Greenland spent decades funnelling every visitor through an old American airbase, and that has just ended.

Greenland spent decades funnelling every visitor through an old American airbase, and that has just ended. Every international arrival used to land at a former military strip far inland, then transfer to a small propeller aircraft. Now a runway built for jets serves the capital directly from Copenhagen, Reykjavik and Newark, a second airport has opened in the south, and a third is due at the icefjord town. With all three running, most of the country sits within about ninety minutes of one connection.

That rebuild is the reason to look now. Check whether the northern airport is operating before planning around it, since the opening has moved more than once, and expect prices that reflect a place where almost everything is imported. Beds are few and fill fast in the short summer. Compare flights and hotels for Greenland at https://destination.chat and build in spare days, because weather cancels flights here as routine rather than misfortune.

The icefjord is the headline. A glacier that moves faster than almost any other on earth pours ice into a fjord that UNESCO lists, filling it with bergs the size of buildings that ground themselves in the shallows past the town. Boardwalks lead out from Ilulissat to watch it, boats go among the ice, and humpbacks feed offshore in summer. In the capital, painted timber houses stack above the old colonial harbour around a national museum.

Where you stay is a decision about which Greenland you want. In Ilulissat, hotels and guesthouses sit within walking distance of the icefjord boardwalk. In Nuuk, hotels and apartments stand above the old harbour and the museum. In the small coastal settlements, guesthouses and family homestays offer the version of life most visitors never see, while an expedition ship becomes the accommodation for anyone travelling the coastline itself.

Forget cars entirely. No roads connect the towns, so movement is by plane, boat, helicopter or dog sled, and every one of those is weather dependent. Book the icefjord boat trip, whale watching and any dog sledding well ahead, since operators are small and capacity is limited. Hiking from the settlements needs local advice rather than an app. You can check boat trip and dog sledding prices at https://destination.chat and keep the schedule loose.

Go while the going is honest. The same warming that made these airports easier to build is thinning the ice the whole visit is built around, and locals will tell you how much the fjord has changed. Come for a landscape that is still extraordinary, spend your money in the towns rather than only on the ship, and accept that the weather is in charge.

Q: How do you get to Greenland now?

A: Through the new international airports. The capital takes direct jets from Copenhagen, Reykjavik and Newark, a southern airport has opened and a northern one is due, replacing the old transfer through an inland airbase.

Q: Are the towns in Greenland connected by road?

A: No. There are no roads between settlements, so travel is by aircraft, boat, helicopter or dog sled, and all of it depends on the weather.

Q: What is the Ilulissat Icefjord?

A: A UNESCO-listed fjord fed by one of the fastest moving glaciers on earth, filled with enormous icebergs that drift past the town and can be seen from boardwalks or by boat.

Q: When is the best time to visit Greenland?

A: Summer for whales, hiking and the midnight sun, late winter to spring for aurora and dog sledding. Build spare days in, as flights are frequently delayed by weather.