At a Glance
Especially curated for wildlife and aspiring and professional photographers, this exciting itinerary offers unmatched ground-level opportunities to capture polar bears, wolves and a host of other fascinating Arctic wildlife all amidst a wintry landscape. Embark on 5 to 10km challenging walks everyday, witness and capture stunning sceneries and phenomena, encounter fascinating wildlife, taste out-of-this-world dishes and wines, and traverse the beautiful landscapes of the Arctic on this astounding 7 days polar bear photo walking safari with pristine northern lights viewing opportunities.
Your spectacular adventure begins with an overnight in Winnipeg, for a next morning flight to Churchill where your photo safari adventure begins. Embark on a 1 hour scenic flight, offering stunning aerial photo opportunities of wildlife including the majestic polar bears from up above, to your remote home for the ...
Trip Highlights
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What's Included
- 6 nights accommodation on a twin share basis
- Roundtrip airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba
- Roundtrip airfare between Churchill and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
- All meals as specified
- Excursions, activities and guide services while in Churchill and at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
- Winter gear including winter pants, boots and parka
Itinerary
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Arrive in Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. In this city where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet, you will have an overnight at the charmingly boutique, The Grand by Lakeview, conveniently located at the Winnipeg airport. Spend time unwinding and come 5pm gather together to mingle with the rest of your travel companions for gear fitting and collection. Tonight, be treated to a delicious dinner hosted by your representative guide and bask in the anticipation and celebration for the adventure ahead. |
The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel, Winnipeg 
Dinner |
Enjoy a delightful breakfast before an early morning flight to Churchill where you’ll be greeted by your guide on arrival. Embark on a fixed wing aircraft for a 1 hour scenic flight over the spectacular Wapsuk National Park and the historic York Factory enroute to your remote home, the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Keep your eyes peeled and cameras ready for incredible widllife spotting including the majestic polar from up above. |
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On arrival, your host will take you on a tour around the lodge, flaunting its excellent features and giving you a sneak peek into the hospitality that awaits. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is situated next to pristine Arctic waters on Hudson Bay with Canada’s Boreal Forest. Marvel at the diverse ecosystem surrounding the lodge where Canadian icons like polar bears, black bears, wolves and moose that meander pass and call this place home. With intimacy of just 8 guest rooms, unwind in your cosy ensuite rooms or mingle in the communal dining room or lounge area that overlooks the stunning Bay.
Be briefed on a thorough orientation on travelling in polar bear country before any outings. Then it’s time to assemble your cameras, hard drives, and tripods and start shooting.
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Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, Churchill Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner  |
Enjoy delicious breakfasts in the mornings, after which your guides will outline a plan for the day’s excursions. Note that you may need to adjust your daily schedule to get maximum photography time and opportunities. The Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is a wildly craggy and secluded location inviting the photographer to spend long hours in the field getting up close and personal, at ground level with Arctic wildlife. The Lodge’s shoreline location is perfect for photographing bears on snow and ice, and on clear nights provides excellent chances for northern lights photography. |
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Come evenings, relish appetizers followed by a chef-prepared dinner affair highlighting tundra-inspired cuisine boasting local ingredients and recipes from best-selling Blueberries and Polar Bears cookbook series. Dine with paired hand selected Canadian wines and finish with mouth-watering desserts. End your evenings, unwinding by the fireplace, downloading images, sharing the day’s adventures, or taking an educational lecture or slide show.
Bedtime is at your leisure, and you can trust that you won’t be missing out on anything. Staff will monitor the compound and skies and be ready to rouse you if the aurora or nocturnal polar bear appears.
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Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, Churchill Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
A delicious hearty breakfast at the lodge sets the pace before your flight back to Churchill. Remember to keep your cameras handy as the flight always promises to inspire photo-worthy moments and sights from up above. Upon arrival, spend the day exploring Churchill and the neighbouring area with a tour guide and learn about its rich history as a seaport and ex-military town. Along the way, you’ll visit the Parks Canada exhibit, the Itsanitaq Museum, and the Polar Bear Jail. En route, marvel at murals that were commissioned in 2016 as part of the SeaWalls mural festival that your guide will point out. Before convening for a group dinner, spend free time to shop for last-minute souvenirs at the unique gift stores in Churchill. Come evening, fly south to Winnipeg and retreat back to where it all began at The Grand Hotel, conveniently located at Winnipeg airport. |
The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel, Winnipeg Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
This morning, bid farewell to an incredible adventure filled with memories and photos reflecting an incredible arctic wildlife safari. Depart Winnipeg at your own leisure for your onward journey. NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation. |
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Dates & Prices
Please contact us for group bookings. Single Supplement is available on request.
More Info
- The departure and finish point is Winnipeg
- Major commercial flights provide convenient access to Winnipeg. The closest major airport is Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport and is 8 km from the center of Winnipeg.
Challenging 5-10 km walking per day in cold and/or extreme weather and/or snow
Churchill, Manitoba has a moderately dry climate with sharp seasonal temperature changes. Winter temperatures of about −40 °F (−40 °C) may occasionally occur in any part of the province, and summer days of 100 °F (38 °C) are not unusual in the southern regions. During the month of June and August you are most likely to experience good days with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and 25 degrees Celsius (77°F). The coldest month is January with an average maximum temperature of -11°C (12°F).
Single guests can sign up to share a room with another person of the same gender at the regular rate per person based on double occupancy.
Onlyluxe Travel acts as travel agency and work with different tour operators.
Payment Detail
All pricing is in Australian dollars and are quoted on a per person twin share basis. A supplementary price is available (see below). Bookings are not confirmed until full payment and the signed Booking Form has been received by Onlyluxe Travel.
