What It's Like Traveling to Nuuk, Greenland, as a U.S. Tourist: 12 Tips for an Arctic Adventure

What’s it like to visit Greenland?

This fascinating and rarely visited Arctic nation has been thrust into the news lately, but the reasons to travel there transcend politics. Greenland, a rugged, mountainous Arctic ice sheet, is starkly beautiful, historically and culturally rich, and home to some of the most welcoming people on Earth.

You’ll likely travel to Nuuk (the name means the "cape"), the most populous city. Nuuk is located on the southwestern coast of the country. Remote Greenlandic towns are scattered throughout the country, including in the mystical north, but they’re hard to reach. The U.S. military and its bases are tucked away out of sight.

For the most part, you won’t find roads outside Nuuk, population just under 21,000, Greenland's capital and its largest city. If you want to visit smaller towns, you’d likely need to transfer to a smaller plane at the Nuuk airport for that journey, as they are isolated, remote, and few and far between. If you can afford it, such a journey would be worth it. An Inuit fisherman, who works on Danish ships, told us that he was flying home to see family in one of these smaller towns; people feast on reindeer and connect through family ties, Inuit tradition, community, and music there, he said.

For a first trip, though, unless you have an unlimited budget, traveling to Nuuk is probably the best option, and there’s a lot to see there, although you probably don’t need more than a week to see it all. We were there for four days. Nuuk, which has almost half of the country’s population of about 56,000 people, is the first place we’ve been where you can’t drive anywhere else. It’s carved into, and literally surrounded by, mountainous rock.

Here are 12 tips for traveling to Nuuk, Greenland, from the U.S.

1. How You Get to Nuuk, Greenland, From the United States

It’s expensive but not prohibitively so. We flew from Chicago to Washington, D.C., then to Iceland, and finally to Nuuk in late April 2026. We flew back through Newark. The airfare was about $1,400 round-trip with Iceland Air, and there were not many flights to choose from in any given month. Some flights route through Copenhagen. Iceland Air was efficient and comfortable. Get prepared. The views of Greenland from the air are extraordinary and will take your breath away. You will marvel at the vastness of the ice-covered mountains, which are almost entirely uninhabited.

You will probably feel like you’ve never seen anything like this before, unless you’ve traveled to Alaska, Siberia, the North Pole, or Antarctica, probably. You are now traveling farther north than most inhabitants of Earth have ever been. In fact, Greenland's northern-most point, Kaffeklubben Island, is the Earth's northernmost land, and the country is just 400 miles from the North Pole, so get prepared: It's cold.

If you have time, spending a day or two in Reykjavík would be ideal, but we didn’t have that option.

Don’t expect an Icelandic experience in Greenland, though. Iceland is smaller and volcanic, with its famous geothermal springs. Greenland is more functional. Nuuk is literally carved out of the rock, and you won’t find springs or many saunas there (we found none).

2. They Use Danish Kroner in Nuuk, Greenland

Greenland is closely intertwined with Denmark, though the history is complicated. Thus, the country uses the Danish Kroner, so don’t try to use Euros or American dollars. However, most credit and debit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. Don’t count on exchanging money at the Nuuk airport. We did that at O’Hare. But we barely ended up using the currency because we just used our debit card instead.

3. It’s Worth Getting a Rental Car Because You Won’t Find an Uber

The taxi ride from Nuuk Airport costs about 150 Danish Kroner. Taxis are easy to get at the airport. But you won’t see a lot of them around once you get downtown.

Public buses trundle around and are generally full of people. However, it’s very cold (at least in late April, it was bitterly cold with a biting wind.) You won’t find an Uber or Lyft. We can’t underscore how cold it was, at least the first day we got there, so bring a hat, gloves, scarf, warm boots, and a thick jacket. You will need it, at least through May!

If you only want to explore downtown and the Atlantic, and don’t mind the cold, depending on when you’re going and where your hotel or Airbnb is located, walking works. However, it makes a lot more sense to rent a car, as you won’t get far on foot. It worked better for us. The rental car allowed us to truly explore the city, drive down to the port, and hike along a mountainous and rocky trail a few miles outside the city, where we saw tourists on horseback. It also saved us money because we could drop the rental car at the airport. Book in advance, or the cars might run out, although we were able to get one the day of.

4. The Food in Nuuk, Greenland: Yes, You Can Get a Reindeer Burger

It’s not easy to find a lot of traditional Greenlandic food in Nuuk despite what you might see on Reddit. We didn’t find seal, polar bear or walrus on any menus, although some locals told us they love to eat seal with rice. Reindeer was about the most exotic it got (common in burgers) and musk ox, a hoofed mammal, was on many menus (which sort of looked like Elk.) Reindeer burgers were delicious; they tasted like a healthier, less greasy beef patty.

