Gigantic blocks of sculpted ice cram into the Ilulissat Icefjord, all queuing to burst out in the open waters of Disko Bay, when a loud cracking sound indicated that another frozen colossus had just broken free. This is one of several magnificent sights in Greenland that are unique to this vast island and are best experienced from the vantage point of sea level.
There are three main cruising areas: the milder west coast, the wilder east coast and the more accessible southern area. Each offers incredible landscapes and seascapes, sprinkled with colourful villages and unusual wildlife. Take your pick from several enticing routes, many of which involve stops in Iceland – hardly a drawback – and North America.
Several larger ships visit southern Greenland, but if you have the budget, an expedition voyage on an ice-strengthened vessel is unbeatable. Here are seven of the best Greenland cruises to book now.
Find by cruise type:
Best for value
Greenland and Iceland
Celebrity Cruises
Key stops: Isafjordur and Akureyri (Iceland), Qaqortoq (Greenland), St John’s and Halifax (Canada), Boston (the US)
Departure port: Reykjavik (Iceland)
Duration: 12 nights
Ship: Celebrity Silhouette
Although you’ll have to budget for flights to Reykjavik and back from Boston, this sailing from Celebrity Cruises is keenly priced as it’s a repositioning cruise.
Silhouette makes additional Icelandic calls at Isafjordur and Akureyri – both tucked into splendid inlets – before crossing to the southern tip of Greenland. Cruise past the dramatic Prins Christian Sund just off the southern coast, a fjord hemmed by 4,000ft peaks, before calling into Qaqortoq, the country’s largest town, for a chance to discover its strong arts scene and nearby hot springs. Then it’s over to some of Canada’s most enticing maritime cities at Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The seafood here is outstanding.
Silhouette accommodates just under 3,000 guests and, like other Celebrity ships, there’s a successful emphasis on understated quality and style. On such a scenic route, I suggest grabbing a burger at the top-deck Mast Grill and soaking in the vistas.
Insider tip
With just one actual stop in Greenland, make the most of it with an outdoor activity such as kayaking or hiking up to a viewpoint.
How to do it
A 12-night Greenland and Iceland departing August 21, 2027, costs from £1,892pp for a veranda cabin. Excludes flights and alcoholic drinks.
Best for watching the solar eclipse
Solar Eclipse Expedition
HX Expeditions
Key stops: Northeast Greenland National Park and Scoresby Sund (Greenland), Reykjavik (Iceland)
Departure port: Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
Duration: 16 nights
Ship: MS Spitsbergen
The next solar eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026, and there is no wilder place to experience this phenomenon than East Greenland. On this date, the captain will position MS Spitsbergen to be in the best place to view the eclipse in dramatic surroundings – though you’ll pay a premium over similar voyages.
A flight from Oslo brings guests to Svalbard for a two-night stay, from where the ship crosses to the world’s largest fjord system in the world’s largest national park in the world’s largest island. You’ll spend a full 10 days in this region looking out for glittering icebergs, polar bears and muskox while also visiting ultra-isolated communities.
The 150-guest MS Spitsbergen is a smart, fairly modern vessel with ample outside deck space. Don’t expect real luxury, but it is very comfortable.
Insider tip
Take a Zodiac cruise to get up close to blue-tinged icebergs and, as I did, collect some glacial ice for a gin and tonic once back on board.
How to do it
A 16-night Solar Eclipse Expedition cruise departing August 3, 2026, costs from £19,727pp for an Arctic Superior cabin. Includes drinks, all excursions and activities, an expedition jacket, Wi-Fi and gratuities. Excludes international flights.
Best for a no-fly cruise
Greenland’s Fjords, Mountains and Icebergs
Fred Olsen
Key stops: Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Reykjavik (Iceland), Narsarsuaq, Qaqortoq and Nanortalik (Greenland), Belfast (UK)
Departure port: Liverpool (UK)
Duration: 14 nights
Ship: Borealis
A call at the Faroe Islands – with some of the most intriguing scenery I have ever encountered – sets the tone for this enticing, good-value voyage from Fred Olsen.
Dropping in on Iceland, Borealis sets off to explore the southern tip of Greenland – and it’s not a standard itinerary. Narsarsuaq boasts the nearby Qooroq Ice Fjord, crammed with bergs, Tunulliarfik Fjord has crumbling blue glaciers, while polar bears are often spotted on ice floes around Nanortalik. Wildlife watchers should be out on deck when sailing the mighty, 60-mile-long Prins Christian Sund to spy whales and seabirds.
Mid-sized Borealis is an older ship but still boasts a great range of facilities, especially the observatory viewing lounge, which is perfect for this cruise. Don’t miss the very British afternoon tea served here, too.
Insider tip
All stops in Greenland are at anchor, so make sure you are agile enough to get on and off the tenders that ferry guests ashore before booking this cruise.
How to do it
A 14-night Greenland’s Fjords, Mountains and Icebergs itinerary departing July 5, 2027 costs from £3,389pp for an ocean-view cabin. Includes selected drinks with meals and gratuities.
Best for combining cities with nature
Canada, Greenland & Iceland Cruise
Azamara
Key stops: Quebec City, Saguenay and Havre-Saint-Pierre (Canada), Nuuk, Paamiut and Qaqortoq (Greenland), Reykjavik and Grundarfjordur (Iceland)
Departure port: Montreal (Canada)
Duration: 16 nights
Ship: Azamara Journey
This unusual and rather special journey winds through Eastern Canada before crossing to Greenland and ultimately to Iceland. A key attraction is an overnight in Quebec City after leaving Montreal. It has an old European ambience and you can’t miss the giant, handsome Château Frontenac hotel.
