Getting to Ilulissat, one of Greenland’s most popular Arctic destinations, has traditionally taken some effort. Travelers could visit on an Arctic cruise, many of which depart from Iceland, or fly from Copenhagen, typically connecting through Nuuk or Kangerlussuaq before boarding a smaller aircraft for the final leg north. But as of last week, reaching this corner of western Greenland has become considerably easier.
On October 29, Ilulissat’s new international airport opened with an inaugural nonstop flight from Copenhagen.
The new connection makes it easier to explore Disko Bay, where enormous icebergs drift past Ilulissat’s colorful waterfront after breaking away from the glacier that feeds the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord. Visitors can take boat trips among the icebergs, watch humpback whales feeding offshore, hike along the Icefjord, or venture farther north to remote lodges overlooking calving glaciers.
What travelers should know about Greenland’s new airport and flights
The airport’s new 7,218-foot runway can accommodate larger aircraft than the existing airfield, making nonstop flights from Denmark possible. Air Greenland will initially offer one round-trip flight per week between Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and Ilulissat (JAV), with some additional departures around the holidays and in March. Service will increase throughout spring 2027, reaching as many as six weekly flights between mid-June and early September.
Copenhagen isn’t the only international gateway to Ilulissat. Icelandair already operates seasonal flights from Iceland, with three weekly nonstop flights between Keflavík International Airport (KEF) in Iceland and Ilulissat scheduled from June 3 through October 16, 2027.
For American travelers, that means reaching Ilulissat will still require a connection in Europe, but they can avoid an additional flight within Greenland.
Ilulissat’s new airport is part of a much larger effort to make Greenland more accessible to international travelers. In November 2024, the capital, Nuuk, opened an expanded airport (GOH) that accommodates larger jets. That helped pave the way for United Airlines to launch seasonal nonstop service from Newark (EWR) in June 2025, the first direct commercial flights between the United States and Greenland in nearly two decades (United confirmed to Afar that it will again operate seasonal, twice-weekly, direct service in 2027 between Newark and Nuuk starting on June 8, 2027.)
Meanwhile, Qaqortoq opened a new airport (JJU) in April 2026, giving travelers easier access to southern Greenland’s fjords, sheep farms, and historic Norse settlements. Together, the airports are helping Greenland contend with a rise in tourism. According to Visit Greenland’s latest tourism report, an estimated 179,873 tourists visited the country in 2025, an increase of approximately 8 percent over the previous year.
Why visit Ilulissat
Learn about the science of glaciers at the striking Icefjord Centre in Ilulissat, a wood-and-glass building designed by Danish architect Dorte Mandrup.
Daniel Karfik/Shutterstock
In Ilulissat, the icebergs are hard to miss. Enormous chunks of ice, some taller than buildings, float on the water offshore, having broken away from Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the world’s most active glaciers. The glacier feeds the 37-mile-long Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, and produces an astonishing amount of ice each year, much of which eventually makes its way into Disko Bay.
One of the best places to take it all in is the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre, a striking wood-and-glass building designed by Danish architect Dorte Mandrup. Its exhibitions explore the science of glaciers and the thousands of years of human history along the Icefjord, but the surrounding trails are equally compelling.
A relatively flat 0.8-mile (each way) boardwalk passes Sermermiut, the site of several ancient Inuit settlements, before reaching a viewpoint overlooking the ice-choked fjord. For a longer outing, the roughly 4.3-mile Blue Trail follows the rocky coastline and offers plenty of opportunities for walkers to stop and watch icebergs inch toward the open sea.
It’s worth seeing those icebergs from the water, too. Wonderful Ilulissat offers two-hour sightseeing cruises, while Albatros Arctic Circle runs evening excursions during the summer, when the midnight sun casts a golden glow over the ice, even late at night. Humpback whales spend the warmer months feeding in Disko Bay, and both companies offer whale-watching trips.
Ilulissat is a good base from which to explore small communities and remote stretches of coastline. About 13 miles north, the fishing settlement of Oqaatsut is a charming collection of brightly painted houses in a sheltered harbor; it’s home to Restaurant H8 Explorer, which serves Greenlandic dishes in a former trading post.
Farther north, roughly three and a half hours away by boat, World of Greenland’s Glacier Lodge Eqi offers cabins and glamping tents overlooking Eqip Sermia, an actively calving glacier. Guests can watch enormous sections of ice break away from the glacier’s face or join guided hikes across the surrounding tundra.
Although summer is the most popular time to visit, winter and spring have plenty to offer as well. Between roughly February and April, when conditions permit, travelers can explore the snow-covered backcountry by dogsled, a traditional form of transportation that remains part of daily life in northern Greenland.
Albatros Arctic Circle offers short sled rides and longer outings, along with snowmobiling and snowshoeing excursions. And from autumn through spring, when darkness returns to the Arctic, the northern lights can sometimes be seen dancing above the Icefjord.
Where to stay in Ilulissat
At Hotel Arctic, you can fall asleep with a front-row view of a glacier.
Courtesy of Hotel Arctic
Once there, we recommend booking a room at one of these Afar-approved hotels:
Hotel Arctic
Set on a rocky hillside overlooking Disko Bay, Hotel Arctic‘s accommodations range from traditional guest rooms to freestanding Aurora Cabins with heated floors and expansive windows for watching the northern lights or midnight sun. Dining is a highlight, with two restaurants: Brasserie Ulo, which serves more casual fare, and Restaurant Ulo, where a tasting menu showcases Greenlandic seafood, game, and other regional ingredients.
Hotel Icefiord
The biggest draw at Hotel Icefiord is its waterfront location. From the hotel’s rooms or the restaurant’s outdoor terrace, guests can watch enormous icebergs drift past. All 36 gueat rooms have water views, but the Deluxe Explorer rooms are worth considering for their private balconies and skylights, which allow guests to watch for the aurora borealis without leaving their bed. The hotel is within walking distance of Ilulissat’s shops, restaurants, and hiking trails.
