🧥 What to wear

What to wear in Greenland: packing lists for every season and tour

How to dress for Greenland’s wind and cold without overpacking: the layer system, what to bring in summer and winter, what to wear on a boat trip, a hike, a dog sled or under the northern lights, and a full checklist.

🧦 Three layers🧤 Hat and gloves all year🥾 Waterproof shoes

⚡ Short answer

Dress in three layers in every season: a wool or synthetic base layer, a fleece or down middle layer, and a windproof, waterproof jacket. Bring a hat, gloves and sunglasses even in summer. In winter, add an insulated parka and trousers, warm boots and ice spikes.

• Summer 🧥 Layers + rain jacket
• Boat trips 🧤 Add hat and gloves
• Winter 🥾 Parka, boots, spikes
• Leave at home 🚫 Cotton, umbrella

See the Nuuk fjord trip 🎫

Greenland is rarely as cold as people fear, and almost always colder than they pack for. A summer day in Nuuk is usually between 5 and 10 °C, which sounds mild until you stand on the deck of a boat in the wind off the ice. A winter day can sit at −8 °C in town and −25 °C inland. Indoors, houses, buses and tour boats are warm. The answer is the same in every season: wear thin layers you can add and remove, keep the wind out, and protect your head and hands. This guide shows exactly what that means for each season and each kind of tour.

How should you dress for Greenland?

In short: use three layers. A base layer of merino wool or synthetic fabric moves sweat off your skin, a fleece or down middle layer keeps heat in, and a windproof, waterproof outer layer keeps wind and rain out. Add or remove layers as you move between warm buildings and cold air.

Layering works because Greenland’s conditions change all day. You walk uphill through Nuuk and get warm, step onto a boat and the wind hits you, go into a heated museum, then stand still on the shore at night waiting for the northern lights. One thick coat is too hot for half of that and too cold for the rest. Three thinner layers let you adjust.

Cotton is the one thing to keep away from your skin. It soaks up sweat and rain, stays wet and pulls heat from your body. Jeans are fine for a dinner in Nuuk but miserable on a boat or a hike once they get damp. Umbrellas are useless in Greenland’s wind; a hood does the job.

Your outfit by season and activity

Pick a situation to see which layers to put on. The traveller gets dressed, and the checklist shows what you need.

What to wear in Greenland in summer

In short: in summer, from June to August, wear a light base layer, a fleece, and a windproof rain jacket. Bring a hat, thin gloves, sunglasses and waterproof walking shoes. Pack rain trousers for hiking and a mosquito head net if you go inland.

Summer in Nuuk feels like early spring in northern Europe. Sunny afternoons can be pleasant in a T-shirt and fleece if you are out of the wind, but the weather turns quickly, and fog or drizzle can roll in from the sea within an hour. Carry your rain jacket every day, even when the morning is clear. On the water and on mountain tops, it feels around ten degrees colder than in town.

Inland, near Kangerlussuaq and the ice sheet, summer days are often drier and warmer, and the sun is strong. Early summer is also mosquito and black fly season there. A head net weighs almost nothing and makes a hike bearable; long sleeves and repellent help too. On the coast, insects are much less of a problem. Read more about the season in best time to visit Greenland.

What to wear in autumn and spring

September and October bring cooler days, the first snow on the peaks and cold evenings. Swap the light fleece for a thicker one or a light down jacket, and wear a hat and gloves every day. Waterproof shoes matter more now, because trails and pavements are wet. On a clear autumn night you will stand still outside for the northern lights, so bring an extra warm layer for that.

May is spring by the calendar but winter on the ground. There is snow on the land and the air is cold, while the sun is bright and up for most of the day. Pack as for late winter, with insulated layers and boots, and add good sunglasses and sunscreen: sun reflected off snow burns quickly.

What to wear in Greenland in winter

In short: from November to April, wear thermal underwear, a fleece or down middle layer, an insulated windproof parka and trousers, insulated waterproof boots, a warm hat, a neck gaiter, mittens over liner gloves, and ice spikes for icy streets. Go warmer still for the north and inland.

Nuuk’s winter days are usually a few degrees to around ten degrees below zero, but wind off the fjord makes them feel far colder. Kangerlussuaq and Ilulissat regularly drop below −20 °C. Wear long thermal underwear under your trousers as well as your top, and choose a parka that covers your hips. Mittens are warmer than gloves because your fingers share heat; wear thin liner gloves underneath so you can take the mittens off to use your phone or camera without exposing bare skin.

Icy pavements and steps are the most common winter hazard in town. Slip-on ice spikes, rubber frames with small metal studs that fit over your boots, take seconds to put on and are sold in outdoor shops. The guided running tour in Nuuk lends them if needed. For more on the season, read Greenland in winter and Greenland in December.

