Cost Breakdown: Solo Hiking the Arctic Circle Trail

Purchases made through some links on this page may provide The Detour Effect with commissions (at no extra cost to you). Thank you!

Travelers justifiably assume that a trip to Greenland will be one of the most expensive journeys of their lifetime, but apart from the cost of flights, it’s actually possible for hikers to complete the remote 100-mile (160 km) Arctic Circle Trail on a budget! In fact, you don’t have much of a choice – bringing a tent along is basically required and you couldn’t book in at a hotel or B&B during the trek even if you wanted to. 

Of course, there are other expenses at the start and end of the hike that will need to be considered, and if you want to take a trip to the UNESCO Ilulissat Icefjord after completing the trail, costs can quickly add up. This post will not resemble my other cost breakdowns for long-distance hikes like the West Highland Way, Hadrian’s Wall, and Tour du Mont Blanc because my aim with those posts was to show how dirt cheap they can be. You can bring the dirtbag spirit with you on the ACT to a certain extent, but most hikers will want to splurge on once-in-a-lifetime Greenlandic experiences. The following cost breakdown should give you an idea of what to expect when planning to hike the Arctic Circle Trail depending on how budget-minded vs. “yolo” your approach is.

Flight prices for the Arctic Circle Trail

Most trekkers hike “from ice cap to ocean,” or east to west from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut. To reach Kangerlussuaq, you can fly via Air Greenland from Copenhagen, Denmark or sometimes from Reykjavík, Iceland. 

Air Greenland offers tiered ticket prices including Takuss, Standard, Standard Flex, Premium and Premium Flex. Takuss is the cheapest, but also the least flexible since your ticket cannot be changed or refunded at all. I agonized over whether to take the risk of buying this ticket, but since I had separate travel insurance, I decided to go for it and save money.

I booked my flights to and from Kangerlussuaq out of Copenhagen five months in advance (in mid-March for a late August hike) and paid $908 roundtrip for the Takuss ticket, or 6,116 DKK.

Remember that there is also a domestic flight that needs to be booked. If you end your hike in Sisimiut, then you need to fly from Sisimiut to Kangerlussuaq in order to catch your flight from Kangerlussuaq to Copenhagen. This could cost around $150, or 1,020 DKK. If you travel by ferry from Sisimiut to Ilulissat to see the UNESCO Icefjord, you’ll instead need to fly from Ilulissat to Kangerlussuaq. My flight from Ilulissat to Kangerlussuaq was $211, or 1,421 DKK.

At one point I had a Google Flights alert set up to show me if prices dropped. I watched this for a few months, and I would say the prices I’ve listed above are typical. There was never a big enough decrease that I thought, “I need to jump on this deal!”

Note that I was already in Copenhagen; I am nomadic and was able to plan my life around being there when it was time for the Greenland trip. I can’t possibly estimate what it might cost for different readers around the world to reach Copenhagen from wherever their home is.

In October 2024, United Airlines announced that they will run direct flights from Newark/New York to Nuuk starting in June 2025! This is the first time any airline has offered flights from the States to Greenland. From Nuuk you can fly via Air Greenland to Kangerlussuaq or Sisimiut.

Total cost of flights: $1,058-$1,119 (depending if return flight is from Sisimiut or Ilulissat)

Ground transportation/ferry in Greenland

If you simply arrive in Kangerlussuaq, hike the Arctic Circle Trail starting directly from the Kangerlussuaq Airport, and leave from Sisimiut Airport, then the only ground transportation you’d need to pay for is a taxi to Sisimiut Airport. I didn’t do this so I can’t be certain, but based on my Ilulissat taxi price, my prediction of the cost is $20.

However, there are a few situations that might call for additional transport:

• If you want to cut the first 10 miles (16 km) of boring road walking off the trail, you can start hiking from Kellyville instead of from Kangerlussuaq Airport. You could book the Albatross Arctic Circle 1:30 PM shared shuttle transfer to Kellyville, which costs $20 per person. If you don’t want to wait until 1:30 PM or get stuck hiking alongside the other hikers from the shuttle, you could call a private taxi to take you there instead, which costs around $60 (~400 DKK) per trip. 
• If you want to take the overnight ferry from Sisimiut to Ilulissat after hiking the Arctic Circle Trail, this costs $250 for a bunk/couchette in a shared wing. A private cabin is more expensive.
• If you want to start hiking from Russell Glacier or Point 660 so you can truly say you hiked “ice cap to ocean,” you’ll need to hire a transfer from Kangerlussuaq Airport out to those points. Some hikers book a guided day tour and then just ask the guide to leave them out there. Either the Russell Glacier tour or the Point 660 tour with Albatross Arctic Circle would cost $109.
• If you go to Ilulissat, then you will eventually need a taxi to Ilulissat Airport. Mine cost $21.

