Arctic Circle Trail

The Arctic Circle Trail is a 165 km point-to-point trail in western Greenland, running from Kangerlussuaq to the coastal town of Sisimiut and gaining roughly 2,000 m of cumulative ascent over 7 to 10 days. Rated moderate, it threads a treeless landscape of glacial lakes, river crossings and rolling tundra entirely north of the Arctic Circle.

About the Arctic Circle Trail

The Arctic Circle Trail (ACT) is one of the longest and most accessible self-guided wilderness treks in the Arctic. Established in 1998, it links Kangerlussuaq, a former US air base beside the inland ice, with Sisimiut, Greenland's second-largest town on the Davis Strait coast. The route is part of the National Walking Network (NWN), a major national hiking trail, yet it remains deliberately wild: there are no roads, no settlements and no resupply points between the two endpoints.

Across its 165 km the trail never climbs above 450 m, so the difficulty comes not from altitude but from distance, isolation and the unbridged rivers that must be forded on foot. The path is marked only sparsely by cairns and the occasional red dot on rock, which means basic navigation skills and a paper map are essential. Roughly the first 17 km follow a gravel road out of Kangerlussuaq before the route narrows to a single-track footpath for the remainder of the journey.

No more than about 1,500 hikers complete the ACT in a typical season, giving it a genuine end-of-the-world solitude rare on long-distance trails. The route also passes through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aasivissuit–Nipisat, an Inuit hunting ground between ice and sea that has been used for some 4,200 years. Walking it is as much a cultural traverse as a physical one, following landscapes that Greenlandic hunters have crossed for millennia. The fastest known completion is just under two days, but most people savour the week-plus it deserves.

What makes the ACT distinctive among Arctic treks is its self-supported simplicity. There are no guides required, no booking systems and no fees — just a line of cairns, ten huts and a landscape of more than a hundred lakes between the ice sheet and the sea. The trail crosses no glaciers and demands no ropes or crampons in summer, which puts it within reach of any fit, well-prepared hiker comfortable with multi-day wilderness travel. The trade-off is total commitment: once you leave Kangerlussuaq there is no road, no shop and no easy exit until Sisimiut, so every kilogram of food and fuel you eat must be carried from the start. That combination of low technical difficulty and high logistical seriousness is what gives the route its reputation.

Route Overview & Stages

The trail is most commonly walked westbound from Kangerlussuaq, dropping gradually from the interior toward the coast. Ten primitive huts are spaced along the way, and most hikers plan their days around them, supplementing with a tent for flexibility. The following nine-stage breakdown is a popular framework; strong walkers combine stages and slower groups split them. Elevation figures are approximate cumulative ascent.

Added together these stages total 165 km. The middle section around Amitsorsuaq is the flattest and most forgiving, while the climb out of Kangerluarsuk on the final approach to Sisimiut is the toughest sustained ascent of the whole route.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Amitsorsuaq lake — a 22 km ribbon of water where the Canoe Centre hut lends free canoes, letting hikers paddle a full day instead of walking the shoreline.
• Innajuattoq Lake hut — widely rated the most beautiful shelter on the trail, perched above a still lake beneath steep dark cliffs.
• Nerumaq valley — a surprisingly green, sheltered corridor of dwarf birch and willow that contrasts with the open tundra elsewhere.
• Aasivissuit–Nipisat UNESCO site — an Inuit hunting ground used for around 4,200 years, with stone caribou drive lines and old camp sites near the trail.
• Kangerluarsuk Tulleq fjord — the point where the interior gives way to the Atlantic, marking the transition from ice-cap climate to maritime coast.
• Ikkattooq ridge — a high vantage offering sweeping views back over the lake district and forward toward the coastal mountains.
• Russell Glacier (near Kangerlussuaq) — a calving margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet most hikers visit as a day trip before starting.
• Sisimiut old town — the colourful colonial harbour district and the 18th-century Bethel Church reward you at the finish.

Best Time to Hike the Arctic Circle Trail

The walking season is short and tightly bound by snow and daylight. The trail is largely snow-free only from late June through early September; outside that window it becomes a ski, snowmobile or dog-sled route rather than a hiking path. August is the single best month to hike the Arctic Circle Trail. By then the bulk of the snow has melted, river levels have dropped from the early-summer thaw, and the worst of the mosquitoes have eased, while temperatures still sit in a comfortable range.

