greenland

[Extra]Leaving Greenland – gap year Arctic trips (IX)

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Our flight out of Greenland happened to be the final flight of 2025 between Greenland and the US. While thick clouds still hung over the Labrador Sea, we managed to catch quite a few glimpses of the landscape below. On the flight later from New York back to the West Coast, the skies remained perfectly … Read more

Sarfaq Ittuk ferry – gap year Arctic trips (VIII)

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Instead of flying, we decided to travel from Ilulissat back to Nuuk aboard the Sarfaq Ittuk, a ferry operated by the Arctic Umiaq Line. In Greenlandic, “Sarfaq” refers to a current or tide, while “Ittuk” means old or great. The Sarfaq Ittuk route is the most vital transport link in Greenland. As the country’s only … Read more

Ilulissat, the hometown of icebergs – gap year Arctic trips (VII)

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Our third stop in Greenland: the Ilulissat Icefjord! Kangerlussuaq sits at 67°N while Ilulissat is roughly 69°N. Since both share the same longitude of 51°W, our flight path from Kangerlussuaq was essentially a straight shot north. The hop in the small propeller plane took less than an hour. Unlike the inland landscape of our previous … Read more

Kangerlussuaq by the ice sheet – gap year Arctic trips (VI)

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In the afternoon of our third day in Greenland, we departed Nuuk aboard a small Air Greenland plane heading for the tiny settlement of Kangerlussuaq. This village sits quietly just inside the Arctic Circle, right next to the massive Greenland Ice Sheet. A bird’s-eye view of the ice sheet and glaciers Nuuk was overcast, but … Read more

Greenland’s capital on Archean gneiss – gap year Arctic trips (V)

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Nuuk’s new international airport officially opened at the end of 2024. As a result, United Airlines announced a new direct route from New York (Newark EWR) to Greenland’s capital for June through September 2025. I excitedly bought my tickets not long after. Booking ten months in advance makes this the most “long-term” planning I have … Read more