Upernavik Greenland Cruise Port Guide

Location:

As ships are moored or anchored in this port, you will be tendered ashore.

Cruise Schedule

Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers

Port Location on Google Maps

Monthly Climate Averages for Upernavik Greenland

Sightseeing:

Upernavik lies so far north that many visitors feel like they are standing on top of the world at a latitude of 72 degrees north. It is therefore no coincidence that the town's highest point (151 meters or 500 feet) is called Life's Summit. Its location also means that the open-air museum in Upernavik is the most northerly in the world. Unique fauna dominates the Upernavik area, which also has the world's largest bird cliff, Apparsuit. Another well-known mountain is the town's landmark, Qaarsorsuaq, which reaches a height of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet).

More than half of the Municipality of Upernavik's 3,000 inhabitants live in the ten settlements that are situated along the municipality's 450 km (280 miles) of coastline. The primary business activity is fishing for Greenland halibut, which in winter is caught by means of long lines through the ice. As the sea is frozen from December to June, the fishing grounds can be accessed by dogsled or snowmobile. The frozen sea and the magnificent view of Davis Strait make a trip by dogsled an obvious choice for people visiting Upernavik between February and April.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

In Greenland there are no roads connecting the towns, so all transport takes place by plane or by ship. The Arctic climate, which at times can be extreme, places great demands on safety during transport, demands which Greenland's transport companies satisfy in full. When travelling over shorter distances outside the towns the local population use their own boats, dogsleds or snowmobiles.

Nearby Places:

However, whaling also plays a central role in terms of employment in the settlements. Narwhals are still caught in the traditional manner from kayak in Melville Bay, where beluga whales and polar bears are also hunted. At the same time seals have been caught for thousands of years in nets under the ice or by hunting them while they are sunning themselves on the ice during the spring. Several hunting trips tailored for tourists can be organized in Upernavik, and the area is ideal for kayaking from settlement to settlement or chartering a boat for a unique sailing trip.

Shopping and Food

Souvenirs from Greenland are unique, handmade works of art the like of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Each product is shaped and designed by a Greenlandic artist, who manages to follow tradition and custom, whilst at the same time creating unique works incorporating his or her own ideas and skills. As a visitor, you will have plenty of opportunity to find precisely what you are looking for.

Currency:

Credit cards can be used at many hotels, restaurants and shops, but it is recommended that you bring a small amount of Danish kroner with you to Greenland, as some ATMs may not be in service at the weekend.

Currency Converter

Communication:

As a visitor to Greenland you will find that you understand absolutely nothing when Greenlandic is spoken – or ‘kalaallisut', as it is called, which actually means ‘the Greenlanders' language'.

Danish is more or less the second language. English less so.

Internet and e-mail – take your laptop with you Hotspots have been established in most major hotels so that you can access the Internet. There are Internet cafés in a number of the bigger towns and at several tourist offices it is also possible to check your web mail.

The mobile phone system in Greenland is GSM 900/1800

Opening Hours and Holidays:

In the major towns supermarkets are typically open on weekdays from 10:00 – 17:30, on Fridays until 18:00 and Saturdays from 09:00 – 13:00. In many towns, however, there are corner shops and grocer's shops that have longer opening hours and which are also open on Sundays.

Help us to keep this page up to date: Mail us your suggestions

Thank you for printing this article! Please don’t forget to come back to whatsinport.com for new and updated port guides.

Home|Privacy Policy