Tour Companies
Tour the West, South, East, and North of Greenland/Kalaallit Nunaat
Tour Resources
There are an ever growing number of tour companies ranging from single tour boats with one captain to moderate sized cruise ships plying the cold and often ice chocked areas of Disko Bay and Sund Fjord on the East Coast. Tourism is a complex industry in most parts of the world, and in Greenland and the Arctic, it is even more challenging because of the weather and the logistics of the tour companies operating there. The rewards for adventurers who travel to Greenland, however are unique and breathtaking no matter where these adventurous people choose to go.
In looking over the following list, which is not exhaustive given the number of small and often excellent operators that are joining in this market, it will give anyone who is looking for a recognized company to travel with a good selection to choose from. We do not recommend any companies even though we may have experience with them, because there are far more that we do not have firsthand knowledge of, and we do not want to leave them off any sort of preferential list. That said we may indicate that a particular company has done an exceptional job and is well regarded for that reason. Choose companies that offer travel arrangements to the part of the Island that you are interested in, and then do a search of the company on-line to determine their credibility before deciding to sign up.
One further note, the tour operators in Greenland are generally of one or another group. There are Greenlandic companies, based in Greenland with local ownership, and others from Denmark, Iceland and beyond. Both groups have very good representative companies and while often Danish and Icelandic companies are better funded, the local companies are growing and prospering as they join the tourism market. If you have a preference in this area, ask the company you are interested in. In any event, you will have the adventure of a lifetime if you venture to the far North and see this spectacular Island nation.
Greenlandic Companies
Albatross Arctic Circle
Operating out of Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq this company offers a wide range of both summer and winter tours and activities on both land and sea. They have an impressive number of activities in Kangerlussuaq, more than any other tour operator.
https://albatros-arctic-circle.com/
Arctic Excursions
This is a cooperative of tour operators who travel to most every part of the Island. There are small operators and larger companies in the group and the site offers a wide range of sites, companies and types of tours, as well.
Guide to Greenland
This is a clearing house for Greenlandic companies specializing in tours in a very wide spectrum of adventurers and experiences. They are a Greenlandic company based in Nuuk, the Capital, and have a tremendous resource library of “Ultimate Guides” to most every part of Greenland. These are not to be missed.
Ilulissat Excursions
A local company cooperative with excellent contacts in this key tourism center at Disko Bay. They offer local guides for both winter and summer tours on land and at sea including the Eqi Glacier and Disko Island. They are flexible in scheduling and can handle private tours as well as scheduled outings.
https://ilulissatexcursions.com
Taavani Business Travel Service
This is a dedicated travel service for companies and individuals who are planning a trip to Greenland to meet with clients and conduct business. They are very supportive of all of their clients to arrange meetings, lodging, air travel and recreation, too.
Travel by Heart Greenland
This smaller agency is very versatile and will arrange tours and trips to Greenland for people on tourist trips as well as business engagements in Greenland. They are based in Nuuk, and have over 20 years of experience in arranging adventures to Greenland, especially for smaller groups and individuals.
Unique Tours Ilulissat
This is a growing local tour company that specializes in small tours that include, whale safaris, iceberg tours, trips to the Eqi Glacier face, and snow scooter trips in and around Ilulissat. The company is very flexible in customizing tours for individuals and small groups as well as offering scheduled tours.
European and North American Companies
Secret Atlas
This is a very accomplished and exciting company that specializes in small group tours, especially along the Spectacular East Coast. They also have tours organized around photography and include an exceptional resource at their site about Greenland, its people and the country.
Greenland Travel
Greenland Travel is based in Denmark but states that they have the largest selection of tourists and business trips to Greenland of any operator. They have been in operation for over 35 years and are comprehensive in their offerings and variety of venues as well.
Greenland Tours
A young company that offers a variety of tours, some 23 different adventures in different seasons, and many of these are hiking and more adventurous than cruises and air tours. They have two distinct seasons and a number of very interesting offerings including a ferry trip up the West Coast.
Greenland by Topas
This tour company is affiliated with several tour operators and lodging facilities in much of Greenland. They offer custom tours as well as access to scheduled tours, and travelers can arrange for complete accommodations and excursions through Topas.
The Great Canadian Travel Company
This is a wide ranging travel service that is only beginning to explore the possibilities of sponsoring travel to Greenland. They have a video on an experience there but have not established a working group in-country yet.
https://greatcanadiantravel.com
Natural Habitat Adventures
This high end adventure travel service offers one East Greenland trip that while pricy, is quite extraordinary for both adventurers and photographers alike. The World Wildlife Fund is an advocate of their offerings as a conservation advocate all around the world, so they are well qualified.
All Iceland
All Iceland specializes in tours of all varieties and levels of comfort in Iceland, they also offer 5 tours of Greenland to several of the primary locations that people travel to in the West. They are well established and even include trips to the Faroe Islands, another Danish independent island group.
Arctic Direct
A company that specializes in Arctic travel includes three tours to Greenland to Disko Bay. Their offerings are wide spread in other locations in this cold stark beautiful region. They receive very good reviews for their Greenland offerings.
Baltic Travel Company
The company is based in London in spite of its name, but is very impressive in its comprehensive offerings throughout Europe and beyond. The Greenland tours and connections are very impressive and the offerings make it a good place to consider shopping for travel arrangements to Greenland.
https://baltictravelcompany.com
Best Served Scandinavia
A British based company with very impressive credentials in the Scandinavian and Baltic regions as well as Greenland. It is well established in Greenland and has both summer and winter offerings to primarily locations on the West Coast. Adventure tours as well as standard group activities.
