Traveling to Greenland: What to expect, and what t...

Subsequent week, United Airways will wind down its first summer time providing nonstop flights to Greenland, ending (for now) the one nonstop hyperlink between North America and the Arctic territory.

However it’ll be again quickly: United has already stated it is returning to the capital city of Nuuk in 2026, doubling down on its push to serve more off-the-beaten-path destinations.

And bookings are already open, whether or not you are hoping to pay out of pocket or redeem MileagePlus miles — although you may possible endure some sticker shock, both method.

Nuuk is house to among the most dramatic surroundings I’ve encountered in my travels — an ideal house base for Greenland’s many climbing, fishing and iceberg-spotting alternatives.

Or, go for a real off-the-grid glamping expertise just like the one which landed me in a heated yurt overlooking an icy fjord earlier this summer time.

Learn extra: United Airlines connects the US to Greenland in historic new nonstop flight

“As an alternative of highways, we have now hikes. And as an alternative of quick meals, we have now meals that strikes quick earlier than you catch it,” Greenland enterprise minister Naaja Nathanielsen stated in June, shortly after United’s first flight arrived.

This is what to anticipate if you happen to’re contemplating or planning a visit to Greenland subsequent summer time.

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It is truly solely a four-hour trek, give or take, from United’s Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) hub.

Airfare and award pricing

Be warned: Fares for this epic vacation spot are steep.

Spherical-trip tickets in June begin at $1,100 for a primary economic system ticket, and greater than a whopping $4,600 for a premium seat. Whereas United hasn’t introduced precise dates for 2026, the 2025 season ran between mid-June and late September — so you’ve gotten a few three-month window to journey.

Alternatively, you may e book an award flight for 40,000 miles in coach — or a hefty 180,000 miles in premium economic system — every method.

United operates its Greenland route with a narrow-body, 166-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8, a airplane widespread in your common home flight.

The plane consists of 54 extra-legroom Financial system Plus seats and 16 first-class recliners within the entrance cabin, which, for this route, will get United’s long-haul Premium Plus (premium economic system) branding.

If you do not have sufficient United miles in your account, needless to say you’ll be able to switch factors at a 1:1 ratio from Chase Ultimate Rewards or examine associate redemptions by means of its Star Alliance companions, like Singapore Airways and Air Canada.

Learn extra: Best United Airlines credit cards

Lodges and lodging

Earlier than finalizing any nonrefundable flights, be sure to have lodging locked down.

Most vacationers to Greenland who aren’t happening a cruise base themselves within the capital metropolis of Nuuk, minutes from the primary airport.

Whereas there are each accommodations and short-term leases (like Airbnb) accessible within the metropolis, capability can positively get tight; I actually had issue discovering an open room once I went final June, as did quite a few different vacationers I spoke with.

It is a actuality of the latest tourism inflow to a vacation spot that hasn’t beforehand welcomed guests in droves.

“The infrastructure is sort of fragile, in that sense,” Tanny Por, head of worldwide relations at Go to Greenland, acknowledged, whereas emphasizing that “There’s [enough] capability in Nuuk.”

Do not anticipate factors accommodations from Marriott, or the luxurious of a Park Hyatt, both. You may discover smaller, impartial properties just like the Resort Hans Egede, positioned alongside the primary stretch of downtown Nuuk.

The lodge additionally presents apartment-style lodging just a few blocks away on the Nuuk Resort Residences by Resort Hans Egede — like my spacious one-bedroom, one-bath flat that had the texture (and the facilities) of your run-of-the-mill Airbnb. Costs began at round $190 per evening.

The lodge can be affiliated with the newer, extra budget-friendly HHE Specific property close by, which I might evaluate to a Hyatt Place or Hilton Backyard Inn.

I might additionally suggest checking lodging by means of credit score card-branded journey platforms like American Express Travel and Chase Travel℠.

You may wish to e book a room with blackout curtains. The solar barely units in Nuuk in the course of the summer time months, typically getting solely as darkish as twilight. For instance, here is the view from my condo balcony at 1 a.m. on the evening I arrived.

What to anticipate arriving in Nuuk

Though it’s going to be summer time, I might counsel placing on that heavy sweatshirt or coat as quickly as you contact down at Nuuk Worldwide Airport (GOH).

Regardless of leaving the heat of New York Metropolis’s summer time, you may arrive at a vacation spot the place temperatures could also be only some levels above freezing.

And you may hit that chilly air as quickly as you deplane down the airstairs.

Airport and floor transportation

The airport terminal is brand-new, as is the runway. Each opened final November, setting the stage for brand spanking new worldwide flights, which embody new service on each United and Scandinavian Airways, which additionally launched in 2025 from Copenhagen.

