When Churchill crosses the street, always look both ways, not just at oncoming traffic. A polar bear may wander the roads of a subArctic town home to more people than the planet’s largest land carnivore. Churchill is the “polar bear capital of the world” and the southernmost place where you can see these wild animals.

While the beautiful creatures are the destination’s biggest draw, there’s plenty more to experience here. First, you’ll want to look up. Churchill has an average of 300 nights a year to see the Northern Lights, which lie directly below the Northern Aurora Ellipse. If spotting beluga whales is your top priority, Churchill has it too. This area is home to the world’s largest beluga whale migration. In high season, you can see playful baby dolphins splashing in the mouth of the Churchill River.

Churchill is a small town with plenty of big adventures to make your trek well worth it. The hardest part is choosing which natural wonder you want to see first. To help you plan the ultimate trip to Churchill, Manitoba, here are some tips on how to get there, the best times to go, and the most incredible things to see and do.

How to get to Churchill

Adjacent to Hudson Bay, Churchill is Canada’s northernmost seaport, about 87 miles from the border that connects Manitoba and Nunavut. The remote town needs road access and can only be reached by plane or train. It takes about two hours to fly from Winnipeg to Churchill and 48 hours by train.

While air services are available year-round, you must book early to secure your seat. For the best experience, consider going through a tour operator such as Frontier North, which offers all-inclusive multi-day packages that include private charter flights in and out of Churchill, as well as all meals, accommodation, and Tours for the duration of your stay.

The best time to visit Churchill

Beluga whales, bears, Northern Lights? When planning a visit to Churchill, you first want to determine which natural wonders you want to prioritize, as each natural wonder has a particular season.

For example, fall (October-November) is the best time to see polar bears, as they cruise along the Hudson Bay coast at this time of year, and the ice is expected to freeze. If you choose the right time (mid to late October), you can see these hardy creatures before the snow falls, when the landscape is covered in autumn colors. Snow and ice settle on the ground from mid-to-late November, creating a different backdrop – an all-white winter wonderland. Winter (February to March) is the best time to see the Northern Lights because there are fewer clouds on cold, clear nights. During the warm summer months (July-August), thousands of boisterous beluga whales flock to the mouth of the Churchill River to feed, give birth, and play.

The best thing about Churchill

I am hunting polar bears in the sub-Arctic tundra.

At the northern tip of Manitoba, a Canadian sub-Arctic safari awaits you. Polar bears can be found in remote areas of the five Arctic countries, from Norway to Greenland. However, the adventure of watching these animals hop across their natural habitat is closer than you might think. Churchill is the southernmost point in the world to see polar bears in the wild, which makes it more accessible.

Located in a freshwater bay, Churchill is a good place for polar bears because it allows them to find a food source earlier. This is where ice first forms and last melts, making it a year-round paradise for polar bears who, unlike other bears, do not hibernate. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, about 1,000 polar bears are roaming freely in the area, so there’s no shortage of animals to see.

Due to the tundra’s sensitive environment and the animals’ predatory nature, venturing in the polar bears cannot be done by foot or car, so taking a tundra off-road vehicle is the best way. The Tundra Buggy – the original tundra vehicle invented by Northern Frontier more than 30 years ago – not only drives over rugged terrain but also gives visitors exclusive access to the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA), the most likely place to see animals. Towering trucks are also sustainable. Last year, Frontier North unveiled the world’s first all-electric tundra off-road vehicle and plans to retrofit all cars over the next 10 years.

Make friends with the Beluga whale on the boat.

During the summer, the warm and shallow waters of the Churchill River estuary invite thousands of beluga whales to breed and feed, making it easy to spot spectacular Marine life from land or sea. Tours like the Northern Frontier’s Beluga Whale, Bear, and Flower Tour can see (and hear) the “canaries of the Sea” on the beach or a boat, with the zodiac, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and powerboat viewing options. In the summer, you can even see polar bears, which begin to swim ashore after months of searching the ice at sea.

Marvel at the Northern Lights.

Cast your eyes above the sky to observe the phenomenon known as the Northern Lights. For up to 300 nights a year, dancing waves of light cloud Churchill’s sky, thanks to the town’s remote location close to the oval aurora overhead. On a “Northern Frontier” tour, you can see the dark sky wonders at five unique places in the Churchill area, including Dan’s Restaurant, an exclusive tundra wagon restaurant in the tundra.