Just mentioning
Since we’ve been to many wonderful destinations we’re going to Greenland in July. Has anyone traveled there?
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Since we’ve been to many wonderful destinations we’re going to Greenland in July. Has anyone traveled there?
Comments
I've looked at Greenland as a place to go but everything I've seen has not called me. I'll be interested to hear what you have to say after your trip.
I suspect it is even more boring than Iceland, just larger.
You thought Iceland was broing? Hmm...
I haven't been to Greenland, but as far as boring goes, I'd think it's similar to Antarctica, ex cept for the direction the toilet bowl water spins.
Greenland is the ‘hot’ place to go right now.
British - Is that because the US is buying it? Perhaps the location of the next Trump golf course. 😂
Serious question - What's the attraction of Greenland? Antarctica has cute penguins and some history in the Shackleton Expedition – you get to visit Elephant Island where they wound up. And for those people who desire it, you get to punch your 7th continent ticket.
But what does Greenland offer? I looked at tour descriptions of several tours and I didn’t see anything that looked all that exciting. I am interested to learn what is attracting tourists.
[P.S. I enjoyed our Tauck tour of Iceland.]
I'm confused on this one too. I have a friend that's tried talking me into it and I just keep saying nope. Iceland yes.
Mike - Greenland is a lot closer
LOL, I guess that's one reason.
Sam, haven’t you heard, Trump is building an indoor golf course there.
Cultural Experiences:
Greenland National Museum and Archives:
Learn about Greenland's history, including Inuit culture and Viking settlements.
Nuuk:
Explore the capital city, visit the National Museum and Archives, and experience the Katuaq Cultural Center.
Inuit Settlements:
Visit traditional Inuit villages like Uummannaq and Tasiilaq, and learn about their way of life.
Kaffemik:
Experience a "kaffemik," a traditional Greenlandic coffee gathering, to connect with locals and learn about their culture.
Dog Sledding:
Enjoy a dog sledding tour, especially in winter, to experience a traditional mode of transportation.
Other Activities:
Boat Tours: Take boat trips to explore fjords, icebergs, and coastal areas.
Heliskiing: Enjoy heli-skiing adventures from Tasiilaq in East Greenland.
Fishing: Go fishing in Greenland's pristine waters.
Photography: Capture stunning landscapes, wildlife, and ice formations
Greenland offers a unique blend of natural wonders and cultural experiences. Activities include exploring ice fjords, spotting wildlife like whales and musk oxen, hiking, kayaking, and experiencing the Northern Lights or the midnight sun. Visitors can also delve into Inuit culture through museum visits, traditional settlements, and cultural events.
Here's a more detailed look at what to do:
Nature & Outdoor Adventures:
Ice Fjords:
Witness the breathtaking Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore other fjords by boat or kayak, marveling at the towering icebergs.
Hiking:
Hike the Arctic Circle Trail, a challenging but rewarding 160-kilometer trek through Greenland's backcountry.
Wildlife Viewing:
Spot whales, musk oxen, reindeer, and arctic hares in their natural habitats.
Glaciers:
Take a helicopter ride to a glacier, walk on the ice cap, or explore glaciers by boat.
Northern Lights:
Witness the mesmerizing Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) between September and April, especially in areas with minimal light pollution.
Midnight Sun:
Experience the midnight sun during the Arctic summer, where the sun doesn't set for weeks.
Hot Springs:
Relax in the natural hot springs of Uunartoq.
Cultural Experiences:
Greenland National Museum and Archives:
Learn about Greenland's history, including Inuit culture and Viking settlements.
Nuuk:
Explore the capital city, visit the National Museum and Archives, and experience the Katuaq Cultural Center.
Inuit Settlements:
Visit traditional Inuit villages like Uummannaq and Tasiilaq, and learn about their way of life.
Kaffemik:
Experience a "kaffemik," a traditional Greenlandic coffee gathering, to connect with locals and learn about their culture.
Dog Sledding:
Enjoy a dog sledding tour, especially in winter, to experience a traditional mode of transportation.
Does the above wet anyone’s appetite!
This is a lively dialog for certain. I’m just saying, we really enjoy unique adventures more so than going from one church to another church, and then another museum to yet another museum. I do enjoy all of the above but in small increments. Aren’t the trips to Antarctica, the Arctic, Africa, Iceland, and other remote destinations more memorable than others? I think they are. I have to add, I’ve enjoyed every single adventure but on different levels.
I certainly prefer the more adventurous places, though I have no interest in seeing Antarctica. You kinda know what you are going to get in Europe but not in the more adventurous places and also you don’t have to dress up for dinner on adventure tours either. Everyone wants different things which is why there are so many tour choices.
I sometimes worry Tauck will stop doing land tours because they are so much more complicated to work out.
British - Heliskiing? Now you caught my attention
I just mentioned Greenland to my husband, he doesn’t have interest in the forum. He said we should wait to go until we don’t need a passport 😂🤪
And polar bears. The Inuit are fiercely proud of their heritage and are bilingual—their own dialect (there are several) and Danish.
