Uummannaq

town in Greenland

Uummannaq (Danish: Umanak) is a city in Western Greenland. Uummannaq is a town of about 1,300 people (2013) with another 1,300 residing in the surrounding settlements. The main industry in the area is fishing for halibut, which has overtaken hunting as the principal industry for the town. The town is about 500 km north of the Arctic Circle, and the midnight sun is experienced from mid-May through August.

Uummannaq is on a heartshaped island, hence its name, heartlike place.

Get in

Airgreenland flies from Ilulissat and Qaanaaq to the nearby airport at Qaarsut. From there a helicopter will take you to the heliport in Uummannaq. The easiest way to get to Uummannaq is to take a flight from Kangerlussuaq to Qaarsut with a layover in either Aasiaat or Ilulissat. Then take the 10-minute helicopter flight to Uummannaq, in the winter the journey from Qaarsut is easy by car, but by air is faster.

Get around

The city can be traversed on foot. The surrounding region can in the summer be visited by boat, and in winter by dogsled or snowmobile. Dog sleds are used during the winter months to travel around the city, to fishing sites, and to the nearby settlements.

See

  • Uummannaq Museum, Alfred Berthelsenip Aqq. B-9, P.O. Box 26, 3961, ☏ +299 95 44 61, . A small museum in town's former hospital dating back to 1880 containing historical artifacts and traditional Inuit art. The museum also features an exhibition of copies of the costumes and mummies from the Qilakitsoq mummies found nearby. The museum also features exhibitions from Alfred Wegener’s expedition of the area. 
  • Whales. Whale safaris are available in Uummannaq from July through the fall. The fjord that surrounds Uummannaq is a whale-watchers' paradise. There is a good chance to see minke, humpback, fin, and killer whales while on these safaris. (updated Nov 2018)
  • Midnight Sun. Travellers can experience the midnight sun in Uummannaq from May 17th to July 28th. (updated Nov 2018)
  • Qilakitsoq Mummies. They were discovered in 1972 near the old winter settlement Qilakitsoq. These mummies date from 1475. They are on exhibition at the Greenland National Museum in Nuuk. You can visit the site where they were found. (updated Nov 2018)

Do

Dog sledding

The best time to take a dog sledding adventure is from February to April, during this time, the fjord that surrounds Uummannaq is frozen and the dog sled is the main method of transport between the town and the settlements.

Heliskiing

Heliskiing near Uummannaq is unbelievable. The best place to go is the Sernersuaq glacier on the large peninsula Nuussuaqq.

Ice fishing

Ice fishing is a great way to get out on the frozen fjord in the winter and spend some time with the locals. The local fishermen travel out to the fishing sites on the fjord in the winter by dog sled to fish for halibut.

Skiing

Skiing is part of everyday life in Uummannaq, especially on the ice fjords. It serves as a method of transport and a great way to see the local scenery.

Snowmobiling

Snowmobiling is a great way for tourist to travel between the settlements at Uummannaq. The easiest way to rent one is to check with the local tourist office in Uummannaq.

  • Explore Uummannaq Tourist Info (c/o Explore Uummannaq), 3961 Uummannaq, ☏ +299 24 79 40, . Offers different types of hiking tours from Uummannaq such as Glacier tours, all day tours and BBQ tours. Tours from kr 600 to kr 1250 per person depending on tour, most tours require minimum number of people.. 
  • Sports Centre Uummannaq, Aqqusernertaaq B-905, 3961 Uummannaq, ☏ +299 95 10 80. 
  • Uummannaq Tourist Office, Trollep Aqqutaa B 1342, P.O. Box 202, 3961 Uummannaq, ☏ +299 95 15 18, . Run in conjunction with Hotel Uummannaq. The tourist service can assist in planning different excursions like kayaking, or hiking to nearby iceberg lookouts. Pricing varies based on trip. 

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