Belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark but run independently, those who cruise to Greenland meet a world where European culture meshes with that of the Inuit in a harsh but beautiful landscape of ice, rock, and the sea. Greenland or “Kalaallit Nunaat” (“Land of the People") in the Greenlandic language is a place of extremes.
Greenland is dominated by the second largest ice-sheet of the world. Although huge in size it is inhabited by less than a 100.000 people. The majority of the Greenlandic population is formed by Inuit, the indigenous people of the Arctic.
Despite the restricted access to land due to the ice sheet Greenland sports a diverse array of wildlife. Many land mammals enjoy the northern and eastern shores of the island where human populations are few and far between. The waters around Greenland are alive with belugas, blues, fins, Greenland whales (a.k.a. bowhead whales), minkes, narwhals, and sperm whales.
Cruises to Greenland
23 Days Extended Around Spitsbergen & Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis
PLA10d24 When you join two outstanding Arctic cruises into one, you get powerhouse polar adventures like this. After edging the pack ice of the planet’s most stunning polar bear habitat, you head to scenically surreal northeast Greenland for views of the magical...
m/v Plancius
Cruise date:
9 Aug - 31 Aug, 2024
Berths start from:
9920 USD
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis
A classic three island voyage: Ice, Inuit and Remoteness
PLA11-24 The Spitsbergen and Northeast Greenland cruise sails waters filled with breath-taking scenery. The expedition passes through areas that are home to seals, seabirds, whales, and polar bears, topped off with nighttime viewing of the Northern Lights.
m/v Plancius
Cruise date:
18 Aug - 31 Aug, 2024
Berths start from:
7000 USD
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis
A classic three island voyage: Ice , Inuit and Remoteness
HDS12-24 The Spitsbergen and Northeast Greenland cruise sails waters filled with breath-taking scenery. The expedition passes through areas that are home to seals, seabirds, whales, and polar bears, topped off with nighttime viewing of the Northern Lights.
m/v Hondius
Cruise date:
25 Aug - 7 Sep, 2024
Berths start from:
7000 USD
Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis
A classic three island voyage: Ice , Inuit and Remoteness
OTL11-24 The Spitsbergen and Northeast Greenland cruise sails waters filled with breath-taking scenery. The expedition passes through areas that are home to seals, seabirds, whales, and polar bears, topped off with nighttime viewing of the Northern Lights.
m/v Ortelius
Cruise date:
29 Aug - 11 Sep, 2024
Berths start from:
7000 USD
East Greenland, Scoresby Sund - Aurora Borealis
Witness the Northern Lights at Scoresby Sund
PLA12-24 The East Greenland – Scoresby Sund cruise crosses the Arctic Circle into the home waters of multiple species of whale. The expedition will spot huge icebergs as it journeys into the largest and deepest fjord system in the world. Along the way the Northern...
m/v Plancius
Cruise date:
31 Aug - 8 Sep, 2024
Berths start from:
4600 USD
Greenland cruise video
Greenland photo
Greenland story
Greenland: Land of Superlatives
On September 16th, I flew to Iceland and spent an evening in Reykjavik, then crossed the island for the town of Akureyri
Greenland blog
Hondius begins her Arctic season, with other ships to follow
Oceanwide’s Polar Class 6 vessel Hondius set sail from her homeport Vlissingen in the Netherlands on Sunday, delivering
Greenland experiences
See the highlights you may experience:
Greenland wildlife
See the highlights you may experience:
Map of
Greenland cruise reviews

A journey into another world
Landscape, wildlife, guides, board service, food, ship and everything I haven't listed - I was totally thrilled. Maybe this trip was my childhood dream and now it has become a lifelong dream come true. My great
Scoresbysund fjord
Fantastic trip to a remote West Greenland area with beautiful colors and exiting wild life. Impressive icebergs and glaciers. My first expeditiontrip on a fantastic (silent) ship. All the staff was like a war
Greenland
Having the crew of the Hondius around you was like being in the company of a favourite aunt or uncle – you felt safe and secure and it was always fun. They were all so knowledgeable, patient, competent
Greenland experience
We've been waiting since 2020 to do this expedition and almost didn't make this one because of medical issues. I want to take special note of the Service Manager, Alfredo who went above and beyond in
Read full review »
Very special (sea-)kayaking experience in East-Greenland
Did you know, that the Inuit people made up the word "kayak" (qajaq)? I learnt that during my trip on M/V Hondius. It makes sense to strengthen paddling skills in the area where kayaking was born:

Ein unglaublicher Urlaub
Der weltgrößte Fjord in Grönland, Eisberge, Eisbergfriedhof, Eisbären und mehr..... Die unendliche Weite, die Schönheit und Unberührtheit der Natur, Kajaking zwischen den Eisbe
Greenland FAQ
Where is Greenland?