A non-refundable 30% deposit is payable within 7 days of your booking, with the final balance due 120 days prior to departure. If a booking is made 120 days or less before departure, the full payment is payable immediately. Last minute bookings are payable before arrival. Failure to pay on time may result in automatic cancellation of a booking with cancellation penalties payable to Onlyluxe Travel. If you pay by credit card or PayPal a surcharge will be added to the total price.
Single Supplement
All accommodation is twin share. Single guests will share with someone of the same gender. If a single room is demanded, a supplementary price of will apply. The supplementary price refers to our quotation and needs to be stipulated at the time of booking.
General Cancellation Policies
- Outside of 120 days monies will be refunded less 30% of full fee
- Within 120 days prior to arrival all monies will be forfeited
- No refunds will be given in the event of non-arrival, any unused services or unused nights due to flight or weather disruption
- We strongly recommend guests protect themselves with travel insurance and medical insurance
Please Note: Cancellations must be advised in email and will take effect from the date they are received.
We strongly recommend guests protect themselves with travel insurance.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions and Age Limits
You need to advise the tour operator on any pre-existing medical condition, mobility impairment and/or disability that might reasonably be expected to increase the risk of your requiring medical attention, or that might affect the normal conduct of a trip and the enjoyment of other trip members. The tour operator may require an assessment of your medical condition from a qualified medical practitioner. If you fail to adequately notify the tour operator of any pre-existing medical conditions and/or disability, the tour operator reserves the right, at its reasonable discretion, to cancel your participation in a trip at any time, including after the commencement of your trip, with no right of refund if your medical condition, mobility impairment and/or disability could be reasonably expected to affect the normal conduct of the trip and the enjoyment of other trip members.
Liability
The participant agrees to indemnify Onlyluxe Travel, and its servant, tour operator and agents, in relation to any liability, loss and damage which the tour operator, or its servants and/or agents may incur as a result of the participants, negligence or misconduct during the tour.
Smoking is not permitted on the bus, or in tents or in other accommodation being used by tour operator at the time that a trip is being conducted.
Child Policy
Please consult travel consultant on age limit.
Changes to Itineraries
Local conditions may necessitate changes to sightseeing, walking and driving routes, camping and accommodation locations. While every effort will be made to provide the services and experiences as offered in our brochure, on our website, and in our trip letters, we reserve the right to vary your itinerary. In the event that we are forced to change your arrangements, substitute arrangements of a similar standard will be provided. The tour operator will not be liable where interruptions to itineraries are caused by weather conditions, technical problems to transport used by the tour operator, industrial action, political or civil commotion or other circumstances beyond our control. We refer you to the conditions regarding travel insurance.
Changes in Prices
While we will do its utmost to honour its pricing unforeseen circumstances may mean that prices may be subject to change without notice.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions and Age Limits
You need to advise Onlyluxe travel and the tour operator on any pre-existing medical condition, mobility impairment and/or disability that might reasonably be expected to increase the risk of your requiring medical attention, or that might affect the normal conduct of a trip and the enjoyment of other trip members. Onlyluxe Travel and the tour operator may require an assessment of your medical condition from a qualified medical practitioner. If you fail to adequately notify the tour operator of any pre-existing medical conditions and/or disability, the tour operator reserves the right, at its reasonable discretion, to cancel your participation in a trip at any time, including after the commencement of your trip, with no right of refund if your medical condition, mobility impairment and/or disability could be reasonably expected to affect the normal conduct of the trip and the enjoyment of other trip members.
Cancellation by The Tour Operator
The walks take place in very special wilderness settings. The tour operator is at the mercy of nature in all her beauty and all her fury. The tour operator will under no circumstance knowingly place at risk the health and well-being of our guests and guides. In the case of natural threats, acts of God and the like (e.g. bushfires, impassable snow, etc) the tour operator may need to cancel a walk with very little notice. In some cases, this can occur after the walk has commenced. The tour operator reserves the right to cancel any walk up to 60 days prior to departure if the minimum number is unable to meet for a tour. If the tour operator needs to cancel for any reason, the cost of the walk or any other costs associated with travel to the designated pick up point, overnight accommodation, meals, etc will not be covered by the Onlyluxe Travel and therefore we strongly recommend travel insurance be taken out prior to travel.
Force Majeure
'Force Majeure' means (without restriction) any event which Onlyluxe Travel or its third party providers could not, even with due care, foresee or avoid. Force Majeure covers events such as, but not limited to, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events beyond our control. In the case of Force Majeure Onlyluxe Travel will not accept liability, and reserves the right to change and cancel trips.
Evacuations
In rare circumstances, due to injury or unforeseen illness, the tour operator may need to evacuate you from a remote part of the walk. Helicopter evacuations are expensive and in most cases will be at a cost to the customer.
For Australian residents, under the Australian Government Medicare Act, it is prohibited for any domestic travel insurance product to provide any financial reimbursement with regard to ambulance or air ambulance services. We therefore strongly advise our customers to take specific ambulance cover through their health insurance provider. Evacuation cost will not be covered by the Onlyluxe Travel and therefore it is also strongly recommended that our customers take out travel insurance to cover (amongst other things) the costs associated with evacuation.
Travel Insurance
In view of the heavy cancellation penalties applied to cancelled reservations in certain circumstances, we strongly recommends suitable travel insurance be purchased at the time the holding deposit is paid. We recommend insurance cover that covers any loss which may be suffered due to cancellation. We also strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance against loss of baggage and medical expenses.
