Arctic Circle Trail Trail

A remote 165 km trail typically done in a single through-hike of 8 to 10 days.

Time to Hike: 165 km, usually 8 to 10 days depending on fitness, weather and side trips.

Best Time to Go: Mid June to early September is the walkable season, with July and August offering the most reliable conditions.

Getting there: Fly into Kangerlussuaq and finish or start in Sisimiut; most hikers begin at Kangerlussuaq and walk toward Sisimiut.

Costs: No permit fees; main cost is flights to Greenland and domestic transfers. Budget depends on origin and equipment - expect several hundred to over a thousand USD for travel and provisioning.

Difficulty: Non-technical but strenuous: uneven rocky ground, boggy tundra, river crossings and long carry days. Navigation, endurance and cold-wet weather preparedness are essential.

Greenlands Arctic Circle Trail traverses classic Arctic tundra, a patchwork of hummocks, gravelly ridges, lakes and braided streams. The route stays inland of the coast and skirts the edge of the ice-influenced landscape, giving expansive skies, lonely waterbodies and frequent birdlife.

Highlights are the remoteness itself - long uninterrupted walking, clear mountain views, mirror-like lakes and the gradual descent toward the coastal town of Sisimiut. Accommodation is primitive: a handful of simple hunting huts and emergency shelters exist, but most hikers wild camp and carry all food and fuel.

Kangerlussuaq is the principal gateway airport for the trail with international connections from Copenhagen and domestic links to other Greenlandic towns. Many itineraries begin with a flight into Kangerlussuaq and finish in Sisimiut where domestic flights or boats connect onward.

Most people walk westward from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut to make logistics simpler. Plan domestic flight bookings in advance and confirm transfer options to the trail start and from the finish, as services are infrequent.

Greenlands hiking season on this trail runs roughly from mid June to early September. Snow and high river levels can persist into June on some years; July and August generally give the most stable conditions and the warmest nights.

There are no staffed huts to reserve on the standard route, so book flights early, carry full camping equipment and be prepared for sudden cold, strong winds, boggy ground and mosquitoes in summer.