What to see in Nuuk, Greenland: Milan Bez Mapy’s travel tips

Nuuk is worth visiting if you love nature, don’t mind the cold and like the idea of somewhere few travellers have explored. I’d go in the main season, from May to October, when most of the ice has melted. Before you go, read why Greenlanders find the word ‘Eskimo’ offensive, and try the local food at the restaurants in this article.

Quick factsby Milan Bez Mapy

When to go

In season (May–October). I went in April: most trips weren’t running yet, but I saw the northern lights

How many days

Four full days are enough: one for the centre, one for hiking and two for trips

Where I stayed

Hotel SØMA in the centre, breakfast included. I could walk anywhere in under 20 minutes

Watch out for

Almost everything is closed on Sundays, EU roaming doesn’t apply and the only free Wi-Fi is at the hotel

My hike

Around Lake Qallussuup to Paradise Valley, 10 km, about 5 hrs

Worth it

A boat trip through the fjord to the glaciers and Qoornoq island. I went with Nuuk Water Taxi. Book ahead

What is there to see in Nuuk, Greenland? To be honest, I struggled to find information myself, because Slovak and Czech travel blogs hardly write about Greenland. Next to nothing, in fact, and what I did find was very general (along the lines of ‘there are whales’), which didn’t help me plan the trip.

Things to do in Nuuk and tips for visiting Greenland

I get it: for people from Slovakia, Greenland isn’t exactly the obvious holiday destination, and the palm trees of Thailand are more tempting. That only made me look forward to travelling around Greenland even more. To me it feels genuinely original and exotic. In this article I’ll show you the capital, Nuuk, and what to see there, where to eat, which trips to plan and how much money to set aside for Greenland. Let’s get started.

Best time to visit Greenland and where to go

The main tourist season in Greenland runs from May to October, and that’s when I’d recommend going. Why? By then most of the ice has melted, which opens up many treks and hiking trails. Many tour operators only start running trips in May, whale watching included: the whales only migrate here from the Caribbean once it warms up. For the northern lights, though, you need to come in autumn.

I visited Nuuk in April, just before the season started. The town was slowly waking up, but most trips weren’t running and most trails weren’t open yet. But I did see the northern lights, which you can’t see in summer. Why? The days are very long then, and the sun only sets for a short while, so the nights stay light. And to see the aurora, you need total darkness.

Do I need a passport for Greenland, or is an ID card enough?

To enter Greenland you need a passport. Geographically, the island is part of North America. Since late November 2024 there have been direct flights from Copenhagen, as well as flights from Iceland and, in summer, from Newark near New York. Some cruise lines also include the island in their itineraries.

Greenland is not in the European Union or the Schengen Area. Although Denmark administers it and it belongs to the Danish kingdom, it is largely autonomous (not to be confused with self-sufficient) and has its own laws. The three places tourists visit most in Greenland are the capital, Nuuk, and the towns of Ilulissat and Sisimiut. Over time I’ve visited all three. Nuuk is the busiest, and Sisimiut is small and quiet. My favourite was Ilulissat, with its Icefjord. This article is about Nuuk.

• Tip from Milan If you can time your flights so you’re not in Nuuk on a Sunday, do. Apart from a few cafés and grocery shops, everything is closed, restaurants included.

Nuuk travel tips: what Greenland costs and how to book flights

Greenland is expensive, at least for someone on an average Slovak salary. Prices are roughly on a par with Norway, but it’s definitely worth it. An average restaurant lunch costs about €35 per person, or €60 somewhere better, and a hotel night with breakfast starts at €100 per person. Don’t get me started on flights: they’re in a league of their own. Organised trips cost anywhere from €150 to €2,000 per person. You pay in Danish kroner.

How to find flights to Greenland

When I wrote this article in 2023, two airlines flew to Greenland: Air Greenland from Copenhagen and Icelandair from Iceland. In summer 2025 SAS also flew from Copenhagen to Nuuk, but it dropped these flights for 2026. United Airlines flies here from Newark in summer. And since 29 October 2026, Air Greenland has also been flying direct from Copenhagen to Ilulissat. Flights from Iceland are cheaper, while a return from Copenhagen will set you back about €800. That said, there are sales now and then, so it’s worth keeping an eye out. I managed to buy mine for €470, which is a really good price for Greenland.

