2010 Itinerary

Inclusive Prices

Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel, lodge and resort accommodations, motor coach transportation, sightseeing, admissions, porterage, and the services of the Tauck Director, local guides and drivers are included. Transportation is included from Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport to Inn at the Forks, provided we have received accurate flight arrival information at least two weeks prior to the tour departure date. Transportation is also included from Inn at the Forks to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport when you choose to depart. Transfers to and from airports may be shared with other Tauck guests.

Hotel and Lodge Accommodations – The tour price includes all hotel, lodge and resort accommodations with private baths. Our standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality of accommodations may differ slightly from one hotel to another, our commitment to your comfort is unwavering. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are two-bedded rooms plus a rollaway cot, where available, and are not recommended for comfort. Quadruple accommodations are not available.

If you request an adjacent, adjoining or connecting room, we will do all we can to accommodate your request. However, we cannot guarantee such accommodations will be available. Please note that a hotel may consider “adjacent” to be across the hall.

Children under the age of 18 must be booked in a room with at least one adult.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.

Tauck Director – Manitoba: Polar Bear Adventure is conducted by a Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the tour. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully trained employee of Tauck.

Gratuities Included – All customary gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff, and local guides and drivers are included.

No Options Sold – Your Tauck Director will assist you with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed, pleasant experience for you.

Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from us for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, we will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through us. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish us to arrange additional nights for you, please view our hotel selections listed under Extend This Journey on this webpage and then discuss your request with the reservations counselor when you book your tour.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to the details provided under Tauck Travel Protection on this webpage for more information.

Lost luggage is an unfortunate possibility in today's world of airline travel. We suggest that you:

• Pack some basic clothing in your carry-on bag
• Split your items between your suitcase and a traveling companion's suitcase
• Do not pack any vital medications or valuables in your checked luggage
• Confirm that your luggage is checked and tagged to your final destination at airport check-in 
• Place your luggage claim tags in a secure place for your flight
• Filie a claim for any missing luggage immediately before leaving the baggage claim area
• Secure a case number and contact information for follow-up communications
• Ensure that the airline has your onward itinerary

Your Tauck Director will assist you with airline communications, but has no inside contacts to guarantee or expedite recovery of lost luggage. All recovery costs, including the communication costs, are your responsibility. Check your travel protection details for covered expenses.

Personal Expenses - Phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, mineral water, soft drinks, laundry, dry cleaning, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees and services, and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Tauck Director Gratuities – The customary gratuities to the Tauck Director are not included. We ask that gratuities be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.

Inclusive Prices

Additional Information –

If you are traveling from the U.S., beginning in 2010, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Secure Flight program will require that your name, as it appears on your domestic or international airline ticket, precisely match your name as it appears on the government-issued photo ID (i.e., passport or driver’s license) that you present during security screening. The ID name must also match any additional airline data, such as frequent-flyer information. For example, if you present your driver's license to security and it says John T. Smith, your ticket must also say John T. Smith; not John Thomas Smith, not Jack Smith, or any other variant. Your date-of-birth and gender information provided to the airline must also match your photo ID.

If you make your air travel arrangements through Tauck, please ensure that the name you provide us precisely matches your name as shown on the identification you will use while traveling. If you make your own airline reservations, please ensure that the airline has the correct information.

For more information on the Secure Flight program, please visit the TSA web site, www.tsa.gov, by clicking here.

If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S,, you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.

Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter, or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times.

Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through us for travel originating in the United States. By using our air services, you agree that we, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, are acting only as your agent and are not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by us. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline only, even if purchased through us. We are not liable for, and do not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). We must handle ticketing for our special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Our air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a one of our tours. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. If you cancel or change your air booking before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.

Holiday and Museum Closures – Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many religious, state and civic holidays locally observed.

Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility – We pledge to make every effort to operate all tours as advertised. We reserve the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to you. Any resultant added expense will be covered by us. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecast at the time of publication.

Journey Start and End Times – The tour begins at 3:00 PM at Inn of the Forks on the first day of the tour, when you will board a motor coach for a guided tour of Winnipeg. The welcome reception at the Manitoba Museum begins at 6:30 PM. You or your booking agent will be advised of any change to this schedule. Your tour ends when you check out of Inn of the Forks on the last day of the tour. We suggest you allow ample time for security check-in at the airport.

Membership will be granted to all persons. We reserve the right to terminate the tour of any person who is abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.

Photography on Tour – Occasionally, we will use photographs taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your tour for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.