Total cost of ground/ferry transportation: $20-$300+ ($20 is the bare minimum if you just need a taxi to Sisimiut Airport; $300 is if you opt to start hiking from Kellyville, take the overnight ferry to Ilulissat, and then need a taxi to the Ilulissat airport)

Luggage storage prices for the Arctic Circle Trail

If your Greenland trip is just one leg of a larger itinerary that involves being a tourist in Denmark or elsewhere, you may have extra luggage with you that you don’t want to hike with. It’s common for Arctic Circle Trail hikers to either store this luggage in a locker at Kangerlussuaq Airport for 40 DKK ($6) per day, leave it with their accommodation in Kangerlussuaq ($0) if they plan to return there at the end of their trip, or ship things ahead to Sisimiut, which I hear is surprisingly affordable. Read more about these options on the official ACT website.

I had no plans to stay the night in Kangerlussuaq again on the back end of my trip, and the hostel is a far walk from the airport, so I didn’t think I could race there and back during my layover between Ilulissat and Copenhagen to pick up a bag. I also worried that maybe all of the lockers at the airport could be taken.

I knew I would be returning to Copenhagen after my Greenland adventure, so I looked at ways to leave my extra bag there instead. My hostel wouldn’t keep something for that long (annoying; most usually do), but the Bounce App allowed me to store it at a nearby business for $3.77 per day.

Total cost to store luggage: $0-$75 (how many days do you need storage for?)

Accommodation prices during the Arctic Circle Trail

Part of the draw of the Arctic Circle Trail is that it’s a wilderness route where you can find real solitude. There are no resupply points, hotels, or villages. Hikers must be totally self-sufficient, carrying all food and gear for the entire ~8 days (some people may hike it faster or slower).

There are huts located about every 10-15 miles where hikers can choose to shelter on bad weather days, but these are rustic and rather small, most accommodating only about 6 hikers. If you are not one of the first people to arrive at a hut at the end of a day, you may not be able to snag a space. This is why all hikers should carry their tent with them, even if their plan is to try to sleep in huts as often as possible. 

I’d recommend not sleeping in the huts too often, though, because wildcamping is allowed anywhere in Greenland as long as it’s not too close to residences, and the potential camping spots along the Arctic Circle Trail are glorious! The views from the huts are awesome, too, but why come to one of the least populated, most secluded countries in the world and choose to shack up in close proximity with 5+ other people? The ACT provides an opportunity to pitch your tent in some truly magnificent and secluded places where you can appreciate a primordial stillness and silence.

Regardless of whether you choose to pitch your tent or stay in the huts, “accommodation” during your trek will be totally free. As of 2024, you do not have to get any kind of permit, complete a registration, or pay any kind of fee. This may change in the future; double check on the official ACT website.

Total cost for accommodation – during trek: $0

Accommodation prices before/after the Arctic Circle Trail

You may wildcamp on the outskirts of town in Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, and Ilulissat, so technically you do not have to pay anything for accommodation in these towns.

If you want to be closer to amenities in town, you might opt to pay a small fee to camp at a designated campground or in the yard of a hostel. 

Kangerlussuaq Camping is about 200 yards away from the runway at the Kangerlussuaq Airport; look for a blue building behind Polar Lodge. It is generally open from June 30th to September 19th each year and costs 60 DKK per person, or about $9. There is water access, a toilet, and an outdoor shower.

Online resources will tell you that a “Day Pass” can be booked with Kangerlussuaq Youth Hostel or Sisimiut Youth Hostel so that wildcampers or campers who pitch on their lawn can use the indoor hostel facilities such as kitchen, bathroom, and power outlets. However, when I emailed Kangerlussuaq Youth Hostel to ask about this, they said, “For camping outside in a tent, we recommend to use the camping area near the airport. It is not possible to book a Day Pass [in advance], that can only be purchased [day-of]. If we are fully booked, it is not possible to buy a Day Pass.”

So, this is not guaranteed and you should have a backup plan if a Day Pass is your main preference. That said, when I stayed at Sisimiut Youth Hostel they seemed more amenable to the Day Pass idea. Even when the hostel was totally booked full, they allowed some folks to pitch outside and use the indoor facilities. This was a bit annoying though because it became difficult for indoor paying guests to get bathroom access after a giant group of 8 campers arrived.

A Day Pass at either hostel is 100 DKK, or $15.