This summer time wasn’t with out some rising pains on the airport; at one level, a priority over safety personnel coaching led to a halt in international flights.

However the amenities are actually a step ahead for Greenland.

“It is a huge alternative that opens numerous choices,” Greenland Airports CEO Jens Lauridsen informed me in June.

Inside, it is a tiny terminal with only a small customs space, a store for necessities and a espresso store.

Stepping exterior, you may instantly see Greenland’s rocky terrain. Whereas there are not any ride-hailing companies right here, you may discover loads of taxis, which typically settle for bank card funds for the brief, 10-minute journey to the Nuuk metropolis middle.

Downtown Nuuk

Nuuk is by far the most important metropolis in Greenland. It is maybe most recognizable for the multicolored homes that dot its shoreline.

With a inhabitants of lower than 20,000, Nuuk is hardly a booming metropolis. On days when the fog and clouds filter, you’ll be able to get pleasure from gorgeous mountain and water views whereas strolling the city, which has quite a lot of eating places and retailers.

On a couple of event, I warmed up with a cup of espresso and lunch at Cafe Esmerelda, a block or two from my condo.

I additionally dined at Nivi, a contemporary tapas restaurant downtown. Owing to the town’s coastal location, there may be additionally a bevy of seafood-focused spots.

Pondering of cooking? Down by the water, the Kalaaliaraq Market is a well-liked spot to choose up freshly caught fish.

There’s additionally a grocery retailer alongside the primary avenue, the place I grabbed some bottled water and snacks.

Just like the taxis, almost each restaurant and retailer I visited accepted bank cards. If you happen to do pay money, the native forex is the Danish krone, owing to Greenland’s place within the Kingdom of Denmark.

I discovered the pricing to be just about on par with what you’d pay at house: $35 for a solo sit-down dinner, $29 for a full-service lunch and $24 for a taxi journey from city to the airport.

Getting round

Suffice to say, do not anticipate to hire a automobile or head out on a street journey. If you happen to’re hoping to enterprise far exterior Nuuk, you may virtually actually be on a ship or a airplane.

Extra on each in a second.

What to do in Greenland

In launching Greenland flights, United was clear on who it thought the vacation spot would enchantment to.

“The journey traveler,” stated Patrick Quayle, the airline’s prime community planner, who makes the ultimate choice on the place United flies.

“London, Rome, Paris, they’re at all times going to be common,” Quayle informed me on the bottom in Nuuk. “Our clients have been there so many occasions, they need one thing that is a bit totally different. And Greenland provides them an enormous distinction.”

That distinction is probably most obvious within the actions you’ll be able to select from throughout your journey to Greenland.

I began my first full day in Greenland with a three-hour hike ($93) on Quassussuaq Mountain simply exterior Nuuk, led by a information with the native firm Nuuk Water Taxi.

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Greenland. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

If you happen to’re climbing, deliver your most waterproof climbing boots. You may be trekking by means of snow, even in summer time!

Nuuk Water Taxi additionally presents a variety of maritime excursions, from a whale safari to an ice fjord cruise within the close by (and gorgeous) iceberg-laden Nuuk Fjord ($343).

Later in the summertime, you’ll be able to e book a ship tour ($140) to try to see the northern lights, which begin showing from about late August as soon as Nuuk truly begins to see true darkness at evening.

You’ll be able to spend the evening in a glass igloo at Inuk Hostel and take a dip in a scorching tub overlooking the water — earlier than retreating inside for a hearty bowl of fish soup.

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Overlooking the water in Nuuk, Greenland. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Or, be part of Inuk Journey (as I did) on a utility terrain automobile tour of the town’s prime landmarks.

Headlining my journey: a two-hour boat journey deep into Nuuk Fjord for an epic one-night keep at Camp Kangiusaq, a 15-tent glamping website on a hillside overlooking the water.

Every of the heated tents has a cot and an outlet for charging an digital system — although chances are you’ll not want it, for the reason that campground is devoid of Wi-Fi or a mobile sign, which implies it is a true digital detox expertise.

You’ll be able to go for a hike with a GPS tracker (for security), kayak or paddleboard across the icebergs, or get pleasure from a beverage in your dock overlooking the fjord.

Charges begin at $625 for a one-night keep.

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Tent at Camp Kangiusaq in Greenland. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Much more adventurous vacationers can e book day journeys by air or water to see Greenland’s ice sheet, the most important on this planet, which covers a majority of the landmass.

Simply be ready with backup lodging and provides if you happen to’re going far out of city, tourism leaders stress: “In Greenland, nature is the one which [calls] the pictures typically, so I believe [tourists should be prepared] for that uncertainty,” Por stated. “It’s good to do analysis. I might say that is one of the best recommendation.”