Greenlanders take much pride in their culture, which is still deeply entwined with nature despite an otherwise modern lifestyle. As a nation of pioneering people we have an uncanny ability to read the environment, and we always accept what it gives us. So when the summer months grant us the midnight sun, we take full advantage. We spend as much time outdoors as possible, letting the extra light give us a surplus charge in our batteries for the coming winter.
With daylight limitations a distant memory from the south, your own energy level and thirst for exploration are free to set the schedule. At the harbor, fishing boats file in one by one after a full day at sea. Watch as they return home with long shadows trailing in their wakes. Or push forward into the night on your outdoor adventure to see the mountains and sea cloaked in every shade of gold.
Tour operators are also keen to relish in the midnight sun in Greenland, and many offer nighttime excursions to admire the lovely sky. Indeed, one of the finest experiences north of the Arctic Circle is midnight sun sailing through waters spotted with ice. Whether you weave between the mammoth icebergs outside the Ilulissat glacier or navigate through pack ice off the northeast coast with an expedition ship, the sight of the midnight sun playing amongst the ridged and angled ice is an essential experience.
WHITE NIGHTS
The full midnight sun in Greenland is spectacular, but we will let you in on a little secret – its effects can actually be felt all over Greenland, so don’t fret if you cannot make it past the Arctic Circle this time. Even in Greenland’s southernmost towns like Qaqortoq and Nanortalik, there are nearly 20 hours between sunrise and sunset, and the nights are still quite light by typical standards.