Upernavik cruise port guide

Arrival & Getting Ashore

Getting to the centre: Route advice is from your ship's assigned Upernavik harbour landing to Upernavik Museum in the old quarter.

• Walk: realistic; Visit Greenland says most people get around Upernavik on foot.

Sources: Visit Greenland.

Orientation, not a walking route

Swan Hellenic includes Upernavik in its expedition programme. The harbour pilot places Ukuarluk (Skibshavnen) on the west side of Upernavik Island, with quays on the eastern and southern sides of the cove, including Atlantkaj, Skonnertkaj and Kutterkaj.

Evidence remains thin in both directions: current cruise itineraries confirm calls but not whether passengers dock or tender. Give the landing point in the ship's daily programme to a guide or excursion provider before agreeing a pickup.

About this port

Upernavik occupies an island in north-west Greenland. Its open-air museum gives a town visit a clear focus, while travel through the wider archipelago needs an arranged boat outing. Keep a short call centred on the town unless your ship has arranged a longer excursion.

Getting Around

Walking is the usual way around town; Visit Greenland also lists taxis. Arrange a vehicle and its exact meeting point in advance if you need one. For a short call, stay with the town programme rather than depending on an onward ferry connection.

Things to Do

The open-air museum occupies the old colonial buildings and explains the area’s cultural history, including its boats and settlement past. Opening determines which buildings can be entered during your call. A walk around the museum area is a more manageable starting point than an excursion across the archipelago.

If your ship offers a local boat trip, ask for its full duration and return point. A glacier or another island is a separate destination requiring transport, not an extra stop on the town walk. The guide does not promise a bird-cliff trip, wildlife sightings or a kayak departure available on arrival.

Getting back to your ship

Keep the agreed return details offline. Arrange any assistance needed between the vessel, shore and town before disembarkation.

Practical Information

Money: Danish krone (DKK). Bring some cash as a backup.

Police: +299 70 14 48. Keep the ship’s shore contact details with you as well.

Keep the agreed return details offline. Arrange any assistance needed between the vessel, shore and town before disembarkation.

Frequently asked

Can you walk around Upernavik from the cruise landing? Yes. Visit Greenland says most people get around Upernavik on foot, and the museum is in the old quarter.

Where should you start a short visit to Upernavik? Start at Upernavik Museum, whose old colonial buildings form an open-air museum in the old quarter.

Do cruise ships dock or tender in Upernavik? Both remain possible. Current cruise evidence does not identify a normal landing method, so this page retains mixed access.