Best time to visit Greenland

2 min summary Best time to visit Small ship cruises Icebergs in Disko Bay Photography vacations Wildlife Wilderness vacations Responsible tourism

Best time to visit Greenland

Kayaking alongside glaciers as the sun dipped created the illusion of fire on ice. But of course, the sun never set. And so, the show never seemed to end.

Greenland is gargantuan so although it has an Arctic climate, it certainly varies. Most trips are in summer, which gets up to 10°C, with the big freeze setting in from November to April. Northern Lights start to shimmer in September, so get in before the pack ice arrives if you want Aurora and aqua fun. Bowhead whales appear in Disko Bay from March to May, as it is krill feeding time, but there are whales of various species here year round. Enjoy the benefits of the midnight sun from late April to late August, depending on latitude, but most tourist regions are lit up 24/7 from early June to mid July.

Call us for the best time to go to Greenland

A month by month guide on when to go to Greenland

January in Greenland

Very cold

No sun until mid-month

No tours

The sun is very late and misses all new year parties in the Arctic Circle, only rising above the horizon mid-month. Fun fact: reindeer are sensitive to UV light, which helps them see in these low light months. Polar bears, which don’t hibernate, can roam the growing sea ice hunting for seals. As the sea ice strengthens in Greenland in January, communities can start dog sledding and hunting.

February in Greenland

Very cold

Slightly more daylight

No tours

It’s well below freezing in Greenland in February, the coldest month. The average high is -5°C in Nuuk, -10°C in Ilulissat and -14°C in Ittoqqortoormiit on the east coast. Dog sledding season starts in February when the snow and ice are well established. Dog sledding is sometimes the main and best form of transport overland at this time of year. There’s a bit more daylight: nine hours in Nuuk and seven hours in Ilulissat.

March in Greenland

Winter landscapes

More daylight

Photography vacations

Amazing winter landscapes, icebergs and lots of incredible light: that’s what you can expect from Greenland in March, which is why our photography tours depart this month, and there’s a good chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis around the equinox. Arctic sea ice reaches its maximum at this time and whilst icebreaker cruises may start this month but most people don’t visit until summer.

April in Greenland

Still below freezing

More daylight

Less snow

In Greenland in April, the average daily high in Nuuk is still below freezing at -1°C, and it’s colder further north. It’s your last opportunity to see the Northern Lights before the days get even longer; by April there are 15 hours of daylight in the capital. Greenland doesn’t really experience a ‘spring’, but you may notice less snow and Arctic hares with white coats looking out of place as a result.

May in Greenland

Temperatures climb just above freezing

Quiet ‘shoulder’ month

Melting snow

Temperatures pull above freezing for the first time in Greenland in May, but there’s likely to be snow sticking around so it’s not yet warm enough for the famous summer mosquitos to be out. Flight schedules, cruise sailings and tours don’t start until next month, so this is a quiet transitional month in the country: the end of the snowy dog sledding season, but not the start of the tourist season.

June in Greenland

Summer season begins

Whale watching

Small ship cruising

This is the start of the summer season and there are more flights to Greenland in June. You may find a couple of our cruises start towards the end of this month. Cute harp seal pups are taking to the waters for the first time, too, whale watching tours begin, and migratory birds are here. There’s often stable weather in summer. The longest day of the year, the 21st, is Greenland’s national day.

Get up early to see spectacular sun rises and misty clouds against the mountains

– our traveler Dorothy Small

July in Greenland

Peak season

Small ship cruising

Warm temperatures

The tourist cruising season begins in Greenland in July, and we have some sailings this month. July is peak time for flowering plants and for picking bog bilberries, which taste better than the name suggests. The sun is strong in summer, so bring adequate protection, and you should also prepare for ‘white nights’ when it doesn’t get dark. Also, bring insect repellent for the mosquitos and midges.

August in Greenland

Peak season

Small ship cruising

Warm temperatures

Greenland in August is the peak month for cruises. The cruising window is short, and some small communities in popular locations like Ilulissat on Disko Bay get lots of tourists. This is the best time of year for Northwest Passage Cruises between Nuuk, Greenland and Nome, Alaska. August coastal temperatures have been known to exceed 20°C in recent years.

August is a good month for our East Greenland Cruise

September in Greenland

Northern Lights

Small ship cruising

Beautiful light

Greenland in September celebrates the autumn equinox with a strong probability of aurora borealis sightings. Aurora aside, this month the light gets very pretty as the sun gets lower in the sky. Sea ice is at its lowest before it starts building again over winter. The reindeer are in rutting season, but whilst reindeer activity ramps up, tourism is winding down, and facilities shut at the month’s end.

