Cheap Polar Bear tours Churchill: How we stay longer for less money
Published on: January 10, 2025
Way back in the year 2003 we started our detailed research on polar bear safaris in Churchill, and it did not take long to understand why even all those years ago, polar bear tours in Churchill were so expensive compared to other Canada wildlife holidays. There are several elements you must bring together to create a successful Churchill polar bear tour. Firstly transport from Winnipeg to Churchill, secondly booking at least two Tundra Buggy tours for your polar bear watching and then finally securing accommodation in Churchill at the right time of year. This blog will provide you with the key information to stay longer in Churchill, enjoy more Churchill wildlife activities and stay in some really cool accommodation. Firstly, I would like to talk to you about the difference between the early Churchill season, compared to peak season in Churchill as this is really crucial and why should you overpay to visit at a time when there will be less polar bear activity?
When does the Churchill Polar Bear season start?
It starts in the first week of October and we were very familiar with this period because one of our signature Canada wildlife holidays was specifically designed to finish in Churchill for what we called the early season. This allowed our travellers to see all three native species of Canadian bears in one amazing 2 week trip.
However, it was important to set realistic expectations for what type of Churchill polar bear tour they could expect and this has become even more important in recent years due to global warming. If you take two Tundra Buggy tours during the first 2 weeks of October you are likely to see approximately 2 to 4 bears during the long days out on the Tundra. It’s not the fact the polar bears are not around, it is just that they will not head to the coast until the colder weather arrives and it is better for them to hunker down and conserve energy. Some polar bears are attracted to town because of the smell of food and sadly, even the local dump – which due to a fire in the underground facility in 2024 is not currently fully protecting the waste from the bears.
When is Peak Churchill Polar Bear Season and what makes it so special?
The dates for peak Polar Bear season are a little more confusing and we personally feel that some of the larger Churchill Tundra Buggy companies are not being as transparent as they should be. In the early 2000’s peak season would be from the third week in October until the middle of November. However the warming climate is affecting these polar and sub polar regions faster than many other parts of the world. I remember vividly our Calm Air flight landing in Churchill on October 31st 2006 and we had balmy temperatures of around 8C, when it should have been below zero at that time. Fortunately, towards the end of our Polar Bear tour we not only enjoyed colder temperatures, but also a big dump of snow, which meant we had a fantastic Tundra Buggy tour with more than 10 polar bear sightings throughout the day, as well as Arctic Fox and Arctic Hare.
We now only organise our photography small group Churchill polar bear safaris in the first 2 weeks of November; sometimes finishing as late as November 19/20 and this has resulted in some spectacular polar bear encounters – over 50 encounters in November 2024 – and also great winter backdrops for our photography.
Train to Churchill from Thompson: How we created our first cheap Polar Bear tour
Back in 2003 we found a reliable bus service between Winnipeg and Thompson – the last main road stop north – and then hopped on the train to Churchill. The cheapest way to travel on the train is to purchase a regular, reclining seat from the VIA rail website and try to get as much sleep as possible; in what sometimes can be a rowdy atmosphere. The advantage of travelling from Thompson is you only have one night on the train, rather than the two required if you board the train from Winnipeg. Unless you are a hardcore traveller please believe us when we say that 2 nights in standard class is not much fun and for the full journey between Winnipeg and Churchill we would highly recommend booking a cabin. The problem with that though is there are very few cabins available and they sell out pretty much as soon as the dates open, so you better be fast.
One final point is that ticket prices for cabins on the train to Churchill are very expensive – a little cheaper than flying with Calm Air – but not a huge savings when you consider there is always a chance of delays on the train and also that not everyone as the 3 extra days available to make it fit in with their holiday leave. We took the train for the first time in November 2023 and shared a 3 berth cabin. The cabin was great, the food served on the train pretty awful and the best wildlife sightings were very much on the final day, when we were lucky enough to see Red Foxes and our first Moose of the entire trip.
Accommodation in Churchill: Why pay big money to stay in a souless motel?
So securing accommodation in Churchill is a huge problem and that is simply because the two main Churchill tour operators who ‘dominate the landscape’ block book pretty much all the motel space in town years in advance. Independent travellers will then only have their chance for a room when that space is released last minute. The problem with that is you may not have any spaces left on the Tundra Buggy tours and find yourself scrambling to book a 4X4 Churchill bear tour with one of the local companies.
Back in around 2017 we realised there were a handful of good quality Churchill B&B’s looking to move more towards an AirBnB style rental for their properties. Since Wildlife Trails tour leaders love to cook and didn’t want to chase around Churchill town trying to find a free table for our group, we decided that this was the way to go. Not only would we book out an entire B&B for our groups but we would also stay 6/7 nights there and include a much greater variety of Churchill bear tours compared to the big package operators like Frontiers North and Natural Habitat. We were amazed to see that when we brough all these elements together our 7 day tour was cheaper than their 3 or 4 days tours. This means our clients can have more time in this cool Frontier town and fit in two Tundra Buggy tours, three half-day 4X4 photography on foot polar bear safaris, and one amazing nightime dog sledding experience with a chance to see the Aurora. Check out our late season cheap polar bear tour here.
