The Arctic Circle Trail runs about 165 kilometres between Kangerlussuaq, at the edge of the ice sheet, and Sisimiut on the coast. It crosses tundra, river valleys, and mountain passes that are used almost exclusively by hikers and the musk ox and reindeer that share the route. There are no roads, no resupply points, and no phone signal between the two ends.
Sisimiut is Greenland's second-largest town, around 5,500 people on a rocky peninsula north of the Arctic Circle. What sets it apart isn't its size but what surrounds it: the largest unbroken wilderness in Greenland, stretching from the coast to the inland ice.
Over the last decade that terrain has made Sisimiut the country's adventure capital.In winter it is the heart of Greenland's dog-sledding and snowmobile country, with old sled routes carrying everything from half-day rides to multi-day expeditions toward Kangerlussuaq, plus cross-country skiing and the Arctic Circle Race in March. In summer the focus shifts to the fjord and the backcountry road, with kayaking, boat tours and whale watching from June to September, and hiking everywhere, right up to the Arctic Circle Trail starting at the edge of town.
Ride out across the tundra by ATV, reaching backcountry valleys and ridgelines that lie far beyond the edge of town.
Paddle the sheltered waters of the west coast archipelago, weaving between rocky islands with only the sound of your blades.
The Arctic Circle region covers more than just the trail itself. Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq are the anchors, but the area also opens out to Maniitsoq's ski terrain to the south and the long Arctic Circle ski season further inland. Tell us your dates and what you're after and we'll put a plan together.
The trail runs about 165 kilometres between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut, sitting north of the Arctic Circle for its entire length. It is Greenland's most famous long-distance hike and turns up regularly on lists of the best long-distance walks in the world, but it stays quiet — fewer than 1,500 people walk it in a season, and it isn't unusual to go a full day without seeing anyone. Most people walk it in seven to ten days, in either direction, with Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut the more common choice because finishing in a coastal town with hotels and onward flights is straightforward.
The trail is harder work than its statistics suggest. The path is often only a 30-centimetre footpath through tundra and disappears into boggy ground for stretches. Wet feet for most of the trip are normal, even in good boots. There are nine basic huts spaced roughly a day's walk apart — sleeping platforms, no warden, no bedding, no heat — so bring your own gear and a tent in case a hut is full. River crossings can be fast in early summer, weather changes quickly, and July and August are the most reliable months.
We'll help you prepare properly: which direction makes sense for your wider trip, what to expect at the river crossings in your travel month, which huts are currently in use, and whether to walk it self-supported or with a guide.
Maniitsoq sits on a rugged island on the central west coast, a cluster of colourful houses wrapped around a sheltered harbour. The name means roughly "the uneven place," and one look at the terrain explains it. Behind the town rises some of the most dramatic alpine scenery in Greenland, a maze of sharp peaks, glaciers and deep fjords often called the Greenlandic Alps.
This is the country's heliskiing capital, with steep descents that drop almost to the sea, and in summer the same mountains and the nearby Eternity Fjord draw hikers, climbers and boat trips among the whales that feed offshore. Quieter and less visited than Sisimiut, Maniitsoq rewards travellers looking for raw mountain wilderness right on the edge of town.
Photo by Jesper Regin - Visit Greenland
Sisimiut is Greenland's second-largest town, home to around 5,500 people and the first sizeable town north of the Arctic Circle. It is a lively mix of old and new, a busy modern fishing port alongside a historic colonial quarter where some of the oldest buildings in the country still stand near the church above the harbour.
The town is the adventure hub of the central west coast. It marks the northern end of the Arctic Circle Trail, and the mountains and tundra around it offer hiking in summer and ski touring, snowmobiling and dog sledding in winter. Sisimiut sits at the edge of Greenland's dog-sledding country, where teams are still part of everyday life, and each spring the town hosts the Arctic Circle Race, one of the toughest cross-country ski races in the world.
Whatever the season, Sisimiut makes a natural base, with hotels, restaurants and easy onward connections up and down the coast.
Photo by Aningaaq Rosing Carlsen - Visit Greenland
Set at the head of a long fjord far inland, Kangerlussuaq is Greenland's gateway to the ice. The town grew up around its airport and long runway, and it offers the easiest land access to the Greenland Ice Sheet anywhere in the country. A rough track leads out to Point 660 and the Russell Glacier, where you can stand at the very edge of the inland ice.
