If you translate from the Greenlandic language Kangerlussuaq means “The big / or the long Fjord”, as the settlement of Kangerlussuaq is located at the bottom of a 170-kilometer-long fjord (105 miles).
You can visit the Ice cap at “Point 660”, see the great Russell glacier, or go on a wildlife safari all year round. In the summer, you can go hiking, camp on the Greenland ice sheet, and kayak on Lake Ferguson. In winter time (February - April) you can go dogsledding and icefishing. From September to April, you can enjoy the magical northern lights.
Yes, Kangerlussuaq is located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) above the Arctic Circle.
You can take a 4.5-hour direct flight from Copenhagen, Denmark to Kangerlussuaq all year round. If you want to fly to Kangerlussuaq from Iceland you need to make a stopover in Nuuk and change planes.
There is a 25 km (16 miles) gravel road from Kangerlussuaq to the Greenland ice sheet. It takes approximately 1,5- 2 hours by 4WD, bus, or car to reach the ice cap.
Kangerlussuaq is the only place in Greenland where you can drive to the Greenland ice sheet! It is also one of the best places to easily see Arctic wildlife: Musk ox, reindeer, arctic fox, and other wildlife like different birds. Surrounded by a gigantic backcountry, Kangerlussuaq is also a paradise for hikers with green valleys and easy- to medium-hiked mountains. Last but not least just South of Kangerlussuaq there is one of Greenland's UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites.
Yes, Kangerlussuaq has a good connection with the biggest cities in Greenland. From here, you can fly directly to Nuuk, Ilulissat, Sisimiut, Aasiaat, and Maniitsoq. You can also fly to other places in Greenland with a stopover or change of plane in one of the cities.
Yes, it is the most popular long-distance hiking trail in Greenland called the Arctic Circle Trail. It is a 160 km hike (100 miles) from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut making it the largest stretch of ice-free land in Greenland. The hike from the ice cap to the ocean takes on average 8 days to complete.
Yes, you can go on a dogsledding tour both from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut and vice versa. The tour takes around three days to complete depending on the weather conditions, and you will be staying in a hunter hut or tent during your trip.
Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to rent a car in Kangerlussuaq. However, we have a variety of guided tours you can select from! If you are not interested in guided tours you can also rent an electrical bike locally when you are there.
Yes, Kangerlussuaq has a local bus, which makes its usual stops in town approximately every 30 minutes. You can buy a ticket on the bus, please note you can only pay for your ticket in cash. Exchange currency locally and ask for the current bus price when you are there.
Because Kangerlussuaq is located close to the ice cap, the weather is more stable compared to the coastal climate near the sea. At the same time, the weather is more extreme compared with other places in similar latitudes in Greenland. You can expect frigid winters (down to -40°C/-40°F) and quite warm summers (15°C/ 59°F) - and even more. If you go on the ice cap, the temperature is usually a few degrees lower than in Kangerlussuaq.
The best time to see the northern lights in Kangerlussuaq is from September to April
The best time to go dogsledding in Kangerlussuaq is from February to April. Depending on the amount of snow, sometimes the dogsledding season starts earlier.
It is very rare to see polar bears in Kangerlussuaq. The area is not the polar bears' natural habitat, but anyhow a stray polar bear is spotted long before reaching the settlement every second to third year.
