✈️ Getting to Nuuk

Getting to Nuuk: flights, airport transfers and travel around Greenland

How to fly to Nuuk from Europe, Iceland and North America, how to get from the airport to the city, how to travel on to Ilulissat and other towns, and what to know about entry rules, luggage and weather delays.

🇩🇰 From Copenhagen🇮🇸 From Reykjavik🇺🇸 From New York in summer

⚡ Short answer

You fly to Nuuk. Direct flights leave all year from Copenhagen and from Keflavík near Reykjavik, and in summer from Newark near New York. Nuuk Airport is about 4 km from the city centre, around 15 minutes by taxi or shuttle. There are no roads or ferries to Greenland from abroad.

• From Europe ✈️ Copenhagen, all year
• Via Iceland ✈️ Keflavík, all year
• From the US ✈️ Newark, Jun – Sep
• Airport to centre 🚕 ≈ 15 min

First tour after landing 🎫

For decades, getting to Nuuk meant flying to Kangerlussuaq, an old air base in the interior, and changing to a small propeller plane for the last leg. That changed when Nuuk’s new runway opened in November 2024: jets now land directly in the capital from Copenhagen, Iceland and, in summer, New York. A third international airport opened in Ilulissat in late October 2026, and Qaqortoq in the south has its own new airport too. This page explains the routes, the airlines, the trip from the airport into town, and how to continue around a country with no roads between its towns.

How do you get to Nuuk?

In short: by plane. Nuuk Airport has direct flights from Copenhagen and Keflavík all year, from Newark in summer, and from Iqaluit in Canada in summer, plus domestic flights from towns across Greenland. Pick a route on the map to see the plane fly it.

There is no other way in. Greenland has no road or ferry connection with Iceland, Denmark or Canada, and outside of cruise ships every visitor arrives by air. Once in Greenland, you also fly between most towns, because no roads connect them either.

Flights to Nuuk compared

In short: Air Greenland is the main airline, with year-round flights from Copenhagen and Keflavík and summer flights from Aalborg, Billund and Iqaluit. Icelandair flies from Keflavík, SAS adds summer flights from Copenhagen, and United flies from Newark in summer. Filter by region or season.

How to fly to Nuuk from Europe

In short: fly to Copenhagen and take Air Greenland’s direct flight to Nuuk, about 4 to 5 hours. In summer there are also flights from Aalborg and Billund in Denmark, and SAS adds summer flights from Copenhagen.

Copenhagen is Greenland’s main gateway, because Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and most traffic between the two runs through it. Air Greenland flies Copenhagen to Nuuk all year, with up to eight flights a week in summer, using large Airbus jets that the new runway can now handle. From elsewhere in Europe, you connect in Copenhagen; leave plenty of time between flights, because a missed connection can mean waiting days for the next one. In summer, Air Greenland adds flights from Aalborg and, via Keflavík, from Billund, which suit travellers from western Denmark and northern Germany. Copenhagen also has a direct winter route to Ilulissat since its new airport opened, and twice-weekly flights to Kangerlussuaq for most of the year.

Book a window seat if you can. The plane crosses Greenland’s east coast and the ice sheet before descending over the fjords to Nuuk, and on a clear day the view of the ice is one of the highlights of the trip.

How to fly to Nuuk via Iceland

In short: Icelandair and Air Greenland fly from Keflavík, Reykjavik’s international airport, to Nuuk all year, in about 3.5 hours. Iceland is a good stopover from mainland Europe or North America, and Icelandair also flies to Ilulissat, Qaqortoq and Kulusuk.

Keflavík has many connections to European cities and to North America, so flying via Iceland often gives you more choice of dates and departure airports than going via Copenhagen. It also makes it easy to combine the two countries: a few days in Iceland on the way, then Greenland. Check that both flights are on one ticket, or allow a long buffer between them, because Arctic weather can delay the Greenland leg. Note that all international flights land at Keflavík, about 50 km from Reykjavik, not at Reykjavik’s small domestic airport.

How to fly to Nuuk from North America

In short: United Airlines flies direct from Newark, near New York, to Nuuk twice a week from June to September. The rest of the year, fly via Reykjavik with Icelandair. Air Greenland also has a weekly summer flight between Iqaluit in Canada and Nuuk.

The United route made Nuuk reachable from the United States without going through Europe, and it is the quickest option in summer. Outside the summer season, Icelandair’s network from cities across the US and Canada, with a connection in Keflavík, is the usual way in. From Canada, Air Greenland’s summer route links Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, with Nuuk. There are no scheduled direct flights from Newfoundland. Remember that Nuuk is several hours ahead of the US East Coast, so overnight connections in Iceland can be tiring; consider a night in Reykjavik on the way.

Nuuk Airport

In short: Nuuk Airport (code GOH) lies about 3.7 km northeast of the city centre. Its runway was extended from 950 to 2,200 metres and opened for international jets on 28 November 2024. The terminal is small, with four gates.

