North of Disko Bay, the towns get smaller and further apart. Uummannaq, Upernavik and Qaanaaq are communities shaped entirely by hunting, dog sledding and sea ice. The infrastructure is thinner. The landscape is more severe. People have been living here, in more or less the same way, for a very long time.
Photo by Aningaaq Rosing Carlsen - Visit Greenland - uumannaq from far
North Greenland is a loose term for the coastline running from Uummannaq in the south to Qaanaaq near the top of the island, roughly 1,500 kilometres with only a handful of communities in between. The common thread is sea ice, which sets the calendar: when it comes in, dog sledding opens up, and when it breaks, boats take over.
Uummannaq, the largest town with around 1,300 people, sits below a heart-shaped mountain visible far out at sea, at the centre of an extensive fjord with good hunting and halibut fishing. Upernavik, further north, is scattered across a labyrinth of small islands and has become known among climbers for its remote granite walls. Qaanaaq, near the very top of the country, is the northernmost town with a meaningful population, around 600 people living a life still largely based on subsistence hunting, and genuinely unlike anywhere else.
Photo by Kim Insuk - Visit Greenland
Photo by Jason Charles Hill - Visit Greenland
Photo by Aningaaq Rosing Carlsen - Visit Greenland
Access to North Greenland runs by Air Greenland from Ilulissat or Nuuk to Uummannaq and Upernavik, and by a further connection to Qaanaaq. Journey times stack up. Plan at least a few days in each place to make the travel worthwhile. Get in touch and we’ll work out a route around your dates and interests.
Uummannaq sits on an island about 600 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, below the heart-shaped mountain that gives it its name (Uummannaq means "heart-shaped" in Greenlandic) and is visible far offshore. The town has around 1,300 people, a few hotels, and a small hospital and museum.
The fjord around it is extensive, with smaller settlements like Ukkusissat, Qaarsut and Saattut scattered through the archipelago, reached by boat in summer and by dog sled or snowmobile in winter. In winter the sea ice is usually solid from January to April, opening up dog sledding and clear-night northern lights, while summer's open water and long days make it fine territory for boat-based exploration.
Photo by Jason Charles Hill - Visit Greenland
Upernavik lies far up the northwest coast, the main town of a district spread across a labyrinth of small islands. Around 1,100 people live in the town itself, with smaller settlements throughout the archipelago that depend on it for supplies. Life here runs on hunting and fishing, and the rhythm of the sea ice shapes the year more than any calendar.
For visitors, Upernavik is deeply traditional and rarely seen. The open-air museum, one of the northernmost in the world, tells the district's story, and the surrounding granite has drawn climbers to its remote big walls. This is travel for those who want the Arctic without the crowds, where simply reaching the place is part of the experience.
Photo by Aningaaq Rosing Carlsen - Visit Greenland
Qaanaaq, in the far northern Thule region, is the northernmost town in Greenland with a meaningful permanent population, around 600 people, most of them Inuit. Life here is still substantially based on subsistence hunting, much of it carried out as it has been for generations, by dog sled across the sea ice.
This is one of the most remote inhabited places on earth, and reaching it takes real planning. But for travellers who make the journey, Qaanaaq offers something almost nowhere else can: a living traditional hunting culture, vast frozen seascapes, and a sense of distance from the modern world that is increasingly hard to find. It is unlike anywhere else in Greenland.
Photo by Glenn Mattsing - Visit Greenland
This far north, the seasons are extreme. Winter brings the polar night, weeks of darkness when the sun never rises, along with solid sea ice that turns the fjords into highways for dog sleds and snowmobiles. It is cold and demanding, but it is also the season of the northern lights and of traditional travel at its most authentic.
Summer swings the other way, into the midnight sun, with weeks of unbroken daylight. The sea ice breaks up, boats take over, and the coast opens for exploration, wildlife and visits between settlements. Spring, as the light returns and the ice is still firm, is often the finest time for dog sledding. Because ice and light govern everything here, the season you choose shapes the entire trip.
