Greenland: When to Go

Paris in the spring? Don't even think about it - the Arctic is where you really want to be. For that dreamy fantasy of dogsleds, ice fishing and vast blue skies, the Arctic spring brings long days, bearable temperatures, good snow cover and the buzz of a land shaking off a long, dark winter. The best time for dogsledding and skiing tours is between late March and early May, and most trips to the North Pole take place in April.

The summer months (mid-July to the first week in September) are peak time for tourists and feel-good time for Greenlanders; the days are long, the tundra is a riot of wild flowers and red berries and there is a general feeling of wellbeing and contentment throughout the land. The trade off for these fabulous Arctic summers is mind-bending plagues of mosquitoes that sting all the way through late June to early August.

The most spectacular displays of the aurora borealis can be seen from August to mid-November, and mid-February to early April. Just about all Greenlandic festivals and events occur in the summer months. Going in the harsh winter months between December, January and February is just not a good idea unless you're a scientist studying seasonal effects, or a masochist, or both. However, welcoming the return of the sun after experiencing a winter up north is a truly momentous occasion, with festivals held in every town and village for the light that heralds the coming of spring.

Weather

Things are summer-ish between May and mid-August, when the thermometer busts a gut to climb over 20°C (68°F) on the southwest coast. It can be wet and windy, though, and coastal fog is common. By late August, nights are getting colder and by mid-September, there's new snow and genuinely cold weather. Arctic winters - any time from mid-October to March - are long, harsh and very, very dark. In the far north the sun disappears for months on end, and a perpetual night descends. In the far south, temperatures of -20°C (-4°F) can be expected, but further north it can be -40°C (-40°F) or lower for weeks.