YOU CANNOT RENT A CAR IN NUUK AND DRIVE TO ILULISSAT. THERE IS NO ROAD. THIS IS NOT A MISSING-GOOGLE-MAPS DETAIL; IT IS HOW GREENLAND WORKS.
Visit Greenland is blunt: there are no roads connecting Greenlandic towns and communities, except for a few local exceptions in the south. Boats, planes and helicopters connect the country instead.
What this changes for a visitor
Greenland is not a place for spontaneous “let’s drive somewhere else after breakfast” travel. You plan the route first, then respect weather, schedules and geography. Within towns, you can walk, take a taxi or use a local bus. Between towns, you fly or travel by sea.
That is not a failure of infrastructure
It is a realistic response to an enormous Arctic landscape, deep fjords, mountains, ice and a scattered population. In Greenland, a harbour can function like a highway interchange. A helicopter can be a normal connection, not an adventure-movie prop.
The useful mindset
Build slack into the itinerary. Do not promise yourself three far-apart towns in four days. Greenland rewards people who treat the trip as a journey, not a checklist with better lighting.
Sources — not vibes
Last fact-checked: September 2026. Roads are not the default setting everywhere.