Greenland is about to have a tourism boom — here's how to visit sustainably

For some, this is the final frontier—but not for long.

This fall, it's easier than ever to visit Greenland. this New Nuuk International Airport opensThe capital will open its doors to tourists, with flights set to start operating in late November. It is one of three new airports to be built by 2026 in a bid to attract more visitors.

The airport is significant because flying to Greenland has historically been a challenge. Flights had to transfer through cities in Greenland's interior, Iceland or Denmark, and the airport could not accommodate large commercial aircraft. The new airport and its longer runway will simplify travel to Greenland and open up new destinations, reduce the need for multiple transfers, and hopefully reduce the frequent flight cancellations that are currently caused by the limitations of small airports.

All of this expansion has given rise to a host of new travel options, including cruises, which have seen significant growth. Last year, Greenland Access Greenland tourism statisticsthe number of cruise passengers to Greenland increased by 73% from 2022 to 2023. It's easy to understand why: the advantage of sailing on a cruise is that it's an easy way to see the country from a comfortable, constantly moving base. Your itinerary is tailored to you, and there's no need to book a hotel (a benefit, as accommodation in Greenland is currently limited).

Perhaps the most noteworthy new ship is the expedition line HX, which, in partnership with Air Greenland, currently offers nine itineraries in Greenland, including three new ones in 2025. Each itinerary, Ice Giants of Disko Bay, Mysterious Land of the Northand The northernmost reaches are the Thule Basin and the Kane Basinvisit Greenland’s best attractions, including Disko Bay, Ilulissat Icefjord, and towns north of the Arctic Circle.

With a scientific and active focus, these activities immerse you in the destination, giving you the chance to watch whales, visit small towns (some with as few as 50 people), sail among icebergs and glaciers, learn about an increasingly rare way of life, and more. Imagine all the beauty of Alaska and all the remote wonders of Antarctica rolled into one.

For cruise ships, the opening of Nuuk’s new airport means they don’t need to fly to Reykjavik and sail from there – they can sail directly from Nuuk and spend more time on the country’s west coast before heading north. Of course, there are problems with tourism in Greenland. The country of 60,000 people and limited infrastructure cannot achieve the massive growth that neighboring Iceland has—at least not yet.

But officials hope that the wild growth of tourism will have a natural ceiling, given Greenland’s limited capacity — there aren’t enough hotel rooms to support mass tourism yet. That means tourism is expected to grow slowly. Towns like Ilulissat, Greenland’s third-largest city, are still small by any measure and have no sidewalks, so it can be inferred that they are not ready for large cruise ships carrying hundreds of people a day to pass through and fill the streets. To this end, Greenland is trying to catch up; the mayor of Ilulissat, for example, is taking steps to limit the number of tourists to 1,000 per day.

If you want to cruise with a smaller footprint and with experts in the field, HX is a good choice, as sustainability is one of the company's main principles. For one, they were the first cruise line to ban heavy fuel oil and single-use plastics, but they also donate to the communities they visit and respect local guidelines. Their state-of-the-art expedition ship, MS Fridtjof Nansen, sailing in Greenland, It was one of the first ships to be powered by hybrid batteries and was even named the safest and most sustainable ship in the world.

Thanks to its hybrid battery power, the MS Fridtjof Nansen is 20% more efficient than a typical ship, which means less impact on the environment. The company also has an aggressive emissions reduction plan in line with the Paris Agreement. The ship even produces 300 tons of fresh water per day through osmosis and uses engine heat to provide hot water for showers.

How does it help guests protect the environment? Simple things like guests are required to use a boot-washing tray before disembarking to ensure they don’t bring any new invasive plants or animals into the area. Not to mention, only 100 of the 530 guests can set foot on dry land at any one time.

Cruisers can also participate in citizen science projects on board, contributing to legitimate research, such as climate change studies, by monitoring the growth and changes of phytoplankton communities over time. Finally, the company has put its commitment into action: the Hurtigruten Foundation has donated 360,000 euros to local community activities in Greenland.

But sustainability doesn’t mean there aren’t comfortable accommodations – you won’t be living a hard life on this beautiful ship, which has a Scandinavian style, luxurious rooms (50% of which have private balconies) and fine dining restaurants, as well as a spa with sauna and fitness center to cool off after a long day. I recently had the pleasure of traveling with HX to Disko Bay aboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, the line's purpose-built ship that sails to Greenland and Antarctica. It was pure magic.

One day, I woke up to the sun shining through icebergs in the Vijat Sound, donned my expedition gear, and took a boat to a landing site where other guests took a “polar plunge” into iceberg-strewn waters (afterwards, warmed up in the boat’s cozy sauna). Another day, we took a RIB boat through choppy waters and through misty, ice-covered Evermore fjords, the wind blowing through our hair while HX’s resident geologist pointed out some of the world’s oldest rocks — formed more than 3 billion years ago — and we got close to a glacier.

Another time, we participated in a citizen science project that contributed to real research on climate change. As I placed the Secchi disk on the turquoise water and let it sink, I felt a sense of accomplishment, like I was not just traveling but on a mission to understand the world around me and help make it better.

Most importantly, this expedition cruise line really gives you something that other cruises can't offer: you can interact with scientists and experts on board. The luxurious rooms and first-class dining are also good.

HX also stands out for its pre- and post-cruise services, including an unforgettable stay in Ilimanak (population: 50), where waterfront A-frame cottages offer stunning views of the icebergs and the mayor tours the town on an ATV, or a cod fishing trip outside Nuuk followed by cooking your catch at local Thai-Greenlandic fusion restaurant Qooqqut Nuan. Trust me, it’s an unforgettable dinner.

If you're planning a trip to Greenland, keep in mind that summer is when the weather is the best (and therefore the least likely to cause flight disruptions), but it's also when the midnight sun appears – the sun shines 24 hours a day. During my trip to Greenland, the sun never set. At times, the only way I could tell time was by watching the icebergs change position outside my window. That's the magic of Greenland – it all comes into focus very quickly.