Itinerary
Our Churchill polar bear tour begins in the vibrant city of Winnipeg. Once an important Hudson's Bay Company fur-trading post and later a boomtown for the Canadian Pacific Railway on the eastern edge of the vast Canadian prairie, today Winnipeg is Manitoba’s cultural, commercial and provincial capital. Transfer on arrival to the historic Fort Garry Hotel, grande dame of Winnipeg hospitality and one of the city’s most prestigious landmarks. The hotel was built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway to provide luxury accommodations for upper-class train travelers as part of an effort to lure them to Canada's West. Meet your Expedition Leader at a welcome dinner at our hotel this evening. You'll also have a chance to visit our gear room to borrow a heavy parka and winter boots to use during your time on the tundra in Churchill.
Transfer to the airport this morning for our chartered flight to Churchill. This remote frontier town, originally the site of a Hudson's Bay Company fort and fur trading post established in 1717, is accessible only by air or rail. The hospitable hamlet of fewer than a thousand residents is known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World, and we occasionally spy our first bear on the drive into town from the airport. On the 6-day itinerary, we board a custom Polar Rover vehicle and head to the tundra this evening for our first polar bear quest. The 7-day trip begins with an evening presentation on polar bears and northern ecology by our professional naturalist guide.
Polar bear viewing begins in earnest as we spend invigorating days on the tundra in search of the King of the Arctic. Custom-built Polar Rovers are our mobile means for spending time among the bears. Though these giant vehicles with oversized tundra tires can accommodate more than 30 passengers, we take a maximum of 16, ensuring that everyone has a window seat and plenty of space to move about and angle for photos. Our Expedition Leader knows the best places to observe polar bears, which congregate here each fall as they wait for Hudson Bay to freeze, signaling the start of the winter seal-hunting season. As we watch them interact, we're delighted by their antics and rugged beauty. We may see mothers with cubs, young males play-fighting, or a lone bear ambling over the silent tundra. Our Expedition Leader interprets all we observe, explaining the bears’ behavior and how they thrive in such a harsh environment. In the evenings, gather for dinner and presentations on wildlife and local cultures.
On the 7-day itinerary, we tour historic Churchill today, then head out to the tundra for evening bear viewing and dinner aboard the Polar Rover. During the day we follow the coastal road on a drive to Cape Merry, often spotting Arctic fox, Arctic hare and ptarmigan along the way. Look closely for them, as their winter-white coats offer excellent camouflage later in the season when the ground is covered with snow. If the skies are clear, our nighttime tundra excursion might reveal one of nature’s most exhilarating experiences—a chance to view the northern lights away from town. Though never predictable, the auroral display typically starts as a pale glow in the northern sky. The lights often begin to undulate in shimmering curtains of color, most typically green but occasionally red or violet. On the 6-day itinerary (during which your nighttime tundra outing takes place on Day 2), enjoy free time in Churchill to wander the town and browse the local shops for northern souvenirs, or choose an optional helicopter excursion to look for polar bears roaming the vast tundra expanse before boarding our flight back to Winnipeg.
Our return flight to Winnipeg is scheduled to depart mid- to late afternoon, offering as much time as possible for activities in Churchill today. A highlight this morning is a traditional dog sled ride. We meet a local musher and his team, learning about the history of this classic northern mode of transportation and spending time with the lively dogs before taking turns riding behind them on an exhilarating trot through the boreal forest. On earlier departures, we may ride in a wheeled cart if snow cover is insufficient for sledding. Later, if time permits, you may be able to pick up some locally made handicrafts or take an optional helicopter tour over the tundra before we depart. We'll have a final lunch together before flying back to Winnipeg, where a farewell dinner concludes our adventure together.
After breakfast, a transfer to the airport is provided to meet homeward flights.
Please note: Itineraries may vary slightly and activities may happen at times that are different from what is listed, but all inclusions are the same. On the 6-day trip, our sled dog excursion typically takes place on Day 5 with a return to Winnipeg that afternoon, and flights home are scheduled for Day 5. On the 7-day trip, the nighttime tundra trip occasionally alternates between Day 4 and Day 5.
An important note on polar bear viewing: Since 1989, we have operated approximately 2,000 departures to Churchill to view polar bears, and we’ve missed seeing them on only a handful of occasions. Some of our sightings are up close while others are from afar, or even from a helicopter. It’s important to remember that while there is no better opportunity to see polar bears in the wild than our Churchill trips offer, the experience is weather-dependent. That means viewing polar bears—and the distance at which we may see them—is unpredictable and not guaranteed.
Check out more details on the ebbs and flows of the Churchill polar bear viewing season .
