Polar Bears of Churchill, Manitoba

2012 Dates Now Available...at our 2011 price!

Why would anyone pay $1,000 more than necessary to see the Polar Bears of Churchill, Manitoba? That's something we asked when pricing our all-inclusive trips at $3,995, more than $1,000 below comparable-length trips from Natural Habitat Adventures, Tundra Buggy Tours (a.k.a. Frontiers North) and several other polar bear tour companies.

Do the trips offered by these other companies include more full days with the polar bears than ours? No. Do they offer better vehicles than the ones we use? No. How about accommodations? We use Churchill's premier lodging, the Lazy Bear Lodge so, again, no. More hotel nights? No.

The truth is, if you compare everything included in our $3,995 to what's included in other companies' trips to Churchill, you'll discover you get the same or more with TravelWild Exeditions. And, many trips offered by other companies don't include taxes in their price—we do—which means you'll pay them even more than their advertised price!

TravelWild Expeditions was one of the very first companies to offer polar bear tours to Churchill. More than 30 years later we remain committed to offering you an exceptional trip with all the creature comforts you should expect—and always at a fair price! We are not a discount travel company, but we are dedicated to keeping our prices as low as possible without compromising inclusions or amenities throughout your trip.

Exactly why other companies have priced their polar bear tours so high—well, we can only guess. But we can't understand why you should have to pay $1,000 more to get a trip that is virtually identical to ours!

At $3,995, space will fill quickly so don't delay! Call us today at 800-368-0077 (outside US and Canada 206-463-5362) to reserve your space on this incredible, accessible gathering of polar bears in Churchill!

Churchill's Legendary Polar Bears!

Just outside the small northern Canadian town of Churchill, where the tundra of subarctic Manitoba meets the frigid waters of Hudson Bay, large numbers of polar bears congregate with astounding regularity. By mid-October, no more accessible place exists to see polar bears in the wild with such ease and safety. And there is no better way to visit these great carnivores than on a TravelWild Expeditions polar bear tour to Churchill, Manitoba—the Polar Bear Capital of the World!

For polar bears, the shores around Churchill are a regular stopover point where they await the advancing winter bay freeze. The freeze brings tidal movements which crack and shift the ice, opening leads and channels over large areas. This creates prime seal habitat within ten to fifty miles of shore. The bears test the ice until around the third week in November when the bay freezes sufficiently and they disappear almost overnight, heading for the rich seal-hunting areas on the pack ice. It is while the bears await the freeze that we run our tours—at peak bear-viewing times!

Our full-day trips to the tundra are in specially-designed vehicles called Polar Buggies. While the buggies keep us above and at a safe distance from the bears, we can open windows or use the buggy's observation deck for amazingly close viewing and photography. The National Geographic Society used similar vehicles to film its polar bear special for public television, as did the BBC when filming "The Kingdom of the Ice Bear" for the Nature series.

Certainly the bears take center stage on the tundra, but there are opportunities to see other wildlife. Wherever polar bears roam, it is highly likely that arctic fox will follow. Snowy owls, willow ptarmigan, ravens and gyrfalcons are also commonly seen during our tours. The tundra itself—stark and barren as it may at first appear—can be truly breathtaking under an ever-changing Arctic sky.

No other place on Earth allows this kind of intense, yet comfortable subarctic experience. And TravelWild’s extensive experience running polar bear tours to Churchill ensures you will have the ultimate polar bear experience. Limited space and the immense popularity of these tours make early enrollment a must—call today to reserve your space on the greatest polar bear adventure around!

Trip Leaders

In addition to his role as Sales Director of TravelWild Expeditions and as Expedition Leader on hundreds of cruises to the Arctic and Antarctica, Dennis Mense has an extensive background leading land-based trips to a variety of wildlife-rich areas, including dozens of trips to see Churchill's polar bears. His background as a marine biologist gives him a solid base of information about polar bears as well as the other wildlife we encounter on the tundra surrounding Churchill. With more than 30 years of experience leading nature tours, our clients have come to rely on his vast knowledge of the natural and human history of the Churchill region. When you contact TravelWild Expeditions, most likely you will have a chance to speak with Dennis.

Sabina Leader Mense is a marine biologist who, for the past 25 years, has researched marine habitats and worked as an environmental consultant, educator and naturalist. Following graduation from the University of Victoria, Sabina spent five years at the Bamfield Marine Station on Vancouver’s rugged west coast. Her work and travels since have taken her throughout the realm of the bear: to the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kodiak Island for grizzly bears, to the Pacific Northwest for black and “spirit” bears, and to Wrangel Island, Greenland, the Canadian Arctic and Churchill for polar bears.

Through her contagious enthusiasm and expertise as an international environmental educator, Sabina shares her awareness and knowledge of the marine environment. She lives with her family on Cortes Island in the Canadian Gulf Islands.

Itinerary

Day 1
We arrive in Winnipeg, meet our leader and have dinner. (D)

Day 2
Fly to Churchill and explore the town site and the surrounding countryside. (BLD)

Days 3 & 4
Spend the next 2 full days exploring in a Polar Buggy and viewing polar bears and other tundra wildlife. Our backdrop may be snowy landscapes, the ominous bay with its green slush-ice or a windswept tundra esker. We observe and photograph the behaviors of the bears that have congregated nearby. Arctic foxes, ravens, gyrfalcons, willow ptarmigans and snowy owls are among the other wildlife we encounter on the icy tundra. The windows of our Polar Buggies open and a rear deck can be shared for bear viewing. Evenings are spent in a comfortable Churchill hotel. (BLD)

Day 5
After a morning exploration of Churchill, we fly to Winnipeg. (BLD)

Day 6
Depart for home at any time today.

Photos from Polar Bear Tours

Lone polar bear on tundra	Sub-adult males	Mother bear with cubs
Trying to keep cool	Polar bear at sunset	Polar bear near Polar Buggy

Arctic fox	Polar bears play-fighting	Snowy owl
More play-fighting	Arctic hare	Churchill sunset

Above photos are from past polar bear tours to Churchill. (Click on a photo to enlarge it)

Lazy Bear Lodge

Lazy Bear Lodge Dining Room

Lobby at Lazy Bear Lodge

Guestroom at Lazy Bear Lodge

Trip Details

Included In Your Tour

• 2 full days of bear viewing from Polar Buggies
• 3 nights lodging at the Lazy Bear Lodge
• Round-trip air Winnipeg to Churchill
• All meals during the tour
• 2 hotel nights in Winnipeg
• Ground transfers during the tour
• Restaurant and baggage tipping
• Naturalist guide
• All applicable taxes
• Single rooms available on a limited basis for supplemental fee

Polar Buggies

Click photo to enlarge

Churchill Accommodations

Click photo to enlarge

Questions?

TravelWild Advantage

Polar Bears and Wildlife of Spitsbergen