Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Tours We Dreamed of Taking
While researching our virtual Arctic escape, we discovered that Churchill Manitoba polar bear tours range from elevated Tundra Buggy excursions to remote wilderness lodges and guided walking experiences. Most traditional polar bear tours operate during October and November, when the bears gather near Hudson Bay waiting for the sea ice to form.
From our living room, we watched the tundra, searched for polar bears online and imagined what it would feel like to see one lumbering across the snow outside Churchill. Our virtual vacation could never replace standing on the tundra ourselves, but it helped us understand which kind of polar bear experience we would choose when travel became possible again.
RELATED: Randonnée Saguenay Fjord: The Remarkable Sentier Notre-Dame-Kapatakan
Types of Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Tours 🇨🇦
Our virtual vacation introduced us to the surprising variety of Churchill Manitoba polar bear tours available to travelers. Some explore the tundra by vehicle, while others offer lodge-based stays, photography instruction or even the chance to walk through polar bear country.
Tundra Buggy Tours
Tundra Buggy tours carry visitors into the Churchill Wildlife Management Area in specially designed vehicles with large windows and an outdoor viewing platform. Their elevated design allows travelers to observe and photograph polar bears while keeping both guests and wildlife safe.
Lodge-Based Polar Bear Adventures
Some tours are based at a lodge in Churchill, including Lazy Bear Lodge, whose team helped make our COVID-era virtual tour possible. Lazy Bear combines accommodations with Arctic Crawler excursions, local sightseeing and opportunities to search for polar bears and other tundra wildlife.
Other adventures take guests by small aircraft to remote ecolodges along Hudson Bay. These secluded stays place visitors deep in polar bear country, far from the activity of town.
Polar Bear Photography Tours
Photography-focused tours give travelers more time to watch for changing light, animal behavior and those once-in-a-lifetime Arctic moments. Some include instruction from experienced photography guides, along with extended wildlife-viewing excursions on the tundra.
Road Scholar Educational Trips
Road Scholar offers a more educational approach to Churchill Manitoba polar bear tours. Its nine-day Lords of the North: Ecology of Hudson Bay’s Polar Bears program combines Tundra Buggy wildlife viewing with expert-led lectures, research presentations, cultural programming and a stay at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. It is a good choice for curious travelers who want to understand Arctic ecology and polar bear conservation—not simply photograph the bears.
Walking with Polar Bears
For an entirely different perspective, specialized walking safaris lead small groups through polar bear habitat under the supervision of highly trained guides. Churchill Wild’s lead guides have extensive polar bear experience, and guests receive a detailed safety orientation before setting out.
Polar Bear Cameras and Virtual Experiences
During the pandemic, online cameras gave us a window into Churchill when traveling there was impossible. Polar Bears International and Explore.org continue to operate live cameras that allow viewers around the world to watch polar bears gathering near Hudson Bay—making them an easy way to begin your own virtual Arctic escape.
Of course, during the height of COVID, none of these Churchill Manitoba polar bear tours were within reach. So with help from Lazy Bear Lodge and a little imagination, we created our own Arctic expedition from home—complete with polar bears, tundra landscapes and a much-needed sense of adventure.
Let the virtual trip to Churchill, Manitoba begin!
Virtual Trip to Churchill, Manitoba 🇨🇦
Friday Evening: Fly to Winnipeg, Ontario
The trip to Churchill, Manitoba, surprised my husband Dan. I told him we were “going” somewhere for the weekend, but he did not know where.
That means I had to “pack” his bags. I pulled out ski coats to make our “virtual trip” more realistic.
UNSTOPPABLE Tip: Get templates for printing phony airline tickets and paper sleeves at HeelsFirstTravel.com.
Our destination was revealed when I handed Dan his “tickets” on Friday night. I printed his name and appropriate carrier on card stock. The resulting “ticket” felt authentic.
Notice that I procured “First Class” seats for this virtual trip? Nothing but the best for my Dan!
I found props around the house to make this feel like a getaway. Note the snowflake tablecloth and my Mom’s red mittens.
You can fly or train to Churchill from Winnipeg. Or take charter tours out of Calgary, Saskatoon and Edmonton.