A bunk in a shared room at a hostel is 225-275 DKK, or $33-$40. 

In Ilulissat, I’m not aware of any options like this. You would either wildcamp or fork over typical hotel or AirBnB prices. Even accommodations that have “hostel” in their name are $135+ per night.

There are also hotels in a range of budgets, all of which will be more expensive than camping or a shared bunk at a hostel. Read more about accommodation options in Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut.

Total cost for accommodation – before/after trek: $0-$132+ (varies widely depending on how many days you stay in Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut before/after your trek and whether you choose to camp or sleep in a dorm or hotel. The $132 number is assuming you pay $33 per night for 1 hostel night in Kangerlussuaq and 3 hostel nights in Sisimiut)

Food prices for the Arctic Circle Trail

You can stock up on food for your trek at grocery stores in Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut, but especially in Kangerlussuaq, they sometimes run out of things. I assumed that grocery prices would be expensive in Greenland since everything is imported. For these reasons, I bought all of my trail food in Copenhagen.

In practice, it turned out that prices really weren’t that bad and they did have a good stock of hiking food like granola bars, tortillas, and peanut butter when I arrived. They didn’t have many dehydrated meals, though, and some items were sold in large bulk quantities. As a solo traveler, I always want to buy smaller portions.

I would still recommend buying your food prior to arrival as a “just in case” strategy so you can make sure you have everything you need, but if you forget something, you should be able to find an appropriate replacement at the last minute in Greenland. Note that you can’t bring animal products into the EU, including dehydrated meals with meat or dairy. If you are coming from the United States or somewhere else outside the EU, you will need to buy your meals upon arrival in Copenhagen or in Greenland and shouldn’t buy them at home before the flight.

In Copenhagen, I bought 9 dehydrated meals at Spejder Sport and Friluftsland; I had one left over at the end of the hike. I also bought granola bars, peanut M&Ms, fruit leather, chili nuts, peanut butter, tortillas, and gummy worms at grocery stores like Netto and Rema. The dehydrated meals were mainly from the brands Summit To Eat and Real Turmat. These can be between 65-99 DKK per meal, or $10-$15. I’d say I spent about $100 on dehydrated meals and another $27 on grocery store food. $27 sounds really cheap to me considering the handfuls of granola bars I grabbed.

Obviously you may end up spending a lot more on food if you eat out at restaurants or buy groceries before/after your trek in Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, or Ilulissat. This section is just about hiking food for the trail. Remember, too, that I am a 5’5″ woman who hiked the ACT in 8 days. If you’re a 6 foot man doing it in 10 days, you will need more food, or if you’re crushing miles over 6 days, you can get away with less.

Total cost for hiking food: $127

Excursion, museum, and day trip prices in Greenland

Taking guided tours before or after the Arctic Circle Trail is totally optional and may not need to factor into your budget at all, but I personally felt it would be a shame to pay all that flight money and come all the way to Greenland only to miss out on some of the coolest sights and learning opportunities. Tourism also supports local communities, which could help them stave off the need for more exploitative economic ventures like petroleum and oil drilling; Responsible Travel has a great article about how to be a responsible tourist in the Arctic.

I booked a day trip to Russell Glacier in Kangerlussuaq prior to my hike for $109. You can also do a Musk Ox Safari or a trip to Point 660 (some hikers begin the ACT from Russell Glacier or Point 660). 

I didn’t do any excursions or tours in Sisimiut and was focused on recovering from the trail, but there are some interesting boat trips out to nearby settlements, walking tours of the town, and guided hikes. I did go to the Sisimiut Museum, which has an entry fee of $10.

In Ilulissat I spent a lot of money on boat trips for whale watching ($180), icefjord sailing ($106), “meet a sled dog,” ($37), and a settlement visit ($237 – maybe not worth it). I also went to the Icefjord Center museum which has an entry fee of $22.

Total cost for excursions: $0-$250+ (varies widely – you may not do any tours at all, or you may pick expensive ones such as Eqi Glacier which is ~$350 alone. The $250 number is based on the idea of choosing two tours that are each in the $100-$150 range)

Travel insurance and safety on the Arctic Circle Trail

I know most people don’t buy travel insurance, which infuriates me, but it’s a good idea for a trip to Greenland because inclement weather frequently results in changed plans and cancellations. Air Greenland is good about rescheduling people if they have to cancel your flight, and they help to put you up at a local accommodation if they can’t get you on a same-day departure, but these things can create a domino effect where now all of your post-flight plans have to be shifted too. Maybe now you’ll need to cancel something else that you had booked to do in Copenhagen, and that company isn’t going to offer you a refund.

