Classic Churchill Polar Bear Experience
A six-day guided package from Winnipeg that centres on polar bears: two full days on a tundra buggy, a flight to Churchill, dog sledding and the Itsanitaq Museum. It is the all-inclusive way to do bear season.
Manitoba (Canada)
Churchill
Churchill is a small town on the western shore of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba, reached only by train or plane, and known worldwide as the polar bear capital of the world.
This guide covers Churchill and its surroundings properly: the autumn tundra buggy season when polar bears gather along the coast waiting for the bay to freeze, the summer tundra buggy days, the beluga whales that fill the Churchill River estuary in July and August, northern lights over a very dark sky, dog sledding with a local kennel, the Itsanitaq Museum with its Inuit carvings, the old stone Prince of Wales Fort and Cape Merry across the river, and remote Wapusk National Park with its polar bear maternity dens. Each page states the season plainly, because in Churchill what you can do depends entirely on the month.
Don't miss
Classic Churchill Polar Bear Experience
A six-day guided package from Winnipeg that centres on polar bears: two full days on a tundra buggy, a flight to Churchill, dog sledding and the Itsanitaq Museum. It is the all-inclusive way to do bear season.
Northern Lights in Churchill
Churchill sits under the auroral oval and sees the northern lights about 300 nights a year on average. January to March is the prime season, with the darkest, clearest skies.
Summer Tundra Buggy Day Tours
A six-hour summer day on a tundra buggy among caribou, Arctic foxes, hares and migratory birds, with polar bears only occasionally seen. A good green-season wildlife day in Churchill.
Beluga Whales of the Churchill River
In July and August thousands of beluga whales enter the Churchill and Seal River estuaries. Boat trips, kayaking and paddleboarding put you among them, and Cape Merry offers a view from shore.
Things to do in Churchill
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Autumn Tundra Buggy Day Tours
An eight-hour day on a 40-passenger tundra buggy in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, in the October and November bear season. It is the classic single-day way to see polar bears from a safe height.
Summer Tundra Buggy Day Tours
A six-hour summer day on a tundra buggy among caribou, Arctic foxes, hares and migratory birds, with polar bears only occasionally seen. A good green-season wildlife day in Churchill.
Beluga Whales of the Churchill River
In July and August thousands of beluga whales enter the Churchill and Seal River estuaries. Boat trips, kayaking and paddleboarding put you among them, and Cape Merry offers a view from shore.
Northern Lights in Churchill
Churchill sits under the auroral oval and sees the northern lights about 300 nights a year on average. January to March is the prime season, with the darkest, clearest skies.
Dog Sledding with Wapusk Adventures
A working long-distance racing kennel on the edge of Churchill, run by musher Dave Daley and his family, offering dog sledding and winter nights in the boreal forest.
Itsanitaq Museum
One of the best collections of Inuit carvings and artifacts in Canada, in a small museum on La Verendrye Avenue that has been open since 1944. It is the best indoor stop in town and accepts donations.
1 hourDetails →
Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site
A huge stone fur-trade fortress built by the Hudson's Bay Company across the river from Churchill, reached by boat in July and August. It is closed for the season now and reopens in summer.
Cape Merry National Historic Site
A stone battery of 1746 at the mouth of the Churchill River with wide views of the bay and the fort. Parks Canada runs daily guided tours from 13 October to 20 November, so it is open now.
Wapusk National Park
An 11,475 square kilometre wilderness southeast of Churchill that protects one of the largest polar bear maternity denning areas in the world. Visits go through licensed operators only.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$Iceberg Inn
Central Churchill, Kelsey Boulevard
A small, quiet inn in the middle of Churchill on Kelsey Boulevard, within a short walk of the Itsanitaq Museum and the riverfront, with free parking, bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and a shared kitchen corner.
Check rates →Churchill guides
First-Timer’s Guide to Churchill: Polar Bears, Belugas and Northern Lights
What to book ahead, how to get to Churchill, how many days to allow and where the headline sights fit, for a first visit to the polar bear capital of Manitoba.
Where to Stay in Churchill: A Small Town with Few Rooms
How accommodation works in Churchill, from small central inns to bed and breakfasts, why rooms are scarce in bear season and how our one recommended inn fits.
