Greenland Escorted Tours

Escorted Tours to Greenland

Superlatives abound for Greenland, where the midnight sun lights stunning seascapes, the Ice Cap covers 80% of the landmass, traditional timber houses huddle between fjords and fells, and whales and walruses are visitors to iceberg-strewn bays.

Why choose a tour in Greenland?

Sailing off Greenland’s western shores is a spectacularly scenic journey, where bowhead and beluga whales, black guillemots and white-tailed sea eagles are company on the water; glaciers calve into glittering icebergs, pushed out to sea by river rapids; and tiny islets rise amid dramatic fjords.

Tempting the traveller into harbour, against an Arctic ice-cap backdrop, sleepy settlements cling to coastal hills, offering an intriguing blend of ancient Inuit culture, 18^th century colonial character, and contemporary, thrilling adventure; and all enveloped in an ethos of pragmatism and resourcefulness.

Nuuk is the capital, a small city but the country’s largest. Set on the southwestern shore, it is a vibrant enclave of culture and modernity, filling the gap between the fjord and the mountains.

Known as the Gateway to Greenland, the town of Kangerlussuaq (‘Big Fjord’) is tucked at the eastern end of the inlet, with a port, the international airport, a road leading straight to the stunning Ice Cap, and a setting right on the rim of the Arctic Circle, where musk ox and reindeer roam.

Photogenic Sisimiut serves as Greenland’s adventure hub, the remote and rugged starting point for summer hiking and winter snowmobiling. A settlement for 4,500 years, with colourful houses and a colonial past, the town is now a progressive blend of modern Danish and traditional Inuit culture.

Disko Bay is framed with ever-changing ice sculptures, famed for its Arctic flora and basalt rock columns, and named for the circular Qeqertarsuaq (‘Great Island’), where Godhavn, its only town, was founded in 1773. Home to a modern Arctic Station research centre, the island boasts glacier views, waterfalls, and whale-watching from the shore.

The principal town on Disko Bay, and Greenland’s most visited place, Ilulissat is focused on a buzzing harbour. With brightly painted buildings tiered on its backdrop hillside, and the striking Church of Zion, styled like a giant gingerbread, the town enjoys breathtaking sights of its namesake fjord, which is UNESCO listed and aptly dubbed the Iceberg Capital.

On a small island, in iceberg-sprinkled waters, almost 600km north of the Arctic Circle, Uummannaq is a characterful fishing port. With houses clinging to precarious slopes, a stone church, and a post box for letters to Santa Claus, its name translates as ‘heart-shaped’, describing the soaring mountain that dwarfs the town at its base.

When to go to Greenland

The country’s Arctic climate does vary from north to south, valley to mountain, and calm air to strong winds; but could be summed-up as cool, cold or very cold. Daytime temperatures can range between 6 and 16° in summer, but plunge below freezing in all other months, as low as -19° in winter. The best time to visit is summer, when milder climes are ideal for activities, and hours of daylight include the 24-hour midnight sun of June, gradually reducing through July and August to 20 hours.

Who are Greenland tours suited to?

From glaciers to hot springs, from mountains to fjords and frozen tundra, Greenland is a great destination for active and intrepid travellers, wildlife and photography enthusiasts, and those with interests in ethnology and geology. Zodiac vessels, designed for polar expeditions, provide an up-close experience of untamed nature at sea, and unique culture on land. A reasonable level of fitness is required for on-foot exploration.

Why book Greenland tours with Jules Verne?

With 45 years’ experience and a passion for creating extraordinary adventures, Jules Verne takes you to iconic landmarks and lesser-known sites, with expert tour guides who share their local knowledge, and show you hidden gems. Our journeys in Greenland cruise on a luxury polar ship with an open deck, viewing platforms and onboard lectures; include a ‘kaffemik’ experience of coffee, cake, and storytelling; and offer the options of a flight over Ilulissat Icefjord, and a 4x4 bus trip for a barbecue at Reindeer Glacier.

Our guided tours to Greenland are ABTA and ATOL protected, so you can book with complete confidence.