Two Weeks in Greenland: The Ultimate 14-Day Itinerary

Two weeks in Greenland allows you to go beyond the west coast circuit and experience the extraordinary diversity of the world’s largest island — from the modern capital of Nuuk to the near-impenetrable wilderness of the east coast and the surreal experience of standing on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Days 1–3 – Nuuk

Three days in Greenland’s capital — surprisingly sophisticated for a city this far north and this isolated.

Day 1: Greenland National Museum (the Qilakitsoq mummies and 4,500 years of Arctic history), Old Town colonial buildings, and Nuuk’s excellent café and restaurant culture.

Day 2: Full-day boat tour of Nuuk Fjord — icebergs, humpback whale spotting (July–September), and views of the fjord’s mountain walls. Afternoon: hike the trail system behind the city.

Day 3: Day trip by boat to a Greenlandic settlement (small village) near Nuuk — experience the scale of Greenland’s dispersed population. Some tours visit musk ox grazing areas. Kapisillit is the most accessible — a village of 50 people, reachable by 90-minute boat.

Days 4–5 – Sisimiut

Fly north from Nuuk to Sisimiut — Greenland’s second-largest town (5,500 people), known for the Arctic Circle Trail — a 160km multi-day wilderness hike between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq, one of the world’s finest long-distance trails. The full trail takes 7–10 days; day sections are equally rewarding.

Day 4: Sisimiut city exploration — a colourful town with excellent museums (historical and maritime), an old Greenlandic church, and a dog sled racing culture. The town sits at 66°N — just below the Arctic Circle.

Day 5: Half-day or full-day hike on the Arctic Circle Trail southward. The landscape is sub-Arctic tundra and granite — lakes, ptarmigan, Arctic hare, and on longer days, musk ox.

Days 6–8 – Ilulissat & Disko Bay

Fly north from Sisimiut to Ilulissat (45 min). Three days at the UNESCO Icefjord:

Day 6: Ilulissat Icefjord boardwalk, Sermermiut archaeological site, and an evening fjord walk in the midnight sun.

Day 7: Full-day boat tour into the icefjord — zodiac or small vessel moving between bergs the size of apartment buildings. The scale and sound of the ice is overwhelming.

Day 8: Disko Island day trip (ferry, 90 min each way) — a volcanic island with black basalt beaches, lava columns, and hot springs. Walk the route from Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn) toward the island’s volcanic plateau.

Days 9–10 – Ice Sheet Hike or Dog Sled

Summer (June–August): A guided day hike from Kangerlussuaq to the Greenland Ice Sheet edge — 26km round trip across tundra to the ice margin. Standing on the world’s second-largest ice sheet (after Antarctica), looking back at the tundra from a white expanse stretching to the horizon, is an experience of powerful strangeness.

Winter (January–April): Multi-day dog sled expedition from Ilulissat or Sisimiut — 3–5 day expeditions with an experienced musher, crossing frozen sea ice, lakes, and tundra. Sleeping in small huts or tents. One of the world’s great adventure travel experiences.

Days 11–13 – East Greenland: Tasiilaq

Fly to Tasiilaq (via Reykjavik or Nuuk) — the largest settlement in East Greenland, a town of 2,000 people on the shore of Ammassalik Fjord, surrounded by granite peaks and glacier tongues.

East Greenland is one of the world’s most remote inhabited places. The mountain scenery is more dramatic than the west coast — sharper peaks, more aggressive glaciers, and a rawness that comes from being even more isolated.

Day 11: Tasiilaq town, the Ammassalik Museum, and the local culture (East Greenlanders maintain stronger links to traditional skin-boat and seal-hunting traditions than the west coast).

Day 12: Glacier hike or kayaking in Ammassalik Fjord — paddling between icebergs, with mountains on all sides. Sea kayaking here is world-class.

Day 13: Snowshoe or ski touring on the mountains above Tasiilaq (winter/spring). Or hiking to viewpoints over the fjord system (summer).

Day 14 – Return to Nuuk / Copenhagen

Fly back to Nuuk or directly to Copenhagen (direct flights from Ilulissat or via Reykjavik from Tasiilaq) for international departure.

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Practical Notes

Air Greenland: Books up fast — reserve domestic flights 2–4 months ahead in summer season. Cancellations due to weather are common; build buffer days into your itinerary.

Budget: Two weeks in Greenland costs €4,000–8,000+ per person depending on accommodation and activities. This is one of the world’s most expensive destinations due to logistics.

Weather windows: Always book with flexible return dates if possible. Weather can ground flights for 1–3 days at a time.

Activity booking: Dog sled expeditions, glacier hikes, and boat tours book up months in advance in peak season. Use reputable Greenlandic operators.