FAQ before traveling to Greenland

When is the best time to travel to Greenland depends on what you want to experience. If it is to ride on a dogsled, see the northern lights, experience the close encounter with the whales or to sail on the passenger ship up along the Western coast of Greenland. Or hike on the tundra, or maybe see the very old ruins from when the Norsemen came to Greenland for the very first time.

We have collected frequently asked questions and answers here in this post, so hopefully you will get a better understanding of what to keep in mind before going. If you haven’t been able to find a good answer, then please do not hesitate to write us on info@ArcticFriend.dk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

When is the best time to travel to Greenland?
When is the best time to go to Greenland depends on a few things – do you like to experience winter or summer? It’s almost like two different worlds. If you ask a random Greenlander, then some will say that winter time is the best time a year, because it’s easy to get far into the backcountry on your dogsled or snowmobile. And yet again, then others will mention that summer time is the best part of the year due to the sun never sets, you can go outside in only a t-shirt if the sun is out. You can easily get around in your boat spending the weekend with your family in you cabin, where you can smoke or boil the fish you catch and throw it onto the rocks like they have always done – not because they throw away the fish, but because this is how you dine and you don’t have to do the dishes afterwards.

The short days during winter time with its long sunrises and sunsets, where you have the time to stay inside og enjoy some quiet time in the sofa is very different from summer time.

Our recommendation is to choose the time of the year, which is close at hand and go right away. Then you can always come back another time and experience the other part of Greenland. Both times a year are amazing.

When is the best time a year to see that northern light?
The most important thing to see the beautiful colors of northern light, is the lack of light. As long as the sun is out, you can obviously not see the northern light. It also means that you should try to get as far away from the artificial light from street lamps as possible. Our recommendation is to go from October to April. That’s when the sky is dancing most beautifully. You can often see this just by putting your head out of the window, but you will experience it even better if you go outside town. If you decide to visit a settlement, then this is the perfect place to be

You will be able to experience northern lights most places in Greenland, but there is research station in the settlement, Kangerlussuaq, where they do northern light research, so we assume that they are here for a reason – that this place is one of the better places to spot that northern light.  Kangerlussuaq has inland climate as one of the very few places in Greenland, where people live all year round, which makes the climate mores stable. This is also why the international airport is situated here and not by the sea.

When can you experience the midnight sun in Greenland?
Greenland is a rather big country being as long as the very north to the south of Europe. If you go north of the Arctic circle, then you will have the chance of seeing the midnight sun. In Ilulissat, which is situated about 300 km north of the Arctic circle, then the sun stops setting on the 20th May – 23rd July. But already by the end of April util late August, you will feel as this is actually the time a year where the sun never sets.

When can you go dogsledding in Greenland?
The winters in Greenland are as different as every season is different around the globe. In 2019 the first real snow came late December. In 2020 we had the first snow so we were able to drive the dog sled already in the beginning of October. That’s why you always say that you can do dogsledding in the Diskobay region from January to end of April. That’s when you have the best chance.

Can you go to Greenland in spring time and in the fall?
If you go to Greenland in the spring or fall, then you will experience the local society on closer hand than in the high season, where the locals tend to keep them to themselves. There are very few tourists in May, which is the only real month between winter season and summer season in the Diskobay region. The days become longer almost with the speed of lightning.

In the fall, end of September and October, you will experience that days become shorter just as fast as the days kept getting longer and longer in the spring time. Fall has long sunrises and sunsets and the colors of the nature changes to more red and brownish colors, which are just so very beautiful. Especially if you are lucky having those icebergs as a part of the background to theses colors.

Is it easy to travel around in Greenland on you own?
Greenland is a county where the infrastructure is a little bit different from many other places around the globe, because the roads are very limited. You can’t drive from city to settlement or other cities. You need to go by boat, helicopter, airplane or simply walk, but that’s also tricky sometimes having to cross glaciers and fjords.

You can off course buy your own flight ticket and book your own tours from the local tour operators, but it’s important to note that Greenland is not like many other countries. Greenland is situated in the Arctic and the weather decides everything. So by booking your trip through a travel agency, they know what to do if something needs to be rescheduled  due to bad weather.

When buying your trip, flight, trips and accommodation, through a Danish travel agency, you are very well protected by Danish law.

What is the standard of accommodation in Greenland?
You can find hotels in Greenland, which are just as nice as many other places in the world, but that is mainly in the bigger cities, where tourists visit frequently. If you visit a small settlement, then you should lower your expectations. The standard of accommodation should not be the reason for visiting or not visiting a settlement, but more about being curious about how life is like in a small place like this. You will experience the noisy silence, which Greenland is famous for. You will also meet friendly and maybe a little bit shy inhabitants. If you want to experience silence, then you should consider staying a night or two in Ilulissat Guesthouse wilderness cabin. There is no running water nor any electricity. The only sound is the sound of the calving icebergs and sometimes a few humpback whales coming in to the bay in front of the cabin.

Is there WiFi on hotels and hostels in Greenland? 
Almost all hotels today are offering WiFi free of charge. The internet has become much better recent years, so it’s not as expensive as it has been and generally also more stable. However some places still charge for WiFi in Greenland.

