He lifted his short black snout in the air to identify us. As the giant polar bear continued passed my window, I could hear the slushie steps through the unfrozen tundra mud.

The population of Churchill in Manitoba explodes during polar bear viewing season (mainly October and November) and so do the number of tours into the tundra to view the bears affectionately dubbed the “King of the North”.

With so many polar bear tours in Churchill, which one do you go with?

During my time in Churchill, I went on three separate polar bear tours and each of them vastly different. While they all remained on the flat and icy tundra (no helicopter tour) they all had pros, cons and limitations of each.

Which polar bear tour to take in Churchill will depend on what you want out of your time with these giant and skilled hunters of the arctic and sub-arctic.

Each tour company had specific pros and cons for each of its tours, but in the end, the result was the same, multiple unbearably cute bears throughout the day.

 

What are the three tours from Churchill Manitoba that I took?

All three tours were different, but the end result and mission of these tours were identical, to see polar bears, other wildlife and sights of the tundra safely and eco-friendly.

The three tours I took from Churchill are:

1. Frontiers North Tundra Buggy
2. Nanuq Operations
3. Tour from my Airbnb host and local of Churchill

I enjoyed all three of these tours for slightly different reasons and didn’t feel unsafe once on any of the tours. It all comes down to what you want from your Churchill polar bear tours.

On one hand, the AirBnB tour was myself and my partner, which was a personal tour, but it took a while to find 3 polar bears – totally worth the wait as one got as close as you’d want to be to these hunters.

Taking the Frontiers North Tundra Buggy was the other end of the spectrum. Roughly 40 visitors piled into a huge roving buggy and I was lucky enough to see 12 bears roaming the open flat Churchill Wildlife Management Area.

Nanuq Tours was in the middle of these two tours. With smaller 4×4 tires, they were limited to maintained trails around Churchill but still got to see plenty of bears, including a cub that was incredibly bored and playful.

Sure, your experience will be different than mine on whichever tour you choose, but they have their pros and cons – you can click the links above to learn about each of them more in depth, or read on for a rundown on all three of them.

 

What should I know about choosing a polar bear tour from Churchill Manitoba

Below are the biggest factors in choosing the be polar bear tundra tour from Churchill – from safety to your perspective to amenities throughout the tours.

 

Polar bear safety on Churchill tours

First thing, we need to mention the safety of polar bear tours in Churchill. Many tours have a massive focus on safety and there is a good reason. Polar bears are intelligent, powerful and skillful hunters – they are also surprisingly difficult to spot on the flat tundra. No matter how fast you are, you won’t outrun a polar bear.

If you need more convincing, just take the town of Churchill and they’re polar bear safety methods – the warning announcements, “polar bear jail” and a unique Halloween tradition in Churchill.

On top of that, unexploded ordnance (UXO), or missiles, have been found in recent year, left over from a military missile testing site in the 1950s. While you would be unlucky to encounter an explosive, they more than likely do remain in the area.

Churchill tour companies take safety seriously, for good reason(s). Depending on the tour you take, there are different safety rules to be followed.

 

Polar bear viewing perspectives

This point comes in two distinctive points, one will affect photographers more, and the other will affect all on the tour.

Let’s start with the latter. The size of these tours vary, from 2 to 40 people and there are only so many y windows to view polar bears from. This relies on everyone taking turns and passing over some amazing sights (and photography shots) to the next person. Which does happen pretty smoothly for the most part.

Speaking of photography, if you’re looking to take a tour of Churchill’s polar bears fir some great photo op’s (there are plenty no matter what tour) but the type of vehicle you visit the tundra in will change your perspective.

With one vehicle, you’re about 2 meters off the ground, another you’re at the same height as a polar bear. Not sure what I mean? Check out the image below and the descriptions for a better look at the Frontiers North Tundra Buggy. 

Even the way you view these polar bears, other wildlife and the tundra around them will differ from where you’re standing.

 

Amenities on your polar bear tour

One of the vehicles I took through the tundra, while the other two didn’t and required a bathroom break at the study research center.

On the tundra river of over 40 people, there is one restroom located on board, while the other two tours were out of regular 4×4 trucks that had no amenities.

On top of that, the only style of the three tours that included lunch was on the giant buggy. The others included a coffee refill the studies Center and snacks took with me to Churchill.