Live Webcams of Churchill Manitoba Northern Lights
When Dan came home from work, the TV was tuned to Churchill’s live webcam. Live Northern Lights were a pleasant surprise for me. Frosting on the cake for our Arctic Animal Safari!
I was surprised because I remember the aurora borealis being most prevalent in the fall during the eleven years I lived in Duluth, Minnesota. Shows how the memory fails!
According to Lazy Bear Lodge, Churchill Manitoba Northern Lights make appearances about 300 of 365 days a year. So if weather permits, there are opportunities year round to see the spectacle.
That evening we sipped cocoa and watched a playlist of YouTube videos about Churchill Manitoba polar bear tours, which I’d assembled beforehand.
The frontier town’s culture is so interesting that the Smithsonian made a series called Polar Bear Town. Check it out!
✈️ 🌍 Buy Travel Insurance in less than 5 minutes 🌍 ✈️
Before you take off, protect your adventure with trusted travel insurance providers. Whether it’s a flight delay, lost luggage or medical emergency, the right plan keeps you covered—and stress-free.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting UnstoppableStaceyTravel.com
Saturday: Virtual Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Tour
We woke up early Saturday morning eager to experience the upcoming Hudson Bay polar bear expedition. Lazy Bear Expeditions Arctic Crawler™ would take us on a tundra tour to view polar bears.
But first we needed a hearty breakfast of gluten-free blueberry pancakes, pure maple syrup and Canadian bacon.
UNSTOPPABLE Tip: to create your own virtual travel experience, plan a menu of the specialty cuisine of your chosen destination. Contact hotels or restaurants for authentic recipes.
Let’s do this! Recreating Churchill Manitoba bear tours for "Virtual Travel"
After breakfast, the custom-built Arctic Crawler™ tundra buggy virtually transported us to the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. It is here where bears wait for freezing temperatures to harden up the icepack on the Hudson Bay. During the COVID lockdown we drove our own “tundra buggy” to the forest behind our house, and while social distancing spotted “Manitoba Churchill polar bears.” See below.
Before heading back to our “hotel” we made another stop for some photo ops. Remember when we talked about the best time to go to Churchill to see polar bears earlier? I mentioned that since this is a “virtual” trip, we could see polar bears in any season. In the Arctic Crawler photo above, the season is fall. In the photo below, the season is summer. You decide which is the best time to go to Churchill to see polar bears!
When to Take Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Tours? Summer, Fall or Winter?
Althought the best time to go to Churchill to see polar bears in town is mid-October to November, there are other seasons to see bears nearby. The photo above shows polar bear expeditions in the fall. Below you can see polar bears in summer. See how the backdrop of the photos change with the changing seasons?
Learn when to book Churchill Manitoba polar bear tours and when the best time to visit Churchill for other wildlife is.
Lazy Bear Lodge Churchill Manitoba
We opted to “virtually” stay at Lazy Bear Lodge Churchill Manitoba, although there are many choices for accommodation in the frontier town. My globetrotting friend Todd stayed at the Polar Inn and reported reasonable rates and friendly staff.
The Lazy Bear Lodge, handbuilt of logs, attracted me because of its tour packages, local expertise and personable folk (that I met virtually.)
UNSTOPPABLE Tip: To turn your bedroom into a “virtual” hotel room, replace your bedding with sheets, blankets and fabrics similar to those you would find at your “virtual” destination. The transformation was another fun surprise for Dan.
Canadian Happy Hour 🇨🇦
For Happy Hour I took a stab (no pun intended) at making a Bloody Caesar. The vodka cocktail, spiced up with Clamato juice, is popular in Canada. However my travel writing colleague Traveling Mel says, “I’ve been to Churchill 3 or 4 times, but never had this yummy cocktail. There seems to be a lot of cheap beer and Crown Royale when I’ve been there.” Mel volunteered in Churchill for Polar Bears International.
Good thing I had some Crown Royal up my sleeve. But we used it more as a table decoration — we didn’t imbibe in the Canadian whiskey. Can you find the Crown Royal in the photo of the table setting below?
Dinner in the Great White North
Poutine was our main course for dinner in the Great White North. Cheese curds were hard to find in Flagstaff, Arizona, but I finally found some. Labatt’s Blue also took a search committee, but Sam at Majestic Marketplace helped me out.
