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2 cities
Municipality · Disko Bay and North Greenland
Avannaata
Ilulissat and the Icefjord, the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, the icebergs of Disko Bay, Uummannaq with its mountain, and at the far north, Upernavik and Qaanaaq.
In the photo: Qaanaaq between the coast and the slopes of Avannaata, in northern Greenland.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The municipality
Get to know Avannaata
Avannaata is the northernmost municipality of Greenland. It stretches from the northern shore of Disko Bay to the Nares Strait, opposite the Canadian island of Ellesmere, and most of its territory lies under the ice sheet. The administrative centre is Ilulissat, the country’s third-largest town, and the other settlements are all on the coast: Uummannaq, Upernavik and Qaanaaq.
South of Ilulissat, the Ilulissat Icefjord (Ilulissat Kangerlua) descends from the ice sheet to Disko Bay. It is fed by the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, one of the fastest in the world, and is often covered with icebergs year-round. The fjord has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. From town, marked trails run through the Sermermiut valley, where remains of former Inuit settlements lie, to viewpoints over the ice, and the Icefjord Centre, a visitor centre, explains the glacier and the fjord.
Ilulissat is the birthplace of polar explorer Knud Rasmussen, and his childhood home houses the town museum. Boats depart the harbour for the mouth of the fjord, among the icebergs, and for the settlement of Ilimanaq on the opposite shore. Further north, full-day trips reach the Eqi glacier, which calves directly into the sea.
Uummannaq sits on a small island at the foot of a heart-shaped mountain that gives the town its name. The Uummannaq fjord contains icebergs, and in winter, when the sea freezes, it is crossed by dog sleds. The nearest airport is Qaarsut, on the opposite peninsula, connected to the island by helicopter.
Upernavik is located in an archipelago of rocky islands farther north, and Qaanaaq, at the far northwest, is one of the northernmost Inuit communities in the world, where hunting and sleds remain part of daily life. The Pituffik space base in the same region is not part of the municipality and does not receive visitors without authorization.
Destinations
2 destinations in Avannaata
Cities
3 cities in Avannaata in the guide
Avannaata
Capital
Ilulissat
The third-largest town in Greenland, on Disko Bay beside the Icefjord. The name means “icebergs” in Greenlandic. It has colorful houses scattered across the rocks, thousands of sled dogs, a museum in the house where Knud Rasmussen was born, and trails that lead to viewpoints over the ice, plus boat trips out to the Eqi glacier.
Avannaata
Ilimanaq
A settlement of only a few dozen residents just south of the Icefjord entrance, founded in 1741 under the name Claushavn. It has two restored 18th-century wooden houses, a 1908 church and viewpoints over the icebergs that flow from the fjord. It is reached only by boat, and those who stay there sleep with the bay in silence, away from Ilulissat’s bustle.
Avannaata
Uummannaq
A town of about 1,400 residents on a small island in the Uummannaq fjord, at the foot of a two-summit, heart-shaped mountain. It has colorful houses on the rocks, the stone church, the museum and historic turf houses. In winter, when the surrounding water turns to solid ice, hunters use dog sleds to leave the island.
When to go
From June to August, the days are long, boats navigate the fjord and the bay, and trails are free of snow; in Ilulissat, the sun stays above the horizon from late May to late July. Whales are commonly seen in Disko Bay from July to September. From September to March, the dark nights allow sightings of the northern lights when the sky is clear, and from February to April is the most common season for sled trips. In winter, temperatures fall well below 0 °C.
Getting there
Ilulissat Airport (JAV) receives flights from Nuuk and other towns in the country and direct international flights, generally from Copenhagen and, in some seasons, from Iceland. From there, small planes and helicopters continue to Qaarsut, which connects to Uummannaq, and on to Upernavik and Qaanaaq. In Disko Bay, regional boats link Ilulissat to settlements and neighbouring towns, especially in summer. There are no roads between the towns. Confirm routes before booking.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Avannaata
How many days should you book for Ilulissat?
Three days allow time for the trails to the Icefjord viewpoints, a boat trip among the icebergs, and visits to the museum and the Icefjord Centre. With four or five days, you can include a full-day trip to the Eqi glacier or an overnight stay in Ilimanaq. Weather can delay flights and boats: allow an extra day as a buffer.
Do you need a guide to see the Ilulissat Icefjord?
Not for the marked trails that leave town through the Sermermiut valley and reach viewpoints over the fjord. Boat, helicopter and sled trips are run by local operators, who also monitor weather and ice conditions.
Can you see the midnight sun in Ilulissat?
Yes. Ilulissat lies north of the Arctic Circle, and from late May to late July the sun remains above the horizon even at night. The opposite occurs in winter: in December and early January the sun does not rise.
When is it most common to see whales in Disko Bay?
From July to September, when humpback and other whales commonly feed in the bay. whale-watching boat trips depart from Ilulissat and other towns around the bay.
How to get from Ilulissat to Uummannaq?
Fly to Qaarsut Airport and from there take a helicopter to the island of Uummannaq. Flights are limited and depend on weather: confirm schedules before you travel.