You’re more likely to find fish, shrimp, and creative attempts at gourmet food using local or imported Danish ingredients. A lot of the food is imported from Denmark. Expect croissants, danish, pancakes, and crepes. It's easy to find a good breakfast. Burgers, hotdogs, fries, and ice cream are popular.

Some of the restaurant food we ate was spectacular, such as the food at Nivi, which was a downtown tapas restaurant. For a casual lunch and ice cream, we liked Kammak Kaffi at the waterfront. Sarfalik Restaurant would be good for a fancier date night. There are a couple of Thai restaurants.

The food isn’t cheap, although if you’re on a budget, the grocery store in downtown Nuuk is full of Scandinavian brands, fresh produce, meats, and more. If you’re on a strict food budget, the grocery store is your best option. There are many cafes and coffee houses to choose from, and there are some higher-end restaurants, but be prepared to spend $7 for a can of soda and about $50 for lunch or dinner, and more with alcohol, if you eat out.

5. Learn About Greenland’s Rich Inuit Culture

Most of the people in this city are Inuit, and many of them also have Danish ancestry. More than 90 percent of Greenland's population is indigenous. They are known as Greenlandic Inuit or just Greenlandic people. Greenland is also called Kalaallit Nunaat and Inuit Nunaat. The latter means "land of the people."

Nuuk is largely Inuit with strong Danish and Scandinavian influence. You will see Danish tourists, residents, and soldiers, as well, although the military presence is largely confined to the two Royal Danish Navy ships anchored in the Port of Nuuk.

Visit the Nuuk Art Museum for examples of modern and traditional artwork, and the Greenland National Museum and Archives to learn about the rich history of Greenland’s people, from the Thule ancestors of the modern Greenlandic Inuit to the Viking settlement that mysteriously disappeared around 1408, to the indigenous cultures that came and went along the way. For a period of time, there were no people in Greenland.

There is Katuaq - Greenland Cultural Centre, which has some Greenlandic food and swooping circular architecture. Visit some of the indigenous arts and crafts stores, where you can buy seal boots and indigenous jewelry carved out of reindeer antlers. The local people will enjoy speaking with you about their culture, in most cases.

6. Greenlandic People Often Speak Greenlandic, Danish & Some English

Most people in Greenland speak some English, although all do not and, for some people, their English is somewhat limited. Their primary languages are Greenlandic and Danish. Greenlandic is a lyrical and beautiful language called Kalaallisut that you will hear spoken by the Inuit people here. But you shouldn’t need a translator or English-speaking guide.

7. Time Moves Differently Here

Greenlandic time is different because, for part of the year, at least in parts of Greenland, the sun never rises, and, for part of the year, the sun never sets. This phenomenon is more pronounced in northern Greenland, which is about as far north as a human can go. There are places you can experience the "midnight sun" and the "polar night." For example, in the northern town of Qaanaaq, the sun doesn't set at all in the summer, and it doesn't rise for several weeks in the winter.

In Nuuk, in late April, the sun set at about 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m., so it felt like 6 at 11. It was common to find people dining in restaurants that late and one restaurant sign simply declared that it was open from 11 a.m. to “late.”

8. The Natural Environment Is Extraordinary & Unspoiled

Nuuk is for hardy adventurers, people fascinated by culture, and environmentalists. If that’s you, you will probably love it here. It requires a lot of walking. You’re in the Arctic, so you must be able to endure the cold. If you don’t like Arctic winds, go in July. Even in late April, the brutal wind burrowed into our bones. You will feel like you’re on a final frontier.

You might see the northern lights if you’re lucky, but we didn’t while we were there. Too cloudy.

The houses are not refined architecturally. Many of them resemble colorful but boxy shipping containers. They are colored like crayons with bright hues: blue, yellow, and red.

However, the natural landscape is breathtaking. You might see a whale (although, sadly, we did not. The only animals we saw were ravens, horses, and dogs.)

The snow-capped rock mountains ring the city. The Atlantic, which wasn’t iced over when we were there, creates a vast landscape of unspoiled Arctic wonderment. The homes add flashes of color to the landscape. Some of the vistas are truly jaw-dropping. Be prepared to marvel at the rock-strewn hiking trails and beach (non-swimmable, and you’re not going to lay out there to get a tan), but don’t expect to find a single tree or flower. If you’ve been to the Swiss Alps, the mountains are equally majestic in Greenland, but you won’t find any small mountain towns here, at least those that you can drive to. The roads out of Nuuk are cut into the rock, and they end a few miles out of town. Most of Greenland is completely uninhabitable. It is truly an unspoiled island of rock and ice. There is a fair amount of housing construction going on in Nuuk, and there are a lot of apartment buildings.

