Nuuk travel guide

Bygd in Nuuk Fjord (Photo: Niels Elgaard Larsen - (WT-en) Elgaard at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Nuuk (Greenlandic meaning "The Headland"), also known by its Danish name of Godthåb (Good Hope), is the capital and administrative centre of Greenland, with a population of around 15,000 (about a quarter of the entire population of the country). The city is sometimes accused of being rather soulless, with many high-rise blocks.

Understand

Climate

Nuuk, along with most of the population centres of Greenland, has a tundra climate. Being on the coast helps moderate temperatures somewhat, and winter temperatures are not unlike those of northern Europe or central Canada. However, unlike in those regions, summers remain quite cool. For example, in July, the warmest month of the year on average, the daily mean temperature is only 7 °C (45 °F), with highs rarely above 15 °C (59 °F).

Autumn has the highest rainfall and snowfall, although it is fairly steady all year round.

The Aurora is frequently visible from Nuuk (Photo: Elgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Get in

There are no roads or railways connecting cities within Greenland. The only practical means to travel is by boat or air. On foot is less practical and far more strenuous.

By plane

In 2024, the capital's airport was expanded to allow direct jet flights, making access much easier.

• Nuuk Airport (GOH IATA) (about 4 km northeast of town, but 6-7 km drive or walk to the city center). Bus line 3 passes by the airport (cash only). Hourly until about 17:00 on weekdays only, but you have to change buses to get all the way to the center of Nuuk. Taxi to the city center is about 140 kr. A cheaper option is the hourly HHE Express airport bus transfer service operated by Greenland Excursions (95 kr per adult, 45 per child).
  Air Greenland offers year-round connections to Copenhagen and Keflavík Airport, Iceland, summer seasonal to Iqaluit, Canada as well as various destinations in Greenland.
• Icelandair flies year-round to Reykjavík (domestic airport), three times a week during the summer and twice a week during the winter months.
• SAS From the end of June 2025 SAS have 3 weekly flights from Copenhagen. So far only during the summer which means until the end of August.
• United has 2 weekly flights from Newark.

By boat/ferry

• Port of Nuuk (GLGOH).

Arctic Umiaq Line has a passenger terminal to Maniitsoq-Sisimiut-Aasiaat-Uummannaq and Paamiut-Qaqortoq-Narsaq-Narsarsuaq.

• Royal Arctic Line and Blue Water are cargo-boat companies operating out of Nuuk.

Get around

Nuuk has a small bus company (Nuup Bussii A/S).

• Nuup Bussii A/S, ☏ +299 342 300, fax: +299 342 301. Six bus routes. Ticket costs 20 kr (cash only) for adults and seniors while child (15 and under) ride for free. The ticket is good for 60 min. Every part of town is easily accessible by bus.
• Nuuk Biludlejning, Iggiaanut 3a, ☏ +299 31 25 58. Rental cars and SUVs 400-775 kr/day.

See

• Greenland National Museum (Greenlandic: Nunatta katersugaasivia allagaateqarfialu), Hans Egedesvej 8, ☏ +299 32 26 11. 16 Sep-31 May: Tue-Sun 13:00-16:00; 1 Jun-15 Sep: 10:00-16:00 daily. The crown pieces of the museum are 500-year-old mummies discovered in 1978 and remarkably well preserved, with some of their facial tattoos still recognisable. Free entry in winter and on Sundays, DKK 30 in summer.
• Nuuk Art Museum (Danish: Nuuk Kunstmuseum), Kissarneqqortuunnguaq 5, ☏ +299 32 77 33.
• Nuuk Cathedral (Greenlandic: Annaassisitta Oqaluffia). Also known as the "Cathedral of Our Saviour", the red wooden church building was established in 1849. During National Day celebrations, large crowds usually gather around the church.
• Pingu (a 13-km loop hike from the village of Kapisillit, east of Nuuk). No, not the name of the main character in the clay animated children's television series but this is rather a 394 ft (120 m) prominent hill.

Hans Egede statue (Photo: Svickova, Public domain)

The old colonial town is on the east coast of the town centre. Here you can find the statue of Hans Egede, Hans Egede's House and his church.

• Statue of Hans Egede. Hans Edege is the Norwegian Missionary who founded Nuuk.
• Hans Egede's House. Built in 1728 and reputably the oldest house in the country. The former residence of Hans Egede and later used for the country's prime minister. It is now used for government receptions.
• Hans Egede Church. A wooden Evangelical Lutheran church.

Do

Looking down Imaneq, Katuaq is visible in the foreground (Photo: Visit Greenland from Nuuk, Greenland, CC BY 2.0)

• Katuaq (Danish: Grønlands Kulturhus), ☏ +299 36 37 70. Cultural centre.
• Nuuk Golf Club, ☏ +299 48 44 73.