September is a good month for our Greenland sailing cruise with Northern Lights

October in Greenland

Early winter

Temperatures below freezing

End of cruising

It’s already early winter in Greenland in October, the first snow has fallen, and there are fewer cruises. Temperature slink down below freezing again this month. In winter the bay of Ilulissat is frozen and ships cannot get in. In the far north of the country, the sun sets for the year at the end of the month and won’t rise until February.

November in Greenland

Temperatures below freezing

Short days in the south, polar night in the north

Very quiet time of year

There are around 50 different words for snow and ice, and many will be appropriate in Greenland in November. The sun has set for the year in the north and hangs around in the south, but it’s generally cold and dark. Everywhere is now freezing and will be for the next few months. Sea ice is forming but won’t reach its full extent until the spring.

December in Greenland

Christmas festivities

Darkest time of year

No tours

In Greenland, Santa Claus lives on Uummannaq Island and Christmas trees are imported in – as very few trees grow on the island. There’s a nice build-up to Christmas in Greenland in December and people hang stars in the windows of their houses. During the shortest days of the calendar year, southern Greenland gets just four hours of daylight, so Nuuk is practically nocturnal. Other parts of the country are well into their polar night.

Greenland Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

-11

-5

FEB

-11

-5

MAR

-11

-5

APR

-7

-1

MAY

-2

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

-3

NOV

-6

-2

DEC

-9

-4

Contact Us

Call us for a chat about our vacations. We are happy to discuss your vacation and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.

1-866-821-6866 1-866-821-6866

Call toll free

Calling from outside the USA

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Best times to visit Greenland for festivals & events

Greeting the sun (January and February)

On 13 January, the sun returns to Ilulissat, rising above the horizon again for the first time after weeks of endless polar night, and members of the community hike up to a special viewing spot to see it. Across Greenland, communities greet the sun when it comes back (which it does on different days depending on the latitude). They hike to special spots to meet it, greet it and perhaps sing a song: wouldn’t you, after all that polar night? It’s a brief meeting though: the sun usually sets again less than an hour later.

Nuuk Snow Festival (March)

March is very snowy in Greenland –the accumulation of months of winter. At Nuuk’s Snow Festival, teams carve huge compact snow cubes into sculptures and well wrapped-up visitors can enjoy street food and live music, and watch the sculptors at work. At the end of the festival, there’s an award ceremony for the coolest cube.

Arctic Sounds (April)

Calling on creators from across the Arctic: Arctic Sounds is Sisimiut’s annual music festival. Greenland’s second largest settlement runs the event over five days and feature artists from Greenland, the Nordic countries and from across the Arctic. It’s also one of the few music festivals where you’ll see a local death metal band also running special performances for children.

National Day (21 June)

Greenland has the longest national day in the world – because it’s on the longest day of the year. Commemorating the referendum for home rule made in the 1970s, the national day means flags, cannon firing, folk dancing and music, all taking place over 24 hours of daylight. There is also a seal hunting competition: hunting is a vital part of life among Greenlandic communities.

Polar Circle Marathon (October)

Is this one of the hardest marathons in the world? For the Polar Circle Marathon, you run on snowy tracks for 42.2km from Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland, actually running for part of the race on the country’s famous ice cap, in temperatures of around -10°C. This race has been held since 2001. Astonishingly, the pros finish it in just under three and a half hours.

Our travelers also ask…

What month is best to see the Northern Lights in Greenland?

See them in September, when sea ice is at its lowest so you can see the lights dancing above the deck on a small ship cruise. The Northern Lights tend to be strongest around the spring and autumn equinoxes in late September and late March but will be visible all winter in the country during its long nights.

What is the best month to go to Greenland?

The best months are July and August. June to September is the tourist season in Greenland. July and August is the peak season for cruises with stable weather, long daylight hours, warmer temperatures and more departures.

What is the rainiest month in Greenland?

September is the wettest month in Greenland; Nuuk gets around 90mm of rain at this time. Summer months can get rain, but from October to May any rain is usually falling as snow. Greenland is very dry and parts of it are considered desert. Rain never falls on the Greenland ice sheet – it’s too cold – but climate change is affecting that.

Are there mosquitos in Greenland in summer?

Yes there are, and midges too, present from June to August. They’re a pest – so much so that people – and even dogs – wear special head nets to avoid them. Marsh Labrador tea, a plant from the rhododendron family with a strong scent, is used as a traditional deterrent. Biting bugs are only found on land, so aren’t generally a problem on cruises, and anywhere with a bit of a sea breeze.

Is Greenland colder than Iceland?

Very much so. While Greenland’s temperature is moderated by the Gulf Stream, not only is Greenland further north than Iceland, but it’s also a huge landmass with a massive ice sheet on top of it. The lowest temperature in the northern hemisphere was recorded here in December 1991 – it was -69.6°C. The average maximum daily temperature in Nuuk in January is -5°C. In Reykjavik, it’s 1°C.

Best time to visit Greenland

Best time to visit Greenland