

The midnight sun might not be as much of a secret, but it’s still a strange and somewhat eerie experience to be travelling in the far north and find that the sun won’t set at all, which is the case from the end of May until the end of July!

Continual daylight means guests can explore hiking trails and enjoy sailing expeditions at any time that suits, with golden light that lends a magical, surreal sheen to the landscapes, especially beautiful for photographing whales, glaciers and icebergs.

6. Western Greenland Has Excellent Ski Resorts

Finally, it’s little known that there are some great ski resorts on Greenland’s west coast, which offer an alternative to the popular sports of husky sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice fishing. The larger slopes are found at Nuuk, which has two ski lifts that rise to 100 metres and 350 metres.

And, if you’re adventurous and want an experience you won’t find anywhere else in the world, you can try off-piste snowboarding and skiing in Maniitsoq, or even enter the Arctic Circle Race, an annual event in Sisimiut billed as the most challenging cross-country skiing race in the world!

To start planning your own Greenland adventure, get in touch with the Baltic Travel Company to start shaping a journey filled with unforgettable landscapes, culture and adventure.