Seventy-two hours without a phone and without a solid roof over your head—that’s how long it takes for the soul-soothing effects of being in nature to truly set in. “After one day, people aren’t really relaxed yet,” said Anika Krogh, the Greenlandic founder of Nomad Greenland, as she poured coffee from a thermos. “After two days, maybe a little. But on the third day, something magical happens. People start to truly be present. Studies show that stress hormones in your body can drop by up to forty percent.”
Krogh and I had spent the morning speeding across a fjord in a rubber dinghy and stopped for a picnic on the grassy shore of Tartunaq Bay, near the small fishing village of Saqqaq on Greenland’s west coast. A few ice floes drifted on the calm water ahead, while behind us, dark basalt cliffs rose like fortress walls. I had come to spend a few nights at Nomad Greenland’s Saqqaq Camp, which Krogh and her Danish husband, Jon, set up each summer from June to September a few bays away. There had been discussions about building permanent cabins, but Krogh quickly dismissed the idea. “In tents, you can feel the wind and hear the rain on the canvas,” she said. “It reminds you who’s really in charge out here.”
That point was quickly proven. Even before I reached Saqqaq, which required a short flight from Greenland’s small capital, Nuuk, Mother Nature had made her terms clear. Rough seas turned the two-hour boat ride from the airport into a half-day ordeal, and we didn’t arrive at camp until 2 a.m., with the midnight sun still low on the horizon. The next morning, we followed caribou trails into the mountains, scrambling on all fours over steep, precarious ledges. In Saqqaq’s small harbor, I saw a raw glimpse of daily life in this harsh, remote Arctic corner: whale guts scattered across the rocky beach and the limp body of a seal bleeding on a boat’s bow. It might be unsettling, but for city dwellers like me, it was a much-needed reminder of life at its most basic. “In most of the world, humans are constantly shaping nature,” Krogh said. “But here, it’s Mother Nature who shapes us.”
Although Saqqaq Camp offered a similar closeness to the elements, I was far from roughing it. Its six tents are set up on wooden platforms along the bay, each furnished with sealskin pillows, electric blankets, and hot showers in plywood en-suites. Just up the hill, there’s a teepee-shaped dining tent where meals blend local staples like caribou steaks and arctic char with fresh produce brought in from more temperate regions. The fjord out front was filled with icebergs, some as tall as cruise ships, others no bigger than a Volkswagen Beetle.
It didn’t take long for me to feel my stress melting away. My thoughts grew clearer, and the mental noise faded. I stopped constantly reaching for my phone, whose spotty connection wasn’t much use anyway. Instead, I fell into the camp’s rhythm: coffee by the water, long walks across lichen-covered rocks and mossy tundra, and evenings spent listening to the restless ice groaning and shifting. We fished for cod with just a line and hooks, and at a friend’s place in Saqqaq, tried greasy mattak whale blubber dipped in soy sauce and Aromat. I was farther from city lights than I’d ever been, yet I felt blissfully at ease.
As the world’s largest island, Greenland offers vast wilderness to reconnect with, and new flight routes have made this once-remote frontier more accessible. Air Greenland now flies directly from Copenhagen, and since June, United has been connecting to Newark Airport twice a week. You don’t even have to travel far from town for a nature-inspired stress relief: humpbacks and their calves…Leaves often glide past the harbor, and from the city’s edge, you can step onto a boat and within minutes be enveloped by the fjords.
I spent a few more days at Nomad Greenland’s second location, Camp Kiattua, set along a narrow stretch of the Nuuk Fjord, about two hours by boat from the city’s waterfront. The teepee-style tents are just as luxurious, equipped with electric heaters, private bathrooms, and touches of Arctic finds—caribou antlers, feathers—for decoration. Days here moved just as slowly, with icy dips in the fjord and naps on beds filled with wild herbs and moss. I followed the waterfall behind the camp’s steep cliff backdrop, wading through waist-high dwarf willow until the view opened up to a sea of mountaintops—with no sign of human presence anywhere.
When it was time to leave, Jon came to pick me up. As we drove to the airport, he shared that his guests often say as they depart, “I’m finally going back to reality.” That remark stayed with him. “It got me thinking,” he said, “The lives we hurry back to—are they even real?” He believes it’s here, surrounded by mountains so ancient that our lives are just a blink, that you truly feel what reality is. “It’s here,” he said, gesturing to the fjord rushing past the window, “where people begin to reflect on their priorities and what’s truly real.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a helpful and concise FAQ about the best ways to explore Greenland beyond a traditional cruise
General Beginner Questions
Q Why should I skip a cruise to explore Greenland
A Skipping a cruise allows for a more immersive flexible and authentic experience You can spend more time in specific towns interact directly with local communities and explore inland areas that large ships cant reach
Q What are the main alternatives to a cruise for exploring Greenland
A The best alternatives are flying between towns and using local boats helicopters or hiking to explore the surrounding areas This is often called coastal hopping
Q Is it easy to get around Greenland without a cruise ship
A Easy isnt the right word but its very achievable with planning There are no roads connecting towns so youll rely on domestic flights and local ferry services which requires a flexible itinerary
Q What is the best time of year to visit Greenland this way
A The summer months from June to early September are ideal The weather is mildest the midnight sun provides long days for exploration and all transportation services are running
Planning Logistics
Q Which towns are the best hubs for starting my trip
A Nuuk and Ilulissat are the two main international gateways and perfect bases for exploring the surrounding regions
Q How do I book flights and ferries between towns
A Book domestic flights through Air Greenland For ferries check the schedule for the Arctic Umiaq Line Its crucial to book these well in advance as space is limited
Q Is this way of traveling more expensive than a cruise
A It can be comparable or even more expensive for a similar level of comfort as flights and logistics in Greenland are costly However it offers better value for an independent and deep cultural experience
Q Do I need a guide for activities
A For simple town exploration no But for almost any outdoor activity like glacier hiking dog sledding or boat tours to icebergs hiring a local guide is essential for safety and to get the most out of the experience
Activities Experiences