I traveled to Arctic Canada during late October several years ago and wrote about Churchill, Canada being the Polar Bear Capital of the world (review).
What brought on this travel memory?
We enjoyed seeing polar bears so much in Churchill and enjoyed browsing through the trip pictures on and off (see image below).
I encouraged a friend to visit Churchill last week and was able to find award tickets to Winnipeg and Churchill with Aeroplan miles.
The peak polar viewing season is short lived, between mid-October to mid-November when the Hudson Bay starts to freeze allowing polar bears to walk towards Arctic.
Steps involved to see polar bears in Churchill
Below I will briefly list the typical steps & costs involved in planning a Churchill Polar Bear viewing trip. For a detailed trip report, please refer to my earlier post (review).
1. Reserve a Tundra Polar bear Tour
- I recommend booking the tour a few months in advance for $522.50 (tax included) CDN ($375 USD) per person (link).
2. Find flights to Winnipeg Airport (YWG).
- I recommend spending a night each way to make sure of the expensive connections to Churchill or find a longer connection.
- Winnipeg award flights can be easily booked with LifeMiles or Aeroplan (see images below).
3. Book a Calm Air flight from YWG to Churchill (YYQ).
- Calm Air flights are overpriced, but roundtrip flights can be booked with 15K Aeroplan miles. You must call Calm Air at (800-839-2256) and request to use Aeroplan miles for the booking.
4. Find accommodation in Churchill for a few days
Try Airbnb (link) to find accommodation in Churchill with a private bathroom.
Conclusion
A trip to see polar bears in Churchill will give you lasting memories for life and must be experienced by all travelers. Tundra Buggy rides to see polar bears are expensive, but the airfare can be easily booked by transferring Amex or Chase points to Aeroplan.