Ever traveled to the world’s largest island? Despite its geographic claim to fame and its stunning landscape of glaciers and fjords, Greenland traditionally hasn’t been a destination on many tourists’ radars. That’s largely due to difficulty of access — a lack of commercial airports with runways long enough to handle jets meant that the island has been effectively cut off from much of the rest of the world. Until now. In November 2024, Greenland finally debuted a new international airport in its capital, Nuuk, promising to open up this untapped destination to tourism. Here are all the details.

About Greenland

Greenland is by far the world’s largest island, with an area of 836,330 square miles. However, a permanent ice sheet covers 80% of the island, and its population is just under 57,000 people — about a tenth of the size of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. That makes Greenland one of the least densely populated territories on Earth. 

Almost 90% of the population of Greenland are Indigenous Greenlandic Inuit peoples, who refer to themselves as Kalaallit. Much of the island’s population is clustered on the southwestern coast, where you’ll find the capital of Nuuk, home to about 18,000 people. Geographically, Greenland is considered part of North America, but geopolitically it’s part of Europe. The autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark was granted home rule in 1979 and has had its own parliament since then. 

New Airport Is a “Game Changer” 

With hopes of kick-starting its underdeveloped tourism industry, Greenland has spent the last five years building a new international airport in Nuuk with a passenger terminal and a 7,216-foot runway capable of accommodating larger jets that can fly to Europe and North America.

Previously, the airport’s runway was just 3,116 feet long, which meant that flights were restricted to turboprops on regional flights operated by Air Greenland, the country’s flag carrier. To fly to destinations further afield, passengers had to connect to Kangerlussuaq, which was previously the only airport in Greenland with a runway long enough to accommodate such flights. 

To build the new runway, construction crews had to blast away approximately 200 million cubic feet of Greenland’s rocky landscape. The airport opened on November 28, 2024, with Air Greenland operating direct flights from Nuuk to Copenhagen for the first time. Air Greenland CEO Jacob Nitter Sorensen shared in an interview with the BBC that the new international airport in Nuuk is “going to be a big game changer for us,” telling the outlet that “it’s going to shorten the travel time, and it’s going to decrease the cost of producing the flight.”

The airport also features state-of-the-art passenger amenities, such as new security screening systems and automated bag drop-offs, along with technology that will keep operations running smoothly during the island’s notoriously bad weather.  

The government hopes the new airport will also pave the way for economic growth in other areas beyond tourism, such as mining and seafood exports. “This airport is not just about travel; it’s about building an infrastructure that will drive economic growth, reduce travel costs, and open up new commercial opportunities,” Jens Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports, shared in a statement with the website International Airport Review. 

U.S. Flights to Greenland Coming Soon

Direct flights to Europe aren’t the only routes on the horizon for Nuuk’s new airport. In October 2024, United Airlines announced a new route from Newark International Airport in the New York City area, set to launch on June 14, 2025. The nonstop flights will take around four hours, opening up Greenland as a convenient getaway for travelers on the East Coast and beyond. Flights will operate twice weekly during the summer season, marking the first time a U.S. carrier has ever served Greenland. 

Other New Airports on the Horizon

While the opening of the new runway and terminal at Nuuk International Airport marks a major step forward for Greenland’s tourism prospects, the country has also been hard at work at building and expanding two other airports. In 2026, a second international airport will open in Ilulissat, which is about 350 miles north of Nuuk and an appealing tourist destination for its glaciers and icebergs. That will be followed by a regional airport in Qaqartoq, the most populous town in southern Greenland, situated among a system of scenic fjords. 

What To Do in Greenland

While nature enthusiasts and intrepid travelers will find no shortage of activities in Greenland, it’s not a destination for everyone, as the country’s own tourism website even tells you. Traveling here will require a hefty dose of planning, flexibility in dealing with unpredictable weather, and a willingness to truly unplug, as cell service is spotty and Wi-Fi access can be difficult and expensive. 