Before the extension, Nuuk’s short runway only took small propeller planes, and almost every visitor changed planes in Kangerlussuaq. The new runway allows Airbus and Boeing jets to land directly, and Air Greenland moved its hub to Nuuk when it opened. The terminal is compact and easy to navigate, with passport control for international flights and a taxi stand outside arrivals. Expect short distances and few queues, except when several flights arrive at once in summer.

The approach can be spectacular: planes descend over the fjord with Sermitsiaq to one side and the city’s coloured apartment blocks on the other. Wind is the main reason for delays here, as it is at every Greenland airport, so keep some slack in your plans.

How to get from Nuuk Airport to the city centre

In short: by taxi in about 15 minutes, by the airport shuttle that meets international arrivals, or by city bus line 3. Many hotels are in the centre, and several tours include pickup.

For most visitors the taxi is the simplest choice, especially with luggage. The shuttle is a good budget alternative after an international flight, and for domestic arrivals it runs about every half hour; departures back to the airport leave from the Katuaq Cultural Centre on the hour. City buses are cheap but run less often to the airport, so check the timetable before relying on them.

Getting around Nuuk

The centre of Nuuk is compact: the old town, the Colonial Harbour, the National Museum, Katuaq and most hotels are within walking distance of each other. The city is hilly, though, and in winter the pavements are icy, so wear shoes with grip or ice spikes. City buses connect the centre with the residential districts of Nuussuaq and Quassussuup Tungaa and the newest district, Qinngorput, where several hiking and running trails start; bus 1, for example, reaches the Qinngorput trailhead in about 17 minutes. Taxis are easy to find and to call. You don’t need a car: no roads lead out of the city. For what to see once you are there, read things to do in Nuuk.

How to travel from Nuuk to other towns

In short: fly. Air Greenland’s domestic network connects Nuuk with Ilulissat, Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, Aasiaat, Maniitsoq, Paamiut, Qaqortoq and Kulusuk. In summer, a coastal passenger ship also sails along the west coast.

Domestic flights use smaller planes and are more often delayed or cancelled by weather than international ones, so plan buffer days, especially if you have a connecting flight home. In the warmer months, the Arctic Umiaq Line’s passenger ship sails along the west coast and stops in towns between the south and Disko Bay, a slow but scenic alternative to flying. Cruise ships also call at Nuuk in summer; if you arrive that way, see Nuuk for cruise passengers.

How to find cheaper flights to Nuuk

Flights to Greenland are expensive compared with flights of a similar length in Europe, because few airlines fly there and demand peaks in a short summer. A few habits keep the cost down. Compare the Copenhagen and Keflavík routes for your dates, since one is often cheaper than the other, and check both the airline websites and flight search engines. Book summer and Christmas trips months ahead, when more seats are available. Travel in the shoulder months, May, September and October, when demand is lower and the days are still long enough to enjoy the fjord. If you plan to visit Ilulissat too, look at an open-jaw ticket that flies into one town and out of the other, now that both have international flights; it saves a domestic return flight. Finally, put all legs on one booking where possible: if weather delays the first flight, the airline is then responsible for getting you onto the next one.

Arriving in Nuuk by cruise ship

From late spring to early autumn, cruise ships call at Nuuk, usually for a single day. Passengers come ashore near the harbour, a short walk from the old town, the Katuaq Cultural Centre and the Tide Water Steps where the fjord boats leave. With only a few hours, choose one 2-hour tour and be back well before all-aboard. More tips are on our Nuuk for cruise passengers page.

Passport, luggage, time zone and delays

Passport and entry. Greenland belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark but is not part of the EU or the Schengen Area, and it has its own entry rules. Bring a valid passport, even if you are flying from Copenhagen, and if you normally need a visa for Denmark, check with the Danish authorities whether it covers Greenland. The airport has separate areas for flights to and from Schengen and non-Schengen countries.

Luggage. International flights have normal allowances, but domestic flights use smaller planes with tighter limits. Check the allowance on every ticket, pack soft bags rather than hard cases, and wear your bulkiest boots and jacket on the plane. What to pack is covered in what to wear in Greenland.

Time zone. Nuuk is three hours behind Copenhagen and ahead of New York. Your phone switches automatically; booking confirmations for tours use local Nuuk time.

Weather delays. Wind, fog and snow delay flights in Greenland more often than in most places. Keep at least one spare day before your international flight home, buy travel insurance that covers weather delays, and book tours early in your stay so they can move if you arrive late.

Book early in summer. Flights and hotels in Nuuk fill up in July and August, and Greenlanders fly home for Christmas, so December flights sell out too. See best time to visit Greenland for the seasons.

What to do on your first day in Nuuk

In short: after a long flight, start with something short. A city walk with the National Museum, a tasting near the airport, or the 2-hour fjord boat trip all fit an arrival day. Book the boat early in your stay so a weather cancellation can move.

All bookable tours in Greenland are on our Greenland tours and tickets page, and the 2-hour boat trip has its own guide: Nuuk Fjord Sightseeing Boat Tour.

Questions about getting to Nuuk

More Greenland guides