Kangerlussuaq
An inland settlement at Greenland's main international airport, with road access to the ice cap.
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Kangerlussuaq sits at the head of a long fjord inland from the west coast, a former American air base that became Greenland's main international airport because its position, far from the coast, gives it more reliable weather than anywhere else. Around five hundred people live there. A gravel road of about thirty kilometres runs from the settlement to the edge of the inland ice, the only road in Greenland that reaches the ice cap.
What you actually see
- The ice cap road - about thirty kilometres of gravel to the edge of the inland ice.
- The airport - the former air base that handles international flights.
- The musk oxen - the herds on the tundra around the settlement.
- The stable weather - the inland position that keeps the strip open.
When to go
June to September for hiking and ice cap trips. Winter for aurora, with very cold clear nights. The airport operates year round.
Honest expectations
The settlement itself is an airport town with little charm and limited facilities. Ice cap tours are expensive for what is a short drive. Its future as the main airport is uncertain as new coastal runways open.
Nearby
Sisimiut is west at the end of the Arctic Circle Trail, and Maniitsoq is south.
What to pack for Kangerlussuaq
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.