But if that sounds right up your alley, there are plenty of reasons to visit this unspoiled paradise, beyond the lack of crowds. For starters, Greenland is home to the world’s largest national park, the impossibly vast Northeast Greenland National Park — which is almost as big as France and Spain combined. Its landscape is filled with fjords, glaciers, ice fields, mountains, and tundras that are home to wildlife such as arctic foxes, musk oxen, and polar bears.

Greenland is particularly famous for its glaciers. In Illuissat, you’ll find the Ilulissat Icefjord, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its ecological significance. One of the fastest-moving glaciers on the planet, it carves more ice each year than any other glacier outside of Antarctica. Take it straight from UNESCO: “The combination of a huge ice-sheet and the dramatic sounds of a fast-moving glacial ice-stream calving into a fjord covered by icebergs makes for a dramatic and awe-inspiring natural phenomenon.” Tours are available on foot, by boat, or by air.

When you’re not out exploring in nature, you can admire the colorful architecture in towns and cities such as Nuuk, which is also where you’ll find the National Museum of Greenland, which documents 4,500 years of the island’s history.

The Transportation Security Administration safeguards the skies, ensuring the safety of millions of passengers every day. With over 2 million travelers and 5 million carry-on items screened daily across nearly 440 U.S. airports, it’s no surprise that the TSA uncovers some genuinely bizarre and unconventional items, from harmless novelties to dangerous contraband. The agency releases an annual list of these discoveries — so here’s a look at some of the most unusual items the TSA has found in recent years.

Souvenir Grenade

A passenger at Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport learned the hard way that even replica or inert weapons are not permitted in commercial airline cabins. The grenade was discovered in 2022 by TSA agents during a routine X-ray screening. The owner explained he purchased the item as a souvenir for his son. Despite being nonfunctional, the grenade was confiscated, and the owner received a citation. 

Guitar Case of Cattle Prods

In 2022, TSA agents at Washington Dulles International Airport found unexpected items inside a guitar case: cattle prods. While cattle prods are allowed in checked luggage, they’re strictly prohibited in carry-on bags due to the safety risk. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first run-in with cattle prods at Dulles — a single cattle prod was found earlier that year in a different passenger’s carry-on luggage.

Human-Sized Teddy Bear

Not all TSA confiscations are dangerous items — some are simply too big. In 2016, TSA agents at Los Angeles International Airport denied entry to a human-sized teddy bear. The bear wasn’t a security threat, but its sheer size posed an issue, as it would’ve required its own seat on the airplane. The TSA advises passengers to consider the size of their items — everything must fit in the overhead bins or under the seat in front of you.

Firearm Concealed Inside Raw Chicken

Interestingly, carrying a raw chicken through a security checkpoint isn’t even the most alarming part of this 2022 incident. In a bizarre attempt to smuggle a weapon through airport security, a passenger at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida tried to hide a small firearm inside a raw chicken. While the chicken itself raised eyebrows, the real concern was the firearm, which posed a serious safety risk. Carrying firearms through security checkpoints is prohibited, and violators can face hefty fines and other legal consequences.

Naruto Throwing Knives

Naruto anime toys and comics are allowed on airplanes, but throwing knives certainly are not. A passenger tried to bring a collection of Naruto-themed knives through a TSA checkpoint at Boston Logan International Airport in 2023. This novelty collection would have been allowed in checked luggage, but weapons of any kind — no matter how artistic the design — are strictly forbidden in carry-on luggage. An exception to this rule is round-bladed butter knives, which are permitted in carry-on bags as an eating utensil. 

Live Eels

At Miami International Airport, TSA agents once thwarted an elaborate plan to smuggle live marine animals from the U.S. to Venezuela. Among the contents of the passenger’s checked luggage were 163 marine tropical fish and 22 invertebrates, including a bag of live eels. The passenger surrendered all animals to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However, passengers are permitted to take pet fish in carry-on luggage as long as they are in a clear plastic container filled with water.