A Cheap polar bear tour in Churchill: What do expect on our group tour in November
Firstly, despite the high cost of the Calm Air flights between Winnipeg and Churchill we still prefer this transport option over the train. The train is simply lot reliable enough and the cost savings when you compare a flight to a cabin (100% you need one for the full journey!) are not that significant.
Secondly, we book an entire bed and breakfast property for our group of 7 to 8 travellers. These are cozy warm rooms in a rustic log style property with the chance to see Northern Light on those rare November nights when you have clear skies. All breakfasts are taken care of by our host and your UK tour leader, Allan Blanchard, will cook the majority of the meals in an open plan spacious kitchen/sitting room area.
Allan has access to his own 4X4 vehicle which he uses to transport clients from Goose Creek to Churchill town where the Frontiers North Tundra Buggy tours start from. This is not just a transfer, this is a mini polar bear safari so keep your eyes open and cameras ready. One morning we were lucky enough to see Arctic Fox and a Polar Bear close to the railway tracksjust outside of town. Don’t worry, no animals were injured, as the trains only come 2 or 3 times a week and move very slowly.
For the last few polar bear group tours we have stayed 6 nights/7 days in Churchill and booked a combination of Tundra Buggy tours and 4X4 vehicle safaris. They are both great for polar bear watching but the experience is very different due to the fact that for the 4X4 tours we can get out of the vehicle and photograph polar bears on foot – this is truely exhilerating and raw but always done in an ethical way with two polar bear monitors always on hand to make sure we are safe and return to the vehicle when the bears reach a certain distance.
Because the Tundra Buggies are normally pretty full and can be a little crowded, having just 3 or 4 clients in a 4X4 provides a more personal feel, and you get plenty of time to interact with your expert nature guide. So, with this in mind, we have settled on a tour that includes two Tundra Buggy tours and three 4×4 safaris which we feel is the perfect balance for an extended Churchill polar bear tour.
Dog Sledding Churchill: Seeing Northern Lights with the dogs was the ultimate.
In November 2024 we ran two back to back small group Churchill polar bear safaris and what we like to do is throw in a ‘surprise’ dog sledding tour towards the end of our trip. We head out of town for about 20 minutes and arrive at a rustic cabin far from the light pollution of Churchill,;so if there are Aurora we have a better chance to see them.
For our first group this year the clients were closely following the level of activity on their Aurora phone apps and we started to get excited when we saw that the maximum activity was due the night of the Churchill dog sledding tour. As soon as we arrived at the log cabin we could see the intense green swirls and through the phone pictures some pink as well. I will never forget how amazing it was to be ‘running’ with the husky dogs in the sleds as the Northern Lights danced around the Boreal Forest. What an intense and magical experience our group shared that night and one we would remember for the rest of our lives.
How to stay warm and safe on your Churchill wildlife tour and safari
Since Wildlife Trails time their group tours to maximize the number of polar bear encounters, it will come as no surprise that the town itself sees the maximum number of bears entering the community when we are there, and it is our duty not only to protect ourselves but help the bears by not putting ourselves in danger.
Familiarization walks
Firstly, the tour leader will do a walk with the group around town on the first day to familiarize everyone with the town layout and the clearly marked boundaries (polar bear signs) which you cannot walk past due to the increased chance of meeting polar bears.
No walking during the night
During the hours of darkness vehicles will be used to transport clients either early in the morning for planned activities, or in the evenings for restaurant meals.
Why you must listen to your Polar Bear guide when photographing
Polar bears can run up to 40km/hr which simply put means if you are out of a vehicle photographing it is critical that you listen to the expert local guides about when to return and enter the vehicle for your safety. It is also possible to get great photos from the vehicle itself if you feel nervous, or have walking issues and this will all be explained before we head out on the 4X4 vehicle safaris as part of a safety briefing. Due to the many layers, you will be wearing and the wind sometimes blocking the sound of our voices, we must stay together and close to the vehicle when photographing polar bears on foot. Yes, it is thrilling, but your safety is our number one concern and we also do not want to cause an incident that would create a behavior by the polar bear which would mean them becoming a problem for the local authorities – this is absolutely key to our respectful and ethical approach to polar bear viewing and we only work with companies who understand this and are strict about it.
The dangers of compacted ice in Churchill and advice on kit to prevent falls
When we walk around Churchill, we walk along the edges of the road which is cleared with snow ploughs. As well as vehicles, many locals use snowmobiles and their use, as well as many people walking along these ‘walkways’ causes the snow to compact and become very slippy. I have seen many people slip, including locals, and of course that can be very dangerous if you hit your head, or fall awkwardly. Some of our clients in November 2023 had the silicon stretch crampons which come in a ‘general size’ and simply stretch over your boots and provide those extra crampon-like studs which make a big difference to stability when walking on ice. We highly recommend you buy some for this trip and let’s hope there is snow for you to use them 🙂
