Travel + Leisure
June 1, 2026
By Travel + Leisure staff
The following highlights have been excerpted and adapted from an article originally published by Travel + Leisure. This piece outlines the wildlife, landscapes and archaeological significance of Northeast Greenland National Park through the lens of a small ship cruise. Taylor Cranney of AdventureSmith Explorations shares insight on the experience you should expect to have on a expedition cruise like this.
The World’s Largest National Park Is 100 Times Bigger Than Yellowstone—and It Has Glaciers, Polar Bears, and Fjord Views
This not-so-little corner of the world is only accessible by plane or boat.
Travelers tempted by truly untouched wilderness—the kind that leaves you humbled, awestruck, and nearly speechless—often find themselves on a never-ending search seeking more remote, more untamed, and more extreme places. Your run-of-the-mill adventure doesn’t quite cut it anymore.
So if you’ve already experienced an African safari, boarded a ship to Antarctica, or traversed the wilds of Mongolia, you’re likely searching for your next hit of travel-induced dopamine. Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world, should do the trick.
Spanning over 375,000 square miles, this great expanse of protected land in Greenland is more than 100 times the size of Yellowstone National Park. “Expect to see magnificent scenery, towering granite, and vast tundra,” Taylor Cranney, an adventure specialist with AdventureSmith Explorations, tells Travel + Leisure. “The landscape is so large and dramatic, you have to see it to believe it.”
If you’re ready for an unforgettable trip—one hallmarked by polar bears and icebergs—here’s everything you need to know before planning a trip to Northeast Greenland National Park.
Know Before You Go
Don’t let the “national park” connotation fool you; Northeast Greenland National Park is not a destination the average tourist can traverse on their own or casually visit over a long weekend. While you can technically charter your own boat or airplane to the region, the best, most accessible way to visit is by boarding a cruise or expedition ship.
“Specifically in East Greenland, there are very few towns or communities, so specially outfitted expedition ships provide the best access,” says Cranney. “You are in a wildly remote area with very little infrastructure, [so] traveling with a trusted operator for safety and to maximize the experience is key.”
Best Things to Do
Once you’ve arrived at Northeast Greenland National Park via your ship, you’ll be rewarded with otherworldly views of mountains, tundra areas, and iceberg-filled fjords. One of the main highlights, of course, is the wildlife.
However, keep in mind that wildlife sightings in Northeast Greenland National Park aren’t exactly a dime a dozen.
“Wildlife in East Greenland is not as dense or numerous as many think—unless you are on a niche trip focused on traveling through sea ice to possible polar bear hunting areas,” says Cranney. “Greenland is so large and expansive that existing wildlife has a lot more places to explore…That said, I have a client who was aboard this Northeast Greenland expedition last year and saw more than 60 polar bears, in a single rare sighting, all together eating a whale carcass.”