Preparing to Go

Travel Document Requirements –

If you are a U.S. citizen, you require a valid U.S. passport to fly into Canada and back to the U.S. (If you would like to review the entire Travel Document Requirements as listed on the U.S. State Department website, please click here. You do not require a visa for the short duration of this tour. Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation.

If you are frequent traveler to Canada from the U.S., you may benefit from the NEXUS program, which is joint initiative between the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency and the Canada Border Services Agency that allows pre-screened and approved travelers faster processing at dedicated processing lanes at designated northern border ports of entry, at NEXUS kiosks at Canadian Preclearance airports, and at marine reporting locations. For further information, you may log on to the Nexus Internet site by clicking here. 

If you are a citizen of another country, please contact a Canadian embassy or consulate to determine what travel documentation will be required. If you will be visiting the U.S. before or after your tour, you may need a multiple-entry visa for the U.S. and should contact an embassy or consulate of the U.S. before booking your tour.

Anyone with a criminal record (including some misdemeanors such as Driving While Impaired (DWI) charges) may be excluded or removed from Canada, and should contact a Canadian embassy or consulate well in advance of any planned travel to ensure proper travel documentation.

We strongly recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, the date of expiration and your citizenship, as well as both sides of your driver’s license. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Travel with Children –

Age Recommendations ― Children 5 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, we have a minimum recommended age for each journey to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All activities are available for children 8 years of age or older. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.

Babysitting ― Our journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. if you require babysitting services, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer on-site babysitting services; however, babysitting services may not be available at all of our hotels. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.

Safety and Welfare Responsibility ― We welcome the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with us, you release Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.

Special Travel Documentation for Children

Authorization for Travel

If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so. CBP also suggests that this note be notarized. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.

If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (parent deceased, sole custody, etc.), other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, or a death certificate, will be useful.

Many other countries also share this concern for children who travel without both parents. To ensure smooth travel, we require you to comply with the travel regulations of each country visited. This information may be obtained from a country’s consulate or embassy.

Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment

In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents (including other pertinent documents as cited above) authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.

We are not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by the improper documentation of any guest, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.

Air Conditioning – The Inn at the Forks, the Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort, and the motor coaches used on this tour are air-conditioned for your comfort; the Lazy Bear Lodge is not.

ATM and Credit Cards – We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing on this tour to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be “suspicious” charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of both sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Clothing and Packing – Your journey through Manitoba is casual. Dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. Comfortable, cotton clothing is suggested. For travel in October and November, you will experience cold temperatures and will need to dress accordingly. Although no special attire is required for dining, you may wish to dress more formally for hte welcome and farewell receptions.

Most importantly, bring comfortable yet sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in. It is important that your shoes have good ankle support, as we visit some sites where paths and stairs may be uneven and unpaved.

Valet laundry services are available at Inn of the Forks and the Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort, but not at the Lazy Gear Lodge.

We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor’s prescription or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you, a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.

We recommend that tyou pack the following items for travel to Manitoba:

• Comfortable, cotton clothing
• Long pants
• Long sleeve shirts
• Long underwear
• Snug but comfortable windproof outerwear with an attached hood or a very warm hat
• Pair of wind or ski pants
• Fleece jacket or sweater
• Lined gloves with an upper extension to cover your wrist
• Warm insulated boots
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Swimwear
• Gym wear
• Comfortable walking shoes with adequate ankle support
• Camera, lenses, extra batteries, memory cards and plenty of film
• Battery-operated travel alarm clock
• Collapsible umbrella
• Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling

Health – You should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances over moderately uneven terrain, sometimes covered with snow and ice. To participate in the dog sledding experience, you will choose either to travel inside a cozy dog sled wrapped in a “polar bear” blanket or drive on the back of the sleigh with your musher and feel the fresh, cold, Arctic air on a ride along well-groomed trails. During the full-day polar bear sightseeing excursion, you will travel in a tundra vehicle, which has a modest restroom facility onboard. No one is allowed off the vehicles for the duration of the eight-hour excursion. A picnic lunch is served onboard.

The Inn at the Forks is a smoke-free property. 

The Lazy Bear Lodge does not serve alcohol. The town of Churchill has several restaurants and bars that do serve alcohol, so it is not a dry town. You may have alcohol in your room, but not in a public space.

We regret that we are unable to accommodate wheelchairs or scooters on this tour. We also regret that we cannot provide you with individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs. If you require such assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion who will help you.