9. There Are Decent Airbnbs & Hotels in Nuuk, Greenland

You can find Airbnbs that aren’t that expensive and are located downtown but expect them to be functional. For example, our Airbnb did not have a living room, and it had a single shower. However, the house was warm, it was located only a quick walk to downtown, and the beds were comfortable and toasty, with their European feather beds. Bring a European style converter for the outlets!

Wifi and cell service were good throughout Nuuk (we had Verizon.)

Many things in Nuuk appear to be functional. It will feel closer to Alaska than Copenhagen, with some cultural touches of the latter.

People are nice to Americans, but they’re tied to Denmark. They get free healthcare and education from Denmark, many have genetic ties to Denmark (some going back generations), and they travel back and forth to Denmark. Many people have family there. Thus, there is a real Scandinavian flavor to Greenland. Many people told us they had never traveled to the U.S.

We aren’t getting into the political debate or conflict in this story, but, although Greenlandic people do have intense feelings about that debate, they don’t seem to hold it against regular Americans. We were welcomed with great warmth. People were curious about us and where we were from. They were happy that we took the time to learn about their country, for the most part.

The Greenlandic people's traditional beliefs are very connected to nature, to wildlife (such as seals), and to silence.

There are a few churches in Nuuk; the Christian presence is largely Lutheran.

The colonial history is controversial, and some Greenlandic people expressed complicated and even negative feelings for Denmark. Others had more positive feelings. There is a police force that drives around (they are called the Politi.) Generally, though, the police aren’t a major presence. We felt safe, although there are challenges in Greenland with alcoholism, mental health, and the like. We met one man who told us he was homeless and sleeping in a stairwell.

There is a desire for independence from Denmark, but many people told us they don’t believe Greenland is ready for that yet because of its economic interdependence on the Danish kingdom. The vestiges of colonialism are very present in the landscape, from the statue marking a 1921 visit from the Danish King to the Hans Egede (Norwegian priest) statue in the harbor.

10. Greenland Is Focused on Fishing & Hunting Culture

There is a strong fishing and hunting culture in Greenland. If you journey to the Port of Nuuk, you will see fishermen washing nets and colorful fishing boats in the harbor. Fish is a strong presence in the diet, from Redfish to Halibut. It’s pulled from the North Atlantic. We met people who fished for a living. We met people who still hunt for their food, mostly reindeer.

As noted, musk ox and reindeer are plentiful on menus. It’s possible to find vegetarian options in Nuuk on various menus, of course, but fish and meat dominate.

This isn’t an Arctic Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard. You won’t see the yachts of billionaires here, although one man told us he used to help mine for gold. This is a working class and somewhat industrial town, largely. People fish for jobs, some leaving home on Danish ships.

11. What We Didn’t Find in Nuuk, Greenland

We didn’t find a lot of traditional music. The music tended to be piped in and outdated American pop. They were playing Air Supply in the first restaurant we frequented.

We didn’t find American chain restaurants. No McDonald’s! By 2018, all McDonald's in Greenland had closed.

It’s not a place where you will find an opera house or ballet. Go to Vienna or Prague if you want that experience. There isn’t a lot of nightlife. There is a bar called Daddy’s where younger people in their 20s go to play pool, but it’s a typical tavern without a food menu. It's a fun place to interact with locals, though. Young people in their 20s said they use dating apps. You will find both Greenlandic and European people at Daddy’s on a typical night. Don’t expect to find a lot of restaurants open on Mondays.

12. What You WILL Find in Nuuk, Greenland

Nuuk is a functional frontier town that offers Arctic adventure (you can find various outdoor excursions that aren't very expensive) whose beauty is found in the kindness of its people, the richness of their cultural history, and the stunning mountainous Arctic and Atlantic landscape.

You will find art randomly adorning buildings throughout Nuuk. The bloc-style apartment complexes have indigenous art on their sides. The red-and-white Greenlandic flag flaps wide and far. It contains references to glaciers, Denmark, the sun, the ocean, and ice.

Final Summary

Visiting Nuuk will be an experience like nothing you have seen anywhere on earth. If you’re an adventurer, you will likely enjoy it. We did, and we thank the Greenlandic people for their incredible hospitality.

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