Last month, I had the privilege of visiting Greenland for the first time, and I can confidently say it ranks right up there as one of the most extraordinary places I have ever travelled to. I spent several days in Nuuk, the capital, which is home to around 20,000 people – just over a third of Greenland’s total population. It has an interesting mix of modern and traditional architecture, along with an array of restaurants and cafes, several museums, and even a shopping mall and cinema complex, all of which stands in stark contrast with the beautiful wilderness that surrounds the city. As I went in autumn, it wasn’t yet covered in snow and ice, but I was lucky enough to witness wonderful Northern Lights displays, both from Nuuk itself and from the sea.
Day 1 – Guided walking tour & Northern Lights boat cruise
Colourful houses of Nuuk
On my first full day in Nuuk, I started off with a city orientation walk led by a local guide – an ideal way to get my bearings and an initial feel for this remarkable place. I was fascinated by the guide’s stories of life growing up here and learning how children in Greenland are brought up to speak three languages: Greenlandic and Danish as standard, and, in many cases, English as well.
A sunny afternoon in Nuuk
As part of the city walk, we visited the Greenland National Museum which provided an excellent insight into some of the other regions of Greenland that I would not have the chance to visit on this trip. After the tour had finished, it had become a pleasantly sunny day, so I set out to some of the scenic viewpoints around the city and took a stroll along the Nuuk boardwalk which runs along the seafront with views out towards the Nuuk fjord.
Northern Lights over the Nuuk fjord
Later that night, I headed out on a Northern Lights boat tour, and we were fortunate enough that the Northern Lights were on display for the entire duration of the trip. In fact, they became increasingly stronger and more spectacular as the night wore on. Our wonderful captain kept us out much later than planned as the lights were so bright and stretched across the whole night sky. It was particularly special seeing them reflected in the water and it really felt like the lights were dancing all around us. It was with much reluctance that we eventually returned to Nuuk, but the lights were still clearly visible in the city, too.
Day 2 – A cosy day exploring Nuuk’s cultural attractions
The next day, mother nature wasn’t quite so accommodating as the weather took a considerable turn for the worse. As it was a very windy and gloomy day, I decided to check out some of the inside activities on offer in Nuuk – and there’s no shortage. First, I went to a free jazz concert performed by a group of local musicians at the Katuaq Cultural Centre, and then I explored the Nuuk Local Museum, which is housed in an old boat yard down at the colonial harbour.
I found the local museum thoroughly interesting and learned more about the forced relocation of some of the coastal communities to Nuuk by the Danish government in the 1960s. After that I headed to Café Esmerelda where I had a delicious burger prepared using local meat.
Day 3 – Cruising among icebergs on the Nuuk Fjord
Cruising on the Nuuk fjord
On my final day in Nuuk I went on a boat trip into Nuuk Fjord, which turned out to be the highlight of the trip. It was a wet and windy start to the day, but after half an hour of sailing, the sun came out and the sea was completely calm. We then sailed through the most beautiful scenery with the sun reflecting off the icebergs and casting a warm glow on the surrounding mountains.
Icebergs on the Nuuk fjord
Our captain expertly navigated us deeper into the fjord and our guide taught us about the different layers of ice we could see drifting past us. The captain ended up mooring us right next to a large iceberg at one point, so close that we could touch it. We made drinks using ice from the fjord and the very brave even chose to take an invigorating dip in the fjord itself!
Final reflections
I was very sad to leave this incredible destination, but lucky enough to have a window seat for the flight back which meant I was treated to some stunning views on the plane home – so one of my tips would be to pay for a window seat! I had an incredible time in Nuuk and feel very lucky that I was able to learn more about this special place. If you’d like to arrange your own trip to Greenland, then please do reach out – I will be more than happy to build your ideal itinerary and offer plenty of suggestions on things to do and places to eat out while you’re there.