Discover the World
A very comprehensive tour company covering Greenland West, South and East with adventure tours and a lot of research and expertise. The site offers a lot of background about Greenland and the places that the tour company offers expeditions to.
https://discover-the-world.com
The Nordic Experience
The tour company specializes on the Nordic part of Europe, but not so much in Greenland. The company offers three torus to Greenland but should be considered because of its reviews and success with other northern oriented tours.
https://nordicexperience.co.uk
Regent Holidays
Offers a wide range of tours to many of the highlights of western Greenland in both winter and summer seasons. The company is large and offers tours all over Europe as far away as the Caucuses, but is still well placed in Greenland. Tours stay in 4 star accommodations as a rule.
Travel Local
Is a tour location service that puts travelers together with local travel operators all over the world. In Greenland, they are very active with local Greenlandic operators and work to grow local travel companies who know the local country and its secrets as well as its greatest features. Very impressive.
Cruise Companies
Cruising around the coastline and into some of the fjords of Greenland has been growing in the past few years, and is expected to continue into the future as well. It is a bit controversial in that for the most part, cruise ships are self-contained and don’t dock very often, favoring the advantages of excursions to remote locations and occasionally to towns and Nuuk. This is not as advantageous as other locations around the world where ships often overnight, and the passengers remain on shore to dine and recreate.
The future will certainly reveal how Greenland and the cruise industry find ways to be mutually supportive and share revenues in more equitable ways. But for the traveling public, this method of seeing Greenland is truly exceptional and one that should be considered when visiting the Far North.
Albatros Expeditions
This company operates larger cruise trips through Polar Latitudes, but maintains an operation in Greenland for smaller 8-12 passenger boat tours and related land excursions as well.
https://albatros-expeditions.com
Polar Latitudes
An established cruise ship company with four small cruise ships designed to operate in the polar regions of the Earth. They are luxurious and ply the waters of Greenland as well as other locations in the Arctic. Very well established company that connect with Svalbard and other locales in the North.
Aurora Expeditions
This cruise ship operator has three ships with passenger capacities of from 130-154 passengers, ideal for Greenland and polar trips. Each is less than 7 years old and designed specifically for ice cap travel. They focus on excursions in Zodiacs and on-board comfort.
https://auroraexpeditions.com.au
Oceanwide Expeditions
Oceanwide is geared to securing off-ship adventures and travels widely from Antarctica to the Arctic. They offer a very wide range of on-board accommodations, activities and on-shore activities and scheduled trips. They operate three small cruise ships and a sail boat as well.
https://oceanwide-expeditions.com
Polar Quest
This cruise company utilizes one ship for Greenland tours, primarily, and has a tour compliment of just 12 passengers. Though the ship is much bigger than one might imagine. This small cruise ship is versatile and trips in Greenland are extensive. Their website is very informative for anyone interested in Greenland.
Poseidon Expeditions
Poseidon offers a smaller cruise ship, 134 passengers and has three cruises that include Greenland. They have many other Arctic venues as well, and one includes Greenland, Svalbard and Iceland. An interesting web site for all of its tours in the region.
https://poseidonexpeditions.com
Silver Sea
Luxury cruises covering Greenland, Canada and Iceland as well as other sites. The ships carry 220 to 274 passengers and have cruises as long as 15 days. The site describes some 14 different itineraries that even include finishing up in the US as well as Iceland and Scandinavia.
Quark Expeditions
This company operates only in polar regions and specializes in tours of those areas. There are currently four ships in its fleet and they range from budget accommodations to luxury suites. Quark advertises that they schedule more 0ff-ship activities than other cruise lines, as well.
Flight Excursions
There are few experiences anywhere in the world to rival flying over Greenland in a small plane or helicopter. The aerial views of icebergs, whales in the ocean, spectacular mountain landscapes and the ice sheet are just unique, in that there are few places in the world that these sights are even accessible. It is easy to arrange to see much of the great Island by airplane or helicopter today for short flights of 30 minutes or even over 1 ½ hours from several locations. Too, from helicopters, it is possible to be flown to locations on the ice cap to get out and walk on the ice and landscape for a very exhilarating personal experience as well.
There are local companies like Air Zafari that have specialized tours with their fleet of three planes, and then others like the Guide to Greenland that represent cooperative companies providing services all around the country. Then there is the national carrier Air Greenland that links the network of national and international flights on their aircraft with local helicopter and small plane services in many parts of the country. Investigate all of these and choose the trips that entice you to see this polar paradise from the heavens. You will be very happy you left the ground and experienced this new perspective.
Guide to Greenland
This is a group of travel experts that are based in Nuuk, the capital who offer a very comprehensive travel service and locator service for Greenland. Among those services are air services to view Greenland in that very special and stunning way, from the cold crisp air over the edges of the continent.
Air Zafari
This is a small but very talented group of local Greenlanders who field a fleet of three fixed wing planes that cover every aspect of the Disko Bay area of Greenland around Ilulissat and the interior to the East of the bay area. They are flexible in arranging flights and carry from 1-5 passengers.
Air Greenland
This is the national airline of Greenland and has a large fleet of both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters that serve all of the West, South and East portions of the country. They make travel possible in many places that would be impossible to reach if they did not offer both commercial and tourist services.