There is a Scandinavian-based company that offers tours there. I have not taken that tour yet but have done others. . . . Lofoten Islands to Tromsø, Norway.
Plus, I’m not an extreme hot weather person. Anything past 80 is too hot for me. I enjoy layering up winter clothes more so than wearing tank tops and flip flops which I have to say are not really shoes in the first place! Granted, extreme cold is painful too such as Churchill, Manitoba - bitter cold.
We enjoyed visiting Greenland and sailing thru Christian Sund. It is a beautiful but remote. The villages are charming with their colorful houses. Don’t expect to find a restaurant. The grocery was interesting. They have beautiful seal coats and jackets.
Not interested in Greenland, actually I've never thought of Iceland either.
If you enjoy scenery that takes your breath away, and if you enjoy untouched raw majestic natural beauty then I just have to say, “go”. The best of words describing these wonders can’t explain this until you’re there.
I'll stick with my original comment about Greenland. Might be OK for a day or two, 3 tops (day count like Tauck counts tour days
)
I have been following a YouTuber who sailed the NW passage from Alaska to Greenland in the summer, then wintered over on his sailboat which was frozen in solid ice (for about 8 months) in a small bay on the east coast of Greenland, about 30 miles from the nearest village. It sure didn't look like fun. Even after the thaw there was not much to do.
We did a Tauck tour to Antarctica a while back, and it was one of our most memorable trips - far from being boring. It was my bucket list item, and my wife was not terribly excited about going somewhere with a lot of snow and ice. But we both enjoyed it immensely. The scenery was spectacular and the wildlife very interesting. The temperatures were also moderate, being it was the summer season down there. We had one hour long stretch where the whales breached over 90 times around us, and swam up right next to our ship. They did their bubble fishing routine right in front of us. It ranked right up there with our recent Africa safari and our previous Machu Picchu / Galapagos trips with Tauck.
We went to Greenland in July 2023. We traveled with Seabourn, and could not have been happier. They have expedition vessels that are specifically outfitted and designed for traveling to harsh climates ( eg Antarctica, Greenland, Northwest Passage) and the experience was fabulous. That said - it was not what we expected. We wanted another Antarctica - like experience because we enjoyed Antarctica so much. There were aspects that were a lot like Antarctica, but in Greenland, if you go looking for abundant wildlife you will be disappointed. We saw a few whales and some seals. Some people saw blue arctic fox while kayaking. That was the extent of it. While always wary of a potential encounter with a polar bear ( there are armed guards with high caliber rifles on all hikes) we did not see any . What is amazing about Greenland is the vastness, the isolation, the extreme harshness of the environment, the natural beauty , the cultural aspects of the Inuit villages you visit, visiting Nuuk , the sheer number of city-block size ice-bergs you pass while sailing and the glaciers.... WOW! The Glaciers. Everywhere you look. Another interesting travel tid bit, is that a significant proportion of the waters along the Greenland coast , which are all giant fjords, are un-charted. Before our ship ventured in , a zodiac with an outdoor motor - like contraption called a WASSP which used sound waves to determine the maps, would go in with crew to determine our route (or not). Based on sea ice development and fjords being blocked, our course was changed real time. The lectures were phenomenal, and were all given by the zodiac/naturalist crew that were PhD -level experts in their fields. There are some pretty fabulous Viking ruins that are better than anything we saw in Europe, because in Greenland they were built with stone. Greenland does not have much infrastructure for tourists beyond some very small places and hotels in Nuuk. There are no roads. Travel is seasonal by water and helicopter. If you are interested in going , I recommend traveling on a cruise ship that has expedition vessels. You will see much more of the country by circumnavigating it.
MotherOfPoodles: as a tourist, we are all explorers in one aspect or another and we’re going for all the exact reasons you mentioned.
MotherOfPoodles - Excellent commentary.
For those who might be interested, read “Two Against the Ice” by Ejnar Mikkelsen. It is a true story of an expedition to Greenland in 1910 by the author, a Dane, and his fellow explorer, a Norwegian.
We went to both Greenland and Iceland on an ocean cruise. Greenland had very little to see. Brown tuft, no grass, no trees, a very small village. Iceland on the other hand was awesome. We did a circle tour of southern Iceland - saw Godafoss falls that rivaled Niagra, lovely little towns, great restaurants, very friendly people (though this was before our current politics). Yes, we went to the Blue Lagoon. Not as crowded as I'd heard it can be as it is quite huge. I can say I've been there but not sure it is worth the trip. I'm sure you know the story - they named their country Iceland to discourage invaders. Iceland is very green - Greenland is not. However, the fjords between Greenland and Iceland were beautiful.
here are a few shots. If they do not come through, I will just delete. Unfortunately you cannot grasp the size of the iceberg because there is nothing in the photo for size comparison.