Throughout the tour, we will provide you with clean and safe drinking water.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify Tauck as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

We strongly suggest that you have adequate health insurance when traveling abroad for these reasons:

• US Social Security Medicare Program participants will not receive coverage for hospital or medical costs outside the US
• Many US health insurance plans do not provide coverage overseas
• Those that provide "customary and reasonable" hospital costs abroad may not pay for your medical evacuation back to the US, which can easily cost $10,000.00 and up depending on your location and medical condition
• Many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service
• Uninsured patients may be refused service
• Many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service
• Uninsured patients may be refused service
• Countries with socialized medicine may not provide full services to non-residents
• Payment of hospital and other expenses abroad is the responsibility of the traveler

If you are a citizen of the U.S., no vaccinations are currently required for travel to Canada. For complete vaccination information, contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). To inquire about international travel health advice from a CDC representative, you may dial 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). You may also log on to the CDC Internet website by clicking here.

If you are a citizen of another country, please contact a Canadian embassy or consulate to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel.

Luggage Restrictions -

Checked Luggage – General
While it is common that airlines allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.

In addition, airlines have adopted more strict policies in enforcing size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.

Many carriers require checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, Tauck cannot be held liable to the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage size and weight may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers.

Tauck World Discovery cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage size, piece or weight policies.

Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home!

Carry-on Luggage – General
Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and only those items you need handy during the day such as purses, make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or in the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may not be accessible during daytime travel.

Destination Information

Cell Phones - We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that you refrain from using your cell phone during motor coach travel, group functions, when sightseeing and when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There are usually ample opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not impact others.

Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine whether your service extends to Canada.

Currency and Exchange Rates - The currency used in Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD) which is divided into 100 cents. In Canada, one-dollar coins are also known as "loonies" (due to the picture of a loon on the coin); two-dollar coins are called "toonies". Banks and exchange bureaus will change money and travelers’ checks, as will some hotels, but the rate will not be as good. Major credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs are plentiful. U.S. dollars are largely accepted, though due to fraud, larger notes might not be and change is usually given in Canadian dollars.

To obtain the up-to-date currency exchange rate, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website oanda.com, by clicking here.

Customs and Tax-Free Shopping –-

If you are a U.S resident who will be returning to the U.S. at the end of the tour, current regulations permit bringing back $800 worth of items duty-free, as long as you physically bring them with you. There are limits to the amount of alcohol that can be a part of this exemption. Certain restrictions apply to unaccompanied goods mailed from abroad to the United States. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provides for free or reduced duty rates on items you purchase that were grown, manufactured, or produced in Canada. Please call your local customs office or consult the U.S. government's customs regulations as contained in their publication entitled Know Before You Go.

If you are a resident of another country, you should refer to your own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance upon your return.

Currently, Canada levies a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Manitoba levies a 7% Retail Sales Tax on most consumer goods and services. There is no tax refund policy now in place for non-residents visitors.

Electrical Current – The electrical current in Canada is 120 V, 60 Hz, AC. If your electrical devices do not conform to this standard, you will need to bring the appropriate converters and adapters.

Time Zones – Winnipeg is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time). From mid-March through early November, these locations switch to Daylight Savings Time and are 5 hours behind. To determine current time major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to the Internet website timeanddate.com, by clicking here.

Weather – Due to the extremely flat, open landscape, Winnipeg is exposed to numerous weather systems throughout the year, including cold arctic high-pressure systems from the northwest during the late fall and winter seasons. Churchill falls into the subarctic climate zone and features lond and extremely cold winters. From October through November, you will experience average high temperatures of 30-50 °F (-1 to 10 °C) in Winnipeg and 16-34 °F (-9 to 1 °C) in Churchill.

If You Have to Cancel

Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in Tauck incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, if you have to cancel a confirmed booking, Tauck will charge you a cancellation fee according to when your cancellation notice is received in its Norwalk, CT office. To help limit your liability, Tauck offers a Tauck Protection Plan.

If you choose to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will have your cancellation penalties waived. Click here for more details.

If you choose not to purchase the Tauck Protection Plan, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:

60 days or more before departure
$700 per person (the amount of the deposit)

59-30 days before departure
$2670 per person

29-1 days before departure
$3560 per person

Did you know that you can link-up Tauck itineraries to create longer journeys? Many of these trips are in the same region, and depending upon availability you might connect with them before or after your trip. Alternatively, you might find one of these options better suited for your interests and preferences or for when you are available to travel.