Land Journey

Manitoba: Polar Bear Adventure

All Departures Small Groups Averaging 30 Tauck Guests
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Year

Select the year you would like to travel.

Days
6
From (per Person)
$8,290 USD
Includes On-Tour Air
Journey Type
Land
Time of Year
Oct - Nov
Cities & Landmarks
Winnipeg, Churchill
Polar Bear, Churchill

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Uniquely Tauck

EXPERIENCE WITH TAUCK

 

Small groups averaging 30 Tauck guests

 

On-tour air included (2 flights)

 

TAUCK VALUE INCLUDES

 

Two exciting excursions in polar bear country with a naturalist guide aboard a specially designed tundra vehicle

 

Private, exclusive after-hours reception and dinner at the Manitoba Museum, home to a replica of the historic 17th-century ship

 

Private charter flights between Churchill and Winnipeg; spend three nights at a lodge in the "Polar Bear Capital"

 

Dog sledding demonstration and a dog sled ride

 

Visit to the Eskimo Museum in Churchill

 

SEE WHAT YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES

Activity

2
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Guests should be able to easily walk one to two miles, which may include climbing one or two flights of stairs and walking over uneven pavement, groomed hiking trails or cobblestones. Standing up to one hour or more may be required.

Pace

2
?

Moderately paced, and may include some early morning hotel departures, one or two on-tour flights, and extended motor coach travel.

View Full Itinerary

The World Next Door

Manitoba's vast open spaces are filled with unique wonders, stories, and adventures on this awe-inspiring journey to the far reaches of the Canadian wilderness. Embrace your inner explorer on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Manitoba in "Polar Bear Season," when these great white carnivores lumber across the plains toward Hudson Bay to prepare for winter... 

One of our most popular trips provides you with a rare look into the world of the polar bear in their natural habitat. Late October and November is polar bear season in Churchill, Manitoba, the start of the long-awaited migration of these great white creatures. Over icy rivers and across the subarctic plains, they make their way towards the coast and the seal-rich waters of the Hudson Bay to fulfill their need for food for the winter ahead. Normally elusive, these bears are plentiful in this remote location of northern Canada at this time of the year, giving travelers seeking an up-close look at arctic life an exciting glimpse into their world. You'll stay in a cozy lodge where family-style meals, warm camaraderie and two-footed locals share stories about Hudson Bay history, past and present, in front of a crackling fire. You'll also learn more about Manitoba and early fur-trading history during a special private evening with the Hudson's Bay Company of Adventurers at the Manitoba Museum... at a dog sledding demonstration... on a dog sled ride... and much more.  Read Less

Behind the Scenes on Manitoba: Polar Bear Adventure

Learn all about the dogs – and the sleds – of Manitoba

Day 5

Dog sledding and the Arctic

Polar bears are just part of the story of life in the forested Arctic wilderness; at a dog sledding demonstration you'll learn about the sport of dog sledding, an important part of Manitoba's history – and you'll meet the dogs. No one is sure who got the ingenious idea to rig dogs up to a sled for transportation over roadless, frozen landscapes. Presumably the Thule people (who arrived in Manitoba long before the Eskimos) brought the custom with them from wherever they came from; the European fur traders later picked it up from the Eskimos; and Jack London made the dog sled culture of the Canadian wilderness famous in "The Call of the Wild" (1903). Of course, for centuries dogs have been known as "horses of the poor," and in fact are eminently more suited than horses to fast, efficient travel through snow-clad environments, as you'll discover during a dog sled presentation in Churchill, where mushing is a venerated sport (and some residents still use dog sleds for everyday transportation). You'll meet formidable (charming and irresistible) racing huskies bred for endurance, capable of hauling loads hundreds of miles through grueling environments – and their trainers, who'll clue you in on the peculiar demands of the sport, its lore and history, and the politics of dog packs. Then settle in for an exhilarating ride across the tundra that is bound to awaken the call of the wild in you... flying behind the harnessed passions of dogs born to run.

Travel aboard a special tundra vehicle to "meet the polar bears"

Days 3 and 4

Northern stars – when the polar bears come to call...

Churchill, Manitoba may not look like much, with its one main road through the middle of town (that leads eventually to nowhere). It's so remote, you can't get here except by train or plane. But it turns out that Churchill is directly in the path of an ancient invisible highway; every autumn, when Hudson Bay begins to freeze over, hundreds of polar bears pass through this terminus on an annual migration to their winter hunting grounds. Dispersed throughout the boreal forest and the tundra all summer, fasting through a "waking hibernation," they are driven by instinct and hunger to the new-formed ice, which they need to hunt seals. There are other places you might see a polar bear – but nowhere up close, from the safety of a specially designed tundra vehicle. The inquisitive giants often come right up to the vehicle, standing full height to get a better look at you.

Three days in Churchill, the world's polar bear capital

Days 2, 3 and 4

The Lazy Bear Lodge – step back to simpler times

Comfortable, cozy, rustic, simple, family owned – all of these words describe the Lazy Bear Lodge. The lodge itself is rustic, consisting of handcrafted log cabins; all rooms have a private bath / shower. Dinners around the authentic stone fireplace set the stage for story swapping – and you'll have plenty to swap with fellow travelers after a day in the tundra. Meals are memorable and homemade; if specialty dishes such as Caribou Pepper Steak or Sirloin of Muskox Rouladen don't appeal, there's always more international fare like Bruschetta Grilled Chicken or Fillet of Cod, Maui-style. Buns are baked fresh in a stone baking kiln, and the chef creates homemade desserts. No alcohol is served at the lodge but you are welcome to have a bottle in your room. Owner Wally Daudrich, an excellent naturalist / historian, enriches your stay with insights and information that reflect his deep love for this remote part of the world.

This trip was a truly outstanding and unforgettable travel experience that was conducted so well in the traditionally high Tauck standards.

Jim & Rose Owen

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Your Journey

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Includes On-Tour Air

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Discover The World

Call us, or call your travel advisor, to book your preferred departure date today – and explore our beautiful brochures to find your inspiration for your next journey.

Book Today... And Travel Dreams Begin

Discover The World

Call us, or call your travel advisor, to book your preferred departure date today – and explore our beautiful brochures to find your inspiration for your next journey.

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