8 BEST Things to do in Nuuk, Greenland

This post contains product affiliate links. These are mainly on items/hotels/tours that I personally endorse & love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, but at no extra cost to you.

Looking for the best things to do in Nuuk, Greenland? From exploring the ghost village of Kangeq to learning Greenlandic culture, this is what to do in Nuuk!

I knew I’d love Nuuk from the moment I set eyes on it. Flying in, I had my face pressed against the window the whole way. Jagged mountains rose out of deep blue water, shimmering in the mid-morning sun. Below us, tiny white icebergs were scattered across the fjord like diamonds thrown across a blue blanket. In my eyes, travelling doesn’t get much better than that.

I’ve shared the whole journey, including that first glimpse of the ice sheet, in my post on flying to Greenland. I know it’s easy to fall into hyperbole, but Greenland is a seriously special place.

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, is built on a peninsula. Like many towns in Greenland, it began as a small settlement. The city has grown over the years, and new apartment blocks are still going up, pushing the city limits further out.

With a nightclub, a microbrewery, a cultural centre and a university, Nuuk is the heart of modern culture in Greenland. Like in many rural countries, more and more young people are moving to the city. Just under 57,000 people live in Greenland, and more than 20,000 of them call Nuuk home. That’s over a third of the country in one small city.

Planning a trip to Greenland? Then bookmark my guides on the best places to visit in Greenland, on what the food is like and my top tips for Greenland too. I’ve also written individual destination guides to Igaliku, Narsaq, Qaqortoq and Uunartoq.

What it’s actually like visiting Greenland

It’s hard to describe Nuuk. It’s the capital of Greenland, yet it has the smallest of small-town mentalities. Community is strong here. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone helps each other out. Once a season, locals come together to clean the town. They literally divide it into sections and hand them out to small groups, and everyone takes the afternoon off work to do it.

That means after an afternoon here you feel like you know the city. After a day you start to recognise things, and after a week it feels like you’ve lived here your whole life. Nuuk gives you that wonderful feeling of belonging. How many places can you say that about?

Greenlanders have built a culture around resourcefulness, which lends itself to a go-with-the-flow attitude. If you catch a redfish, that’s what’s for dinner. If the weather is bad, you fly tomorrow. No big deal. It’s a feeling that hits you when you arrive and slowly seeps into you.

Map of Nuuk

Best things to do in Nuuk

Take a boat trip into Nuuk Fjord

Brianna, Brian and I visited in June, so we were expecting some of the warmest weather Greenland gets. What we didn’t expect was to arrive during a record-breaking heatwave. That month Nuuk hit 24.8°C, the warmest June temperature ever recorded in Greenland. Nobody seemed worried that this was a sign of a warming climate. Instead, people peeled off their layers and seemed in awe of the heat.

The heat didn’t last. I got my first taste of the Arctic breeze I’d heard so much about on our first boat ride. As the sun beamed down, I wondered why we needed to bundle up so much. The moment the open-topped boat hit cruising speed, I understood. Still, the ride was incredible. Icebergs floated past under a sky bluer than I can ever remember seeing.

Getting out on the water is the best way to understand Nuuk. Two-hour fjord trips in a heated boat start from 1,050 DKK (about £120). If you’ve got a full day, the six-hour trip up Nuuk Icefjord to the Narsap Sermia glacier starts from 2,495 DKK (about £285).

In summer, whales are drawn to the nutrient-rich waters around Nuuk. Three-hour whale safaris start from 1,450 DKK (about £166). Whatever you book, bring more layers than you think you need.

Explore the abandoned settlement of Kangeq

One of my favourite days in Nuuk was spent exploring the abandoned settlement of Kangeq. It’s hard to describe this place. It’s equal parts eerie, enchanting, peaceful and beautiful. Walking between the empty houses gave me a real sense of how harsh the climate can be in the colder months.

Kangeq sits at the mouth of Nuuk Fjord, and the only way to get there is by boat. The trip from Nuuk harbour usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the sea. People lived here for centuries, but the last residents left in the 1970s.

Some families still come back each summer to repaint their old homes. If you see a Greenlandic flag flying outside a house, someone’s probably staying there, so give them some space. You’ll need a guided tour or a private charter to visit, and trips run mainly in summer.