 

So, what are 3 of the best polar bear tours from Churchill Manitoba?

As I talked about above, these three tours are very, very different. But they all have the same end-game goal. To see polar bears, and hopefully other tundra animals and some scenic views.

Here is a short run down of what to expect in each of the three-day adventures from Churchill – for more information about each, you can click the links at the top of this post to go to the full walkthrough!

 

Frontiers North Tundra Buggy

By far the largest of the 3 tours to look for polar bears in Churchill I took. It was also the most expensive. But it was all well worth it in the end.

These tundra rovers of Churchill seat more than 40 passengers in each. So the viewpoints get a little congested, but I didn’t miss out on a single sight. In fact, by the end, many people were nowhere near as excited in viewing their 12^th polar bear or weren’t racing to the window.

That means you will have no shortage of views of these polar hunters. As well as a number of other tundra animals, including arctic foxes and hares.

While these buggys are huge, you get as close as you want to these hunters. They are incredibly comfortable with the unmistakable white buggys presence. Close enough you can see them blink and raise their nose to sniff you.

You’re elevated out of reach from the giant padded paws with sharp claws. This means you’re unreachable by the bears – probably explains why they are so calm and don’t seem to mind about anything.

Lunch is included around the halfway point of the tour and is served on the buggy – you should make any dietary restrictions beforehand (like when you book).

 

Nanuq Tours

A much smaller tour through the tundra of Churchill. While Nanuq Tours have a number of vehicles on the road every day, you’re in a regular 4×4, with a driver/guide and, at most 4 passengers.

This means you have a window 100% of the time. There’s no guarantee the polar bear will choose your window to walk close to, but being a small and able vehicle, you’ll get some amazing sights.

There are a few advantages to this smaller tour, and one is the price ta ($350 CAD) This tour lasts all day and covers a lot of ground – where you actually visit depends on where wildlife (mainly bears) are spotted.

While there is no lunch served in the vehicle, a trip to the Churchill Northern Studies Center is a great place for a coffee and bathroom break. I do suggest bringing snacks for the day – you don’t have to have to leave an active polar bear doing something interesting due to lack of food.

If you’re a photographer, even an amateur like myself, you might know the view of being at eye height of these massive bears creates a much different image when captured. Being at the same height as a polar bear makes for a more natural shot.

Another advantage is you’re able to leave this vehicle and step on the tundra – at the discretion of the guide who must have a shotgun in hand. Yes, if your guide allows, you can exit the vehicle, but you must stay close to your shotgun-wielding guide at all times.

You can also visit many places around the town of Churchill and seeing the tour I’d much smaller than the roving buggys, it’s much more tailored to you and your small group.

 

Air BnB Tour

This isn’t a regularly offered tour but it is worth mentioning as another option – but in my opinion, only as a last resort.

If you’ve been unlucky to not see a polar bear so far in these two tours, some residents run a bed and breakfast and also offer small tours into the tundra for an hour or two. This is a great way to see more of Churchill and possible more bears and other wildlife.

However, this isn’t a full-day tour, so your time frame to view some bears is much more limited.

You will tour the area in a 4×4, but lack the ability to leave the vehicle (there will be no shotgun-wielding guide by your side).

But in saying that, I did have a great experience of three polar bears, one of which got so close I could hear the footsteps of the giant, sloshing in the mud beside my window.

 

Video on picking the best polar bear tour from Churchill in Canada

This short video looks at footage from all three polar bear tours from Churchill in Canada. You’ll notice some of the video looks like it’s taken higher than the polar bear (or other animals) this is probably because it’s taken on board the Frontiers Nort Tundra Buggy (they are elevated to stop polar bears from getting on board).

If you enjoyed this video, make sure you subscribe to the Youtube Channel (use the button in the top left hand corner of the video).

 

Conclusion of the best polar bear tour in Churchill, Manitoba

So, what polar bear tour in Manitoba is right for you? I would suggest the Tundra Buggy or Nanuq Tours and a tour with a local as a last resort.

There are many polar bear tour operators in Churchill, Manitoba, and through research, these three experiences were unforgettable, for slightly different reasons.

In the end, the result is the same – you get to spend time close to the largest hunter in the arctic, and they are every bit as unbearably majestic as you think!

 

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Thanks for reading!

Happy and safe travels,

Ben – Horizon Unknown