Winter in Greenland

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, and finally Uummannaq.

Ein Haus vor einer beeindruckenden Kulisse von Eisbergen

Eisbergformation ins Fjord bei Ilulissat im Abendlicht

Aurora mit Reflexion auf einem zugefrorenen See

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)
Mid Layers: One thick or two thin mid-layers
Softshell pants
Ski pants
Winter Parka: High-quality winter parka with a hood
- Tip: 66North Jökla or Fjällräven Polar Expedition Parka
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.