Frostbite: on cold, windy days cover your face, ears and nose, and watch for pale or waxy patches on each other’s skin. Warm them slowly with body heat, never by rubbing with snow.

What to wear on a boat trip in Greenland

In short: wear the warmest version of your outfit for the season, plus hat, gloves and sunglasses. Boat operators in Nuuk ask guests to bring warm clothing, a jacket, a hat, gloves, sunglasses and a camera, because it feels much colder on the water than on land, even in summer.

Nuuk’s fjord boats are closed and heated, so you won’t freeze in the cabin. But the best views and photos are on deck, and the moment you step out, the wind from the boat’s speed adds to the wind off the water and ice. In July that can mean a wind chill around freezing. Put your fleece and windproof jacket on before you leave the cabin, pull your hat down over your ears, and keep your phone on a strap. Sunglasses help with the glare off the water and ice, and spray can land on your jacket, so waterproof outer layers are better than wool or down on the outside.

The Nuuk Fjord Sightseeing Boat Tour page has more on the 2-hour trip, and our Nuuk Fjord boat tours page compares all three boat trips from the city.

What to wear on each Nuuk tour

In short: boat trips need the most clothing, walking tours need grippy shoes, running tours need sports shoes, and indoor tastings need nothing special. Filter the tours by type to see what to wear for each one.

Many tours include hotel pickup, which means less time waiting outside in the cold. Every tour in Greenland is listed on our Greenland tours and tickets page, and the sights in the capital on things to do in Nuuk.

What to wear for hiking, dog sledding and the northern lights

Hiking

Wear hiking boots with ankle support and a stiff sole: Greenland’s trails cross bare rock, boulders and boggy ground, and most are marked only with cairns. Dress in light layers, because you warm up quickly going uphill and cool down fast at the top. Carry a windproof jacket, a warm hat, gloves, water and a snack in a small backpack, even on a short hike. Inland in early summer, add a mosquito head net.

Dog sledding and snowmobiles

On a dog sled you sit still for hours in the cold wind, which is colder than anything you do in town. Wear your full winter outfit with insulated trousers, two pairs of socks, a balaclava and ski goggles. Many sledding operators lend extra outer clothing such as overalls, sealskin or insulated boots; ask about it when you book. Dog sledding takes place north of the Arctic Circle, for example in Ilulissat and Sisimiut; read more in dog sledding in Greenland.

Northern lights

Waiting for the aurora means standing still outside at night, often for an hour or more. Dress one layer warmer than you think you need, wear insulated boots, and put a chemical hand warmer in each glove. A headlamp with a red-light mode helps you find your way without ruining your night vision. More tips are in our northern lights in Greenland guide.

What shoes to wear in Greenland

In short: in summer, waterproof walking shoes or light hiking boots with good grip. In winter, insulated waterproof boots rated for well below freezing, plus ice spikes. Wool socks in every season.

Nuuk is hilly, with steep streets, rocky paths and wooden steps down to the harbour. Smooth-soled city shoes slip on wet rock in summer and on ice in winter. One pair of waterproof walking shoes with a deep tread covers most summer trips; add proper hiking boots only if you plan longer hikes. In winter, choose boots with a warm lining and a thick sole, sized to fit a thick wool sock, because tight boots cut circulation and make your feet colder. Pack a pair of light indoor shoes or slippers: it is common in Greenlandic homes to take your shoes off at the door, which you will do on a kaffemik visit.

Sun, insects, electronics and other essentials

The sun is stronger than you expect. Snow, ice and water reflect it, and in spring and summer the days are long. Bring sunglasses with good UV protection in every season, plus sunscreen and lip balm with SPF. In late winter and spring on the snow, glacier glasses or ski goggles protect against snow blindness.

Cold drains batteries fast. Keep your phone and spare camera batteries in an inside pocket close to your body, and bring a power bank. When you come in from the cold, leave your camera in its bag for a while so condensation doesn’t form inside the lens. A sleep mask is useful in summer, when the nights stay light; in winter, a headlamp is useful for walking back from the shore after dark.

You can buy outdoor clothing in Nuuk, but the choice is limited and prices are higher than in Europe or North America because everything is shipped in. Bring what you need from home, and if something gets lost or forgotten, Nuuk’s shops cover the basics such as hats, gloves and ice spikes. Restaurants in Nuuk are casual: clean outdoor clothes are fine for dinner almost everywhere.

Greenland packing checklist

Pack in a soft bag rather than a hard suitcase if you take domestic flights: Air Greenland’s smaller planes have tight luggage limits, so check your ticket’s allowance before you fly. Wear your bulkiest boots and jacket on the plane to save space. Routes and flights are on our getting to Nuuk page.

Questions about what to wear in Greenland

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