Visiting Greenland on a cruise tips

 I have just visited two ports out of the three scheduled on Caribbean Princess.  We were supposed to visit Nuuk the capital but the captain said the weather getting into port was too windy and high seas.  This tip sheet is for Nanortalik and Qaqortoq. 

Greenland in August :

Expect to miss port(S) due to weather 

Expect mosquitoes - bring netting for your head and spray 

Expect fog , overcast sky’s and rain.  I was lucky just rained a bit 

Weather will be about 9 or 10 Celsius 

Expect it to be very expensive- T-shirt is about $35 to $40 dollars and very limited supply of all souvenirs. If you like it buy it 

You can use danish krone or US dollars. They will covert for you.

Expect lovely happy people who love where they live

expect limited tours to be available  via your ship or in ports

Don’t expect wifi to work free or otherwise

Nanortalik :

My favourite port

Easily walkable 

Just the tourist Center for a shop and to book tours

Beautiful scenery

Outdoor museum worth a visit including old houses, hospital,

 museum with artifacts pictures, you can buy books and postcards 

Go beyond the open air museum for the true neighborhoods where people say hello

Best port for seeing icebergs floating, called bergy bits

Supermarket best place to get a pastry and coffee or the Greenland hot dog 

The only disappointment was the church .  They only let you in when they do a concert and it is $15 US dollars 

No wifi

Qaqortok:

Biggest town in south Greenland 

Easily walkable but lots of mosquitoes 

10 minutes to walk to the lake.  Very serene and beautiful 

Huge mountain so walking up and down hills

Picturesque houses all Color

Fish market has Minke whale meat for sale

Museum is good and you get the red church and Norse museum included fo 10 usd

Not as many bergy bits

You may see whales in the harbour

Only place with wifi is the cafe

Again tourist Center has souvenirs but they are expensive 

The handmade crafts are on stands by the tourist Center.  

Overall Greenland is beautiful with friendly happy people and worth a visit 

Hope this helps

Marcia