Quebec City is followed by a lovely glide down the gradually widening St Lawrence River, with a call at the outdoor pursuit centre of Havre-Saint-Pierre on the north shore. There is some long cruising plus three stops in Greenland – be sure to check out the surprising buzzing capital Nuuk; picturesque Paamiut, with the chance to dogsled with huskies; artsy Qaqortoq, plus scenic cruising in Prins Christian Sund, too.
Azamara is a luxe line, and Journey keeps it intimate with fewer than 700 passengers. The al fresco Sunset Bar at the rear provides an ideal viewing platform.
Insider tip
If you’re fit, do join the hike from Nuuk up to 2,500ft Ukkusissat, passing a lake and rock formations, for wraparound views.
How to do it
A 16-night Canada, Greenland & Iceland cruise departing August 26, 2026 costs from £4,709pp for an ocean-view cabin. Includes drinks and gratuities. Excludes flights.
Best for an insight into local culture
West Greenland
Quark Expeditions
Key stops: Uummannaq, Sisimiut, Eternity Fjord and Ilulissat (Greenland)
Departure port: Kangerlussuaq (Greenland)
Duration: 10 nights
Ship: Ocean Explorer
The first day of this itinerary technically begins in Keflavik, a town near Iceland’s capital, though you’ll only have the afternoon to explore the city (or choose to venture further to Reykjavik) before hopping on a flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, where you’ll board Ocean Explorer.
Sailing north towards Disko Bay, crossing the Arctic Circle, was probably the best single day’s cruising I have ever enjoyed. The icebergs – from the size of a car to a small island, and all of fantastical shapes – became more numerous as we approached the giant bay. Most of these are churned out of the Unesco-listed fjord at Ilusissat, which this expedition visits.
Another highlight is Uummannaq, a community of colourful homes tumbling down a bare, heart-shaped mountain. I likened this scene to a spilt tin of Quality Street chocolates. Going back south, the mountain-lined Eternity Fjord is a joy to explore by Zodiac or by foot along the lonely shore.
Quark Expeditions’ Ocean Explorer is a sleek, purpose-built vessel with a distinctive bow taking 138 guests; the smart interiors will please most guests.
Insider tip
If you get the chance, be sure to attend a kaffemik – a gathering in a communal building with hot drinks and snacks where locals and visitors are encouraged to share stories.
How to do it
A 10-night West Greenland cruise departing August 25, 2027 costs from £9,832pp for a deluxe veranda cabin. Includes drinks, Wi-Fi, activities, a parka, charter flights between Iceland and Greenland, and pre-departure stay in Iceland.
Best for convenience
Reykjavik to Reykjavik
Crystal Cruises
Key stops: Nanortalik, Sisimiut, Nuuk, Paamiut and Tasiilaq (Greenland), Siglufjordur and Grundarfjordur (Iceland)
Departure port: Reykjavik (Iceland)
Duration: 14 nights
Ship: Crystal Symphony
How about dining on Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine after a day spent gazing at spiky mountains and otherworldly icebergs through a 270-degree panoramic lounge? This itinerary from Crystal takes a round-trip from Iceland, which makes arranging flights a little easier. The ship dips in and out of Greenland’s magnificent fjords on both sides of the southern tip, calling at unspoilt towns and villages. The capital, Nuuk, has the national museum and a well-considered cultural centre.
On Greenland’s east coast, isolated Tasiilaq is backed by mighty bald mountains and is where traditional Inuit ways are still alive and well – look out for drumming and carving experts. Returning to Iceland, there are three stops in the wild north west before the end of the voyage. From Grundarfjordur, I would recommend a visit to the distinctive mountain Kirkjufell and its nearby waterfall.
Recently refurbished Symphony has nine restaurants for just 600 pampered guests, along with a spa, gym and sports facilities.
Insider tip
You will likely see working dogs chained up around Greenland’s villages and towns. They are well cared for, but do not approach them without the owner’s permission.
How to do it
A 14-night Reykjavik to Reykjavik itinerary departing August 7, 2027 costs from £7,600pp for an ocean view cabin. Includes drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities. Excludes flights.
Best for off-the-radar destinations
Greenland to Hudson Bay & the Canadian Arctic
Scenic
Key stops: Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Disko Bay and Eternity Fjord (Greenland), Canadian High Arctic, Churchill and Toronto (Canada)
Departure port: Kangerlussuaq (Greenland)
Duration: 16 nights
Ship: Scenic Eclipse
If money is no object, you can combine fabulous West Greenland with remote parts of Arctic Canada and enjoy it all in sumptuous style. A charter flight takes you from Denmark to Greenland to board Eclipse, Scenic’s sleek superyacht, housing about 200 guests in opulent, butler-serviced suites.
Highlights in this region include ice-choked Disko Bay and Ilulissat, along with Sisimiut, Greenland’s second largest town, where I wandered through the brightly painted buildings strewn across this rocky peninsula.
Eclipse then heads west to meander among the deep inlets and settlements of Canada’s High Arctic Tundra, including Baffin Island and calls at rugged offshore outposts replete with wildlife – with any luck, you’ll witness walruses at Monumental Island. The final destination is Churchill, the world’s “polar bear capital”, then it’s on to Toronto via charter aircraft.
Insider tip
Note that Eclipse carries a helicopter and submersible for extra thrills, but local restrictions mean they are not always available for use, so check with Scenic.
How to do it
A 16-night Greenland to Hudson Bay & the Canadian Arctic cruise departing August 27, 2027 costs from £20,420pp for a verandah suite. Includes fine dining, drinks, excursions, a parka and charter flights. Excludes international flights.
About our expert
John Wilmott
John Wilmott has always been at home on the water, whether that’s trying to catch sea bass from a wobbly kayak along the Essex coast or dining on sea bass in a fine restaurant on board a cruise ship, somewhat further offshore.