Day 1: Arrive in Winnipeg for your Overnight Stay
Arrive in Winnipeg where you will enjoy a relaxing stay at our choice hotel, The Grand by Lakeview at the Winnipeg Airport. Your winter gear fitting and collection will take place at 5 pm prior to meeting the rest of your group at an orientation dinner hosted by a representative.
Day 2 to 5: Seal River Heritage Lodge
After a restful night in Winnipeg you will depart for Churchill on Calm Air. Upon arrival, be met by our expediter who will explain how the charters to the Lodge will work.
Upon arrival, your hosts will provide a tour and show you to your room. Lunch will be served soon after, and before heading out on your first excursion, you’ll be thoroughly debriefed regarding your stay in polar bear country.
Each morning after a hot breakfast, your guides will outline a plan for the day’s excursions. Your days will typically include morning and afternoon excursions of the coastline in search of the ‘Great Ice Bear’. Back at the lodge, enjoy appetizer hour followed by one of our signature tundra-inspired meals.
If there are bears near the Lodge, your scheduled tours may be delayed to take advantage of these photo and observation opportunities. The lodge is always staffed, so you also have the option to stay behind and take photos of the wildlife around the Lodge or just relax and enjoy the pristine view.
Evenings typically include an informative lecture or slide show presentation narrated by one of Churchill Wild’s knowledgeable guides or staff. On clear nights, you may also have a chance to view one of the spectacular aurora borealis displays common at this latitude.
Day 6 to 9: Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Time to pack up and move to your new home, Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. The property is about 250 km southeast of Churchill and the 90-minute charter flight will include a fly over of York Factory, the hub of the historic fur trade. Upon arrival, you will once again be met by our staff and given the opportunity to settle into your rooms.
Your days at Nanuk will be filled with more wildlife exciting encounters. The wildlife at Nanuk is incredibly diverse and includes polar bears, black bears, wolves, moose, and an abundance of migratory and shorebirds.
Daily outings typically include coastal exploration to the tidal flats and Hudson Bay shoreline using a combination of people power (walking!) and our specially outfitted all-terrain vehicles. Routes will vary but ample time will be provided to photograph polar bears and the other wildlife that abound in this unique environment.
Your evenings at Nanuk will be much the same as at Seal with plenty of time for visiting, relaxing, sharing photographs and enjoying informative presentations by your guides. Don’t forget to let your guides know if you want to be woken up for the northern lights!
Day 10: Exploring Churchill, Back to Winnipeg
After another hearty Lodge breakfast, we will begin air transfers back to Churchill. Have your cameras ready for the return flight as it affords excellent opportunities for great aerial shots.
Back in Churchill, you’ll spend the day with one of our tour guides exploring Churchill and area and learning about its rich history as a seaport and ex-military town. Your tour will include stops such as the Parks Canada exhibit, the Itsanitaq Museum, and the Polar Bear Jail. Along the way, your guide will point out murals that were commissioned in 2016 as part of the SeaWalls mural festival. Before a group dinner, your guide will give you free time to shop for last-minute souvenirs at the unique gift stores in Churchill.
Your flight south to Winnipeg will take place this evening. Upon arrival, collect your bags, head out of the arrivals doors and back to The Grand Hotel.
Day 11: Depart Winnipeg
Today you will fly home on your own travel arrangements, marking the end of your adventure and the beginning of a lifetime of savoring the experiences of the Arctic.
