Kangerlussuaq
An airport town at the end of a fjord in western Greenland, the closest base to the inland ice sheet, from which you can visit ice sheet Point 660, Russell Glacier and muskoxen.
Kangerlussuaq lies in the Qeqqata municipality of western Greenland, at the head of the roughly 170-km-long Kangerlussuaq Fjord, about 50 km north of the Arctic Circle. The town grew up around Blue West 8, a base built by the US Army during the Second World War. Today it is Greenland's main international airport (since 2024, the new Nuuk airport has taken over some flights), and the permanent population is only about 500. It is the closest settlement in Greenland to the inland ice sheet. Its continental climate brings clear, dry summers and cold, dry winters, which make it ideal for seeing the northern lights.
Main activities: ride an off-road vehicle along the ice sheet road to Russell Glacier to watch towering ice cliffs calve, then continue to Point 660 on the ice sheet, where you can put on crampons and hike on the ice or even camp on it. Join a guided tour into the tundra to look for muskoxen, reindeer and Arctic foxes. Hike on your own to Black Ridge, Sugarloaf and Hasselborough for views over the town and the ice sheet, or walk to Ferguson Lake. Experienced hikers can start from here on the roughly 165-km Arctic Circle Trail to Sisimiut. The museum and the old camp in town tell the military history of the airport.
The best season is June–August, when the ice sheet road is open and daytime temperatures are around 10–20°C, but mosquitoes are plentiful, so bring a head net. In September, the tundra turns red and the northern lights begin to appear. From October to March, temperatures can drop to −30°C, and the main activities are the northern lights, dog sledding and snowmobile trips.
Getting there: direct flights from Copenhagen take about 4.5 hours. The town's facilities are concentrated around the airport, and the ice sheet and glaciers must be visited on a guided tour. Plan 3–4 days, and leave a buffer in your itinerary, as weather can delay flights.
Top sights
- Point 660 (Greenland Ice Sheet) – The most accessible point on the edge of Greenland's inland ice sheet. Ride an off-road vehicle onto the ice for a hike, and you can even s…
- Russell Glacier – A glacier tongue extending from the ice sheet. A 60-meter-high ice cliff rises above the tundra, and ice calving can often be heard and see…
- Musk Ox Safari – A drive deep into the tundra around Kangerlussuaq in search of musk oxen, reindeer and Arctic foxes, the most popular sightseeing tour in t…
- Arctic Circle Trail (Kangerlussuaq trailhead) – A classic 165 km long-distance route in Greenland, starting from Kellyville west of Kangerlussuaq, where you can walk just the first one or…
- Sugarloaf Mountain – A conical solitary hill about 8 km east of town. From the summit you can look east toward the ice sheet and Russell Glacier and west over t…
- Lake Ferguson – A long, narrow glacial lake south of town, circled by a dirt road for walking or cycling. Far from the airport lights in winter, it is a go…
- Kangerlussuaq Museum – A small museum housed in the former US base headquarters, telling the story of Bluie West 8 and the airport's Cold War history.
- Black Ridge (Ravneklippen) – A low rocky ridge at the edge of town, reached by a short walk, offering views over the airport, the river valley and the far end of the fj…
- Mount Hassell – A flat-topped hill north of town, a half-day hike. From the summit you can see the town, the Watson River valley and surrounding lakes.
- Garnet Rock Trail – A tundra trail southeast of town where red garnet crystals are embedded in the rock. You can also see lakes and reindeer along the way.
- Old Camp (Bluie West-8) – The site of a WWII US Army camp on the north bank of the Watson River, with some barracks and interpretive signs preserved. Part of it is n…
Where to eat
- Roklubben Restaurant – A former rowing club on the shore of Lake Ferguson, about 5 km outside town, known for musk ox, reindeer and a Greenlan…
- Muskox Restaurant – A restaurant inside Hotel Kangerlussuaq beside the airport, open all year, serving Greenlandic fish and meat, with some…