The town is small, so why a car? Here are the seven reasons our customers actually mention, and one honest counterweight at the end.
Ilulissat is hilly, and even short walks get tough in crosswinds, sleet or drifting snow. With a car it doesn't matter whether it's 12 degrees and sunny or horizontal rain, and you can do the same trip three times in one day without wearing your legs out.
Especially now that the new airport opens on 29 October 2026 with a 2,200-metre runway and direct flights from abroad, people arrive with proper suitcases, not just a backpack. A car turns arrival and departure into a non-issue, instead of standing in the taxi queue with an entire plane.
In high season and around boat departures, the waiting time is real. If you have a whale safari at 9 pm or a boat tour docking late, your own car is the difference between calm and stress.
Fishing gear, camera equipment with a tripod, hiking boots, boxes of supplies, a week's shopping from Pisiffik or Brugseni. All the things you'd rather not carry uphill.
The best light is rarely where you're staying. With a car you can drive away from the town's light pollution, follow the clouds, and stay in the warmth while you wait for the northern lights to open up, instead of standing frozen for an hour in a spot you can't move from.
If you're travelling with small children, elderly parents or someone with reduced mobility, a car is genuinely what decides how much you get to see.
Sermermiut, the Icefjord Centre, the sled dog areas and the viewpoints on your own schedule, not on a bus timetable.
The road network in Ilulissat is small and ends at the edge of town. There are no roads to Ilimanaq, Oqaatsut or other towns. All of that is by boat, helicopter or on foot. So the car is a comfort and logistics choice, not a ticket to new areas.