Iceland or Greenland?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 308 47
UNESCO listings among them 16 6
Cost level Very high Very high
Busiest month in our write-ups July July
Currency Icelandic krona (ISK) Danish krone (DKK)
Plugs and voltage C, F - 230 V C, K - 230 V
Everyday languages Icelandic Greenlandic, Danish
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Northern Europe North America
Capital Reykjavik Nuuk
Iceland
Weather rules everything; independence and understatement are national traits.
What we have written up
- Akranes Lighthouse lighthouse
- Akureyrarkirkja church
- Akureyri Botanical Garden botanical garden
- Aldeyjarfoss waterfall
- Arbaer Open Air Museum open-air museum
- Arctic Fox Centre research centre
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards work for absolutely everything including public toilets - cash is nearly extinct
- The Bonus and Kronan supermarkets are the budget traveller's lifeline
- Pools are the town square - every village has a geothermal one
Greenland
Calm, understated and utterly unhurried; the weather makes the plans and everyone accepts it.
What we have written up
- Aappilattoq village
- Aasiaat town
- Aasivissuit-Nipisat cultural landscape
- Arctic Circle Trail trail
- Disko Bay island
- Eqi Glacier glacier
Worth knowing before you go
- The currency is the Danish krone and cards are accepted almost everywhere, even in small shops
- Supermarkets sell alcohol only during limited daytime hours - until 18:00 on weekdays, early afternoon on Saturday and not at all on Sunday
- Tipping is not expected anywhere
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.