Northern Greenland Travel Guide
It can be difficult to get an overview of North Greenland from the Disko Bay in the central west to the extreme polar north.
Along with a coastline stretching thousands of miles, small societies manage to live, based on hunting and fishing.
Ilulissat Icefjord
This ice fjord, one of the northernmost UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is a massive collection of icebergs that have calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier one by one and you will find the diversity of the icebergs incredible. This gallery of enormous ice sculptures is a spectacular sight.
You can explore thousands of icebergs from air, water, or land at the Ilulissat Icefjord. Sermeq Kujalleq is one of the fastest (19 m per day) and most active glaciers in the World.
Qeqertarsuaq
Qeqertarsuaq and the island’s summer dog sledging on the Lyngmark Glacier, to the many whales and birds in the bay, to the constant flow of massive icebergs from one of the world’s fastest flowing glaciers, this is a concentrated slice of Greenland.
Upernavik
Further north, the Uummannaq archipelago and kayaking adventures in Upernavik open up a remote world of experiences culminating at the top of Greenland in the small town of Qaanaaq, where subsistence hunting is a way of life.
Midnight Sun
Ice looks best during the ‘golden hour’, also named The Midnight Sun. After dinner late in the evening, tour operators offer midnight cruise in the Ilulissat Icefjord and marvel at how the icebergs change from white and blue to shades of orange and red, when struck by the midnight sun. The season for Midnight Sun is between May and August.
Climate Changes
You will find, there is more to the Ilulissat Icefjord than its natural beauty. It tells a profound story of the planet’s history, and it is humbling in a time of climate change debate. Climate change becomes more of a hot topic each day.
The Ilulissat Icefjord and the Greenland Ice Cap that produces it are increasingly in the spotlight. The Greenlanders are thankful for the growing interest in an issue they lived with and adapt to constantly, but even more so, they are proud to be at the centre of important research with global implications.
Visiting the Ilulissat Icefjord is not only about seeing a large calving glacier or melting icebergs before it’s too late. It is a unique opportunity to be active in the climate change conversation here at ‘ground zero’ and to let your experiences in Greenland inspire your life back home.