Greenland is the world’s biggest island stretching approximately 2800 kilometres (1750 miles) from north to south. 85% of Greenland is covered in ice and is therefore white on the map.
Read more »What is the temperature and weather like in Greenland?
The size of Greenland creates a diverse range of temperature and climate conditions. For example, the populated sections of Greenland are all found on the coast because this area is free of ice. Meanwhile, the central region of Greenland is covered b
Read more »What will I see along the coastline of Greenland?
The surface of Greenland is dramatic and spectacular. Heavily indented with numerous fjords, the coast is formed by spectacular high mountains, 2000 meters (6500 feet) high cliffs and innumerable glaciers. The large glaciers produce the huge cathedra
Read more »What wildlife can I expect in Greenland?
A Greenland cruise may enable you to see a large variety of birds. There are about 52 bird species on the island. The number of land mammal species is relatively small, but it is still possible to see polar bears, Arctic hares, reindeer, musk o
Read more »What does the surface of Greenland look like?
Huge outlet glaciers slowly slide down the mountains towards the sea where the ice breaks of and creates the huge cathedral like icebergs that are so abundant in the Greenlandic waters.
Read more »What is the time in Greenland?
Greenland uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), with a range of UTC +0 to -4. This means that if it is 18:00 UTC (6 p.m.) in Nuuk when you travel to Greenland, it would be 16:00 (4 p.m.) in New York City, USA, 21:00 (9 p.m.) in London, U.K. and 09:0
Read more »About
Greenland: The Land and People
Fewer than 100,000 people call Greenland home, the majority of them Inuit – the indigenous people of the Arctic. Positioned northeast of Canada, Greenland is considered part of North America, though politically it has always been associated with Scandinavia.
Despite the mile-thick ice sheet that covers most of the island, Greenland is home to a variety of wildlife. Numerous land mammals reside along the northern and eastern shores, where human populations are scarce. The waters around Greenland are similarly rich with belugas, blues, fins, Greenland whales (bowheads), minkes, narwhals, and sperm whales.
Greenland’s ice sheet is the only one of its size outside Antarctica. About a tenth of the Earth’s surface is covered in similar sheets, nearly all of which are concentrated in Greenland and the Antarctic Continent. As such, human centers of activity―even the capital of Nuuk―are chiefly located along the shore. It almost goes without saying, then, that there are no roads connecting the Greenland coasts. Travel there is done only by air and sea.
Facts About Greenland
- Greenland is officially part of Denmark, though it retains a great degree of self-rule
- Almost 80% of Greenland is frozen in ice – only Antarctica has a larger ice sheet
- The remaining 20% of Greenland’s ice-free land is nearly the size of Sweden
- Greenland is the largest island (and least densely populated landmass) on Earth
- An estimated two million seals live in the waters around Greenland
- Greenland’s ice sheet is estimated to be between 400,000 and 800,000 years old
- Words like “igloo” and “kayak” – and more than a few synonyms for snow – originated from the Inuit of Greenland
- Greenland’s warmest temperatures don’t average much higher than 10°C even during the summer
Travel to Greenland
Those who join one of our cruises to Greenland, or Kalaallit Nunaat (Land of the People) as it is called in Greenlandic, encounter a country in which European and Inuit cultures intersect to create a world wholly its own. It is a severe but stunningly picturesque landscape of sprawling ice, towering rock, and limitless sky-blue sea.
From the midnight sun to the northern lights, the great polar bear to the colossal blue whale, the full range of this mythic environment’s awe-inspiring attractions are possible on our many Greenland cruises. Our ice-strengthened cruise ships, Plancius and Ortelius, will provide you a comfortable home base from which to embark on daily expeditions, allowing you to dig deep into the Greenland experience. And if traditional sailing is more your speed, join us aboard our three-masted schooner, Rembrandt van Rijn.
Our Greenland expeditions afford you experiences that are truly once-in-a-lifetime: hiking the same trails as the Vikings hundreds of years ago, watching the many species of whale that visit the spirited Greenland coast, meeting the Inuit people and learning firsthand about their vibrant Thule ancestry―not to mention bird watching, polar diving, and kayaking opportunities also available when you explore this otherworldly Arctic island with us.
You can see the wide array of Greenland cruises we offer on our dedicated Greenland Cruise Page.