RegionDetailed guide

Nunavut

Territory of Canada

Photo: Ansgar Walk, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Nunavut is a territory in northern Canada which contains Canada's northernmost lands. With only 37,000 inhabitants, Nunavut covers a land area larger than Mexico, divided between mainland North America and an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.

Regions

Baffin Island
Canada's largest island, in the eastern portion of the territory of Nunavut
Kivalliq Region
Central part of Nunavut, northern and northwestern side of Hudson Bay
Kitikmeot Region
Western portion of Nunavut
Queen Elizabeth Islands
Inuktitut: Umingmak Nuna — "land of muskoxen"
East Hudson Bay Islands
Southernmost part of Nunavut

Getting there and around

Getting there

Access is only by air: there is no road or rail from the south or west. Every settlement has at least a landing strip.

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Getting around

In the smaller communities (less than 3,000), ATVs and trucks are used during the short summer (when there is no snow).

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Cities

Four Corners

the remote meeting point of the borders of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Saskatchewan

Qikertaaluk Island

home to one of the best preserved Inuit rock art

Auyuittuq National Park

its name means "the land that never melts", and it includes many terrains of the Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers, and ice fields

Qausuittuq National Park

covers 2/3 of Bathurst Island, and protects an important Peary caribou habitat

Quttinirpaaq National Park

protecting a huge area of polar desert on Ellesmere Island, accessible by charter tours, the launching point for trekking to the North Pole

Sirmilik National Park

the "place of glaciers" consists of three parcels on Baffin Island

Ukkusiksalik National Park

a park with more than 400 documented archaeological sites, near Repulse Bay on the mainland of Nunavut

Read before you go to Nunavut

Articles and travel topics about Nunavut and Canada.

Travel tips

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Itineraries

Trans Canada Trail

The Trans Canada Trail is the world's longest network of recreational trails that are available for walking/hiking, cycling, paddling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

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Itineraries

E69

The northernmost European route, E69, is not a particularly long one, linking E6 to the northernmost point of Europe accessible by road, Nordkapp.

Wikivoyage

Nature & adventure

Fjords

Fjords or fiords are long narrow inlets of the ocean often with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. The two countries that are most known for their fjords are Norway and Canada, with New Zealand, Chile,…

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

CommunitiesNunavut doesn't have "cities" in the sense that southerners would recognize, just small towns.

UnderstandNunavut means our land in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit. The official languages are English, French, Inuktitut, and Innuinaqtun.

TalkAround 65% of people living in Nunavut speak Inuktitut as a first language, and the language is co-official with English and French in the territory.

Get inAccess is only by air: there is no road or rail from the south or west. Every settlement has at least a landing strip.

Get aroundIn the smaller communities (less than 3,000), ATVs and trucks are used during the short summer (when there is no snow).

SeeThe capital, Iqaluit, has a few buildings of interest: the territorial legislature, a museum, and an igloo-shaped Anglican Church.

DoGuided excursions around the island and Arctic expeditions further afield organized by outfitters (there are several in Iqaluit) are the principal way of seeing Nunavut's truly great outdoors.

BuyTraditional crafts and carvings are the items to look out for. The Uqqurmiut Centre is an Inuit arts facility in Pangnirtung that sells local products.

EatSome towns may offer small restaurants or coffee shops.

DrinkIn many places in Nunavut there is a local law prohibiting all alcohol. Given the high rates of addiction and suicide in many places, communities have felt the need to adopt this extreme position.

SleepAs with food, accommodation is very expensive in Nunavut. Expect to pay premium prices for fairly basic accommodation. For example, a B&B in Iqaluit, the largest town, starts at $260 a night (Apr 2025).

ConnectWireless network services are now available at towns and hamlets. Qiniq and Bell Mobility are the service providers.

Stay safeThe cold weather and dangerous animals articles have advice which will be relevant to many travellers in the Arctic.

RespectThe Inuit people have always been at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the Canadian population., and it's best to avoid bringing up these controversies.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Nunavut" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Nunavut", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Ansgar Walk, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

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