A guide to walking on the Greenland Ice Sheet

Greenland is home to a plethora of stunning and often superlative features, but its biggest flex is the Greenland Ice Sheet. Roughly four times the size of California and covering 80% of the island, the Greenland Ice Sheet is the largest single mass of ice in the northern hemisphere, and it’s one of the only two remaining ice sheets on the planet (the other covers Antarctica). Scientists estimate the Greenland Ice Sheet originally formed over 2.7 million years ago, during one of the Earth’s ice ages, and currently has sections dating back a whopping 20,000 years (the last time we had a glacial planet). 

Although the majority of the Greenland Ice Sheet is inaccessible, unnavigable and inhospitable, a portion of the ice sheet can be visited and experienced from a handful of coastal villages and fjords. A flyover is truly one of the best ways to even begin to comprehend its enormity and scale, but there’s another option you may not have considered: walking on it.  

Believe it or not, savvy travelers can step foot on this frozen record of geological history and have a unique tactile experience with one of the world’s most magnificent ancient natural features. I’m one of the lucky few to spend time out on the Greenland Ice Sheet, and I’m here to walk you through it, whether you’re just curious or ready with your crampons.

What is it like to walk on the Greenland Ice Sheet?

Each step on the ice comes with a gritty crunch, like the sound you hear in your ears when you’re chewing ice. The ground beneath your boots is akin to granita – compacted rough pebbles of ice stuck somewhere between melting and freezing. The amount of sunlight reflecting off the ice is blinding. Looking around, it can be hard to take it all in: the ice sheet stretches across the horizon until it dead-ends into the cloudline, though that’s not where it ends. This is just a fraction of its 1.7 million-sq-km domain. 

Countless bright blue meltwater rivers flow through the icy ground like blood in veins, yet the only immediate sound is you crunching along. The ice’s surface frequently splits into crevasses that thin and bulge with no rhyme or reason and then disappear. The ice looks as though it is lit from underneath in a subtle shade of cerulean. Close-up you can see that the ice’s gray tinge is caused by black pollution sediment. In the sparkling meltwater, where it has settled on the ledges and into pocket grooves, the patches of sediment resemble lichen. 

During my walk on the ice sheet, some of our group took turns having a guide hold us tight by the backs of our lifejackets so we could peer into a nearby moulin. These dangerous vertical shafts are formed by meltwater emptying into the sea and they tunnel through the ice sheet like a tube. As it worms deeper and deeper down, the blue of the ice gets brighter and bolder. Many people rose up on their tiptoes trying to catch a glimpse of the deepest hues, or to at least find the end of the waterfall rushing down inside. 

It’s easy to get distracted by the beauty in the details here, so remember to look up. Thousands of small gray mounds make it look like you’re walking on a quilt, or sometimes even the clouds themselves. It’s hard not to feel like a speck as you wonder around a mere pinpoint on this mammoth ice mass. 

For me, walking on the Greenlance Ice Sheet was an incredible, memorable, and sometimes surreal experience – and not quite what I was expecting. Looking back, I was lucky to have been on a trip that accessed the ice sheet by helicopter. The flight out to the ice sheet helped to build up the excitement leading up to the walk, and, more importantly, gave me the opportunity to frame the experience with the additional perspective of seeing the ice sheet from above. 

When and where can you access the ice sheet?

Tours to the Greenland Ice Sheet run during the warmer months, usually between April or May through to September or October, when conditions are less hazardous and daylight hours are long. 

The most popular entry point to the Greenland Ice Sheet is via the road from Kangerlussuaq, a small settlement above the Arctic Circle in western Greenland. It’s a rough gravel road that winds about 37km through the scenic Sandflugtsdal Valley to Point 660. From here, you’ll need to hike about 30 minutes to the ice sheet, along an uneven rocky path within the moraine (a stark visual marker of the ice sheet’s physical recession over the last 20 years). Due to the road conditions and terrain, it’s highly recommended to join a guided tour outfitted with proper vehicles and equipment.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is also accessible from different towns along the coast, notably Narsaq, Nuuk and Illulissat, but only by boat, ship, air or intense overland hiking. The further inland you go, the less accessible the ice sheet becomes. 

