Polar Bear Quest & Helicopter Safari

Our polar bear adventure 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.

Fly to Churchill—which is inaccessible by road—via our private chartered plane. On arrival, explore this remote frontier town on a guided tour with our Expedition Leader. Originally a Hudson's Bay Company fur-trading post, Churchill is home to about 900 people, and, in late fall, a few hundred polar bears that congregate along the shores of Hudson Bay. We head out onto the tundra this evening in search of our first glimpse of bears. Dinner is served aboard our heated Polar Rover as we experience the wonder of an Arctic night.

An exciting adventure is in store as we survey Hudson Bay, the surrounding tundra and boreal forest from a helicopter. Looking down on the vast expanse of subarctic wilderness below, we may see roaming polar bears and caribou. The helicopter descends for a landing, and we disembark to explore the tundra on foot, looking for Arctic fox and Arctic hare, and perhaps even crawling inside an unoccupied polar bear den. Later, we  try a more traditional means of Arctic transportation on an authentic dog-sledding excursion. Meet a local musher, visit with the dogs, observe the team as they prepare for the run, then head out for a thrilling ride behind an eager team of huskies!

Our immersion in northern life continues as hosts from Churchill's Indigenous communities tell us about their traditions and daily lives. These captivating storytellers share tales from their personal and collective histories, offering insight into the cultures that have flourished for thousands of years in this harsh environment. We also visit Churchill's Itsanitaq Museum, with artifacts collected from centuries of local habitation.

Our exclusive Polar Rovers are our mobile means for a full day on the tundra among the polar bears. Although these custom-designed vehicles accommodate more than 30 passengers, we take a maximum of 15, ensuring everyone has a window seat and unimpeded access to watch and photograph polar bears through the big plate-glass windows. Our Expedition Leaders know the best places to look for bears, which are waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze so they can begin their winter seal-hunting season on the ice. As we watch the bears interact, we are delighted by their antics and rugged beauty.

Tonight, we’ll visit heated Aurora Domes outside town in hopes of witnessing the northern lights. The domed structure is topped with a round Plexiglass roof offering a 360° view in the round on the night sky. On the lower level, relax on comfortable furniture in the lounge space while enjoying snacks and hot beverages. The phenomenon of the aurora often begins slowly as a faint white or pale green glow, then intensifies in scope and color as the lights undulate across the sky. Most frequently the aurora appears as a shimmering green curtain, though occasionally it is red or even purple. The Hudson Bay Inuit believed the lights were the mystical display of their ancestors’ souls dancing in the sky. Though we now know the aurora borealis is caused by the interaction of the solar wind with Earth’s magnetic field, they are no less entrancing.

Once again we board our Polar Rover for a full day of wildlife watching and exploring the subarctic landscape. Our pace is leisurely as we move over the tundra, pausing whenever we see polar bears to observe their behavior and capture photos. At the end of an exhilarating day, we return to town for dinner, followed by a presentation on wildlife or cultural aspects of life in the Canadian North.

With free time in town this morning, you may wish to pick up some last-minute handicrafts or souvenirs. After a final lunch in Churchill, we fly back to Winnipeg aboard our chartered plane, with a farewell dinner at our hotel before our adventure concludes.

After breakfast at the Fort Garry Hotel, transfer to the airport for departing flights.