Photo by Lone Bjørn - Visit Greenland
Reaching North Greenland takes time and planning. Air Greenland flies from Ilulissat (and via Nuuk) up to Uummannaq, landing at Qaarsut airport with a short helicopter hop to the town, and on to Upernavik further north. Journey times stack up, so it is worth allowing at least a few days in each place to make the travel worthwhile.
Qaanaaq is a journey of its own. The route runs Ilulissat to Upernavik to Qaanaaq just once a week, which means an overnight stop in Ilulissat in both directions, and in summer the town can also be reached by expedition cruise. Because the northern hubs are far apart with limited connections, we treat them as separate destinations rather than one easy loop, and build the route around what's flying and sailing for your dates.
Photo by Aningaaq Rosing Carlsen - Visit Greenland
The dog sledding season in Uummannaq runs roughly January to April, depending on when the sea ice forms and breaks. In a good year the inner fjord is solid by mid-January and holds through April. Trips head out from town across the ice to smaller settlements like Ukkusissat and Qaarsut, places reachable only by sled in winter.
The sleds are Greenlandic, fan-hitch rather than tandem, so the dogs spread out in front instead of running in line. The musher drives and most guests ride. The light on the ice in March, with the sun back but still low, is unlike anything in summer. Out here, dog sledding isn't a tourist activity but still how people travel, and we'll talk through what's possible around your dates.
Photo by Aningaaq Rosing Carlsen - Visit Greenland
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Practical information for planning a trip to Uummannaq, Upernavik, or Qaanaaq. Get in touch if your question isn’t covered here.
Considerably more remote than Nuuk or Disko Bay. The towns are small, supplies come in by boat or air, and weather can ground flights for days at a time. Qaanaaq in particular requires resilient planning — we’d suggest building meaningful buffer days into any itinerary.
It's the real thing here. In North Greenland, dog sledding is still working transport and a core part of subsistence hunting, especially around Qaanaaq, not a show put on for visitors. The dogs are working animals, the sleds are traditional Greenlandic fan-hitch, and the people driving them are hunters using the sea ice the way their families always have. When you join a trip, you're stepping into that living tradition rather than a staged version of it.
Possibly, though never guaranteed. The waters off Uummannaq, Upernavik and especially the Qaanaaq region are among the best in the world for narwhal, which are hunted here traditionally and move through on their seasonal migrations. Sightings depend on timing, ice and luck, and they're most associated with the far north. Beluga, walrus, seals and seabirds are also part of the picture. We'll be honest about what's realistic for your route and season.
It depends entirely on what you want. Spring, roughly March to May, is the classic season: firm sea ice, returning daylight and the best conditions for dog sledding. Summer brings the midnight sun, open water and boat-based travel between settlements, along with the chance of wildlife. Winter is dark, cold and demanding, but it's when the northern lights are at their most intense. Because ice and light govern everything this far north, the season shapes the whole trip.
For most trips, no special technical skills, but you do need to be prepared for the cold. Dog sledding and boat trips suit a range of fitness levels, though sitting on a sled in deep winter is demanding in its own way, and you'll want serious warm clothing. We provide guidance on gear and, where needed, specialist equipment, and for any longer or more active expedition we'll send a tailored kit list. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll advise honestly.
Sometimes, yes. Expedition cruises do call at North Greenland communities, and a few hours ashore can be enough for a village visit, a short boat trip or a cultural encounter. Because the season and the ice affect what's possible, send us your ship's schedule and the port, and we'll suggest something that fits your time and gets you back aboard comfortably.
Pack for genuine Arctic cold, well beyond what most travellers expect, especially in winter and spring. Heavy insulating layers are essential, with a windproof and waterproof shell, insulated boots, a warm hat, and proper gloves or mittens. Bring sunglasses and sunscreen for the strong, ice-reflected light, and a camera with spare batteries that cope with the cold. For dog sledding or any expedition, we'll send a detailed, season-specific gear list.
Tell us which part of North Greenland you’re interested in, your likely dates, and what you’re hoping to do. Trips here take more lead time than most, the sooner you get in touch, the more options we’ll have.
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