Illegal Drugs in Crab Boil Seasoning

Passengers can bring sealed food containers on planes, but the TSA checks food for illegal substances, even if they seem factory-sealed. At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in 2023, a container of crab boil seasoning, which appeared to be factory-sealed, was found to contain a pound of methamphetamine upon further examination. The passenger was arrested and faced federal drug charges.

Samurai Swords

Despite warnings against bringing weapons as carry-on items, some passengers persist. In 2020, one determined passenger at California’s San Jose International Airport went so far as to bring a set of three samurai swords in various sizes through a security checkpoint, where they were quickly confiscated. Head to the TSA’s website to check if your questionably shaped novelty items are allowed in-cabin, as guidelines are very specific. For example, Harry Potter-themed wands and lightsabers are permitted, but foam toy swords are not.

Pet Snake

In 2019, a Newark Liberty International Airport passenger forgot their pet snake at a security checkpoint. It was later found by a young traveler who noticed the 15-inch ring-necked snake slithering across the terminal floor. While this particular species is harmless, it was an alarming sight for unknowing travelers. When it comes to taking snakes on a plane, the TSA says that it’s ultimately up to the airline to make the call — airlines set guidelines for all in-cabin pets, including dogs, cats, and other small animals.

Moose Excrement

Alaskans are no strangers to moose, but TSA agents probably never expected to find a bag full of moose feces in a passenger’s bag at Juneau International Airport. The passenger explained he collected moose droppings to give to politicians whose policies he disagreed with. Though the item is one of the most bizarre TSA findings to date, the agency deemed it nonthreatening, and the passenger was sent along with his bag of droppings in hand. However, the TSA released a statement along with the story, urging passengers to think twice before bringing odorous items on flights.

Checking a bag on your next trip? Along with your vacation essentials, there’s one tiny gadget you’ll definitely want to toss in: an Apple AirTag. The quarter-sized device has become a go-to tool for frequent travelers — if the airline loses your luggage, you can use it to keep tabs on the location of your bag. Recently, Apple announced a new feature that will make it even easier to track down lost luggage with an AirTag. Read on for all the details.

Mishandled Bags

In 2023, U.S. airlines mishandled — meaning they lost, delayed, or damaged — more than 2.8 million bags. While that sounds like a high number, it’s still small in the scheme of domestic air travel, equating to roughly seven out of every 1,000 bags that were checked. Yet, you don’t want that scenario to happen to you, so there’s no harm in adding an extra layer of protection by packing an Apple AirTag in your luggage. 

Users can track the device’s location using a technology called ultra-wideband, which sends out signals every two nanoseconds. These signals provide the exact location of the AirTag, which is communicated to any nearby Apple devices and relayed to the larger Apple network. Until now, the location details have been kept private and can only be seen by the owner of the Apple account connected to the AirTags themselves. 

Third-Party Sharing

In November 2024, Apple announced a new feature available with the latest iOS 18.2 software update called “Share Item Location.” With this feature, Apple users can now create a secure tracking link for their AirTag or other accessories within the Find My app and share that link with third parties. The link directs to a website that shows the real-time location of the item on an interactive map, along with a timestamp of the most recent location update. Apple promises that all personal data will remain private, and that the shared location can be disabled by the user at any time.

When It’s Available for Baggage Tracking

One of the common frustrations with passengers who have packed AirTags is that the devices are often able to track down missing luggage more quickly and accurately than the current systems in place at many airlines, so this new feature promises to be a helpful tool for customers. Apple says that it is working directly with airlines to incorporate the “Share Item Location” into their customer service processes, allowing them to accept these private and secure links directly from customers to provide real-time baggage tracking. 

In December, United Airlines became the first airline to introduce the feature, which is integrated into the airline’s mobile app. David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, said in a statement, “Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access to their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice.”

While the company didn’t provide a specific timeline, Apple said that “in the coming months” customers traveling with 15 airlines will be able to take advantage of this useful new feature. The list includes popular U.S. carriers Delta, along with major international airlines such as Air Canada, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines. 

