Tip
You can see icebergs all around Greenland, but one of the best places is probably Disko Bay. The best airport to fly to is Ilulissat.
You can easily get there directly from Reykjavik in Iceland or from Copenhagen in Denmark.
I recently visited Greenland with my son and I want to assure you that Greenland is a great destination for adventure-loving families. It’s such a wonderful place to visit for anyone who loves nature and appreciates natural wonders more than man-made entertainment.
In this article, you’ll find some inspiration for things to do when visiting Greenland with kids. In addition, we also share some experience-based tips and recommendations to make your Greenland vacation fun for the whole family.
“Greenland is a place where you can leave your busy schedules behind, truly disconnect, and spend some true quality time with your family.”
1. See the icebergs
Seeing icebergs is the highlight of any trip to Greenland. But even more so for children! Just imagine huge chunks of ice – some of which are larger than a cruise ship or an apartment building – floating around you.
Kids will love watching icebergs and I can guarantee you, they won’t tire of it. You can spend hours just looking at the ever-changing ice – different sizes, different shapes, and always on the move… You might even get lucky and see a calving or a rolling iceberg – it takes your breath away!
Icebergs are what makes traveling to Greenland so unique. They are always around you, but never the same, and so you never know how the place will look even an hour later… You go to sleep with one view and wake up in a completely new environment. For kids, it’s like traveling in a real wonderland!
When I asked my son what was the most special thing about Greenland, he said ‘Icebergs, of course. It’s something you don’t see anywhere else’.
2. Go whale watching
Tip
Many places in Greenland offer whale watching tours by boat. It’s the best way to get even closer to these amazing giants, and something that you should definitely do when visiting Greenland with kids!
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With 16 different species of whales living in the waters around Greenland, they are the easiest wildlife to spot. The best thing is that you can easily see whales from the shore in Greenland. Whale watching has never been easier!
Looking for whales is also a great way to keep your kids busy and entertained – you can try spotting whales every time you go for a walk, play on the beach, or take a boat ride.
Watching whales are some of our fondest memories from Greenland. We were lucky to see them so many times – from our hotel room window, from the restaurant terrace, when hiking, and also from an amazing black sand beach in Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island. In addition to the floating icebergs and whales, this beach was dotted with big chunks of ice – it’s the best natural playground for children!
3. Get off the beaten path
Tip
Don’t miss the Kuannit hike. It’s a family-friendly easy walk that takes about 3-4 hours at a leisurely pace. I suggest packing a picnic and making a day trip of it, especially if you are visiting with kids. My son loved climbing on the basalt columns and picking berries along the way. We took a thermos of tea and some cookies and spent quite some time watching whales from the shore. You can also pick some of the angelica plants that grow at the end of this hike and make some fresh angelica tea. Kids will love it!
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Traveling to Greenland is already off the beaten path, you might say, and you are absolutely right! But even in Greenland, there are more popular places and lesser-known, hidden gems that few tourists know about.
If you want to experience what Greenland is truly about, I really recommend including one or two destinations that are a bit more off the beaten path into your itinerary.
My top tip for families traveling to Greenland with kids is to visit Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island. It’s easy to reach by a 2-hour boat ride from Ilulissat (or a short helicopter flight in winter), there are good facilities and a nice hotel in town with a fantastic restaurant, yet it’s like a whole other world. Disko Island is completely different from any other place in Greenland!
Qeqertarsuaq, which literally means ‘the Big Island’, is the only town on Disko Island, which is the biggest island of Greenland, which – as you already know – is the biggest island in the world. Just telling your kids that they’ll be visiting the world’s biggest island’s biggest island named the Big Island, will get them excited!
Disko Island is volcanic in nature and it’s therefore very green. So, contrary to the popular belief that Greenland is all ice, there are actually green places in Greenland. A local legend says that Qeqertarsuaq actually belongs in South Greenland, but was pulled to the North by two seal hunters. A witch from Ilulissat spotted the lush green island and decided to keep it nearby – she cast a spell on it, stranding Qeqertarsuaq in Disko Bay, where it is today.
The area around Qeqertarsuaq is so beautiful that no words or pictures can do it justice. Black sand beaches, hot springs and green pastures with millions of wild flowers, a rocky coastline with basalt columns, waterfalls, and the Lyngmark Glacier towering high above the town – these are just a couple of the natural features that make Qeqertarsuaq truly unique.
4. Go hiking, biking, camping, kayaking, or fishing
Tip
You can take your kids hiking or fishing, or why not go camping for a couple of days. With bigger kids and teenagers you can also opt for a mountain biking or join a kayaking tour between the icebergs.
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Traveling to Greenland is largely about the outdoors, but it’s a common misconception that you have to be really adventurous in order to enjoy what Greenland has to offer.
Yes, you’ll need a little sense of adventure if you are planning to visit Greenland with kids and there are some really adventurous activities that you probably won’t be able to do with young children. But Greenland also has plenty of ‘soft adventures’ and some really fun activities that you can easily do with children as well.
What you can do in Greenland with your kids will depend mostly on their age and ability, but also on the destinations you choose to visit. The good news is that with so many outdoor activities available all over the country, Greenland is the best playground for adventure-loving families.
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