I’ve written much more about the island’s history in my guide to exploring the abandoned settlement of Kangeq.

Go hiking in the mountains around Nuuk

We also went on one of the most epic and serene hikes of my life. We didn’t see another soul the entire time. We climbed hillsides, drank from the streams and ate a lunch of reindeer and baguette on the side of a mountain. Then we finished the afternoon beside a waterfall cascading into the ocean.

It was one of those days that just got better with every passing hour. It ended with an amazing Thai and Greenlandic dinner, cooked with fish we’d caught ourselves. You can read the full story of that day in my guide to hiking in Nuuk.

If you want a day like ours, the Catch’n’Eat trip to Qooqqut Nuan is the closest you’ll get. Qooqqut Nuan is a restaurant deep in Nuuk Fjord, and the day ends with the chef cooking your catch. It takes about six hours and costs from 1,895 DKK (about £217).

For something closer to town, Quassussuaq (Lille Malene) is the 443-metre mountain right on Nuuk’s doorstep. Guided three-hour hikes around it start from 945 DKK (about £108).

That overwhelming raw beauty is what Greenland is all about. Nuuk might be the biggest city in the country, but it shows just how rooted people here are in nature.

Wander around the colonial harbour

The colonial harbour is the oldest part of Nuuk and the best place to start exploring. Greenland’s first colony moved here from the Island of Hope, near Kangeq, in 1728. The old wooden buildings are a world away from the apartment blocks further up the hill.

Look out for Nuuk Cathedral, a red wooden church, and the statue of Hans Egede on the hill above it. Down on the shoreline, the Mother of the Sea sculpture disappears under the water at high tide. If you want to see all of her, time your visit for low tide.

Visit the Greenland National Museum

The Greenland National Museum is housed in old warehouses by the colonial harbour. It’s the country’s largest museum of cultural history, covering the many cultures that have lived in Greenland. Its best-known exhibit is the Qilakitsoq mummies, which were found in North Greenland in 1972.

Entry costs 100 DKK (about £11), and children and students get in free. Opening hours change with the seasons, so check before you go.

Discover Greenlandic art and culture

Katuaq is Nuuk’s cultural centre. It hosts concerts, films and exhibitions all year round. Its wave-shaped facade was inspired by the northern lights, so it’s worth a look even if nothing’s on.

Nuuk Art Museum is Greenland’s largest art museum. Its collection runs from historic paintings to carvings in bone and stone. Entry is 40 DKK (about £4.50), and it’s free on Thursdays, when it stays open until 9pm. Outside summer, it only opens Thursday to Sunday.

Try Greenlandic food

You can get almost anything in Nuuk by import, but there’s a real movement to use what the land and sea provide. While I was in Nuuk, I met Anne Nivíka Grødem, the woman behind the Greenlandic Foodlover blog.

She’d started a movement to get people cooking with frozen vegetables alongside traditional meats. Her recipe books were in kitchens all over Nuuk, and she’d launched her own range of frozen vegetables with Brugseni, the local supermarket chain. Anne Nivíka later went on to become CEO of Visit Greenland.

I’ve written more about what people really eat here in my guide to food in Greenland.

I had one of my best meals in Greenland at Sarfalik, on the fifth floor of Hotel Hans Egede. It mixed contemporary cooking with traditional ingredients. Dishes like reindeer heart and roasted musk ox showed just how far Greenlandic cuisine has come.

You can read what we thought of the meal in my full Sarfalik restaurant review.

In the evenings, Monday to Saturday, it runs as Sarfalik Fisk & Skaldyr. The menu changes and focuses on fish and seafood from Greenlandic waters, with a few meat dishes such as caribou. Mains cost 295 to 450 DKK (about £34 to £51). Sarfalik Lunch serves lighter dishes every day, and the views of Sermitsiaq and the fjord are just as good at lunchtime.

For something more local, head to Brættet. It’s the market where hunters and fishermen sell their fresh catch.

See the northern lights

Nuuk isn’t only a summer destination. From autumn to early spring, the nights are long and dark enough for a chance of seeing the northern lights. Get away from the city lights for the best views, or join a two-hour northern lights tour from 750 DKK (about £86).

