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
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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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About Booking This Tour

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How to Book a Tour

See your travel advisor, or call Tauck at 800-468-2825 to make a reservation.


At the time of booking, please have the following information ready for all members of your party:

  • Tour Name and Departure Date
  • Traveler's Name: First and last names as they appear on your passport or driver's license
  • Traveler's Address(es)
  • Email Address*
  • Traveler's Phone Number(s)*
  • Emergency Contact Information: Please provide the name and phone number of a relative or friend (not travelling with you) whom we could contact during the tour in the unlikely event of an emergency
  • Interest in purchasing a travel protection plan (US and Canada)
  • Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
  • Interest in our specially negotiated airfares

 

* Required Fields

Deposits & Final Payment

Deposits:

The deposit and the fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking.

The deposit amount is $700 per person

 

Final Payment:

Final Payment for Land Journeys is due at Tauck's Wilton Woods, CT office 60 days before departure. Any bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice.

Travel Protection Plan

Effective for plans purchased as of July 1, 2021:

Tauck's Guest Protection

Tauck's Guest Protection provides you with cancellation protection before your journey begins as well as insurance benefits while you are traveling. Guest Protection includes the following:

Cancellation Waiver – Provided by Tauck:

Under Tauck's Cancellation Fee Waiver you can cancel your tour for ANY REASON up to the day before departure and receive a money-back refund (except in Extreme Circumstances*) on the land tour cost, based on your original method of payment.

*Extreme Circumstances: In the event of an act of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, accident, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other event or circumstance beyond our control that contributes to or results in cancellation rates above our historical cancellation rates in the absence of such event or occurrence, Tauck reserves the right to issue a credit to you in lieu of a money-back refund, applicable to a future Tauck journey.

Travel Insurance Benefits – Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

  • Trip Cancellation – If you must cancel your tour due to a covered reason, the plan provides coverage for the amount you paid for your travel arrangements. Since the non-insurance cancellation waiver takes care of the land package cancellation fees already, this benefit reimburses the airfare cancellation charges up to the value of your original airfare purchase.

  • Trip Interruption – If you have to interrupt your tour for covered reasons, the plan provides reimbursement to catch up to your tour or return home.

  • Travel Delay – Provides reimbursement for missed, prepaid travel arrangements if you are delayed by a common carrier, natural disaster, unannounced strike, or other reasons as cited in the plan.

  • Medical Expense – Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred in the event you become injured or sick during your trip. 

  • Baggage / Personal Effects Protection – Provides reimbursement in the event your luggage or personal effects are, lost, stolen, damaged or delayed during your trip.

  • Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services – Provided by Carefree Travel Assistance; 24-hour emergency telephone assistance hotline for medical and travel related problems.

The cost of Tauck's Guest Protection is: $649 per person

This protection provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

This optional Guest Protection must be requested at time of booking and fee must be included with initial payment. Fees are based on costs as of July 2021, and are subject to change. Details will be provided with written confirmation of your tour reservation. Guest Protection does not protect travel agent commissions. Reimbursements will be made according to original method of payment. The amount of any refund shall be reduced by any recoveries obtained by you from any third parties.

The Guest Protection plan waives cancellation fees outlined below, provided we are notified of cancellation before your tour departs. Tour cancellation fees are waived regardless of reason, without written notice, and Tauck will refund land tour cost.

To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance that contains the complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the certificate, visit  affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL.

 

 

If You Have To Cancel

If you cancel within 10 days of initial deposit

Within the first 10 days after you place your initial deposit, you may cancel your reservation for any reason with no cancellation fees.

If you cancel more than 10 days after initial deposit

Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. These fees vary from tour to tour. Therefore, the following fees apply.

 

Cancellation Fees with Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

Loss of Guest Protection fee, per person

 

Cancellation Fees without Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

60 days or more before departure = $700 per person

59-30 days before departure = $2670 per person

29-1 days before departure = $3560 per person

 

Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Wilton Woods, CT office.

In the event of an unforeseen circumstance beyond our control, Tauck reserves the right to amend the cancellation terms outlined herein.

Note: All Guests, regardless of residency, who book a Tauck journey have the option of purchasing the Cancellation Waiver provided by Tauck in the event they need to cancel their trip after making their reservations. Tauck's Guest Protection, which includes both the Cancellation Fee Waiver and the Travel Insurance Benefits and Assistance Services described above, is not available to residents of Puerto Rico. 

Travel Terms and Conditions

Click here to find Tauck's Travel Terms & Conditions.

Travel Requirements For This Tour

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The Tauck Experience

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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.

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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