Hidden Greenland: Exploring the Remote Villages of East Greenland

On Greenland’s east coast, mountains rise straight from iron-cold fjords and glaciers calve blue cathedrals of ice into the sea. Settlements cling to sheltered coves, their bright houses a constellation of color against rock and snow. This is a coast of weather and wonder, where life is still tuned to sea ice, migratory whales, and the fierce piteraq winds that rake the fjords in winter. For travelers, East Greenland offers the rarest luxury: true remoteness, lived culture, and time that moves at the pace of tides and dogsleds.

A coast of ice and quiet

East Greenland feels different from the rest of the island. The Ammassalik region, around Tasiilaq, is a labyrinth of serrated peaks and deep fjords; glaciers spill from the Greenland Ice Sheet toward Sermilik Icefjord, where icebergs parade by in slow motion. Farther north, the Scoresby Sund system near Ittoqqortoormiit is the largest network of fjords on Earth, an amphitheater of stone and ice where silence booms like surf. Long summer light turns rock faces to copper at midnight; in winter and early spring, auroras unwind like green silk across the sky.

The villages

Tasiilaq, with around two thousand residents, is the lively hub of East Greenland. It spreads across a bowl of hills above a crescent harbor, with a red wooden church, a small museum, and a ring of trekking valleys right out the back door. Kulusuk, a short hop away, sits on its own island with views toward pack ice and the ragged teeth of the mainland. Smaller settlements dot the fjords: Kuummiit perched on a peninsula of dark rock, Sermiligaaq facing an iceberg-strewn fjord, Tiniteqilaaq looking across to the ice giants drifting down Sermilik. North of the Ammassalik region, Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund) is a frontier outpost of a few hundred people at the mouth of the world’s grandest fjord system, where polar bear tracks sometimes stitch the shoreline in winter.

Getting there

Access to East Greenland is limited and seasonal, which is part of its magic. In summer, flights operate from Reykjavík’s domestic airport to Kulusuk, and to Nerlerit Inaat (also called Constable Point) for Ittoqqortoormiit. From Kulusuk, a short helicopter flight or a summer boat ride connects to Tasiilaq; from Nerlerit Inaat, a helicopter shuttles passengers to Ittoqqortoormiit. Weather rules everything. Fog, wind, and sea ice can delay aircraft and boats, so build generous buffers into your itinerary and keep plans flexible. Within the Ammassalik region, village-to-village travel is by helicopter, local boat in summer, or dogsled and snowmobile in spring. There are no roads between towns.

When to go

June to early September is the classic window for hiking, boating, and village life in motion. Fjords open, wildflowers flare in the valleys, and whales cruise offshore. July brings the warmest days and also the most mosquitoes, an annoyance that a head net easily solves. Late August and September blend open water with the first long nights for aurora. If you’re dreaming of dogsled runners whispering over spring snow and crisp, clear light, aim for March and April. Deep winter is raw and beautiful, but travel becomes expeditionary and storms can pin you down for days.

What you can do

Walk from Tasiilaq into Flower Valley, where a braided river tumbles through green slopes and lupines, and continue to viewpoint ridges where mountain chains roll away to the ice. Take a boat up Sermilik Icefjord to thread among icebergs the size of apartment blocks, listening for the rifle-crack of calving and the fizz of ancient air popping in meltwater. Paddle a sea kayak along glassy coves with a local guide, skirting growlers and keeping a respectful distance from bearded seals sunning on floes. Cast for Arctic char in cold, clear streams. In late summer, scan the horizon for fin and humpback whales spouting like punctuation on the sea. In spring, ride out with mushers across hard snow to small hunting huts, share hot tea in the lee of a rock, and watch ravens sketch loops in the pale sky.

Farther north in Scoresby Sund, village day-to-day gives way to high Arctic scale. Local boatmen navigate black-water leads between plates of new ice; basalt cliffs loom, glaciers crackle, and the light itself feels crystalline. Many travelers come here on small expedition ships, but basing yourself in Ittoqqortoormiit lets you feel the texture of the place—the slow morning, the evening radio chatter, the way fresh snow records who passed during the night.