What is it like to sail along the west coast of Greenland on the local passenger ferry?
The coastal ferry, Sarfaq Ittuk, is the life nerve on the Greenlandic west coast stretching from Qaqortoq in the south to Ilulissat in the north. Every Sunday the coastal ship arrives to Ilulissat – as we use to say – you can set you clock after Sarfaq Ittuk. We can warmly recommend to sail up or down along the west coast, where you will visit deep fjords, see remote settlements situated far, far away from the rest of the world. This way of traveling and experiencing life in Greenland is unique. We have made it easy for you created a package trip, which we have named “North to South Greenland – UNESCO-tour”

What are the Greenlanders like?
It’s not unusual to stand in the line in Brugseni, the local grocery store, hearing you name being called out from somewhere in the store, where somebody is waving and smiling. Greenlanders are in fact really friendly and they are in general really good at saying hallo to people they pass by. When this has been said, then Greenlanders are also known for being a little shy. People are different here, just like in the rest of the world.

Sometimes it can seem like things are just happening randomly in Greenland, as if there is no real plan . It is said to be the climate and weather creating this way of understanding and living life. Weather can change rapidly, why the expression “ímaqa” is being used quite a lot. It means “maybe”. Because you never know, if we will go out sailing tomorrow – it depends on the weather. We will see tomorrow. For some of us this can be a little difficult understanding. We are so used to everything working accordingly. However, in Greenland, they are really good at adapting and not planning too far ahead. As for most of the times everything works out in the end.

Do you pay tips in Greenland?
You do not have to tip in Greenland, but you know, it will never come back bad to you appreciating a good guide or other good services with a tip. If you tip with a smile or a piece of gold is up to you.

Are there many mosquitos in Greenland? 
It is very weather dependent. If it has been a short winter and warm summer, then the small lakes and water holes dries out on the tundra, where the eggs from the mosquitos are being hatched. You will often find mosquitos in June and July. In August they die out and the small black flies are taking over. Unlike the mosquitos, the insect spray has no effect on the flies, so bring a mosquito net. Or simply just book a lot of boat trips – there are no insects on the ocean.

Can I travel to Greenland as a vegetarian?
In the bigger cities they can normally serve a rather decent vegetarian meal. However it can be a good idea to let the restaurant know some time in advance to make sure, that they have something fresh for you. There are big supermarkets in the bigger cities and you can get almost everything here. Just remember that the groceries often comes from far away, so they are not always super fresh and often they use veggies from the freezer.

If you are a pescetarian, then it is something else. Greenland has some of the world’s finest fish always fresh from the sea.

Can I travel to Greenland as a vegan?
As mentioned already it is not a problem getting vegetables, but substitutes for meat can be more tricky, so a good idea is to bring some extra from home. If your travel agent knows this in advance, then it’s often possible to make arrangements.

You can consider if it will be a good idea staying in a guesthouse instead of a hotel, while in Greenland, so you are able to cook your own food and do not have to rely on local restaurants. Bringing the basic ingredients from home, you can get the rest in the local supermarket.

Which insurances do I need to have, when traveling to Greenland?
We can recommend that you have a look at our travel conditions, where we will give some advice on what you should keep in mind and what we think is important and necessary to be fully covered on your journey.

If I fly out of Copenhagen, what can I do here?
One of the places, which is worth a visit, is Nordatlantens Brygge – the North Atlantic harbour. This is also where we have our office in Copenhagen in the “Arctic House”. We have the best view of the harbour and our espresso machine is always ready to make you a cup of coffee, if you are in the area.

The North Atlantic Harbour was the harbour in the old days, which worked with the ships coming in from Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. If you find this interesting, then we have a very good guide, who will gladly take you along on a guided tour in the area. He knows all the best stories.

What do I need to pack on my trip to Greenland?
We have made two lists. One list when going in summer time and one for winter time.

We can recommend you to take a second look in your basement or on the addict. Maybe you are lucky to find something good for your trip. Otherwise take a look in the local second hand store. It’s better to spend your money on trips instead of equipment. There is no dresscode in Greenland and people here are very used to outdoorsy clothing – the important thing is to keep warm and dry.

Regarding dogsled -and snow mobile trips, then it is often possible to rent the necessary clothing for these excursions.

What are the temperatures like in Greenland?
It off course depends of the time a year.

In the summer time in the Diskobay, it can be as warm as 15 degrees Celcius, but count on 10-12 degrees Celcius. Dress in many layers, so you can adjust whenever needed. It can really change quite a lot if the sun is out or not, if the wind is coming from the ocean and icebergs or from land.

The air in Greenland is very dry. This means that it you can sometimes wear only a t-shirt if the sun is out an there is no wind even though it’s only 12 degrees Celcius. It’s almost the same during winter time. We don’t believe you will wear only a t-shirt, but if you think about the multi-layer system, then you will be able to keep warm even though it’s negative 20 degrees Celcius.

Can you pay by credit card in Greenland?
Most places accept credit card. However, it’s always a good idea to bring some cash if the internet for some reason is not functioning.

What currency should i bring to Greenland?
As a part of the Danish realm you pay in Danish Kroner in Greenland.

When do I receive flight tickets, travel document and vouchers for my trip?
We always do our very best to send out documents for your trip about 4 weeks prior to departure.