Planning your trip to Nuuk

Planning a trip to Nuuk isn’t like planning a city break anywhere else. It’s a capital city, but it’s also a small Arctic town surrounded by fjords and mountains. First, Nuuk is expensive. Almost everything is shipped in, and food, drink and tours all cost more than you’d expect. Even a two-hour boat trip starts at about £120. Set yourself a daily budget before you go.

Second, the weather is in charge. Boat trips get cancelled and flights get delayed, so don’t plan anything on a tight schedule. Even in July it’s cold on the water. Pack a warm hat and waterproofs. Most of the best experiences happen out on the fjord, which means booking tours. In summer they fill up early, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.

Finally, Nuuk is a real, working city with apartment blocks and a shopping centre. Step onto a boat, though, and you’re in the wilderness almost as soon as you leave the harbour.

For budgets, packing and everything else, read my Greenland travel advice.

How to get to Nuuk

Nuuk International Airport opened in November 2024 and is now the main gateway to Greenland. From the UK, the easiest route is via Copenhagen. Air Greenland flies from Copenhagen to Nuuk all year, with up to eight flights a week in summer. The flight takes just under five hours.

You can also fly from Reykjavík, where Icelandair runs flights all year. From the US, United flies direct from Newark between June and September. UK passport holders don’t need a visa for Greenland.

Getting around Nuuk

No roads connect Nuuk to any other town, so going anywhere beyond the city means taking a boat or a plane. The centre is compact enough to walk, and local buses and taxis cover the rest.

From the airport, a taxi to the centre takes about 15 minutes. There’s also a shuttle bus that stops at hotels and outside Katuaq, and a same-day return ticket costs 95 DKK (about £11). With Qaqortoq now a short flight away, it’s easy to add Qaqortoq and the Uunartoq hot springs to your trip.

When to visit Nuuk

June to August is the best time for boat trips, hiking and places like Kangeq. The evenings are long and light, but it’s still cool, with typical highs of around 10°C.

From autumn to early spring, the dark nights bring a chance of seeing the northern lights. It’s colder and fewer boats run, so you’ll spend more of your time in town.

Where to stay in Nuuk

Hotel Hans Egede is the biggest hotel in Nuuk. It’s a four-star hotel on the main street, and it’s home to Sarfalik and the Skyline Bar.

For longer stays, Nuuk Hotel Apartments are run by the same group. They have separate living areas and full kitchens, which helps when eating out is this expensive.

On a tighter budget, Hotel SØMA Nuuk is a simple, family-style hotel about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre. It has its own cafeteria.

How much does a trip to Nuuk cost?

How many days do you need in Nuuk?

Three full days is enough to see the city and get out on the fjord. I’d always add a spare day for the weather, though.

What’s new in Nuuk for 2027

Nuuk is changing fast, and 2027 looks like a big year for anyone planning a trip.

• Suialaa Arts Festival (23 to 26 October 2027). This festival used to be called the Nuuk Nordic Culture Festival. It celebrates art and culture from across the northern world and only happens every other year. It brings theatre, dance, music, literature and visual art to more than 50 venues around the city. Ticket sales haven’t opened yet.
• Nuuk Five Peaks (31 July 2027). This mountain race by Assut Adventures links five summits around the city, including Quassussuaq and Ukkusissaq (Store Malene). It’s 25 kilometres with around 2,000 metres of climbing, much of it off-trail, so it’s for experienced runners only. Entry starts from 700 DKK (about £80).
• Easier trips beyond Nuuk. Qaqortoq’s new airport opened in April 2026, putting South Greenland just 75 minutes from Nuuk by plane. Ilulissat’s new airport is due to open on 29 October 2026, with direct flights from Copenhagen. That makes 2027 the first full year you can easily combine Nuuk with the south or with Ilulissat Icefjord on one trip.
• United’s Newark flights return. United has confirmed its seasonal flights between Newark and Nuuk will return in 2027 for a third summer. It’s still the only direct flight between the US and Greenland.

Is Nuuk worth visiting?

For me, it’s an easy yes. Nuuk captured more than my heart. It was a place I felt comfortable in, and a place where I couldn’t help but be overawed by its location and its beauty.

As far as capital cities go, Nuuk’s a big city disguised as a small town, and they don’t get much better than this.

Make sure you watch our full episode, NUUK: Travel in Nuuk, Greenland, to see what it’s really like to travel there!