The surrounding tundra is some of the best wildlife country in Greenland, with large herds of musk oxen and reindeer, plus Arctic foxes and hares. Inland from the coast the climate is dry and stable, which means clear skies and exceptional northern lights through the dark months. Kangerlussuaq is also the southern starting point of the Arctic Circle Trail, where most hikers set off toward Sisimiut.
Photo by Jorgo Kokkinidis - Visit Greenland
The Arctic Circle region has two very different faces. Summer, from June to August, brings the true midnight sun north of the Circle, long warm days on the tundra and the main hiking season, including the Arctic Circle Trail. It is also the best time for wildlife, with musk oxen and reindeer out on the open land and whales feeding off the coast.
Autumn turns the tundra red and gold and brings the first northern lights back by late September. Winter, from roughly November to April, is long, cold and clear, especially inland around Kangerlussuaq, and it is the season of dog sledding, snowmobiling and ski touring out of Sisimiut, with aurora overhead and the Arctic Circle Race in early spring.
Photo by Line Hedegaard - Visit Greenland
Kangerlussuaq is unlike anywhere else in Greenland. Its wide streets were laid out by the US Air Force in the 1940s, when the base was built as a wartime refuelling stop for aircraft crossing the North Atlantic. The Americans ran it until 1992, and what they left behind, an oversized terminal, hangars and scattered base buildings, still shapes the town. For most of its modern history, this was where international flights into Greenland landed.
What draws people now is the landscape. Kangerlussuaq is the only town in Greenland with a road to the inland ice, ending about 25 kilometres east at the edge of the Russell Glacier. The surrounding tundra is some of the country's finest wildlife country, with musk oxen often visible from the road and reindeer across the same ground. We work with established local outfitters and can build a trip around the hiking, wildlife or hunting seasons.
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What you'll want to know before hiking the Arctic Circle Trail, skiing in Maniitsoq, or visiting Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq. Get in touch if your question isn't covered.
Harder than its stats suggest. There's no technical scrambling and no glacier travel, but the path is narrow, often boggy, and you should expect wet feet for most of the trip. River crossings in early summer can be thigh-deep. Weather changes fast and the only shelter between the two ends is the huts and your tent. People without much hiking experience have completed it, but a few longer training walks beforehand make a real difference. Get in touch and we'll give you an honest assessment.
Most people walk from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut, west toward the coast. The main reason is practical: you finish in a real town with hotels, restaurants and onward flights, rather than at an airport with little around it. Walking west also tends to put the prevailing wind at your back. Going the other way is perfectly possible and a little quieter at the start, and the choice often comes down to how the trail fits the rest of your trip. We'll help you decide based on your flights and dates.
Do I need a guide for the Arctic Circle Trail?No, the trail is unmarked but well established, and many people walk it self-supported. That said, it is genuinely remote, with no resupply, limited phone coverage and real river crossings, so you need solid navigation, the right gear and experience carrying everything for a week or more. If you'd rather not manage all of that yourself, a guided walk takes care of route-finding, safety and logistics. Tell us your experience level and we'll advise honestly on which makes sense.
July and August are the most reliable months. The ground is at its driest, the rivers are usually at safer levels than in early summer, and daylight is long enough to walk late if you need to. Late June can still hold snow on the higher sections and faster meltwater at the crossings, while by September the weather turns colder and less settled. For a first attempt, mid-summer gives you the best margin.
The ski season in Maniitsoq runs through the colder months, roughly February to May, when the snowpack is deep and stable and the daylight has returned after winter. This is the window for ski touring and for the heliskiing the area is known for, with descents dropping from high peaks almost to the sea. Exact timing shifts year to year with conditions, so it's worth planning around late winter and into spring.
The tundra around Kangerlussuaq is among Greenland's richest hunting country, best known for musk ox and reindeer (caribou). Seasons are set by the authorities and vary by species and quota, with autumn being the main period, and a local licence and guide are required. If hunting is something you're interested in here, get in touch with your dates and we'll talk you through what's open and how it's arranged.
Absolutely. The same tundra makes Kangerlussuaq one of the best places in the Arctic for wildlife watching, and a road out toward the ice sheet gives unusually easy access to open country where musk oxen and reindeer graze. Summer is ideal, with long light and animals out on the land, and Arctic foxes and hares are often seen too. It's a highlight in its own right, no hunting involved.
Tell us whether you're planning the full trail, a ski week in Maniitsoq, a hunting trip out of Kangerlussuaq, a winter week in Sisimiut, or something else. Include your likely dates and rough fitness level and we'll come back with a proper plan
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