Update June 10, 2025: Our November 5 – 10, 2025 tour is fully booked. We currently still have three spots available for our October 20 – 25, 2026 tour.
See Polar Bears in the wild!
Explore the far north on our guided polar bear tours. Discover Arctic wildlife and photograph polar bears from close but safe distances.
Our Polar Bear Viewing Tour takes you to Churchill, Manitoba, the polar bear capital of the world. where you can observe and photograph polar bears in their natural habitat. There are more polar bears in Churchill than people! Every year during freeze-up, the migration of the largest land predators on Earth takes place along the southwest shores of Hudson Bay near Churchill.
You will be watching polar bears on five consecutive days from different locations inside the Wildlife Management Area. Each location offers incredible opportunities to see polar bears in their natural environment.
This is a wilderness tour. You may be walking along the same trails as the polar bears do or stand on the same tundra as the polar bears as they go about their day-to-day life. There are no barriers, fences or platforms separating you from bears and other wildlife.
Weather permitting, you will go watch the northern lights at night..
Polar Bear Viewing Tour Highlights
Peak Time
Early November is peak polar bear viewing season in Churchill, allowing you to maximize your chances to see polar bears in the wild and go home with the best experiences.
Small group size
Join the smallest groups available – we limit our polar bear tours to 7 guests plus 2 guides – and meet the world’s greatest concentration of polar bears. This ensures intimate encounters with polar bears. Our 4×4 van is a 13 passenger van but we only take a maximum of 7 guests so every guest has a window seat.
Access to Wildlife Management Area
Locations are extremely important for spotting wildlife. Churchill is Manitoba’s largest wildlife management area (WMA). It protects some of our most impressive wildlife habitat. We are one of the few polar bear guides permitted to enter and guide polar bear tours within the WMA.
Eye level polar bear viewing
This tour provides rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to photograph polar bears at eye level in one of the best polar bear viewing areas in North America. There is usually snow and ice present in November creating breathtaking backdrops.
‘Words cannot describe the joy that we experienced during the Polar Bear Viewing and Photo Tour. I strongly recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to see polar bears and northern lights in a non-commercialized way with a personal touch! It was indeed a trip of our lifetime!’
Kalindi Desousa, Singapore
‘Things on my bucket list? Visiting Alaska.. tick.. Going north of the Arctic circle ..tick tick.. Seeing polar bears in all their splendour in their habitat.. tick tick tick! My recent trip with Laurent and my five fellow travellers on the Wild Alaska Travel’s Alaska Polar bear viewing and photo tour was one of the best things I have ever done. Many many thanks to Laurent for his professionalism, humour and knowledge and unflappability. As Arnie said.. I’ll be back.’
– Kate Gatwood, Australia –
‘I just can’t say enough about this trip. This is a trip of a lifetime! Starting with Laurent who organizes the tours and is on top of every single detail, he is fun to be with and really shows his expertise in the subject, to the marvelous things we witnessed throughout our trip. We not only saw the Polar bears but we learned so much about them as well. We had incredible opportunities to take the best pictures ever and had a really good time while doing this. And then came the Northern Lights and the beauty that surrounds them. Laurent taught us about setting our cameras so that we would be able to take the best pictures. I recommend this experience with all my heart. If you can do it just go for it!’
Sandra Heffesse, California
- See polar bears in the best polar bear viewing area in North America
- Photograph polar bears at eye level
- Small group (only 7 guests) plus two guides
- 6 days (5 nights) of lodging at local Bed and Breakfast in Churchill
- All meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
- All transportation during the tour incl. return flight from Winnipeg to Churchill
- 5 days (or 4 days and two 1/2 days) of polar bear viewing from land
- Professional guides
- Permit fees
Churchill Polar Bear Viewing Itinerary
Day 1 : Winnipeg ~ Churchill
- 8:00 AM – flight from Winnipeg to Churchill with Calm Air
- Transfer to B&B
- After a quick check in, we will head out to the best spots to look for polar bears until sunset.
Day 2~5
- After an early breakfast, you head out to the Hudson Bay Coast in search of polar bears in our 4×4 vehicle.
- You search for polar bears and all other wildlife until sunset. Other wildlife you may spot include arctic hare, fox, wolf, gyrfalcon, snowy owl and ptarmigan.
- You are able to get out of our vehicle to photograph polar bears
- Short lunch break at Northern Studies Centre around noon time
- At night, we monitor the night sky and if conditions present themselves, you will go out to photograph the incredible northern lights.
Day 6: Churchill ~ Winnipeg
- After breakfast, you will go out one last time to the WMA to look for polar bears.
- 3 PM – flight back to Winnipeg.
- End of tour
“Laurent is courteous and joyful, with an abundance of knowledge regarding our tour’s locations and wildlife. The whole trip was carefully thought out and well planned. Laurent was a great host and I look forward to another trip with him soon !“
Brandon Brown Nature Photography, Canada
“The polar bear experience ranks among my top five life time travel experiences. The number and quality of observations wildly exceeded my expectations.”
Stewart Bollinger, Michigan
“Loved the whole trip! Definitely one of the high points of my life!”
Julie Reid, Australia
“It was a trip I will not forget!”
Susan Hawkins, Indiana
“Kaktovik felt ‘other-worldly’ to me and has left a strong impression. It was just fantastic seeing the place and seeing those bears, and all up we feel very grateful to you.”
Robert & George Heinsohn, Australia
“We thought you were a wonderful guide and we had a terrific time. We rank it high on our list of travels.“
Greg Schlueter & Denise Wells, Virginia
“It was such a great trip with good people to share the adventure. We really appreciated all your help. You put together a great trip, worth repeating.”
Cary & Julie Gosselin, Montana
“It really was a great trip and an excellent group! Thanks again for working out all of the details so that everything turned out so well – a highly recommendable trip.”
Vicki Campbell, Alaska
“We miss you soo much and your polar bears!!! Thanks again for everything!”
Malena Grillo Ardila, Columbia
**We only require a $500 deposit per person to hold your space.
