Winter in Greenland
From Nuuk via Ilulissat to Uummannaq
In February 2025, I embarked on a winter photography workshop in Greenland, accompanied by Ollie Taylor and six fellow adventurers. February offers ideal lighting conditions for photography: hours of twilight give way to deep night, and with the current solar maximum, we had high hopes of witnessing vivid displays of the northern lights. Most of us had explored Iceland multiple times, but this time we craved something more distant—more rugged, more adventurous. Our journey was set to begin with a flight through Nuuk, continuing on to Ilulissat, where we planned to travel further with flexibility and curiosity as our guides.
Ilulissat
The coastal town of Ilulissat is renowned for its Icefjord—and even under less-than-ideal conditions, it was nothing short of awe-inspiring. In this case, “less-than-ideal” simply meant that the water was too choppy to reflect the towering icebergs clearly. We only had about two days in Ilulissat, but even in that short time, we captured some striking photographs. We were comforted by the thought that we’d be returning for another week soon... or so we believed.
Uummannaq
Over 500 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle lies Uummannaq—a little over an hour by helicopter from Ilulissat. The colorful houses scattered across the small island alone make the trip worthwhile. But when combined with endless twilight, majestic icebergs, dancing northern lights, and the iconic heart-shaped mountain that gives the town its name, Uummannaq becomes a dreamscape for photographers.
However, on the day we were supposed to leave, our helicopter broke down. With that, all other destinations became unreachable. What followed was a surreal series of repeated cancellations and relentless wind—something right out of Groundhog Day.
For the next six days, our routine fell into a curious rhythm: wake up to a magnificent sunrise, receive news that the flight was canceled, collect meal vouchers from Air Greenland, then choose between a visit to Cafemma —the town’s only, but highly recommended, café/restaurant—or a stop at the local Pilersuisoq supermarket. After that, we’d explore new photo opportunities, take a short nap, and head out again into the arctic night....Stuck in the Nnaq .
Ironically, it was during this unplanned extension that some of our best images were captured. One unexpected benefit of the strong winds was that they swept away much of the snow covering the lake below the town’s signature mountain. This cleared the way for me to finally compose one of the shots I’d hoped to capture—with ample time and perfect clarity.
Sometimes, it's the unforeseen detours that leave the deepest impressions.
With each new flight cancellation, though, the nights only seemed to improve—and the auroras grew more intense. Without a doubt, these were the best flight cancellations I’ve ever experienced.
After ten days, an unexpected escape route appeared: a French film crew, also stranded in Uummannaq, had chartered a fishing boat to sail back across Baffin Bay to Ilulissat. The prospect of 18 hours on rough Arctic seas wasn’t exactly appealing—so I opted instead for one more night of chasing the northern lights. That hesitation turned out to be a blessing. The very next day, the helicopter finally landed again in Uummannaq, and I soon found myself on board the first leg of the long journey home: Uummannaq → Qaarsut → Ilulissat → Nuuk → Copenhagen → Düsseldorf.
Tips for Winter Photo Trips to Greenland
During my planning phase, I found surprisingly little comprehensive advice. To help future travelers and photographers, here’s a detailed and commented list of the gear I took—and what I consider essential.
Photography
- Cameras: Bring a backup camera body. If one fails, the nearest repair or replacement is likely in Nuuk. Having two bodies also minimizes lens swaps in snow and wind.
- Batteries: Plenty of them: Two per camera + at least one extra. Cold drains them fast.
- Memory Cards: Two sets per camera were enough for me (2×64GB for the high-res Canon R5, 2×32GB for the lower-res R6). I don’t shoot video or time-lapses—if you do, plan for more.
- Lenses: I tried to travel light—though the telephoto made that tricky
- RF 15-35 f2,8: Great for landscapes and aurora thanks to its wide aperture.
- RF 24-105 f4: My most-used lens—versatile and often underrated.
- RF 100-500 f4.5-7.1: Used less often but with great results. I borrowed it for its durability, but the lighter and cheaper RF 100-400mm likely would’ve sufficed.
- Filters: a Polarizer (CPL) is useful, NDs not so, I carried them and didn’t use them once.
- Tripod: Bring a sturdy, full-size tripod, not a travel tripod. Essential for manual exposure and sharp night shots—ideally with a camera position at eye level.
Clothing
Even though climate change has made Greenland warmer in places, we still faced temperatures down to -30°C (plus wind chill). I was stranded in Uummannaq with only a 50L duffel (my hand luggage for the helicopter ride), and it lasted me 11 days—washing machines do exist in Greenland.
- Base Layer Tops: 3 Merino shirts (one thin for layering)
- Base Layer Bottoms: 2 Merino long underwear bottoms (natürlich lang)
- Tip: Replace a base layer with the PolarTec Bib by Rab for added insulation.
- Mid Layers: One thick or two thin mid-layers
- Softshell pants
- Ski pants
- Winter Parka: High-quality winter parka with a hood
- Winter Boots: Arctic-grade
- Tip: My Hanwag Fjäll Extreme outperformed even Sorel boots among our group.
- Socks: 3 pairs of liner socks and 2 pairs of thick Merino socks (can be layered)
- Gloves and Mittens: Thin gloves that fit inside mittens
- Tip: Vallerret Markhoff and Alta Arctic Mitt
- Other Essentials
- Winter Gear: Crampons/spikes, Hand warmers, Balaclava, Warm hat, Oil-based baby cream for face/hands (avoid water-based products—they freeze)
- Luggage Tips: Though Air Greenland’s 8kg carry-on limit is officially strict, mine was around 10kg without issue—perhaps because my checked bag was well under 20kg. With 5 flight legs on the outbound and return journey, a Bluetooth tracker (like AirTag) in your luggage is highly recommended.