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  • Three white sled dogs from Ilulissat in Greenland. By Andre Schoenherr

The Big Arctic Five – Five core things to do in Greenland

Greenland is one of the world’s great adventure destinations, and the Big Arctic Five highlights five core Arctic attractions with a unique Greenlandic touch.

Five experiences not to be missed whether you visit Greenland during the summer or winter months: Authentic dog sled rides, the uplifting magic of the northern lights, the splendour of the ice sheet and Greenland’s fascinating whales. To top if all off there’s the people of Greenland: pioneers; simultaneously ancient and modern. They look forward to welcoming you.

DOG SLEDDING

Dog sledding is at once a social, physical, and nature based experience drawing on centuries of development and refinement of an essential means of transportation in the Arctic.

Today’s dog sledding is a mix of everyday transportation and expedition style travel experience, and dog sled drivers are always locals with a distinct understanding of their natural environment and a deep connection with their dogs.

In the sled dog districts the dogs provide rhythm and work for their owners. For visitors, the sled dog grounds is a cultural experience filled with strange Arctic tools, friendly pups, and eager dogs waiting for the next ride.

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Northern lights bring a sense of connection with forces much greater than humans, and they give us a sense of scale when they dwarf entire towns under swirls of red, green, magenta and blue.

Northern lights are part of Greenland’s identity, and the phenomenon will even bring Greenlanders to a halt in the streets as we walk home from work or step outside on a clear night to enjoy the sky.

The northern lights are best experienced between September and April, and especially deeper into the winter when the nights are longer.

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Package Tours

Greenland by Topas – Dog Sledding, Igloo Lodge and Northern Lights in Ilulissat

Greenland by Topas

Dog Sledding and Northern Lights in Ilulissat

Sled dogs are in their element under the frosty sky, crackling snow and fluttering Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) of the Greenlandic winter. Overnight stay in Igloo Lodge.

FROM €2,275
Disko Line: Calving glaciers, whales and icebergs

Disko Line

Calving glaciers, whales and icebergs

Let the magnificent nature of Greenland get under your skin on boat trips in an extraordinary landscape of glaciers and icebergs.

FROM €1,477
Icelandic Mountain guides: From Sun Gate to Icefjord

Greenland Adventures by Icelandic Mountain Guides

From Sun Gate to Icefjord

This trip will instill peace and quiet in you as you take in the Greenland ice cap, a massive ice field, ancient and still.

FROM €2,100
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ICE & SNOW

The fact that 85% of Greenland is covered by an ice cap has a profound impact on climate, culture, everyday lives, and travel experiences throughout the country.

Take the world famous Ilulissat Icefjord as a core example of the importance of the ice. Icebergs are pushed right from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the waters of the Disko Bay, providing rich fishing grounds to sustain local communities and giving visitors unique access to a truly phenomenal natural environment.

Or consider how sea ice creates winter highways for dog sleds, snowfall creates water reservoirs, meltwater lakes act as power resources, and glaciers carve out the mountain ranges you hike through or fly over. The ice is everywhere in Greenland.

PIONEERING PEOPLE

We, the people, are at the core of your experience in Greenland. You will meet us through cultural experiences and in everyday life in towns and villages. We are your local backcountry guides and boat skippers, hunters and dog sled drivers. Everywhere you go the uniqueness of Greenland comes out through your meetings with the locals.

We call ourselves pioneers because waves of immigrants have adapted to the forces of nature and climate in the Arctic and shaped the modern Greenland. And even today we still have a habit of breaking new ground in the process of building a diverse nation on the foundations laid down by Inuit hunters, Norse settlers, Northern European traders, missionaries, explorers and many others.

WHALES

Whale watching is a progressive dialogue where the patient observer is rewarded with a visit from one of the most impressive animals of the sea. With binoculars trained at the surface, and while waves gently rock the quiet boat, the tension and anticipation builds up until someone suddenly shouts “Whale!”.

What follows might just be the spout, a raised back, or a tail whip before another stint of silence and eager waiting, but sometimes a whole pod of whales surface simultaneously or a playful young humpback whale breaches the surface in a seemingly impossible acrobatic trick – lifting its entire body clear of the water in a mighty jump. All those encounters leave people a little different, a little more aware of the wonders of life in the sea.

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By Visit Greenland

Behind Greenland's largest travel site is the Visit Greenland that is 100% owned by the Government of Greenland, who is responsible for marketing the country's adventures and opportunities for guests wishing to visit the world's largest island

http://visitgreenland.com

Editors' pick

Diving into the Nuuk fjord as the sun is setting. Photo by Peter Lindstrom - Visit Greenland

Editor’s tips for 2021

Greenland’s on your bucket list for the new year - or perhaps even the year after - but when is the best time to visit Greenland and what are useful things to know before going? What are things to do in Greenland in winter as opposed to summer?

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  • #Inuit Culture
  • #Ittoqqortoormiit
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  • #Whale Watching
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Disko Bay Steam in Ilulissat Ice Fjord. Photo - David Trood, Visit Greenland

Greenland vs Iceland: The Arctic Travel Battle

10 basic differences between Greenland and Iceland you should know before booking your vacation.

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A glacier hiker on the Greenland Ice Sheet kicking up ice on a sunny day near Kangerlussuaq. Photo by Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland.

8 Things You Can Only Find in Greenland and Nowhere Else

Here is a list of things that you can find ONLY in Greenland and nowhere else in the world.

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Arctic hare in Ittoqqortoormiit. Photo by Bo Normander.

Beautiful hike in Ittoqqortoormiit in East Greenland

A hike to the abandoned village of Uunarteq (Cape Tobin) offers incomparably beautiful Arctic nature, challenging terrain and close encounters with snow hares, eider ducks, sea urchins and, if you are lucky / unlucky, polar bears.

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Visit Greenland

About Visit Greenland

Behind Greenland's largest travel site is the Visit Greenland that is 100% owned by the Government of Greenland, who is responsible for marketing the country's adventures and opportunities for guests wishing to visit the world's largest island.

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