Polar Bear Tours in Churchill, Manitoba

Polar bear tours in Churchill, Manitoba are a must for nature lovers.

Mind you Churchill offers more than polar bears – try swimming or snorkeling with beluga whales but you’ll have to wait till summer for that.

It’s snowing now which is very good news if you are a polar bear or a polar bear observer. Churchill is located on the western shore of Hudson’s Bay in Manitoba at a latitude of 58 degrees North. It is not accessible by road so a flight or a train journey from Winnipeg is required.

Polar bear tours are very popular from early October until mid November when Hudson’s Bay begins to freeze. When it’s frozen the polar bears can get out on the ice and hunt for their favourite food – ringed seal.

In the past it has been necessary to book polar bear tours almost a year in advance but the state of the economy has changed that. There are two main tundra vehicle companies, Great White Bear Tours and Tundra Buggy Adventure/Frontiers North. They can help you arrange everything from staying in Winnipeg to train rides to Churchill. The Tundra Buggy Adventure is operated on the basis of week long tours so tends to be pricier whereas with Great White Bear Tours it is possible to pay $300 and go out for the day. Great White Bear Tours also partners with Natural Habitat Adventures to offer one week packaged tours.

Another possibility is a stay at The Lazy Bear Lodge. They run three and four night tours and still have availability in both October and November of this year. They are also listed as a place to stay in National Geographic’s article on a ‘Sense of Place.’

Getting to Churchill is time consuming if you don’t fly. It is 1700 kilometres (over 1000 miles) from Winnipeg and you can expect to spend a minimum of 1 day, 18 hours and 55 minutes on the train!! Return fares are reasonable in super saver economy (no beds!) at just over $Cdn 325 and can be booked online with Via Rail.

It’s not too late this year to enjoy a polar bear tour. This is one of the trips listed in the book 1,000 Places to see Before You Die.

Photo credit: Polar bears in Churchill

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