If you’ve bought the economy Takuss fare for your Air Greenland flight, this is not changeable and non-refundable, so if you need to change something on your end due to illness, injury, or family problems, you’re just out of luck.

Cue travel insurance. World Nomads is a popular travel insurance provider for active adventure travelers, though it can be on the expensive side. I like to use Travel Insurance Master to put in my criteria and see different providers and plans compared side-by-side. That’s how I chose the AIG Travel Guard Plus Plan for this trip, but my needs were likely different than yours because I am nomadic and I had other destinations planned for before and after Greenland. As an experiment, I’ve entered random dates of August 20-September 6, 2025 into Travel Insurance Master to see what it would quote for a Greenland trip for next year, and the cheapest option was $47. Other options range from $50-$200 depending on what protections you want included.

I hike with a Garmin InReach Mini 2 in case of emergency situations where I need to hit the SOS button for search and rescue. My subscription is $35 per month, but there is a cheaper $15 per month plan. Especially on the Arctic Circle Trail where there is no way to bail out once you start hiking because you will not converge with any roads or villages, having some way to call for help is important.

I met other hikers who did not bother to purchase a travel eSIM for their time in Greenland, which makes sense. It’s not like you will have any service during the actual trek anyway, and when you’re in town, you can continue using whatever offline navigation application you were using during the hike. For instance, I use GAIA for both hiking and also getting around in cities. Plus if you stay at a hostel, you can use their wifi.

However, I find eSIMs to be so seamless and (usually) affordable that it’s almost ridiculous not to get one. As a solo female traveler, there is an extra layer of security in being connected. I like to be able to use apps like Safari and Google Translate when I travel. I purchased a 1GB Greenland Airalo eSIM for $9, which is more expensive than Airalo usually charges, and I topped up 3 times. Maybe normal people who don’t play with their phones so much could get away with just the one-time $9 purchase, or no eSIM at all! Or, as I described in my ACT gear packing list, you might have reason to choose a local Tusass SIM instead of an Airalo eSIM, and these are more expensive.

I did not purchase any of the 3 physical hiking maps for the trail (Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, and Pingu are $25 each), nor did I purchase the Cicerone guidebook ($19.80). I downloaded GPX tracks for free online.

Total cost for safety precautions on the Arctic Circle Trail: $15 + $47 = $62+ (this assumes you don’t want an eSIM)

Total cost to solo hike the Arctic Circle Trail

Taking everything above into account, the total cost to solo hike the Arctic Circle Trail could be as low as $1,267 if you always wildcamp (even on the outskirts of towns before/after your trek), skip Ilulissat, don’t buy an eSIM, don’t bring extra luggage requiring storage, and don’t book any additional day trips or excursions. This price includes the $62 for safety precautions.

If you want to stay in hostels before and after your trek and spend a few days recuperating in Sisimiut, your costs will be closer to $1,400 (plus whatever you spend on food in Sisimiut). If you plan to do any boat tours or day trips in Kangerlussuaq or Sisimiut, add another $100-$150 per tour.

$1,058-$1,119 flights
$20-$300+ ground transportation/ferry
$0-$75 luggage storage
$0 wildcamping or staying in huts during Arctic Circle Trail
$0-132+ wildcamping or staying at hostels before/after Arctic Circle Trail
$127 food during the trek
$0-$250+ day trips
$62+ safety

If you plan to visit Ilulissat after completing the Arctic Circle Trail, this is what can jack up your costs. You can wildcamp near town to save on accommodation (though I recommend a cool AirBnB in my Ilulissat post) and take the relatively affordable $250 overnight ferry, but you are likely going to want to sign up for multiple tours. If you camp for free and only do self-guided things, then adding Ilulissat could bring your trip cost to $1750 (plus any food you buy in town). If you do one or two tours, you’re at $2,000. If you book an accommodation for a couple days, you’re at $2,250+.

I think the $2,000 – $2,500 range is a reasonable expectation of what the average solo hiker might spend to hike the Arctic Circle Trail if they want to go easy on themselves and not be in full dirtbag mode, and they also want to include Ilulissat.

Obviously you could spend a ton more than what I’ve presented here. You could opt to stay at fancy hotels at the beginning and end, have an Arctic Spa experience, and book lots of tours. You may also need to update your kit and buy new hiking or camping gear to prepare for the Arctic Circle Trail, which is a whole other beast. Check out my ACT solo hiker packing list if you need to fine-tune your kit.

Total cost to solo hike the Arctic Circle Trail: $1,267 – $2500+

Related:

Pin It: