8 Days / Nov, From $7,595
Tundra Lodge Photo Tour
Day 1: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Arrive in Winnipeg and transfer to the historic Fort Garry Hotel. This French-style chateau is a National Historic Site, built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and still the grande dame of Winnipeg, offering first-class hospitality. Meet for an orientation dinner this evening.
Day 2: Winnipeg to Churchill / Tundra Lodge
Fly to Churchill and transfer to the Tundra Lodge via Polar Rover, with our first chance to photograph polar bears and other wildlife along the way. Here on the edge of Hudson Bay, where boreal forest meets Arctic tundra, animals abound, even in the harsh climate that envelops this environment much of the year. We may see caribou, arctic fox, arctic hare, ptarmigan and snowy owls, as well as the undisputed lord of the North, the polar bear. Our expert Photo Expedition Leaders, intimately acquainted with polar bear behavior, interpret all we see. At the lodge later this evening, our guides share tips for capturing the best shots of Arctic wildlife and landscapes, drawing on extensive experience in these environs.
Days 3 - 6: Tundra Lodge
The Tundra Lodge is strategically positioned at the beginning of each season in the best area for bear viewing. Every fall, some 300 polar bears congregate around Churchill, waiting for the ice to freeze on Hudson Bay to begin the winter seal-hunting season. As we are staying directly on the tundra, we have ideal early-morning and late-afternoon photo opportunities. Since the lodge has plenty of common area – a lounge with sofas and chairs as well as a dining car, each with sliding windows – photographers have plenty of space to shoot at will. Inquisitive bears often approach the lodge at close range, which features rows of windows and secure observation decks to accommodate our own curiosity. As we watch them interact, we're delighted by their antics and rugged beauty. We may see mothers with cubs, and young adult males play-fighting. Our unique location, combined with half-day excursions in all-terrain Polar Rovers, affords the best possible wildlife experience in Churchill. At the end of each exhilarating day, we come together for dinner and presentations. On a clear night we may be fortunate to experience the wonder of the Northern Lights, which often begin as a faint white glow, then intensify in scope and color as they undulate across the sky.
Day 7: Churchill / Winnipeg
This morning, we reluctantly leave the tundra and head back into Churchill for our flight to Winnipeg. Depending on flight schedules, there may be time for some last-minute exploration of this frontier town, originally a Northwest Company fur trading post, with a chance to pick up native handcrafts and souvenirs. We enjoy a farewell lunch in Churchill or dinner together in Winnipeg before our adventure concludes.
Day 8: Winnipeg / Home
After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for flights home.
Arrive in Winnipeg and transfer to the historic Fort Garry Hotel. This French-style chateau is a National Historic Site, built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and still the grande dame of Winnipeg, offering first-class hospitality. Meet for an orientation dinner this evening.
Day 2: Winnipeg to Churchill / Tundra Lodge
Fly to Churchill and transfer to the Tundra Lodge via Polar Rover, with our first chance to photograph polar bears and other wildlife along the way. Here on the edge of Hudson Bay, where boreal forest meets Arctic tundra, animals abound, even in the harsh climate that envelops this environment much of the year. We may see caribou, arctic fox, arctic hare, ptarmigan and snowy owls, as well as the undisputed lord of the North, the polar bear. Our expert Photo Expedition Leaders, intimately acquainted with polar bear behavior, interpret all we see. At the lodge later this evening, our guides share tips for capturing the best shots of Arctic wildlife and landscapes, drawing on extensive experience in these environs.
Days 3 - 6: Tundra Lodge
The Tundra Lodge is strategically positioned at the beginning of each season in the best area for bear viewing. Every fall, some 300 polar bears congregate around Churchill, waiting for the ice to freeze on Hudson Bay to begin the winter seal-hunting season. As we are staying directly on the tundra, we have ideal early-morning and late-afternoon photo opportunities. Since the lodge has plenty of common area – a lounge with sofas and chairs as well as a dining car, each with sliding windows – photographers have plenty of space to shoot at will. Inquisitive bears often approach the lodge at close range, which features rows of windows and secure observation decks to accommodate our own curiosity. As we watch them interact, we're delighted by their antics and rugged beauty. We may see mothers with cubs, and young adult males play-fighting. Our unique location, combined with half-day excursions in all-terrain Polar Rovers, affords the best possible wildlife experience in Churchill. At the end of each exhilarating day, we come together for dinner and presentations. On a clear night we may be fortunate to experience the wonder of the Northern Lights, which often begin as a faint white glow, then intensify in scope and color as they undulate across the sky.
Day 7: Churchill / Winnipeg
This morning, we reluctantly leave the tundra and head back into Churchill for our flight to Winnipeg. Depending on flight schedules, there may be time for some last-minute exploration of this frontier town, originally a Northwest Company fur trading post, with a chance to pick up native handcrafts and souvenirs. We enjoy a farewell lunch in Churchill or dinner together in Winnipeg before our adventure concludes.
Day 8: Winnipeg / Home
After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for flights home.
