Greenland is one of the few remaining wildernesses on the planet and is perfect for exploring all year round.
Luxury Holidays in North Greenland
@ Visit Greenland
@ Visit Greenland
@ Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland
North Greenland, Designed Around You
‘Northern Greenland’ actually sits on a map, in the middle of the West Coast of this massive island. This is due to the fact that the majority of the population live South of the Arctic Circle as the terrain above is largely uninhabitable. In the winter; Northern Greenland provides all of the amazing one-of-a-kind experiences you would associate with this beautiful country – Dog Sledding, Northern Lights and lots of icebergs!
Ilulissat with it’s impressive icefjord is the main town of Northern Greenland and is a popular tourist destination. Disko Island sits off the West Coast and is a magical place to explore the diverse landscape of volcanic rocks and glaciers. In the summer you can kayak, go whale watching and hike the coastline.
Where to Stay: Handpicked for You
Remote, rugged, and spectacular—our handpicked stays in North Greenland offer rare comfort and authenticity in one of the world’s most extreme environments.
Hotel Icefjord
Sea views, firsthand vistas of the Disko Bay, sit and watch the icebergs
Glacier Lodge Eqi
You can see, hear and feel the effect of a calving glacier up close
Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat
Icefjord is home to one of the largest, most active glaciers in the world
Ilimanaq Lodge
Located on the edge of the mountain, connect with nature at your doorstepThe Guidebook
Explore 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.
Getting There
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.
Climate
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.
Geography
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.
Plants And Animals
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.
Well-organized trip to Norway and Svalbard with great accommodations and activities. Gwen was communicative and responsive to requests. Highly recommend!
Russell Snook
Fantastic trip to Svalbard which delivered the true Arctic experience we were hoping for. The hotels were excellent and the activities – dog sledding and snowmobile expedition were lead by first class guides.
Top tip! The champagne tasting in the world’s most northerly wine cellar in the exceptional Funken Lodge is not to be missed!
Faith
We have loved it so much here that we have extended our stay and will come back to Bjornfjell and stay in one of their cabins until Jan 3 then we are staying in the igloo hotel the night of the 3rd. 😊We added a few excursions this week – we did the whale trip on the RIB boat (wow!), toured the igloo hotel (which is why we decided to book the last night!) and did the reindeer sleigh at Sorrisniva. You were so right, the bonfire excursion was incredible!!It has been an absolutely amazing trip!
Kristen
We did! Everything was truly wonderful! I think the Holman Husky Lodge was our favourite place. Beautiful accommodations, but best of all, wonderful people! Everyone was so friendly and accommodating, excellent food, we really enjoyed our time there. We also greatly enjoyed Bergen! Opus XVI was beautiful and we loved being able to walk to restaurants and bars and take in the sights. All of our drivers were punctual and friendly. The itinerary was full but not overfull.
Thank you so much! It was an epic trip, we are taking home wonderful memories!
Shelly
I would thoroughly recommend this company. Their planning and advice was spot on. Alex responded to my calls and emails very promptly. I will definitely use them again for future trips.
Rosie
We – the whole family – loved the whole journey!!
The accommodations, the activities and especially the great people – thank you very much for this fantastic organisation !!!
Barbara
The ease of everything stood out to me. All we had to do was be there at the right time. The dog sledding was the highlight for my daughter and sister. We had the best time! For me, Manshausen was the highlight. We were very lucky and the only guests there for the majority of our stay. The staff was amazing and the food was so delicious. We had moose steak and it was the best meal I’ve ever had.
The cabins were comfortable and we were so lucky to have 2 clear nights where we just sat and watched the northern lights. We were able to get some awesome pictures too.
I appreciate all your time and care with planning our trip! I won’t hesitate to use Off the Map travel for our next adventure.
Kelly
We originally hired Off the Map Travel in 2020 to set up a trip to see the Northern Lights. That didn’t happen, thanks to COVID. But, we persisted and in March of 2023, we took a 16-day trip that included both Iceland and Norway. IT WAS MAGICAL! Off the Map took care of everything! We were pampered at every stage of our trip. The people they hired and the activities they planned added up to a trip that will set the standard for any we’ll ever take in the future. Alex and his team were fabulous! We recommend them without restraint!
Jim & Kris
Arctic Retreat was simply magical. Graham and his team were superb. Their entire focus was on ensuring we had an outstanding experience. The accommodation, setting and food were all excellent. The team, experienced professionals, each brought their own personal touch and local nuance. It was faultless. The dog sledging trip directly from Arctic Retreat was also superb. We would return to Arctic Retreat in a heartbeat.
George
Amy planned a fantastic trip! Everything was very well-thought out. All transfers went smoothly, accommodations were amazing, great restaurant recommendations and the tours were once-in-a-lifetime, can’t book it yourself off the internet experiences. The guides were all fantastic. Communications were prompt and everything worked exactly the way it was supposed to. What a pleasure! Already working on our next trip.
Anonymous
What an amazing trip we are having. It is incredible. Many many thanks for arranging such an incredible trip.
Giles
Amy was a great help with planning this trip. Our trip turned out amazing. I also was very grateful for Off the Map’s Front Desk service, which promptly handled an on the spot issue we had.
Karen