The smallest capital in the world, at the mouth of a fjord system larger than some countries.
Nuuk holds about a third of Greenland’s population in a town of coloured houses between the sea and Sermitsiaq mountain. The new international runway means it can now be reached directly from Copenhagen, which has changed how a Greenland programme is built.
The Nuup Kangerlua fjord system behind the town runs more than a hundred kilometres inland to the ice sheet, with abandoned settlements, whale grounds and a glacier front at the head. The National Museum holds the Qilakitsoq mummies and is worth real time.
A small selection of hotels in Nuuk, comfortable without being luxurious, and we say so.
Boat trips into the fjord system, helicopter flightseeing, whale watching and Greenlandic cultural guiding.
Musk ox, snow crab and halibut treated seriously — Nuuk has the best kitchens in the country.
Direct flights from Copenhagen, with onward domestic connections north to Ilulissat and Disko Bay.
Full boat access to the fjord system, mildest weather and near-continuous light.
Aurora returning over the town, autumn colour on the tundra and fewer visitors.
Snow, aurora and a working Arctic capital. Sea ice conditions vary year to year.
June — August: Open Water. Full boat access to the fjord system, mildest weather and near-continuous light. September — October: Autumn. Aurora returning over the town, autumn colour on the tundra and fewer visitors. November — April: Winter. Snow, aurora and a working Arctic capital. Sea ice conditions vary year to year.
We suggest 2–3 nights. 3 nights: Nuuk based, with a full fjord boat day, cultural guiding and a helicopter flight over the ice. 7 nights: The capital paired with the icefjord in the north — with weather buffer days built in.
Nuuk (GOH) — direct from Copenhagen. Direct flights from Copenhagen, with onward domestic connections north to Ilulissat and Disko Bay.
Culture · Fjords · Access. The smallest capital in the world, at the mouth of a fjord system larger than some countries.