Ralph Iantosca
Iantosca Travel
Polar Bears in Churchill with Natural Habitat Adventures October 20-27, 2026
What's included in this trip:
-
Trip price includes: Accommodations, services of Nat Hab's professional Expedition Leader(s) and assistants, Polar Rover excursions, dog sledding excursion, evening wildlife and cultural presentations, all meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on final day, cold-weather gear including the use of a parka and boots during your trip, some gratuities, airport transfers on Day 1 and final day, all activities and entrance fees, all taxes, permits and service fees.
Internal air cost includes: Round-trip private charter flights from Winnipeg to Churchill (this will be listed separately on our invoicing).Not Included
Travel to and from the start and end point of your trip, alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, passport and visa fees (if any), optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry and internet, etc.), airline baggage fees, airport and departure taxes (if any), optional travel protection and medical evacuation insurance.
Physical Requirements
Easy
A polar bear tour with Natural Habitat Adventures requires very little walking. Travelers must be able to walk up/down stairs. Our Polar Rover vehicles, designed to travel over the tundra for polar bear observation, can sometimes offer a bumpy ride. Travelers must be prepared for below-freezing temperatures and slippery surfaces.
On custom or private departures with smaller groups, our ability to accommodate varying levels of physical abilities or interests is limited, since these trips are staffed with a single Expedition Leader who may be assisted, pending availability, by local guides.
Important Information About This Trip
This flagship polar bear tour has been our most popular adventure for more than two decades. Its longstanding success is due to the outstanding bear viewing opportunities in Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, as well as the broad introduction the trip offers to the natural and cultural history of the Hudson Bay region and daily life in the Canadian North. The trip includes two day trips by Polar Rover and a nighttime Rover excursion, complemented by time spent exploring the frontier outpost town of Churchill. All activities are enhanced by expert interpretation and personalized attention from our affable naturalist Expedition Leaders.
Regarding polar bears: They are typically in the Churchill area year-round. The highest concentration occurs in October and November as the bears gather to await freeze-up on Hudson Bay and the beginning of their winter hunting season. But bear viewing is never predictable. Sometimes the best viewing happens at the beginning of the season, sometimes it occurs in the middle, and sometimes it's at the end—we never know for sure. Once the bay freezes, many of the bears depart. Historically, this has happened in early December, but an unusually early cold spell can sometimes occur, hastening their departure to the ice. Please be aware that conditions vary, and polar bears here live wild and free: we can never guarantee that you will see them or promise exactly what your experience will be.
Meals
Please understand that the meals in Churchill are specially planned and prepared for well in advance. With ample notice, dietary requirements due to serious medical conditions or strict personal restrictions can be met but must be adhered to during the trip. If you have a very restricted diet, we recommend bringing your own preferred snacks along with the understanding that certain foods are limited in this remote part of the world.
Mandatory Insurance
Since the areas we travel to are remote and wild (that's why we go there!), we require that all guests have, at minimum, medical evacuation insurance for this program. This is for the safety of all guests. We require that your chosen independent insurance plan includes at least $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage.
To protect your investment and to provide peace of mind while you travel, we also strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance. Plans may cover everything from medical treatment to trip cancellations and delays and lost luggage. Please contact our office if you would like more information about the medical evacuation and comprehensive travel insurance policies we offer by calling 800-5438917.
Getting There & Getting Home
In case of flight or weather delays, we recommend that you arrive a day early and either participate in our Extra Day in Winnipeg program or stay on your own. Please schedule your flights to arrive by 5 pm in order to attend a 7 pm orientation dinner on Day 1 of your program. You are free to depart at any time on the final day.
What's not included:
-
Not Included
Travel to and from the start and end point of your trip, alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, passport and visa fees (if any), optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry and internet, etc.), airline baggage fees, airport and departure taxes (if any), optional travel protection and medical evacuation insurance.
Itinerary:
Canada's Premier Polar Bear Adventure Itinerary
The World’s Most Coveted Small-Group Polar Bear Expedition
Day 1: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Our Churchill polar bear tour begins in Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. Once a center of fur trade and a Canadian Pacific Railway boomtown, Winnipeg today is a major cultural and commercial center on the eastern edge of the vast Canadian prairie. Overnight at the historic Fort Garry Hotel, grande dame of Winnipeg hospitality and one of the city’s most prestigious landmarks, where we gather with our Expedition Leader for a welcome dinner 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.
Day 2: Winnipeg / Private Chartered Flight to Churchill
Transfer to the airport to fly by chartered plane to Churchill this morning. This hospitable frontier town, originally a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post, is our base for adventure. On the 6-day trip we head to the tundra this evening for our first glimpse of the bears, although we sometimes see them from the bus as we leave the airport, even before boarding our Polar Rover. The 7-day trip opens with an evening presentation on polar bears and the northern environment by our professional naturalist staff.
Days 3 & 4: Polar Bear Viewing
Custom-built Polar Rovers are our mobile means for spending time among the bears. Though they can accommodate more than 30 passengers, we take a maximum of 16, ensuring everyone has a window seat and plenty of space to move about. Our Expedition Leaders know 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, we gather for dinner and presentations on wildlife and local cultures.
Day 5: Exploring Churchill / Evening on the Tundra
On the 7-day trip, 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 spying Arctic fox and Arctic hare. 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 trip (during which your nighttime tundra outing takes place on Day 2), there is free time in Churchill, or choose an optional helicopter excursion over the vast expanse of frozen tundra before boarding our flight back to Winnipeg.
Day 6: Churchill—Dog Sledding / Private Chartered Flight to Winnipeg
Our return flight to Winnipeg is scheduled to depart mid- to late afternoon, offering as much time as possible for exploring Churchill today. A highlight this morning is an authentic dog sled ride. We meet a local musher and his team, spending time with the lively and affectionate dogs before taking turns riding behind them on an exhilarating trot through the boreal forest. 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 farewell lunch together before flying back to Winnipeg, where a final reception concludes our adventure together.
Day 7: Winnipeg / Depart
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.
Please note: Itineraries may vary slightly and activities may happen at times different from what is listed, but 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 6. 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 1,500 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.