This is a land of ice and fire, where real adventure still exists.
In a world where every corner seems to have been mapped and photographed, Greenland remains one of the last true frontiers. It’s a place of raw, immense beauty where nature operates on a scale that can recalibrate your sense of self. Here, adventure isn’t a manufactured tourist attraction; it’s the simple reality of engaging with the landscape.
These are the experiences that define a trip to this incredible island of ice.
1. Kayak among giant icebergs in Disko Bay.
Paddling a kayak on the calm, frigid waters of Disko Bay is a humbling and profoundly beautiful experience. Near the town of Ilulissat, the UNESCO-listed Icefjord calves thousands of gigantic icebergs, creating a floating sculpture park of brilliant white and deep blue ice. You’ll feel incredibly small as you navigate past these silent, towering giants.
This is the birthplace of the modern kayak, and moving through the water this way feels like a direct connection to Inuit tradition, as shared by Visit Greenland. It’s an adventure that engages all your senses, offering a perspective on the ice that a larger tour boat simply cannot provide.
2. Hike directly onto the Greenland Ice Sheet.
It’s one thing to see a glacier from a distance; it’s another thing entirely to walk on it. From the town of Kangerlussuaq, you can take a tour that drives you directly onto the edge of the immense Greenland Ice Sheet, the second-largest body of ice in the world. Equipped with crampons, you can hike across its ancient, frozen surface.
You’ll explore mesmerizing blue meltwater rivers that carve their way through the ice and peer into deep, seemingly bottomless crevasses, according to Quark Expeditions. It’s a surreal and unforgettable experience to stand on a sheet of ice that is miles thick and stretches as far as the eye can see.
3. Go dog sledding on a glacier in the summer.
Dog sledding is typically a winter activity, but Greenland offers the unique opportunity to experience it even under the midnight sun. On places like Disko Island, you can ascend to a high-elevation glacier where the snow and ice remain year-round, as mentioned in Black Tomato. Here, local mushers keep their sled dogs ready for a summer run across the vast, white landscape.
The thrill of being pulled by a team of enthusiastic Greenlandic dogs, with the silence broken only by their paws on the snow, is an incredible experience. Doing so in the summer makes it a truly unique adventure you can only find in a few places on Earth.
4. Soak in a hot spring surrounded by floating icebergs.
On the uninhabited island of Uunartoq in South Greenland, you can have one of the most surreal spa experiences in the world. The island is home to natural geothermal hot springs that create a stone-dammed pool of perfectly warm, crystal-clear water. As you soak in the soothing heat, you can watch small icebergs and pack ice float by in the adjacent fjord.
This incredible contrast of fire and ice is a completely natural phenomenon. It’s a wild and remote adventure that offers a moment of pure bliss in a landscape of rugged, raw beauty, a truly unforgettable highlight of any trip to Greenland.
5. Watch the midnight sun over the Ilulissat Icefjord.
Experiencing 24-hour daylight is a hallmark of any trip to the Arctic in summer, but nowhere is it more spectacular than in Ilulissat. Here, you can sit on the edge of the massive ice-choked fjord at midnight and watch the sun dip down to the horizon, skim across the tops of the gigantic icebergs, and then immediately begin to rise again without ever truly setting.
The low-angle light paints the ice in a constantly shifting palette of pink, orange, and purple hues. It is a breathtaking and deeply moving spectacle that lasts for hours, providing a serene and unforgettable light show.
6. Search for prehistoric-looking musk oxen.
The area around Kangerlussuaq is home to the largest population of wild musk oxen in Greenland. Taking a guided tundra safari gives you an excellent chance to see these magnificent, shaggy beasts that look like they’ve walked straight out of the Ice Age. With their massive horns and thick coats, they are a powerful symbol of Arctic survival.
Seeing a herd of these incredible animals grazing on the sparse tundra, with the vast, empty landscape stretching out around them, is a thrilling wildlife encounter. It’s a unique opportunity to see a creature that is perfectly adapted to one of the world’s harshest environments.
7. Visit a remote and traditional Inuit settlement.
To truly understand Greenland, you must connect with its people. The best way to do this is to travel by boat to one of the small, isolated settlements that dot the coastline, especially in the more remote regions of East Greenland. In these tiny communities, traditional hunting and fishing are still a central part of daily life.
Visiting a place like Tasiilaq or Kulusuk offers a chance to see a way of life that is deeply connected to the sea and the ice. It’s a humbling and eye-opening cultural experience that provides a powerful contrast to the modern world, far from the usual tourist trail.
8. Explore ancient Norse ruins from the Viking Age.
A thousand years ago, the Vikings, led by Erik the Red, established a thriving colony in South Greenland. Today, you can step back in time by exploring the remarkably well-preserved ruins of their settlements. The area around Qassiarsuk, the site of Erik’s Brattahlíð estate, is a UNESCO World Heritage site dotted with the stone foundations of their farmsteads and churches.
Walking among these ancient ruins, surrounded by green pastures and iceberg-filled fjords, is a unique historical adventure. It connects you to the incredible story of these Norse explorers who survived for centuries at the very edge of the known world.
9. Go whale watching against a backdrop of ice.
The fjords of Greenland are a summer feeding ground for a variety of whale species, most commonly the humpback, minke, and fin whale. Taking a whale watching tour from towns like Nuuk or Ilulissat is a must-do adventure. The experience of seeing a massive humpback whale breach the surface of the water is incredible on its own.
What makes it uniquely Greenlandic is the stunning backdrop. You are watching these majestic creatures with towering, sheer cliffs on one side and a sea of floating icebergs on the other. It’s a wildlife experience that happens in a truly epic and unforgettable landscape.
10. Ice climb on the face of a glacier.
For the ultimate adrenaline rush, you can strap on crampons, grab a pair of ice axes, and learn to climb the vertical face of a glacier. Guided ice climbing excursions are available for beginners, providing all the necessary safety equipment and expert instruction. You’ll learn how to ascend a wall of ancient, compressed ice under the watchful eye of a professional.
It’s a physically demanding and mentally focusing challenge that offers a completely unique and intimate way to interact with Greenland’s most famous feature: the ice. The feeling of accomplishment as you look out from the glacier face is immense.