It’s no secret that going on vacation is an expensive endeavor, but often, it’s made all the more costly by the hidden taxes and fees that tourists frequently end up paying. It’s not just private institutions that charge visitors a bit extra — entire cities and countries will sometimes impose a fee just for you to enter their borders. These costs are largely unavoidable when visiting certain places, but it’s helpful to know what to expect so you can plan and budget ahead. Here are five “hidden” tourist taxes that you may not have realized you were paying.

Destination Taxes

Many cities and countries around the world have imposed a destination tax on visitors, often in an effort to manage overtourism. The purpose of this type of tax can be twofold: First, it creates a financial barrier that may turn off potential visitors. Though such fees are usually modest, they can help keep overall tourism numbers at a more manageable level. Second, these fees generate revenue from those who still decide to visit, which is later reinvested in infrastructure, the local economy, or to help preserve the location’s natural beauty. In many cases, destination taxes are tacked onto the cost of your nightly accommodations, so you may not even realize you’re paying them.

Bhutan has one of the highest destination taxes in the world, charging adult visitors $100 each day. The Bhutanese government uses the money generated from those taxes to preserve the country’s stunning natural sites and Buddhist culture. Venice, Italy, meanwhile, charges visitors between 1 and 5 euros for each night of their stay, and recently implemented a “day-tripper” tourist tax as well. Barcelona, Spain, imposes a nightly tax of 3.25 euros in an effort to quell overtourism and keep local merchants and residents happy. These are just a few of the many cities and countries that impose similar taxes on both day-trippers and those who choose to stay the night.

Visa Application Fees

Often, traveling to another country isn’t as simple as just stepping off the plane and heading to your hotel, as many countries charge a fee for processing visa applications. Beginning in 2025, all countries in the European Union will require a travel visa that can be obtained through a new EITAS program. Visa applications cost 7 euros — a charge that’s mandatory for most tourists — and it allows for free travel through 27 countries over a 90-day period. Be sure to apply for the EITAS visa at least 96 hours before departure.

When visiting the United States as a foreign citizen, get ready to pay a $185 fee for processing a tourist visa, unless you are a resident of a visa-waiver country. In general, you should apply for a tourist visa several months in advance; expect prices and processing times to vary depending on the country you visit.

Money Exchange Surcharges

Carrying local currency is sometimes essential when traveling abroad, but tourists regularly fall victim to predatory surcharges at ATMs and other money exchange terminals. Avoid exchanging money in popular areas such as airports or public squares — these locations sometimes have kiosks looking to take advantage of tourists by imposing as much as a 20% fee per transaction.

Instead of exchanging money abroad, do it before your trip with your bank back home, which is likely to impose a far more modest 1% to 3% transaction fee. At the end of the day, it may be beneficial to use a credit card when traveling, as many no longer charge foreign transaction fees. Be sure to contact your bank or check their website so you’re aware of what they charge on overseas credit card transactions.

Departure Taxes

In addition to tourist taxes and visa application fees, travelers may be subject to departure taxes when leaving the country. These fees are levied by airports or cruise terminals and added directly to the cost of buying your ticket. For example, Australia has one of the highest departure taxes globally, charging 70 Australian dollars (about $46 USD) to anyone leaving the country. Many Caribbean countries also levy a departure tax, including the Bahamas — which charges between $18 and $29 depending on if you leave by boat or plane. Modest departure taxes also exist in several European countries such as Germany and Spain, so be cognizant of these fees before you book your next flight.

Restaurant Service Charges

Many countries, and especially those in the European Union, have strict regulations regarding the price that customers pay at restaurants and when buying goods in general. Customers must be clearly informed of the price beforehand, as additional hidden charges are illegal. But in more touristy regions, some eateries put these service charges in fine print on the menu to cover themselves legally. When the bill arrives, be sure to check carefully to see if there is a service charge — if there is, there’s usually no need to add an extra gratuity.