Where to Stay in Nuuk: Areas and Accommodation

Because Nuuk is a compact capital of 20,113 residents where no point in the urban area sits more than 15 minutes by bus or taxi from downtown, choosing where to stay comes down to whether you prefer stepping straight out to central cafés, shops, and bus stops or waking up to unobstructed views across Nuup Kangerlua. Review our transport guide to see how Nuup Bussii Lines 1, 2, and 3 connect each district with Nuuk Airport and the harbour.

1. Nuuk Centrum (Imaneq, Aqqusinersuaq, and Sipisaq)

Best for first-time visitors, short stays, and car-free convenience. Staying along the main thoroughfare of Aqqusinersuaq, H.J. Rinksvej, or the pedestrian spine of Imaneq places you within a five-minute walk of the Katuaq Cultural Centre, Nuuk Center shopping mall, the 31-seat Inatsisartut parliament, and the open-air stalls of Kalaaliaraq Market. The city's full-service hotels, maritime seamen's hotel near the commercial port, and main restaurants serving Greenlandic reindeer and snow crab cluster here, while the walk downhill to the Old Colonial Harbour takes less than 10 minutes.

2. Nuutoqaq (Old Colonial Harbour) and Myggedalen

Best for historic atmosphere, photographers, and early boat departures. The hillside of Myggedalen and the shoreline around Nuuk Cathedral and the Old Colonial Harbour offer small guesthouses and self-catering apartments tucked inside brightly painted wooden houses overlooking the western fjord entrance. Staying in Nuutoqaq puts you within steps of the Greenland National Museum, the start of the southern coastal boardwalk, and the Tidewater Steps where fjord tour boats embark each morning.

3. Quassussuup Tungaa, Nuussuaq, and the North Shore

Best for Sermitsiaq panoramas, aurora viewing, and hikers. Along the rocky northeastern shoreline facing Sermitsiaq Island and along the corridor connecting Nuussuaq with the Ilimmarfik university campus, you will find waterfront timber cabins, hostel lodges, and residential apartment rentals. This shore offers a clear northern horizon away from downtown streetlights for winter aurora borealis photography, plus immediate access to the Quassussuaq (Lille Malene) trailhead, the winter ski lift, and Nuuk Airport on Bus Line 3.

4. Qinngorput

Best for modern self-catering apartments and Ukkusissat hikes. Built on a sheltered fjord inlet east of the road tunnel beneath Quassussuaq, Qinngorput is Nuuk's newest district, featuring modern apartment blocks, local supermarkets, shoreline walking paths, and the trailhead for the 790-metre climb up Ukkusissat (Store Malene), linked to downtown every 20 minutes by Nuup Bussii Lines 1 and 2.