North Greenland

Northern Greenland is a vast Arctic tundra with monstrous glaciers that carve icebergs into the sea and a coastline of ice and ancient rock formations. The northern part of Greenland is wild and untamed ideal for Arctic expeditions. This area of such natural beauty including the beautiful Disko Bay area, towns such as Ilulissat and smaller settlements such as Qeqertarsuaq and Qasigiannuit are perfectly situated beneath the Auroral Oval for a Greenland Northern Lights holiday in the winter months.

During the summer, Greenland is a milder proposition with temperatures reaching up to 20 degrees and of course the glorious Midnight Sun. Here is also a whale lovers paradise in the summer with whales not only frequently seen out on the water for any of your water ferry transport but also they can be seen even hiking along the coastline. A must visit in the summer months is Ilimanaq offering beautiful cliff-top cabins overlooking the bay.

There are several airports locally within Northern Greenland however most are too small for large aircraft and therefore flights are usually via one of the main hubs such as Kangerlussuaq. Ilulissat has an airport 2.8km away from the town centre and is one of the only airports serviced with a direct flight from Iceland.

Ferries are also present and this is the best way of travelling between towns on Greenland during the summer (unless you are into some serious hiking!), as there are no roads connecting the different towns. In the wintertime travel is generally by dog sled or snowmobile.

Ilulissat and the Disko Bay area can have very low temperatures in the winter months averaging around -14°C in the winter and reaching 8°C in the summer. Daylight hours range from zero in December and January, to over 10 in mid-summer.

Much of Greenland is covered in a large ice sheet and all major settlements, including Ilulissat, are located on its west coast.

Due to the glaciers in the area many icebergs can be found in the waters around Ilulissat and boat tours can be taken to view them up close.

There are many animals that live on Greenland. Many species of whale can be spotted from Humpback whales to Narwhales, from the coastline all year round, with some even entering the harbours.

Walruses and Seals can also be spotted on the coast. It is estimated that there are over 2 million seals in Greenland’s waters.

On land there are many reindeer herds and polar bears can also be spotted usually in regions further north, although they occasionally come closer to the settlements.