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Meeting Locals in Greenland

Modern Greenland is a diverse, geographically extensive society with an adventurous population.

A RELAXED AND UNPRETENTIOUS PEOPLE

There is a certain lightheartedness to how we approach life here in Greenland. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We understand how problems, big and small, need to be solved with whatever is available, and we prefer to understate dramas and events instead of making a big fuss about them.

We are often called hospitable, cheerful, and kind, but even if such universal traits will shape your experience of locals in Greenland, we might be better characterized as adaptable, full of wanderlust, and culturally diverse.

“I visited a school in Ilulissat and met the teachers and a 2nd year class sang a song for me in Greenlandic, Danish, and English. The teacher of the class gave me a necklace she had carved from reindeer antler, and it is one of my favorite possessions!”

Package Tours

Greenland Tours: Hearts of the Inuit

Greenland Tours

Hearts of the Inuit

6 days during winter in Disko Bay with Inuit settlement visit

FROM €1,365
Blue Ice Explorer – Towns & settlements 8 days

Blue Ice Explorer

Towns & settlements 8 days

Explore the 2 towns of Narsaq and Qaqortoq together with the delightful calmness, warmth and undisturbed paradise of the village of Igaliku.

FROM €953
Blue Ice Explorer: Traditional kayak experience – 1 day

Blue Ice Explorer

Traditional kayak experience - 1 day

Explore the old inuit culture by paddling in a kayak built using the traditional, greenlandic methods.

FROM €180
Blue Ice Explorer: Plan your own holiday in Greenland

Blue Ice Explorer

Plan your own holiday in Greenland

Are you dreaming of going to Greenland and would you prefer to plan your own trip?

FROM €24
Show More

A WELL-ADAPTED, DIVERSE NATION

Scattered on a coastline as long as most of Europe we are fewer people than will fit into your average medium sized soccer field, and our spacious society is so deeply connected with the vagaries of nature that we have nothing but a shrug to give when weather forces us to change plans or wait for days on end.

We are urban in the country’s large towns, we are entrepreneurs, we are fishermen and hunters, and we love the outdoors and life at sea and in the mountains. We flock to every new café serving even just fairly decent coffee, paradoxically we might be the most ice-cream people in the world, we are exceptionally fond of swimming despite a clear lack of ability in the majority of the population, and most of us are familiar with an everyday rhythm of life that one moment sees us working in an office and minutes later we’re standing in a small open boat heading for adventure in the nearest fjord.

THE GRAND IS A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE

We have a tendency to forget how obvious the drama becomes when you combine the climate and geography of Greenland, and sometimes that makes us slightly immune to the ever-present grandeur which you as a guest will probably notice before anything else.

And we can be almost careless in our mention of significant cultural and climatic events, as if the inherent powers of the land curb the need to use big words.

But conditions here are not inconceivably harsh and we live in neither peat houses nor igloos. Actually, in many ways we’re like any ordinary modern society. And it that sounds a bit bland we only have this to say: It is not! The climate, our cultural history, the flora, fauna, light, sounds, landscapes, language, and not least we as a people create a society that lends a unique edge to life in Greenland.

  • Greenland has approximately 56,000 inhabitants

  • The country is 82% ice cap with a small strip of inhabitable land along the shorelines

  • The land mass makes us the world’s 12th largest country, but at the same time we’re one of the sparsely populated places on the planet

  • We live in small towns and villages and no roads connect the individual settlements

  • Nuuk is one of the smallest capitals in the world with just 18,326 people (Statistics Greenland, 2020)

  • About 90% of the population is of Greenlandic descent, while the remaining 10% are immigrants, mostly from Denmark, but increasingly also from the rest of the world

  • The first language is Greenlandic, Danish is the official second language, and in the street you will even encounter Thai, Norwegian, Icelandic, Filipino, English, and other languages.

Infographic Kaffemik
DOWNLOAD

Infographic:
How to kaffemik

It might be the first day of school, a wedding, a birthday. A kaffemik is a celebration of life – and Greenlanders like to remind themselves that life is great! If you visit Greenland and stay for some time, chances are that you will be invited to a kaffemik.

Infographic Kaffemik coffee cup

Local providers

Red view from livingroom, Photo by Ilulissat Guesthouse

Ilulissat Guesthouse

Ilulissat, Qupaloraasuk 56,
3952,
Phone: +299 27 89 80More information
Frontal view of the Sisimiut Youth Hostel with mountain in the background. Photo by Sisimiut Youth Hostel, Visit Greenland

Sisimiut Youth Hostel

Sisimiut, Kaalikassap Aqq 25,
3911,
Phone: (+299) 522 514More information
siniffik inn 01

Siniffik Inn

Qaqortoq, Aaninngivit B 242,
3920,
Phone: (+299) 642 728More information

Skansen - Your Home

Qeqertarsuaq, Siorarsuit B 350,
3953,
Phone: (+299) 583 645More information
Frontal view of Sulisartut Højskoleat. Photo by Sulisartut Højskoleat, Visit Greenland

