Tourist Attractions & Monuments Greenland

Timetable

While most of your visits will be outdoors, discovering Greenland's magnificent nature, some museums, craft workshops and institutes are well worth a visit during your stay. These are usually open (practically) every day during the high season, or by appointment. It's best to find out in advance, so you don't end up with a closed door. Public holidays include New Year's Day (December ^31st to January^1st ), Epiphany (January 6th), Easter, the Great Day of Prayer (variable date on a Friday in May or April), Labor Day (May^1st ), Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Bastille Day (June 21st) and Christmas (December 23rd to 26th).

To be booked

While you can always improvise on the spot, we strongly recommend booking your excursions in advance with local tour operators. Particularly during the high season, between June and early September, for the most popular excursions to tourist towns like Ilulissat.

Budget & Tips

While museums are generally inexpensive, activities are expensive: expect to pay around DKK 50 for a ticket and DKK 250 for a guided city tour. Prices are much higher, starting at 900 DKK for a boat or dog-sled excursion. A visit to a craft workshop or a hike is still a low-cost activity here. Tip: why not team up with a local to show you around, or ask a hunter or fisherman to take you with him!

Main events

While Greenland offers an abundance of outdoor activities, there are some that are not to be missed, depending on the season: take a boat or kayak out to discover icebergs or a glacier, or even whales; go on a dogsledding excursion; discover Inuit culture during a Kaffemik, a visit to a handicraft workshop or a traditional drum dance or singing performance... not forgetting the magnificent Northern Lights, which can be seen as early as September when night falls again! One of the country's biggest events is the National Day, celebrated with great pomp and ceremony on June 21, the summer solstice.

Guided tours

Guided tours on foot, or even by minibus, are organized by tour operators in the most visited towns, such as Nuuk, Ilulissat or Sisimiut. These tours generally show you the town as a whole, with its main tourist attractions (historic buildings, museums, churches, craft workshops, panoramic views, places where dogs live...). Some tour operators also offer kaffemiks to discover the local population and traditions, particularly culinary.

A host of other types of guided tours are available in Greenland, ranging from classic glacier- and whale-watching boat trips to traditional kayak outings, airplane flights over the ice cap and dog-sledding expeditions. More unusual escorted tours are offered in certain regions, such as ice diving in the east or extreme rock climbing in the south. More details in the cities later in the guide. In any case, the island is a fantastic playground for all outdoor activities! And most of them can be accompanied by a guide.