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Greenland

Nuuk (Godthab), Greenland

Nuuk: Greenland's Capital Beneath Sermitsiaq

Nuuk is the capital of Greenland and by far its largest town, set near the mouth of a long fjord on the southwest coast, with no road to any other town. Summer here is cool, with a July mean temperature of about 7 °C (45 °F), so bring warm layers ashore.

Good to know

What Cruise Travelers Should Know About Nuuk

The harbor lies on the southeastern side of the city, in the oldest part of town, and its entrance is restricted by the tides, so your ship will tell you whether you land at a quay or by tender. Head first for the Colonial Harbor, where the National Museum, the cathedral and Hans Egede's House stand close together.

  • Nuuk has two taxi companies, and if you need a taxi at a set time, book it ahead.
  • The airport is about 4 km northeast of the center, and there are no roads linking Nuuk with any other town in Greenland.

Nuuk on Your Own

Nuuk is easy to see without a tour: the center is compact, most sights can be reached on foot, and the Colonial Harbor has a boardwalk. Spend the morning by the old harbor and the afternoon in the center, and keep the fjord trips for a booked excursion.

  • The Colonial Harbor: The Greenland National Museum sits in a 1936 warehouse here, the red wooden cathedral dates from 1849, and Hans Egede's House, built in 1728, the oldest house in Greenland, is now used by the government for receptions.
  • The statues: A statue of Hans Egede stands on the hill above the cathedral, and on the shore a sculpture of the Mother of the Sea shows the Inuit sea goddess surrounded by sea animals.
  • The modern center: Katuaq is the cultural center clad in larch wood, and Nuuk Center is Greenland's first shopping mall.
  • Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
  • Watch the clock: Nuuk keeps West Greenland Time, UTC−2 in winter and UTC−1 in summer, which is two hours behind Iceland in winter and one hour behind in summer. All-aboard is given in ship's time, which may not match the local clocks or your phone.

Getting Around Nuuk

The center of Nuuk is small enough to walk, and the city buses of Nuup Bussii cover almost all of the rest of town. Taxis and rental cars fill the gaps, but no road leaves the city.

  • Bus fares can be paid with coins on board or with a prepaid card, and children aged 15 and under rode free in 2025; check before you go.
  • Bus line 3 runs to the airport.
  • Towns in Greenland are linked only by sea and air.
  • The peaks of Lille Malene, 420 meters, and Store Malene, 790 meters, rise from the edge of the suburbs.

What to Eat in Nuuk

Greenlandic food comes mostly from the sea, with fish, shrimp, seal and whale alongside reindeer and musk ox from the land.

  • Suaasat, the national dish, is a soup of seal, whale, reindeer or seabird, often with onion and potato and thickened with rice or barley.
  • Mattak, the raw skin of narwhal or white whale, is a traditional Inuit food and an important source of vitamin C.
  • Greenland halibut and redfish are fished off the west coast, and capelin is commonly eaten, often dried.
  • Musk ox can be served as tartare.
  • Greenlandic coffee, made with whisky, coffee liqueur, whipped cream and orange liqueur, is prepared at the table.

Tipping in Greenland

Prices in Greenland include tips and gratuity. If you found the service at a restaurant or from a guide good, a gratuity is appreciated, and how much you give is up to you.

  • The currency is the Danish krone.
  • Some souvenir shops accept foreign currency, but only in notes.
  • Cash machines take the major cards with a PIN.

Culture in Nuuk

Nuuk is both Greenland's seat of government and a center of Inuit culture, and almost nine in ten Greenlanders are Inuit. National Day, on June 21, is the year's big celebration, with singing, coffee, kayaking and crowds around the cathedral.

  • National Day was introduced in 1985.
  • Katuaq, opened on February 15, 1997, has a concert hall that doubles as the city's cinema, and its wavy wooden screen is inspired by the northern lights.
  • The cathedral, the Church of Our Saviour, became Greenland's cathedral in 1993; a bust of the organist and hymn writer Jonathan Petersen stands in front of it.
  • Always ask before photographing people, and accept a no.
  • The Nuuk Art Museum is at Kissarneqqortuunnguaq 5.

A Brief History

People have lived around the Nuuk fjord for more than four thousand years, from early Arctic cultures to Norse farmers and the Inuit. The city itself began as a Danish-Norwegian colony in 1728 and became the capital of a self-governing Greenland.

  • The first peoples: The Saqqaq culture lived around the now-abandoned settlement of Qoornoq as early as 2200 BCE, and the Dorset culture later lived near Kangeq before leaving the district before 1000 AD.
  • Norse settlers: Norse farmers lived in the area from around 1000 until their settlement vanished, for reasons that are still uncertain, in the 15th century.
  • Hans Egede, 1721: The Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede landed on July 3, 1721, and set up the Hope Colony on Kangeq Island.
  • Godt-Haab, 1728: A royal expedition under Claus Paarss moved the colony to the mainland and founded the fort of Godt-Haab, Good Hope, which became Godthåb.
  • The Moravian mission, 1747: Moravian missionaries built their mission house, New Herrnhut, which drew Greenlanders from along the coast and became the core of the later town.
  • A Greenlandic newspaper, 1861: Hinrich Johannes Rink founded Atuagagdliutit, Greenland's first newspaper, with a Greenlander as editor.
  • The capital, 1940: The administrations of North and South Greenland were joined in Godthåb, and American and Canadian consulates opened that year.
  • Home rule, 1979: The new home rule government renamed the city Nuuk, the Greenlandic name meaning the headland.
  • Self-government, 2009: Greenland gained self-government on National Day, June 21, 2009.
  • To learn more ashore: The Greenland National Museum, at Hans Egedesvej 8 on the Colonial Harbor, tells the story of the country from its first peoples onward and holds the Qilakitsoq mummies; check opening hours before you go.

Nuuk with Children and Families

A family day in Nuuk can stay on foot around the Colonial Harbor, with a statue, a museum and a waterfront boardwalk. Teenagers who like hiking can tackle one of the two mountains at the edge of town.

  • Younger children: Malik, the city's swimming hall, has pools and two hot tubs, for a warm hour indoors.
  • School age: The National Museum shows the Qilakitsoq mummies, about 500 years old, along with a restored cooper's workshop and blubber vats. The mummies include a six-month-old child, so parents may want to look first.
  • Teenagers: A marked trail circles Lille Malene from Circus Lake, while the unmarked route up Store Malene is a tough day-hike with large boulders and steep climbs over loose rock.

Shopping in Nuuk

Shopping in Nuuk ranges from the country's first mall to small shops that each specialize in one local material. Musk ox wool, sealskin and Greenlandic music are the local things to look for.

  • Nuuk Center, opened on July 27, 2012, was Greenland's first shopping mall and is the largest and tallest building in the country.
  • Several small shops specialize in a single local product, such as musk ox wool, sealskin or glass.
  • A few craftspeople work without a shop and sell to visitors by arrangement.
  • It is illegal to import whale products from Greenland into the UK or the EU, so check your own country's rules before buying anything made from whale.
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