Poutine Routine 🇨🇦
The Poutine recipe came from a Canadian food blogger. But even though, my Québecois amie Melissa commented on Instagram, “A poutine. Not the traditional one if you ask me, but still a poutine.”
I let Dan talk me into adding mushrooms to the homemade gluten-free gravy. And I’d missed the secret ingredient: ketchup. According to Melissa, who I walked with on Camino Norte in 2018, “Seems like you did everything right, except for the mushrooms and onions which is actually not a bad idea 😉 You even got the cheese curds right which I think is the most important part. Just add ketchup on top of that and it will be perfect!!”
Watching Movies Enhances Your Virtual Travel Experience
Since watching movies enhances your virtual travel experience, we watched “Strange Brew.” The 1983 movie features Bob and Doug Mackenzie, fictional Canadian brothers who wear toques and drink Canuck beer. Although not on my list of the best travel movies, it is a fun spoof on Canadian culture.
UNSTOPPABLE Tip: When creating your virtual travel escape, be sure to include a movie about your chosen destination. Freshen up your watch list by checking out 8 Best Travel Movies.
Sunday: Churchill Manitoba Beluga Whales
I thought that I wanted to kayak with the Churchill Manitoba beluga whales, but once I discovered “Aquagliding,” I left that dream behind. Isn’t it wonderful when you find something that surpasses your “Bucketlist” hopes and dreams?
Aquagliding looks awesome! The three-hour wildlife immersion experience takes you right to pods of inquisitive belugas.
You lie facedown on a floating mat. Your face is covered by a snorkel mask so you can see underwater. And your body is covered in a wet or dry suit so you stay warm. I want to write ‘relatively warm,’ but I’m not sure until I actually do it!
The lying position is perfect for interacting with Churchill Manitoba beluga whales and taking underwater photos. If I were invited to Churchill, Manitoba, I would definitely buy a Go-Pro underwater camera.
If swimming with large water mammals interests you, then you should check out this story that includes swimming with manatees in Florida. On my bucket list!
Another Camino friend, Dave, who is a pro photographer from Canada told me to pack , “The best camera equipment you can rent or afford.”
Real Churchill Expedition vs Virtual Churchill Manitoba Trip
Land Acknowledgement
Manitoba is located on the ancestral land of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk Nations and is the Homeland of the Red River Métis. Northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
RELATED: Dog Sledding Tours in Wisconsin: Siberian Outpost
Thanks so much for joining Dan and me on our UNSTOPPABLE virtual vacation. I hope you’ve learned a few things so you can craft your own DIY virtual getaway. If you share your creative ideas in the comments below, I may include them in my next UNSTOPPABLE post.
RELATED STORIES:
Birding Bash: Yuma Bird, Nature & History Festival
One of the World’s Best Places for Bird Watching?
MORE VIDEOS:
Traveling soon? Don’t forget to pack these essential items
Here are 4 often-forgotten items you don’t want to leave home without:
- I would have been lost in Europe without this power bank: Anker Nano Power Bank, 10K, 45W, 8.1 oz. Just imagine your phone running out of battery while you’re exploring London.
- And speaking of power, you def don’t want to forget a plug adapter – this is the one I use – I love it because it has 3 USB-C ports!
- You can’t beat this Sea to Summit premium neck pillow in terms of minimum weight and packed size. Who doesn’t want to get some shuteye on those long flights?
- I’m hooked on longer rain jackets that look as good on Paris boulevards as protect you on the trail.
📌 Bonus: Here’s the carry-on I swear by! My travel-tough Samsonite bags have lasted decades.
Conclusion: Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Tours
We hope you enjoyed this article about Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Tours.
Let us know in the comments below which Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Tours.
Learn when to book Churchill Manitoba polar bear tours and when the best time to visit Churchill for other wildlife is.
This blog, UNSTOPPABLE Stacey Travel, contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Stacey earns a commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help reduce the costs of keeping this travel blog active. Thanks for reading.
Enjoy this article? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below or on Facebook or Twitter.
Please share this article with the red- and blue-colored social media buttons below. To get more FREE travel tips and inspiration, simply subscribe, and updates will be delivered directly to your email inbox.
RELATED: Quebec: Adventures in Nature