Ilulissat Icefjord is the single most visited site in Greenland and justifiably so. The Sermeq Kujalleq glacier — one of the fastest-moving and most productive glaciers in the world — feeds a constant stream of enormous icebergs into the fjord. The UNESCO World Heritage site can be explored on foot via boardwalk trails from the Icefjord Centre, or by boat for a closer view. The scale is hard to convey in photographs.
Dog sledding in winter or early spring remains one of the defining Greenlandic experiences. Ilulissat has the largest sled-dog population — around 3,000 dogs — and organized tours run from November through April when the sea ice is firm. It is still a working method of transport for hunters, not a performance.
The northern lights are visible across Greenland from September to April, but the darkest winter months offer the most dramatic displays. Clear, cold nights away from town lights are best; Kangerlussuaq, deep inland with a continental climate and low cloud cover, has a particularly good record.
Whale watching on the west coast from July through September. Humpbacks and minke whales are common; the waters around Disko Bay are especially productive.
South Greenland's Viking ruins — particularly Hvalsey Church near Qaqortoq, the best-preserved Norse ruin in Greenland, and the old episcopal seat at Igaliku (the Viking-era Gardar) — are quietly extraordinary. The area is also where the only natural hot springs in Greenland are found, on the island of Uunartoq.
Nuuk is small for a capital — around 20,000 people — but has real cultural weight: the National Museum of Greenland, the Katuaq cultural center, and a food scene that has developed considerably in the last decade. The new international airport makes it the most accessible entry point for most travelers.