When I was here in 2023, the airport in Nuuk wasn’t finished yet, and all flights from Copenhagen involved a change in Kangerlussuaq. Read my tips on what to do in Kangerlussuaq and where to stay. Large planes couldn’t land in Nuuk because the runway was too short. The extended 2,200 m runway opened on 28 November 2024, and Air Greenland has flown direct from Copenhagen to Nuuk ever since.

View this post on Instagram

How long to spend in Nuuk and where to stay

I’d stay in the city centre so you can walk everywhere. I stayed at Hotel SØMA, at a fair price with breakfast included. Accommodation is a bit of a problem in Nuuk: there isn’t much of it, whether hotels or Airbnb. I wouldn’t recommend Airbnb anyway. Over the years, this once popular platform has become an overpriced way to stay, with absurd cleaning fees.

I’d book your accommodation at the same time as your flights, in other words as early as possible. You can walk everywhere in town, but for the mountains or the airport you’ll need the city buses. A ticket costs DKK 20. Check the timetable first: the buses don’t run that often, but they’re regular and on time. Apart from bus tickets, which you buy in cash from the driver, I paid by card everywhere without any trouble. Watch your mobile data: EU roaming doesn’t apply here, and free Wi-Fi doesn’t exist, except perhaps at your hotel.

@milan_bezmapy+249,000 followers

Follow me on Instagram

Follow

What to see in Nuuk, Greenland, in four days

Four full days are enough for Nuuk. I describe each stop I recommend below, but this is how I’d split them up:

• Day 1: walk around the centre, see the statue of Hans Egede and his house, the boardwalk, the Colonial Harbour and the Katuaq cultural centre, and book dinner at Killut for traditional Greenlandic food
• Day 2: time for a hike. Put on good shoes and hike around Lake Qallussuup, or climb Quassussuaq, though that’s a very demanding hike and almost impossible in winter without proper gear
• Day 3: book a trip with Nuuk Water Taxi or another operator (there aren’t many), and visit Qoornoq island, the glaciers or the settlement of Kapisillit, or go whale watching if you’re here in season
• Day 4: on your last day, pick another trip from the operators, but don’t miss the National Museum of Greenland and the gallery of Greenlandic art, which give you a broader picture of the country you’re in

Where to go in Nuuk: the sights worth seeing

1. Nuuk city centre and the statue of Hans Egede
2. The Nuuk boardwalk, Old Nuuk and the Colonial Harbour
3. The Katuaq cultural centre
4. The Myggedalen Panoramic view platform
5. The National Museum of Greenland
6. The gallery of Greenlandic art
7. A hike around Lake Qallussuup tasia through the Paradisdalen valley
8. A hike up Quassussuaq and Ukkusissat
9. A boat trip through the fjord to a glacier
10. A trip to Qoornoq island or the village of Kapisillit
11. Whale watching and the northern lights

Nuuk’s centre is really tiny, which suited me fine, since I could walk anywhere in under 20 minutes. On your walk, I’d also stop at the statue of Hans Egede, the Norwegian-Danish missionary who founded Nuuk. His house is in town too, and it’s thought to be the oldest house in the area.

Just a short walk from the statue is the Nuuk boardwalk, a promenade with a beautiful view of Nuuk Fjord. I’d come here at sunset and stay until dark, when you can see the northern lights. While you’re in this area, head up to the Myggedalen Panoramic view platform, probably the most photographed spot in Nuuk. From here there’s a lovely view of Old Nuuk, the oldest part of town. Houses with a view of the fjord cost over a million euros here, which is quite a sum.

Greenland’s history, colonisation and traditional clothing in a nutshell

I can’t recommend the National Museum of Greenland highly enough. Adult tickets cost 100 kroner (about €13), and students and children get in free. Everyone gets in free on certain days, usually the last Monday of the month and 21 June, the national holiday (as of November 2026). I learned a lot here about how Greenland was settled. The first people arrived around 2500 BC, from Alaska via Arctic Canada. Even then, ice covered most of the island, much like today, because the ice sheet formed about 2.6 million years ago. The Earth’s climate changes in cycles, ice ages come and go, and Greenland was once green, with forests, but that was during warmer periods hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago.

Animals were easy to hunt here, because they had never seen humans before and so weren’t afraid of hunters. Don’t confuse this with global warming, though: that is real. According to the IPCC, the climate has warmed faster since the mid-20th century than at any time in at least the last 2,000 years.

