East or West Greenland? Which to choose for your Greenland expedition cruise

Ilulissat, Disko Bay

Travelling by plane via Iceland, Denmark or Canada is the most popular way to get from the UK to Nuuk. It's positively cosmopolitan compared to the rest of this remote and isolated country, and the setting amongst mountains and fjords is truly striking.

Attractions include the Greenland National Museum and the picturesque Old Harbour. Plus, if you sail out into Nuuk's surrounding fjord, you may spot humpback whales in the summer months.

Nuuk, Greenland

Kangerlussuaq, just north of the Arctic Circle, is home to Greenland's main airport, where most visitors to the country will pass through at some point. The town also offers easy access to the magnificent Greenland Ice Cap, which is millions of years old and covers 80% of Greenland's land area - and the surrounding countryside is a great place to see the Northern Lights in August and September (note that the Greenland cruise season ends at the end of September).

Just south, you may sail to the village of Itilleq, home to just 120 people. Here, cruise visitors usually have the chance to visit a local home, learn about life in this isolated settlement and perhaps even challenge the islanders to a game of football!

Fjord, Kangerlussuaq

Another key destination on the west coast of Greenland is Sisimiut, means 'the people living in a place where there are fox dens', though these days the town is better known for being Greenland's northernmost year-round ice-free port. Around 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle, it's a common stop for ships making the journey north to Disko Bay, one of Greenland's most spectacular sights, where calving glaciers send huge icebergs floating out across the water. These bergs can be several kilometres in length, and are sculpted into weird and wonderful shapes by the weather. Whatever you do, don't forget your camera!

You may also spot several species of whale in the iceberg-strewn waters of Disko Bay, including bowhead, humpback, minke, fin, bowhead and pilot. Eqi Glacier is another common stop, one of the largest and most active glaciers in Greenland. Calving several tonnes of ice into Eqi fjord daily, the sight and sound of the huge slabs crashing down into the sea creates a truly dramatic spectacle.

Sisimiut

This is also where cruises will explore the spectacular Ilulissat ice fjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the source of the many icebergs that float out across Disko Bay - it's one of the few glaciers through which the Greenland ice cap reaches the sea, and calves more ice than any other glacier outside Antarctica.

The town of Ilulissat itself, with a population of just under 5,000, is Greenland's third largest settlement, and activities on offer here include dog sledding - Ilulissat is home to thousands of Greenland dogs - walking trails for incredible views over the ice, and visiting the Ilulissat Museum to learn about the area's fascinating history.

Ilulissat Icefjord

Uummannaq is one of the most northerly towns in the west coast of Greenland, more than 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle and a more unusual stop on a west Greenland cruise itinerary - arriving here is an adventure in itself! Emptying in to Baffin Bay, which is located between the west coast of Greenland and Canada's Baffin Island (a starting point for many Northwest Passage routes, which can be combined with a west Greenland itinerary), Uummannaq is situated on an island at the foot of a jagged mountain and is an excellent place to learn more about Inuit culture at the small museum, or explore the spectacular natural surroundings.

Further north still, Qaanaaq (also known as Thule after the 'ultima Thule' of antiquity) is the northernmost town in Greenland and one of the most northerly settlements in the world - and the furthest north you can sail on a cruise. The town's 600 hardy inhabitants endure permanent darkness in winter, while summer brings four months of 24-hour daylight.

Eqi Glacier

Two thirds of Greenland are covered by ice and the widespread, harsh terrain means wildlife is not as easily spotted as it is in its Arctic counterpart of Svalbard, particularly on Greenland's west coast which has more people than the east. However, on the Greenland west coast you may still spot Arctic hares, harp seals, musk oxen (these are predominantely in the far north and northeast of Greenland, but sometimes can be found on the west coast), walrus, reindeer and white-tailed eagles.

Of course, spotting the famed King of the Arctic, the polar bear, may be on your bucket list, and while they aren't as common to see in Greenland as Svalbard, if you're incredibly lucky you could spot them in one of the three of the populations on the west coast - but we suggest not basing your trip around this, instead focussing on the incredible natural landscapes.

East Greenland

The incredibly remote East Greenland, usually reached from Iceland, differs significantly from the west coast of Greenland, with more stark, wild landscapes and far fewer inhabitants, and more extreme expedition cruises on offer.

