While recent geopolitical statements have thrust Greenland into global headlines, this vast Arctic island has been quietly emerging as a premier destination for intrepid travellers seeking unparalleled wilderness and rich Indigenous culture.
An Arctic Wilderness Awakening
British filmmaker Jack Laws, 29, recently experienced Greenland's raw beauty firsthand. He plunged into icy waters dotted with icebergs and found himself a mere 200 metres from a polar bear while bobbing in a zodiac. "That was the highlight of the trip, for sure. It was stunning, but very, very isolated," he told Metro. His journey reflects a growing trend, with a record 141,000 visitors exploring Greenland in 2024.
The island's scale is almost incomprehensible. Spanning two million square kilometres, only 11 countries are larger. Yet, this landmass bigger than Texas is home to just 56,000 people, predominantly Inuit. An ice cap several miles deep covers 80% of the land, forcing communities to cling to the coasts in brightly painted settlements.
Culture, Cuisine, and Connectivity
Greenland offers a cultural and culinary experience like no other. Travellers might witness a fisherman chopping whale by the shore in the capital, Nuuk, or sample traditional dishes. The menu often features mattak (raw whale skin and blubber), cod, shrimp, and lumpfish roe—the local equivalent of caviar.
For years, accessibility was a major barrier. Reaching Greenland involved expensive, indirect flights to remote airstrips like the one at Kangerlussuaq, a former US WWII airbase. Journalist Adam Hay-Nicholls, who visited in 2021, recalls its desolate atmosphere and remnants of the American past, including rusted 1980s American cars and yellow school buses.
This is changing rapidly. In late 2024, Nuuk opened its long-awaited international airport. Then, in June 2025, United Airlines launched a twice-weekly direct service from Newark, marking a new era of accessibility for this remote territory.
A Playground of Ice and Midnight Sun
From June to August, Greenland transforms under the midnight sun. Melting ice exposes fields of buttercups, fjords shimmer, and rivers teem with trout. It's a place where you can sip beer filtered by 100,000-year-old glacial ice, watch humpback whales, or camp on icebergs the size of skyscrapers.
Writer Anna Richards, who backpacked for 12 days in September, describes a landscape so wild it's "off the scale." She noted, "The towers of ice and the changing shape of the icebergs. It's special." Meanwhile, travel writer Jeanine Barone praises Nuuk as a "buzzy, savvy city" with vibrant contemporary art and design inspired by the Arctic light and Inuit traditions.
Much tourism remains sea-based, with a surge in Arctic cruises. For a more authentic experience, the multi-day coastal ferry Sarfaq Ittuk offers a relaxed journey with stops at Inuit communities, similar to Norway's Hurtigruten.
The island's newfound prominence follows statements by former US President Donald Trump, who in January 2026 reiterated interest in Greenland "from the standpoint of national security," reviving discussions about its geopolitical significance. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Danish kingdom, controlling its own domestic affairs while Denmark manages defence and foreign policy.
Whether as a geopolitical pawn or an adventure frontier, Greenland's future is unfolding. For now, the international spotlight reveals an ancient, breathtaking world of ice, culture, and adventure that is finally opening its doors to the world.