Expect daytime highs of roughly 10–15°C in July and August, dropping toward freezing at night, with the interior near Kangerlussuaq notably warmer and drier than the coast at Sisimiut. July offers the longest days and warmest water for swimming but the heaviest mosquito clouds; early September brings autumn colour and far fewer bugs at the cost of colder, wetter, shorter days and a real risk of the first snowfalls. As of 2026, hikers should also factor in occasional tundra-fire closures, which have forced short evacuations in recent dry summers, so check current conditions with the local tourist office before departing. Daylight is generous throughout the season: near the solstice in late June the sun barely sets, and even in late August you still get well over twelve hours of usable light, which removes much of the time pressure from long stages and river fords.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Ten basic huts line the route, free to use on a first-come, first-served basis. They are unstaffed wooden shelters with sleeping platforms, a table and usually a simple stove flue, but no mattresses, electricity, running water or bookings. Capacity ranges from about 6 to 16 people, and in peak August they fill quickly — so a tent is effectively mandatory rather than optional. Pitching costs nothing, since wild camping is free and unrestricted across the route. Budget roughly €0 for huts and camping themselves; your real costs are the flights, food and any guiding. In Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut, hostel beds run about €40–80 per night and hotel rooms €120–200, useful for the nights before and after the trek.

Getting There & Back

The trail is a true point-to-point, so logistics revolve around two towns. The eastern trailhead sits beside Kangerlussuaq Airport (SFJ), historically Greenland's main international gateway and a short walk from the start. Most hikers fly in via Air Greenland, with onward or return connections through Sisimiut. At the western end, Sisimiut Airport (JHS) handles regional flights, and the town is also a stop on the Arctic Umiaq Line coastal ferry. A common plan is to fly into Kangerlussuaq, walk to Sisimiut over 7–10 days, then fly back to Kangerlussuaq (about 25 minutes) to connect home. From central Kangerlussuaq the official start by Kellyville is reached on foot in under an hour, or by a short taxi ride.

Permits & Fees

No permit is required to hike the Arctic Circle Trail and there is no entry fee — the huts and camping are entirely free. That said, registering your itinerary with a trusted contact and carrying a satellite communicator is strongly advised given the remoteness and lack of phone coverage. Fishing for Arctic char, popular at several huts, may require a local licence available in Kangerlussuaq or Sisimiut. Always pack out all waste; there is no rubbish collection along the route.

Gear & Packing List

Because there is no resupply, you carry 7–10 days of food plus full self-sufficient camping kit, which makes pack weight the single biggest comfort factor on the ACT. A capacious, comfortable backpack in the 50–60 litre range is the foundation — consider the lightweight Arc Haul Ultra 60L or the weatherproof 3400 Windrider for the volume, or the trimmer 2400 Windrider if you pack ultralight and ration tightly.

Beyond the pack, prioritise a four-season-capable tent with a good mosquito-proof inner, a sleeping bag rated to around -5°C, sturdy waterproof boots and dedicated river-crossing footwear, trekking poles for fording, and a reliable stove with enough fuel for the whole crossing. A head net is non-negotiable in July. Calorie planning matters as much as gear: read how many calories you need hiking a full day before you build your food bags, and compare load-carrying options in our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the ACT's mix of wild solitude and hut-supported logistics appeals, you may also enjoy other long, remote European treks with a similar self-reliant character. For a contrasting alpine traverse with mountain huts and dramatic passes, see our guide on how to hike the Theth to Valbona trail in Albania, a shorter but spectacular point-to-point through the Albanian Alps. More related routes will be added here as our trail database grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the Arctic Circle Trail?
August is the best month. The trail is reliably snow-free from late June to early September, but August combines settled temperatures of about 10–15°C, lower river levels after the early-summer melt, and fewer mosquitoes than July. September brings autumn colour and almost no bugs but colder, wetter, shorter days and the risk of early snowfall.

How difficult is the Arctic Circle Trail?
It is rated moderate. The terrain never exceeds 450 m altitude and involves no technical climbing, so fitness, navigation and self-sufficiency define the challenge rather than steepness. Unbridged river crossings, boggy ground, sparse cairn waymarking and total remoteness — no resupply or rescue services en route — make experience and good preparation essential.

How many kilometres per day will I walk?
The trail is 165 km, and most hikers complete it in 7 to 10 days, averaging roughly 16–24 km daily. Hut spacing naturally sets the rhythm, with easy 11–15 km days around the lakes and longer 22–25 km stages near Sisimiut. Carrying a tent lets you adjust distances to weather, fitness and river conditions.

What accommodation is available along the route?
Ten free, unstaffed huts are spaced along the trail, offering basic sleeping platforms for roughly 6 to 16 people each, with no bedding, water or bookings. They fill fast in peak August, so carrying a tent is effectively essential. Wild camping is free and unrestricted everywhere, giving you full flexibility between huts.

Do I need a permit to hike the Arctic Circle Trail?
No permit and no fee are required, and both the huts and camping are free to use. Registration is voluntary but you should share your itinerary and carry a satellite communicator because there is no mobile coverage. Arctic char fishing may need a local licence, available in Kangerlussuaq or Sisimiut, and you must pack out all your waste.

Sources: Official Arctic Circle Trail site and the UNESCO Aasivissuit–Nipisat World Heritage listing.