Greenland’s traditional clothing is made for hunting: the inner layer is usually bird skin, the outer layer comes from whales or polar bears. This keeps the heat in and wicks moisture away at the same time, because frozen sweat is dangerous. The museum also covers the Danish colonisation, which began in 1721. Until then Greenlanders were self-sufficient and lived on hunting, fish, berries and seaweed. The Danes brought coffee, sugar, tea and bread, but they also began to oppress the Indigenous population.

The Danes saw themselves as the upper class, while the Inuit were the working class. At school, black-haired Inuit children and blond Danish children were taught in separate classes. Danish is still a compulsory subject here today. The museum even has real mummies. I’ve always been fascinated by how a human body can be preserved for thousands of years in the right conditions.

Where do Eskimos live, and why do Greenlanders find the word offensive?

• Tip from Milan What should you be careful about in Greenland? Don’t call Greenlanders Eskimos. It’s like calling a Roma person a ‘gypsy’. The proper term is Inuit, the people who come from Alaska, Greenland and Siberia, and the word ‘Eskimo’ can offend them. It’s often said to mean ‘eater of raw meat’, but linguists doubt that origin.

From Nuuk you can set off on several lovely hikes into the wild. Don’t expect dense forests, though: there are no trees here. But the fjord views are worth every step. I’m not the kind of hiker who loves endless, gruelling treks; I prefer a good walk. So I chose the hike around Lake Qallussuup to Paradise Valley, which is 10 km long and takes about five hours. Take the bus from the centre to the Qarsoq Tikiusaaq stop, a good place to start. If you’re more experienced, climb Ukkusissat, the highest mountain above the town. It’s a demanding hike that you won’t manage in winter without proper gear.

Of the paid trips you can’t organise on your own, I’d recommend a boat trip through the fjord to the glaciers and Qoornoq island. Qoornoq is an abandoned fishing settlement where people now have their summer houses. The fishermen left a lot behind, and I was fascinated walking through buildings where everything is just as they left it more than 50 years ago. The small village of Kapisillit is worth a visit too. Combine it with whale watching, which is only possible here in the summer season.

• Tip from Milan There are a few operators in Nuuk you can book these boat trips with. I went with Nuuk Water Taxi, but I’ve also heard good things about Greenland Tours. Book these trips as early as you can, because they sell out fast.

Where to eat in Nuuk: restaurants, cafés, bars and traditional Greenlandic food

If you’re wondering where to eat in Nuuk, you won’t agonise over the choice. There are only a few restaurants, a handful of cafés and even fewer bars. I alternated between these three, though you need a reservation at Killut, because it’s very popular. Greenlandic cuisine relies on plenty of good-quality meat.

Tip from Milan Read my article on what people eat in Greenland and what typical Greenlandic food is like, including what to order.

• Esmeralda is a modern bistro in the centre. Its kitchen is open all day, whereas the other restaurants don’t open until 5pm. I liked going to Esmeralda for lunch, even though the food isn’t typically Greenlandic. They serve the usual: meat, burgers, pasta, salads and good coffee. Nothing fancy, but you’ll eat well. You order at the bar.
• Killut is a traditional Greenlandic restaurant, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. For a starter, order the Greenlandic tapas: reindeer meat, whale skin, prawns and crab. I really enjoyed it. Book ahead: there’s a simple booking form on Google Maps. Be aware, though, that they aren’t open every day and only open in the evening. From what I noticed, most of Nuuk’s few restaurants are closed all day on Mondays.
• Pascucci is a nice café if you’re after good cakes and coffee. I like to stop by whenever I’m passing.
• Daddy’s is a great bar, with live music on Fridays. If you ever wonder where everyone is, walk into Daddy’s. It’s the kind of pub that draws tourists, fishermen, Vikings and Inuit alike. For me it was a real cultural experience, especially when a fisherman sat down with me and we tried to talk. Except he didn’t speak English, and I didn’t speak Greenlandic.
• Tip from Milan The Unicorn restaurant also has good reviews, but I didn’t get round to trying it.

At first I was worried there would be ‘nothing’ in Nuuk, but I’m glad I made the most of it, and now I can say I’ve been to Greenland. If you love nature, don’t mind the cold and like places that aren’t overrun with tourists, book a flight to Nuuk and use this article to plan your visit.

You might also like my article on visiting Greenland in summer and how to prepare for the mosquito swarms.