Greenland

Every chapter is infused with Greenland's remarkable combination of pristine nature and traditional culture, which sets it apart from Arctic neighbours – and which makes a trip so rewarding. The world's twelfth-largest country, reached by direct flights from the US as of 2024, Greenland sits near the top of the world, a vast expanse of white in a planet full of green, blue and brown. Today's visitors relish opportunities for close encounters with immense icebergs and glaciers. The epic scenery provides the backdrop to numerous activities on offer – from visiting the world's second-largest ice sheet or taking to the sea in search of thirteen species of whale, and from hiking along the 165-km-long Arctic Circle Trail to seeking out polar bears, musk oxen and walruses. Greenland in winter is another world, the endless night brightened by the mesmerising northern lights. It remains a snowy paradise until spring – the best time to travel by dog sled or snowmobile across the frozen tundra. To relax afterwards, why not close your trip with a few days of nature-inspired art, eclectic culture and fine dining in the diminutive capital, Nuuk? Greenland has always been a destination for pioneering explorers, be they the Inuit who arrived from the west, the Norsemen who came from the east or mariners seeking the Northwest Passage. Part of the attraction for today's visitors is to experience an element of the challenges they faced. Although travel within Greenland can be tricky given limited infrastructure and often adverse weather conditions, it can also be remarkably easy to travel around in, with the right planning, a flexible attitude and the right advice – which is precisely where Bradt's Greenland comes in. Let it be your guide to a truly staggering country.