Key Points
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Ilulissat, Greenland—known as the Iceberg Capital of the World—is now easier than ever to visit thanks to new air routes via Nuuk.
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Visitors can kayak among icebergs, hike along the UNESCO-listed Icefjord, or chase the Northern Lights under Arctic skies.
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With new hotels and acclaimed restaurants, this once-remote town is becoming Greenland’s must-see destination.
Tucked along the rugged western coast of Greenland, some 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle, lies the small town of Ilulissat, often called the “Iceberg Capital of the World.” Now, thanks to expanding air access, this once-remote outpost is emerging as a must-visit destination.
At the heart of Ilulissat’s appeal is its Icefjord, a UNESCO-listed wonder where massive icebergs calve from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, one of the world’s fastest and most productive glaciers. Each year, it calves more than 46 cubic kilometers of ice, accounting for a staggering 10 percent of all Greenland’s calved ice and outpacing every glacier outside of Antarctica. It’s no wonder Ilulissat proudly wears the title of Iceberg Capital.
But Ilulissat is more than just ice. Visitors can hike along rugged cliffs, glide past icebergs by kayak or stand-up paddleboard, or even take Zodiac excursions to explore hidden sea caverns. In winter, travelers can dog sled across frozen landscapes or watch the Northern Lights in the long winter night. One must-visit is the Icefjord Center, which has a boardwalk trail leading to the dramatic viewpoints of the Icefjord and the Ilulissat Isfjord Center.
Dining in town reflects the region’s strong connection to land and sea. The rooftop at Best Western Plus Hotel Ilulissat has some of the city’s best views, Restaurant Icefiord in the Hotel Icefiord has standout views of the ice, and Hangout Bistro features an assortment of fare from musk ox pizza to fish and chips. Chef Inunnguaq Hegelund, who has lived in Ilulissat for years, told Travel + Leisure that his favorite dining spots are Hotel Icefiord, Hotel Arctic, and Hvide Falk.
As for where to stay, the city options include Best Western Plus Hotel Ilulissat, HOTEL SØMA Ilulissat, and Hotel Arctic has aurora cabins with panoramic views of the Disko Bay.
In 2024, travel to Greenland took a major leap forward with the opening of a new international airport in Nuuk, the capital. For U.S. travelers, this means Greenland is now astonishingly within reach: a direct seasonal United Airlines flight from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Nuuk International Airport (GOH) closes in at under four hours—shorter than a coast-to-coast flight across the U.S. Consider this: getting to Ilulissat is faster than flying to Los Angeles.
From Nuuk, domestic connections on Air Greenland make reaching Ilulissat a quick journey. For those seeking a more leisurely route, expedition cruises (like HX Expeditions, Silversea Cruises, and MSC Cruises) not only allows travelers to take in breathtaking views along the way, but also avoids the weather unpredictability of Arctic air travel.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure