Greenland Travel Guide

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Shopping

Alcohol, tobacco, fruit and vegetables are expensive. Special purchases include bone and soapstone carvings, skin products and beadwork. "The Board" is the local term for Kalaaliavaq, the markets that can be found in all Greenlandic towns. Here you can buy the day's harvest such as seal, whale, musk, reindeer, fish and berries straight from the hunter, fisherman or picker. They are usually situated close to the town's port.

Shopping hours: Mon-Thurs 1000-1730, Fri 1000-1800 and Sat 0900-1300. Smaller grocery shops and kiosks may open for longer.

Currency

Danish Krone (DKK; symbol kr) = 100 øre. Notes are in denominations of kr1,000, 500, 200, 100 and 50. Coins are in denominations of kr20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50 and 25 øre.

Currency Exchange

Cheques drawn on Danish banks can be cashed at banks and cash can also be exchanged. Postal checks can be cashed at all post offices. Grønlandsbanken (PO Box 1033, DK-3900 Nuuk; tel: 70 1234; www.banken.gl), has branches in Nuuk, Sisimiut, Oaqortoq, Ilulissat and Maniitsoq. KNI/POST represents the bank in other towns and villages. There is no banking service in Søndre Strømfjord at present.

Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and ATMs

Credit cards are restricted to the major towns and most hotels. Some major towns, like Ilulissat, have ATMs.

Travelers Checks

Cheques in major currencies may be exchanged as indicated in the currency exchange section above. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. However, exchanging traveler's checks in Greenland has been reported to be problematic.

Currency Restrictions

There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency. However, amounts exceeding €10,000 or equivalent must be declared if traveling from or to a country outside the European Union.

Banking Hours

Mon-Thurs 0930-1530; Fri 0930-1500.

Exchange Rate