Excursions

You can see whole of Nuuk from the top of Ukkusissat (Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0)

• Nuuk Marathon.
• Iceberg watching by boat. 6 hour trip into a fjord as far as it is safe with icebergs getting larger and closer.
• Puffin watching by boat.
• Whale watching by boat.
• Helicopter ride to the inland ice, Norse ruins and kaffemik at a nearby village.

Several hiking routes start from Nuuk:

• An easy hike from Circuslake around the mountain Quassussuaq (Lille Malene) follows a marked trail.
• A unmarked trek goes up Ukkusissat (Store Malene) and offers a view over Nuuk from above. Parts of this trail is on mountain sides with large boulders or steep climbs up loose rocks.

Events

• Nuuk Snow Fest: , Imaneq 23B, ☏ +299 36 75 35. From end of February to beginning of March. A snow festival held since 1994. Free. (date needs fixing)

Learn

• University of Greenland (Greenlandic: Ilisimatusarfik, Danish: Grønlands Universitet), Manutooq 1, ☏ +299 38 56 00. Greenland's only university. Offers a few courses in English, and is a part of Erasmus, Nordplus, UArctic, and NUSCT.

Buy

Akiki discount store and Sunset Boulevard restaurant (Photo: ThatGuyOnline, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Handmade seal skin gloves cost around 500 kr. Ask in shops near Colonial town.

• Nuuk Center, ☏ +299 32 6065. First (and only, as of 2026) shopping mall in Greenland. Also both the tallest and largest building in Greenland.

Eat

• Cafe Esmeralda, Aqqusinersuaq 7, ☏ +299 53 41 63. Daily 09:00–22:00, bar closes 01:00 on weekends. Pasta, wrap, burgers, omelettes and sandwiches. 100 kr.
• Sarfalik, Aqqusinersuaq (inside Hotel Hans Egede), ☏ +299 34 80 00. Tue–Sat 18:00–22:00. Gourmet food at reasonable prices. They have both a global menu and a local menu with muskox, caribou, seal, whale, etc. The course menu is 550 kr.
• Charoen Porn, Aqqusinersuaq 5, ☏ +299 325759. 17:00–00:00. Good Thai food with a Greenlandic touch: mattag, halibut, whale and musk ox. 100 kr for mains, 300 kr for the big menu.
• Restaurant Unicorn, Hans Egedesvej, ☏ +299 32 91 90. 17:00–21:00, closed Sun. A restaurant in picturesque Old Nuuk.

Drink

Central Nuuk offers a variety of locations for the enjoyment of alcoholic beverages, all within quick walking distance of each other. Nearly all pubs offer the same selection of beer (Classic on tap and Tuborg and Carlsberg in bottles) at the same (expensive) price (60 kr for 40 cl of draught), but beer from Godthaab Bryghus is also available.

Greenlandic coffee is prepared with coffee, whisky, Kahlua, whipped cream and Grand Marnier. It is prepared at the table in a little show and if you ask, you also get the story.

Cafés

• Barista, Spindlers Bakke 10C, ☏ +299 321114. 11:00-00:00. The place to get good coffee, slushies, and sandwiches 25 kr for coffee.
• Kaffivik, Nuukullak 35, ☏ +299 55 96 72. Sun-Thu 11:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00.

Bars

• Kristinemut, Aqqusinersuaq 7, ☏ +299 348094. Mon-Thu 13:00-00:00, Fri 13:00-03:00, Sat 12:00-03:00, Sun 12:00-00:00. The oldest bar in Nuuk. Very lively
• Daddy's, Imaneq 30 (Next to Godthåb Bryghus). Irish-inspired pub.

Sleep

Nuuk at Night (Photo: Elgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0)

There are plenty of hotels and accommodations scattered across the city.

• Hotel Hans Egede, Aqqusinersuaq 1-5, ☏ +299 324222, fax: +299 324487. Nuuk's largest hotel.
• HHE Express, Aqqusinersuaq 14B, ☏ +299 34 80 10.
• Hotel Seamen's Home, Marinevej 3 (At the harbour), ☏ +299 32 10 29, fax: +299 32 21 04. Check-in: 15ː00, check-out: 10ː00.
• Hotel Nordbo, Vandsøvej 13, ☏ +299 32 66 44, fax: +299 32 66 00. From 895 kr.
• Hotel Centerbo & Nordbo Apartments, Samuel Kleinschmidtsvej 11, ☏ +299 32 66 44, fax: +299 32 66 00. 795-1,685 kr.
• Hotel Aurora, Paassaasivik 8, ☏ +299 38 40 45.

Connect

• Public and National Library of Greenland, Imaneq 26, ☏ +299 32 11 56.

Stay safe

• Queen Ingrid's Hospital (Dronning Ingridip Napparsimmavissua), ☏ +299 34 40 00. The university hospital of Greenland, founded in 1953.

Nuuk is only a small town, with a population of about 15,000. Crime rates are very low, there are no slums and no places you should avoid.

Go next

You can choose among the destinations served by the boats and planes leaving Nuuk. The very adventurous can travel inland by foot or dog sled.

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