Family holidays can be an amazing opportunity to have fun with your kids, while also introducing them to new sights, sounds, flavors and experiences. But it’s not always easy to pick a destination that is child-friendly or a country or region in which both adults and kids can have a great and safe time.
As the world’s largest island, Greenland can be a fantastic place for a family holiday. It offers many opportunities for exploring the great outdoors and, perhaps more importantly, tiring the little ones out so that they get a good night’s sleep and mom and dad get a bit of a break!
Below are 9 top tips for visiting Greenland with kids:
Greenland has many awe-inspiring sights for kids and the icebergs are just one of them. Watching these gargantuan chunks of ice float around is no less captivating for adults than it is for children. You can spend hours marveling at these icy creations.
There are an incredible 16 different species of whale living in the waters around Greenland. You can even spot them from the shore, meaning that you and your kids can be on the constant lookout for them. Seeing their huge and majestic beauty remains a sight the entire family will never tire of seeing.
While the entire island of Greenland can be described as “off the beaten path,” there are places less frequented by tourists, such as Disko Island. Just a 2-hour boat ride from Ilulissat (or even a shorter helicopter flight during the winter months), Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island has great facilities and a pleasant hotel in the town. Unlike anywhere else in Greenland, Disko Island is volcanic making the surroundings richly green and is breathtakingly beautiful. With beaches made up of black sand, bubbling hot springs and rolling green pastures dotted with wildflowers, waterfalls and a ginormous glacier that towers high above the island’s town, this island will truly captivate kids.
If your kids are city dwellers, then getting them involved in some of these fun outdoor pursuits can enrich their experience and improve their health, too. With many activities suitable for even young children, you and your family can easily spend most of your time outdoors (provided you have appropriate clothing for the weather), which will definitely tire them out each day!
If traveling to Greenland between May and August, you and your kids can enjoy endless days of fun and exploration thanks to the Midnight Sun – although we’re pretty sure you’ll want the day to end at some point! The further north of the Arctic you travel, the longer the period of the Midnight Sun lasts. This wonder of the natural world is sure to amaze your kids.
Winter is an enchanting time of year for kids and not just because of Christmas and all the fun the festivities bring. With huskies to meet, reindeer to see, snowmen to build, and snowballs to throw, Greenland is a true winter paradise.
Dogsledding is a traditional form of transport in Greenland. Hence, it is so much more than a mere tourist attraction. Take your kids dogsledding and experience it as the locals do with traditional wooden sleds and real fur to keep you warm.
Then there are the magical Northern Lights. Greenland is one of the best places in the world to see them thanks to its close proximity to the North Pole and eerily pitch-black nights. Your kids can’t fail to be in awe of this incredible natural light show.
You can also treat your kids to an unforgettable helicopter flight (weather permitting) or a trip on a snowmobile. They’ll be unlikely to forget either of these two journeys any time soon!
It’s absolutely possible for kids to have fun while learning. And what better way to teach them about a new culture than by immersing them in it? With a rich and intriguing culture, Greenland has colorful houses, ancient churches, fascinating museums and exciting craft shops, not to mention huskies in abundance and delicious traditional cuisine.
If you’re lucky, you might get to see a local event such as a wedding and see the amazing traditional costumes they wear and watch the fireworks that light up the sky at midnight – if you can keep the kids awake for that long after a busy day of exploration and learning!
With Greenland being more accessible to travelers and tourists than ever before, it’s becoming more popular, too. The infrastructure has greatly improved and there are so many awesome activities to pursue, so it’s easy to see why it has become a top travel hotspot.
With popularity, however, comes fully booked accommodation and most tourists visit the island in the high season from June to September. This is also the easiest time to visit with school-age kids. Booking your trip well in advance will help you avoid disappointment or extortionate prices. It’s important to remember that most hotel rooms accommodate only two people, so you might need to explore more family-friendly accommodation options, such as renting an apartment or house.
If possible, book your trip at least six months in advance – or even better, a year in advance.
Greenland is a huge expanse and unless you’ve got a month to spend traveling around, you’ll never be able to see it all – especially with a couple of kids in tow! However, what you will have time to do will be incredible. It pays to always allow for more time at each stop to fully enjoy it and get the most out of your trip. With Greenland, sometimes less is more. Also remember that the weather can be unpredictable and some excursions may have to be delayed or postponed, so allow for that wherever possible, too.
Greenland is a fascinating, exhilarating and adventure-filled destination with plenty to do for the whole family. What is recommended though, is that you do plenty of research beforehand so that you can fit in as much as possible without having to spend most of your time traveling from one place to another.
While some journeys can still take you through wonderful landscapes, there’s more to a trip than simply being transported from point A to B. Plus, your kids may soon get fed up! So, plan well, have a flexible approach and you and your kids are guaranteed to have the trip of a lifetime to Greenland!