Safety tips for walking on the Greenland Ice Sheet

• Always book with a certified tour company or guide. Walking on the Greenland Ice Sheet isn’t a DIY activity.

• Make sure you have crampons or shoes with good traction.

• Don’t skimp on the sunscreen and wear polarized sunglasses with UV protection. The sunlight reflecting off of the ice is a powerful thing. 

• Watch where you step. The ice sheet surface is uneven and there are hidden crevasses, meltwater, snow and varying types of ice underfoot. Fresh snow can hide dangerous ice features and be deeper than expected. 

• Skip the headphones. Besides missing out on the natural sounds and silence of the experience, you could miss important announcements or calls for help. 

• Some walkers will appreciate bringing a walking stick for extra support.

Is the Greenland Ice Sheet melting?

Yes. Every year since 1998, the Greenland Ice Sheet has shrunk (often much faster than initially expected). Currently, it’s estimated the ice sheet loses around 270 gigatons of ice mass per year. 

This ice melt affects things from coastal flooding and ocean salinity to climate and ecosystem stability. The water frozen within this massive piece of ice accounts for 7% of the planet's freshwater. Although it would take at least a thousand years to fully melt (so not in our lifetimes), the Greenland Ice Sheet is already the second-largest contributor to rising sea levels around the world, affecting many things from ocean salinity and temperatures to extreme weather and essential ecosystems. If the entire ice sheet were to melt, it would cause a worldwide sea level rise upwards of 7m.

How does tourism affect the Greenland Ice Sheet?

Making a trip to the Greenland Ice Sheet can feel like an ethical dilemma. Every visit to a delicate place undoubtedly contributes to factors causing its demise. As it stands, the hope is that by witnessing this spectacular natural feature and the effects of climate change firsthand, travelers will gain personal perspective and appreciation for the cause, resulting in donations to climate research programs, spreading the word, lifestyle changes, or future carbon offsetting practices. 

Which companies offer the best experience?

Quark Expeditions is a small-ship expedition cruise company with an almost exclusive focus on the polar regions and commitment to sustainable practices. Its South Greenland Adventure: the Majestic Alpine Arctic itinerary aboard Ultramarine has a unique Ice Sheet Experience included in the price for all passengers. 

The combination of Ultramarine’s onboard helicopters, small-ship maneuverability, and the hyper-focused South Greenland itinerary mean you aren’t restricted to a single timeframe for your ice sheet walk. Bad weather? No problem, you can try another time. Sudden break in the weather? It’s possible to pivot. Plus, you’ll catch a ride right from the ship to the Greenland Ice Sheet in one of the two onboard twin-engine helicopters, taking in views from the surrounding fjords and over the ice sheet on the way. After landing on the ice, you’ll be able to explore on foot at your own pace before hopping back into a helicopter for a scenic ride back to the ship. 

The big caveat – and it’s big – is that the experience is part of a lengthy 14-day expedition cruise and can’t be done separately. This is just one of many incredible activities on the itinerary, but it’s a lot of time and money if all you’re looking to do is walk on the ice sheet. That said, if you’re interested in a Greenland expedition cruise, this is one of the few that offer the opportunity to step on the ice sheet, and the only one that includes helicopter access. 

Albatros Arctic Circle is one of the most popular companies offering overland day trips to walk on the ice sheet. From April to October, you can spend a full day out on the ice sheet, while a half-day trip to Point 660 is available February to November. Keep in mind that overland tours from Kangerlussuaq to the ice sheet rely heavily on road and weather conditions and they can be canceled or severely delayed, limiting your time on the ice sheet (or ability to even access it). 

Other ways to experience the Greenland Ice Sheet

There are other ways to take in the majesty of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Boat tours to the outer edges of the ice sheet are available from spots like Nuuk, Narsaq and Illulissat. These tours are a great way to witness byproducts of the ice sheet since they take you deep into fjords loaded with icebergs and up to the ice sheet glaciers they calved from. 

Flightseeing tours over the ice sheet in a helicopter or small plane can be booked through local operators in places like Kangerlusuaq and Illulissat.

On the other end of the spectrum, a few operators offer more intrepid boot-to-ice interactions, like overnight camping and trekking on the inland ice sheet. However, these adventures often require a higher level of physical fitness, preparedness, and/or outdoor experience.