Big changes are on the horizon for tourism in Greenland. The launch of Nuuk’s new international airport on November 28, 2024, marks the beginning of a series of openings for three Greenlandic airports through to 2026. These developments promise more frequent, cost-effective travel options, making Greenland an increasingly accessible destination for adventurers and explorers.
Countdown to Nuuk’s New Airport Opening
Greenland’s new airports are under construction and the first of three new openings is scheduled for 28 November 2024. The additional two are to open by the end of 2026, in Ilulissat and Qaqortoq in South Greenland, allowing you to reach most parts of the country within 1.5 hours. While the new airports initially will be operated by existing air carriers Air Greenland and Icelandair, they also allow for opportunities for new airlines and more flights to Greenland. The new flight schedule will inevitably alter the way of traveling to and around Greenland, reducing costs and logistics.
With the new international airport of Nuuk, direct flights to Nuuk will be available via jet plane between Nuuk and Copenhagen, Denmark, for the very first time.
This winter, travelers can enjoy five weekly flights from Nuuk to Copenhagen, increasing to six during the holiday season, and peaking at eight in the summer. Morning flights from Copenhagen will depart at 08:20 AM, arriving in Nuuk 10:10 AM. Morning flights from Nuuk will depart at 7:30 AM, arriving in Copenhagen by 3:30 PM, facilitating convenient onward international connections.
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While the average price per ticket with Air Greenland will be 3,298 DKK, a cheaper Fly ‘n sleep option is also available. The Fly ‘n sleep ticket will entail an overnight stopover in Nuuk, from 2,595 DKK, though the overnight accommodation is not included in this price.
In addition, one weekly departure from Nuuk to Billund in Denmark will continue on a seasonal basis, departing 8:45 AM from Billund and arriving at Nuuk 10:30 PM as well as a return from Nuuk 12:30 PM reaching Billund at 7:45 PM. This summer, Air Greenland will also operate flights from Aalborg to Kangerlussuaq with a stopover in Copenhagen for the first time, meaning that Aalborg passengers no longer need to change planes when going to or from Greenland via Copenhagen, and returning to Aalborg from Kangerlussuaq will be possible in just one night. Post November 2024, this route is expected to move from Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk.
With the Transatlantic airport, Nuuk becomes the new hub for domestic adventures by land and sea in addition to the new hub of international flights to and from Greenland. You can imagine it as a new “bus station” from where flights come and go in a variety of directions – a role that was previously assigned to Kangerlussuaq. You can see the new routes on the map above. Icelandair‘s Greenland flights are now connected to this hub, which means that you can have ‘one-stop connections’ with Icelandair and Air Greenland tickets from anywhere they operate, e.g. New York to Nuuk.
Short getaways from Nuuk are easily accessible both by land and sea.
Hiking the Icefjord Trail
From here, join a variety of trips such as a multi-day hiking trip through the Icefjord Trail from Kapisillit to Camp Kangiusaq, where you will encounter stunning views of glaciers, ice, incredible wildlife and Greenlandic wilderness.
Exploring Maniitsoq by Boat
Another option available from Nuuk is to visit the charming town of Maniitsoq by boat, exploring its many glaciers, soaring mountains and deep fjords. If you need more inspiration of which parts of Greenland to explore, you may want to start with this short video.
Short Getaways by Air
In addition, it will be easy to venture on short getaway trips from Nuuk by air. Five departures are to fly out from Nuuk in the morning to the stunning destinations of Narsarsuaq, Paamiut, Maniitsoq, Sisimiut, Ilulissat and Kulusuk, returning in the afternoon. It is recommended to spend at least a couple of days in each respective getaway destination.
Besides allowing for a more flexible and feasible trip by plane, the new and more frequent domestic flights are to help distribute tourists more evenly in Greenland, across all regions, alleviating pressure on popular spots and redirecting part of the tourists to less-visited destinations.
Overall, Greenland is still one of the lesser explored adventure travel destinations, yet tourism is a significant pillar of the country’s economy. It is a fragile ecosystem and requires delicate handling, which is why Greenland is concentrating on growing the tourism industry in a responsible manner, while making sure the growth is locally anchored. You can learn more about the importance of local knowledge here.
The tourism industry is in full swing preparing to welcome future visitors with new exciting tourism products, restaurants and accommodation. Take Nuuk for example, where the municipality is collaborating with the tourism industry on increasing the number of hotel rooms by 50 percent by the end of 2030, meaning 500 more beds.
Besides strengthening the travel possibilities domestically and to Denmark, more improvements are on the horizon. To the east, connections to Iceland are strengthened with two weekly departures from Nuuk – Keflavik. In the same way, connections to the west will improve starting with Canada. Here, one weekly departure will appear from March – October 2025 from Nuuk to Iqaluit, allowing smooth connections to other Canadian destinations. In the future, you might even see direct departures between Nuuk and New York. Keep an eye out!
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