Sulisartut Højskoleat

Qaqortoq, Kamikoorfik B 1021,
3920,
Phone: (+299) 642 466More information
Tasermiut 3

Tasermiut South Greenland Expeditions

Qassiarsuk, B-873 Qassiarsuk
3923,
Phone: (+299) 522 822More information

Tasiusaq Kayak Hostel

Tasiusaq,
3921,
Phone: (+299) 665 010More information
The Red House, Photo by Ulrike Fischer2

The Red House

Tasiilaq, Napparngummut B 1025,
3913,
Phone: (+299) 981 650More information
Handmade figure. Visit Greenland

Tupilak Travel

Nuuk, Imaneq 18,
3900,
Phone: (+299) 313 218More information

Nuuk - Inn - Wellness

Nuuk, Noorlernut 15,
3900,
Phone: +299 55 06 33More information
Front view of Kulusuk Hostel in Winter. Photo by Icelandic Mountain Guides

Kulusuk Hostel

Kulusuk, B-1234
3915,
Phone: +299 25 03 31More information
A windy and cloudy day in Sisimiut in Greenland

Knud Rasmussen Folk High school

Sisimiut, Aqqusinersuaq 99,
2911,
Phone: (+299) 864 032More information
Woman sewing flower patterns onto kamik - a part of the Greenlandic national costume. Photo by Kittat Economusee

Kittat Economusée

Nuuk, Hans Egedesvej 29 B-45,
3900,
Phone: +299 36 63 98More information
Ilulissat in midnight sun, seen from the sea, by Iurie Belegurschi

Kangia Race

Ilulissat, B–
3952,
More information
Front view of Kangerlussuaq Youth Hostel. Photo by Kangerlussuaq Youth Hostel - Visit Greenland

Kangerlussuaq Youth Hostel

Kangerlussuaq, B-1756
3910,
Phone: +299 58 98 97More information
Photo by Albatros Adventure Marathons

The Polar Circle Marathon

Kangerlussuaq, Tøndergade 16,
3910,
More information
KangNu Race 01

KangNu Running Race

Nuuk, Kangerluarsunnguaq
3900,
Phone: +299 55 81 28More information
Outside bathtub at Isikkivik in Narsaq, South Greenland. Photo by Isikkivik

Isikkivik

Narsaq, Mestervej B-520,
3921,
Phone: +299 66 20 80More information
Inuk Hostels in Nuuk, with Sermitsiaq Mountain. Photo by Daniel Gurrola - Visit Greenland

Inuk Hostels

Nuuk, Qernertunnguit Kangerluat
3900,
Phone: +299 52 21 28More information
A field with straw bales at a farm in Qassiarsuk in South Greenland. Photo by Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

Illunnguujuk Hostel

Qassiarsuk, Postboks 21
3921,
Phone: +299 49 71 85More information
Hotel Avannaa in Ilulissat in Greenland. Photo by Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

Hotel Avannaa

Ilulissat, Box 142
3952,
Phone: +299 94 40 02More information
Hotel Arctic 11

Hotel Arctic

Ilulissat, Mittarfimmut Aqq. B1128,
1501,
Phone: (+299) 944 153More information
Woman mask dancing on a sunny day in Aasiaat. Photo by Honest Greenland - Visit Greenland

Honest Greenland

Aasiaat, Qimmeqarfik 60,
3950,
Phone: +299 27 77 90More information
Greenland Travel 01

Greenland Travel

Copenhagen, Wilders Plads 13 A,
1403,
Phone: +45 33 13 10 11More information
Beautiful sunset and view over Upernavik. Photo by John Kislov

Gina's Guesthouse

Upernavik, B902, Box 41
3962,
Phone: +299 23 58 22More information
A tour boat in front of an iceberg wall near Ilulissat in Greenland. By Mads Pihl

Disko Line

Ilulissat, Kussangajaannguaq 13,
3952,
Phone: +299 94 53 01More information
The harbour in Uummannaq in Greenland. Photo by Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

Cafémma

Uummannaq, B-799
3961,
Phone: +299 95 13 40More information
Saling vessel between icebergs in Greenland. Photo by Blue Ice Explorer, Visit Greenland.

Blue Ice Explorer

Narsarsuaq, Box 58
3923,
Phone: +299 66 54 99 / +299 49 73 71More information
Photo of the Bed & Breakfast from outside. Photo by Bed & Breakfast Paa and Jannik

Bed & Breakfast Paa and Jannik

Ilulissat, Alliit Aqq. 4B,
3952,
Phone: +299 54 54 86 / +299 22 86 96More information
Sarfaq Ittuk cruising in the Disko Bay outside Ilulissat ice fjord in Greenland. Visit Greenland

Arctic Umiaq Line

Nuuk, Aqqusinersuaq 48 A,
3900,
Phone: +299 34 91 90More information

World of Greenland

Ilulissat, Kussangajaannguaq 7,
3952,
Phone: (+299) 944 300More information

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Inuit Culture in Greenland A drum dancer performing in Nuuk on the National Day, June 21 in Greenland A museum guest at Tasiilaq Museum in East Greenland testing her kayaking skills on a practice log Museums
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