Read more about vaccinations, transport, price levels and more in connection with your trip to Greenland.

• Language: Greenlandic, Danish
• Capital: Nuuk
• Population: 56,200
• Religion: Protestantism
• Currency: Danish krone
• Surface: 2,166,086 km2

Worth knowing

Midnight sun and northern lights

You can experience the midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle, for example in Ittoqqortootmiit, until the end of July. The bright nights also occur during the weeks before and after. South of the Arctic Circle, it is bright at night during the months when it is midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle. The Northern Lights occur all year round, but can only be experienced during the months that have dark hours during the day. The phenomenon can be experienced throughout Greenland.

Time difference

Greenland is four hours behind Sweden (-4 hours).

Transport

The infrastructure in Greenland is very limited. Transport between the cities is therefore often by ship / boat or plane, as there is no road network that connects the cities with each other. On the excursions in the cities, we get around with buses that are adapted to be able to get on the Greenlandic roads.

Price level

The price level in Greenland is generally higher than in Sweden. Fresh imports such as fruit, vegetables and milk are very expensive, as they have to be flown in. Cigarettes and alcohol are also significantly more expensive due to high fees. A meal costs around SEK 120 at a café and around SEK 225 at restaurants and hotels. When it comes to pocket money, most people usually manage with a minimum of around SEK 300 per day.

Tip

On our travels, you come into contact with everyday life in Greenland, including conditions that may not appeal to you, or that you are not used to. Take for example the system of tips. In many countries, tips are a more organized phenomenon than we Swedes are used to, and you are expected to leave some tips to local guides and drivers during the trip. We enter an amount in our travel program so that you can count on this when you make up your travel budget at home. The price of the trip does not include the cost of tips as you decide how much you want to give during the trip. The tip system is part of the culture you visit and something you should therefore follow and respect.

In practice, it is possible to arrange for the tour guide to collect money for the entire trip and ensure that the right people get what they need. We would like to emphasize that it is of course voluntary to tip, even if it is common practice.

For cruises, other guidelines apply, see the specific program for your trip.

Currency and credit cards

In Greenland, the currency is DKK Dankort can be used for payment in larger cities where you can also withdraw cash. In smaller towns, you should not expect to be able to use Dankort.

Electricity

Greenland, just like Sweden, has 220 volts and the same outlet.

Telephone and internet

The international country code for Greenland is +229. It is expensive to call home from Greenland, so feel free to contact your mobile operator regarding coverage and prices. There are internet cafes in the larger cities, as well as the possibility to use the internet in most hotels for a fee.

Hygiene

Hotels, restaurants and cafés have modern / western hygiene standards. When visiting private homes, you sometimes have so-called toilet toilets. Bring wet wipes and possibly. hand disinfection (available at Swedish pharmacies, for example), so you will not be as dependent on access to water.

Customs and traditions

The Greenlanders are friendly and accommodating. It is important not to call the locals Eskimos, but Inuit.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited during all flights, trains and bus transport. Smoking is also prohibited in many restaurants and hotels. If you are unsure, talk to your tour guide about what applies.

Sled dogs

The Greenland sled dog can be experienced from Sisimiut and north. It is not a pet but a working animal and an important tool for the hunters. The Greenland dog is a separate breed and is built according to the Greenlandic conditions.

You can often see how a dog that does not listen or is aggressive towards other dogs is punished by the dog sled driver. This is completely normal and necessary to be able to maintain respect between dogs and sled drivers.

Climate and weather Greenland

Here you can read about Greenland’s climate and weather. See, among other things, temperatures for Nuuk.

	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	CHRISTMAS	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
Nuuk
Daytime temperature	-5	-4	-3	0	5	10	12	11	7	2	-1	-4
Night temperature	-12	-11	-10	-7	-2	2	3	3	1	-4	-7	-10
Precipitation (mm)	27	23	17	25	30	49	58	70	80	75	47	25
Kanqerlussuaq
Daytime temperature	-16	-18	-13	-4	6	13	15	13	7	-3	-8	-10
Night temperature	-22	-24	-21	-12	-1	4	6	4	0	-9	-16	-19
Precipitation (mm)	5	3	2	8	5	12	22	28	17	12	11	4
Ilulisat
Daytime temperature	-10	-10	-9	-4	4	9	12	10	5	-1	-4	-8
Night temperature	-17	-18	-17	-13	-3	3	5	4	-1	-7	-11	-14
Precipitation (mm)	10	13	13	15	18	19	32	32	41	32	21	17
Asia
Daytime temperature	-11	-16	-16	-5	2	8	10	9	5	-1	-5	-7
Night temperature	-18	-24	-25	-13	-4	2	5	3	-1	-6	-11	-13
Precipitation (mm)	13	16	13	18	18	24	32	31	41	25	22	18

According to bridgat, the whole of Greenland (2,175,600 km2) is located in the polar climate zone. Given the size of the country, the climate differs between different parts with the common denominator that it is at most 10 ° C during the summer months. This is partly due to the fact that the midnight sun’s reflections in the ice sheet mean that the temperature differs by only a few degrees between the east coast and the west coast. The amount of precipitation in Greenland also varies quite sharply. While in the southern part between 800 and 1,400 mmm of rain falls every year, the air in the northern part of Greenland is so dry that this part of the country can almost be described as an Arctic desert.