How to get to Greenland

East Greenland is a tricky place to explore. The northernmost permanently inhabited settlement here is Ittoqqortoormiit, which is served by just two flights a week that arrive into Nerlerit Inaat (Constable Point) Airport – one from Akureyri in Iceland, and the other from Kangerlussuaq on Greenland’s west coast. Owing to this limited flight schedule, most travellers to Greenland tend to arrive by sea during the summer months, when melting sea ice allows expedition ships to explore the country’s intricate network of fjords. Ships arrive into East Greenland either via Svalbard or Iceland, voyages which can last a day or so depending on weather conditions.

West Greenland is a little easier to access, with more frequent flights and slightly better infrastructure. The busiest airports are those serving Ilulissat, Kangerlussuaq and Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, with flights arriving from both Iceland and Copenhagen. You cannot currently fly direct to Greenland from the UK or the USA, which is another reason why most visitors choose to arrive by ship. Trips that include West Greenland on their itinerary either start and end here or take in the region as a stop-off point on a combination cruise from Arctic Canada.

One such combination cruise is our Northwest Passage and Greenland Explorer expedition, a 13-day journey through Arctic Canada aboard the Akademik Ioffe which crosses Baffin Bay towards the picturesque fjords and landscapes of Greenland’s west coast, including the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Ilulissat Icefjord and Jakobshavn Glacier. The Akademik Ioffe is an ice-strengthened former research vessel that has taken NWS clients throughout the world’s polar regions, including Antarctica. Complete with internal stabilisers, a built-in ballast trimming system and a host of modern amenities, the Ioffe allows travellers to experience even the most inhospitable places on earth in comfort.

Equipped for a more intimate expedition, the 11-cabin M/S Freya will be taking passengers to East Greenland on our Photographic Wilderness Expedition, led by our expert guide Andrew James. More wild and remote than the west of the country, Greenland’s east coast will be the stage for this exclusive trip where you can hone your photographic skills under Andrew’s expert tutelage. Despite being smaller in size than the Akademik Ioffe, the M/S Freya is ice-strengthened to the highest classification (1A) and will serve as the perfect venue for viewing fjords, mountains, icebergs, tundra, and the hardy wildlife that call this corner of the country home.