East Greenland is one of the most isolated and least populated areas of the entire Arctic, and therefore wildlife is less under threat, meaning east Greenland also offers slightly more plentiful wildlife watching opportunities in general than the west.

Kulusuk village

One of east Greenland's biggest draws is the world's largest national park - the pristine Northeast Greenland National Park. Largely untouched by humans except for a few research stations, the park encompasses nearly 1/4 of the entire island of Greenland.

Established in 1974 and covering some 375,000 square miles, the park is a true slice of uninhabited, unspoiled Arctic wilderness and is home to wildlife including Arctic hares, musk oxen (an estimated 40% of the world's musk oxen are found here) as well as walrus, beluga whale and narwhal around the coast. In 2023, the Greenland government also established a new protected area for polar bears in this region, so you may be incredibly lucky and spot one.

Northeast coast of Greenland

Northeast Greenland National Park is reached via the east coast settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the most remote in Greenland. Made up of a collection of brightly coloured wooden buildings home to a total of around 450 people, it's sandwiched on the other side by the dramatic Scoresbysund, the world's longest fjord system.

An east Greenland highlight, Scoresbysund has a tree-like structure that makes its way nearly 250 miles inland from the Greenland Sea, with layers of basaltic lava forming the incredible surrounding landscapes, among which you may spot polar bears, Arctic foxes, hares, whales, seals, and musk ox. It's also home to the pristine, breathtaking expanse of the King Oscar Fjord on the northern border of Scoresbysund, formed of a maze of snaking valleys and majestic icebergs.

Ittoqqortoormiit village

Expedition cruises sail along the ultra-remote Blosseville Coast to head further south - surrounded by pack ice, jagged peaks and icebergs, this incredibly wild and hard-to-reach place is visited by only a few making it a truly special experience. It's the gateway to the spectacular Prince Christian Sound on the southeastern tip of Greenland, that provides a protected passage for ships rounding the southern tip of the country, at times narrowing to just 1,500 feet across. Waterfalls cascade down the rugged mountain sides, and you can often spot whales and seals amongst the icebergs.

The tiny village of Aappilattoq enjoys a spectacular setting on the sound, its colourful houses arranged at the foot of a steep mountain, and you may have the chance to meet some of the isolated community that's home to just 120 people, who make their living by hunting or fishing.

Prince Christian Sound

Cruises may also visit the stunning Sermilik Fjord, the largest in southeastern Greenland, its waters fed by several glaciers which calve icebergs into the sea. The region was first mapped by the Danish explorer Gustav Holm in 1884, and nowadays Sermilik is home to a Danish research station which monitors the glaciers and the local climate.

Just east, Tasiilaq is the largest town on Greenland's sparsely populated east coast, home to around 2,000 hardy souls. Walking around town you'll see dog sleds and kayaks made from animal hides, while the surrounding landscape is home to glaciers, caves and wildlife including seals and dolphins. Nearby, the uninhabited island of Skjoldungen is a starkly beautiful landscape of snow-capped mountains, steep valley sides and icebergs in crystalline shades of white and blue.

Skjoldungen island

Further south, the southern region - often visited on an east Greenland cruise - is fantastic for uncovering the Viking heritage of the area, such as in Hvalsey, home to some of the most important Norse ruins in Greenland. The 14th-century church here is remarkably well preserved, on the site of a major medieval farmstead. Then, nearby Narsaq was chosen by the famous Norse explorer Erik the Red to establish his first settlements in Greenland, and you can still see Norse ruins dating back over 1,000 years. You can learn more at the town's museum, which also includes exhibits on kayaks and traditional clothing, and you may see fin and minke whales in the waters.

You may also call in to Qaqortoq, southern Greenland's largest town with 3,000 inhabitants, most famous for its nearby hot springs at Uunartoq, and Nanortalik, the southernmost city in Greenland, sitting on a small island at the mouth of the Tasermiut fjord. The name means 'the place of polar bears', since bears come to hunt on the sea ice in summer, and the town is also known for its unique choir singing culture.

Narsaq

A number of expedition cruise lines visit either east or west Greenland such as Ponant, who have a number of fantastic expeditions of varying lengths, including specific west Greenland and east Greenland cruises as well as combinations with Arctic Canada.

Seabourn and Scenic are offering Greenland and Iceland combination cruises in summer 2025 and 2026, while polar experts Quark and AE Expeditions also have a variety of south, west and east Greenland cruises departing next summer.

Quark Expeditions in Greenland