Culture, language, and everyday life

East Greenland is Kalaallit Nunaat, the land of the Greenlandic Inuit, and the local dialect, Tunumiisut, sings differently from the West Greenlandic you may hear in Nuuk or Ilulissat. Danish is widely understood, and more and more people speak English, but a few words of Greenlandic open doors. A simple qujanaq for “thank you” earns ready smiles. Daily life knits together modern convenience and subsistence traditions: sled dogs doze in coils near family homes; hunters check the ice for seals; kids rocket down hills on anything that will slide. Artists carve serpentine and craft fearsome, beautiful tupilaat, figures that once embodied protective spirits and now sit as small guardians on mantelpieces far away.

If you are invited to a kaffemik—a communal coffee gathering held for birthdays, confirmations, or simply because—bring a small gift from home, slip off your boots at the door, and say hello to everyone in turn. Conversations may circle from weather to hunting to the latest helicopter schedule. East Greenland’s hospitality is both understated and generous, and patience is the passport.

Staying and eating

You will not find big hotels or brand-name resorts, which is precisely the point. In Tasiilaq, comfortable guesthouses and small hotels serve hearty meals and hot showers. Kulusuk has a simple hotel near the airstrip and family-run stays in the village. In the smaller settlements, beds may be in homestays or basic houses run by local cooperatives. Expect fresh fish, musk ox, reindeer, and, when in season, sublime Arctic char. Try mattak, the traditional delicacy of whale skin and blubber, only if it is offered and you feel comfortable, and remember that hunting remains a foundation of food security here. Cafés in Tasiilaq bake excellent cakes, a legacy of Danish sweet tooth and long winters.

Weather, safety, and respect for place

The east coast’s infamous piteraq winds can blow hard in winter and early spring, screaming down-glacier at hurricane force. Even in summer, fog can fold over the fjords and winds can roughen the sea in minutes. Dress for cold, damp, and changeable conditions year-round: layered wool and synthetics, a windproof shell, warm hat and gloves, sturdy boots. If you go beyond town limits, travel with a local guide who knows the ice and the weather. Polar bears are rare around the Ammassalik villages but present in the wider region, especially near Scoresby Sund; learn bear safety, carry proper deterrents where recommended, and never leave food unsecured.

Search and rescue is distant and expensive. Buy travel insurance that covers medical evacuation, keep your plans conservative, and share your route with hosts. Drones are restricted in many areas and frowned upon near settlements and wildlife; ask before you fly and respect no-drone zones. Always ask permission before photographing people, and keep a generous distance from animals on land or ice.

Practicalities

The currency is the Danish krone. Cards are widely accepted in Tasiilaq and Kulusuk, but small settlements may be cash-oriented and lack ATMs, so bring a buffer. Mobile coverage is limited outside towns; a local SIM from Tusass helps in larger communities, but do not count on signal in fjords or valleys. Electricity is 230V with European-style plugs; bring a suitable adapter. Tap water is generally excellent. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but not in the EU or Schengen; entry rules depend on your nationality and, where required, visas must be valid for Greenland specifically—confirm details with Danish authorities before you travel.

Baggage allowances on small aircraft and helicopters are tight; pack light, use soft duffels, and keep essentials in your daypack in case weather separates you from your main bag for a night. In July and early August, mosquitoes and blackflies can be feisty—long sleeves and a head net make life easier.

A slow itinerary to start

Fly to Kulusuk and cross to Tasiilaq for three nights. Walk Flower Valley on day one, take a boat into Sermilik on day two, and join a local kayak or fishing trip on day three. Transfer to Sermiligaaq or Kuummiit for a night or two to feel village rhythms and watch the light turn over the ice. Return via Kulusuk and, if time allows, add a separate trip north to Ittoqqortoormiit and the edge of Scoresby Sund, where scale resets every sense you have.

Why go now

East Greenland is not a place that turns itself inside out for visitors. It is a place that lets you step in quietly, and in doing so, it changes the way you measure distance and time. In a world that feels noisy and fast, these villages keep another tempo—the slap of a halyard, the muffled bark of sled dogs, the push and sigh of ice against a pebble beach. Go to listen. Go to learn. And go prepared to leave a light footprint on a coast that holds more silence than almost anywhere left on Earth.