Guide talks to a polar bear at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Jad Davenport photo.
On the rugged shores of Hudson Bay, where the vast northern wilderness meets the historic waters of the Arctic, one name has defined authentic polar bear encounters for generations: Churchill Wild is the world’s premier provider of ground-level polar bear tours and safaris.
A Legacy of Proximity
Scarbrow has visited Dymond Lake Ecolodge for 14 of the past 15 years. Jianguo Xie photo.
With over 50 years of experience walking with polar bears and a family history that spans nearly a century on the Hudson Bay coast, Churchill Wild’s roots run as deep as the permafrost. Since pioneering polar bear walking safaris in 1993, Churchill Wild has perfected what others merely imitate — true ground-level encounters with the Arctic’s apex predator.
This isn’t about glimpsing bears from elevated platforms or crowded vans. This isn’t about distant sightings from the deck of a boat in Svalbard, where polar bears appear as mere specks on distant ice floes. This is about standing on the same earth, breathing the same Arctic air, feeling the same primordial connection our ancestors felt when they first encountered these magnificent creatures.
Our permanent Arctic luxury ecolodges, the only ones on the Hudson Bay coast, stand as beacons of refined wilderness immersion, places where time slows and nature envelops you completely. While others advertise “longer stays” in town accommodations, we offer something fundamentally different: total immersion in polar bear territory.
Three Extraordinary Wilderness Havens
L to R: Seal River Heritage Lodge, Dymond Lake Ecolodge, Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
Each of our three exclusive ecolodges offers a distinctive perspective on the Arctic’s most captivating environments:
Seal River Heritage Lodge: Our flagship location stands at the epicentre of polar bear migration routes, 60 km north of Churchill. Recognized as one of the original National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World, Seal River offers panoramic views of Hudson Bay from its expansive windows and viewing platforms. The rocky shoreline, surrounding tidal flats, and eskers create a dynamic landscape where polar bears travel in extraordinary numbers, Arctic and red foxes abound depending on nature’s cycle, and sik-siks scurry from hill to hill socializing.
Its prime location near the Seal River Estuary makes it ideal for viewing beluga whales in July and August, and also the only place on earth where you can see polar bears hunting beluga whales. Read Tripadvisor.com Reviews for Seal River Heritage Lodge.
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge: Positioned 250 km south of Churchill at the convergence of the boreal forest and coastal tundra, Nanuk provides unprecedented access to a rare dual habitat where polar bears, black bears, wolves, and moose roam in remarkable proximity, offering a wildly unique perspective on these magnificent creatures and the interactions between them.
The elusive wolverines and red and cross foxes are also spotted at Nanuk. Recognized as an early member of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World collection when that program was in operation, Nanuk is a soulful place 40 km east of where the fur trade began at York factory over 300 years ago, and many guests report they can feel the Nanuk “magic” while out on excursions. Read Tripadvisor.com Reviews for Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
Dymond Lake Ecolodge: Located 30 km north of Churchill, this lodge is steeped in Churchill Wild’s founding history and is where our culinary tradition was born. Positioned near the treeline of the boreal forest, Dymond Lake offers a perfect balance of tundra and forest exploration, with polar bears often passing within feet of the lodge’s protective fence.
The wildlife here includes polar bears, moose, fox, pine marten, snowy owls, and even the elusive wolverine. Here, the northern lights dance overhead with particular brilliance, unhindered by competing light sources, as they do at Seal River Heritage Lodge and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Read Tripadvisor.com Reviews for Dymond Lake Ecolodge.
A standard room at the Blueberry Inn allows guests to experience the same comfort they find at our remote ecolodges.
For guests wishing to extend their Arctic experience or requiring accommodation in Churchill itself, our new Blueberry Inn provides the same exceptional level of comfort and service found at our remote lodges, and a seamless transition that maintains the Churchill Wild standard throughout your journey.
In contrast, many polar bear tours offer either elevated tundra vehicle experiences, distant boat-based viewing, or town-based accommodations that necessitate daily excursions. While these options each offer their own perspective on these magnificent creatures, and we proudly partner with respected operators like Frontiers North for select Tundra Buggy® adventures, they provide a fundamentally different experience than waking up directly in polar bear territory, where your first morning glimpse might reveal massive paw prints outside your window.
As one visitor to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge described: “When we arrived there was a polar bear near the runway and it only got better. A large polar bear hung out either in front of the lodge everyday or at the back fence. A black bear came to visit almost daily and the polar bear would stand up and just one look sent the black bear running. Then there was the black wolf. That was a real treat. Did I mention the mom with the cub? Then there was the moose bull and cow. Millions of migrating birds. Sunrises and sunsets that keep me outside watching as the colors changed. Oh, and the Aurora Borealis. Very nice.” — Susie G., Washington, USA
Uncompromised Safety, Unparalleled Access
Guests viewing a polar bear at ground level. Seal River Heritage Lodge. Artica Studios photo.
Our proprietary three-guide system ensures both guest safety and ethical bear interactions, a methodology developed across half a century of Arctic expertise. This isn’t merely about armed guides; it’s about a sophisticated understanding of bear behavior that allows us to navigate their world respectfully. When you walk with Churchill Wild guides, you’re benefiting from the world’s most comprehensive polar bear safety protocols, refined through decades of direct interaction with these magnificent animals.
The Gold Standard in Polar Bear Encounters
Churchill Wild has set the Gold Standard worldwide for luxury ground-level polar bear safaris and tours. Our ethical wildlife viewing practices are foundational to every encounter we facilitate. We maintain respectful distances, limit group sizes, and follow strict protocols to minimize our impact on wildlife behavior.
Our guides are trained not just in safety procedures, but in interpretation that fosters deep appreciation and conservation awareness. Each encounter is designed to protect the natural behaviors and habitats of the bears, ensuring that future generations will witness these magnificent creatures in their undisturbed splendor.
Guests viewing a polar bear at Seal River Heritage Lodge.
All Churchill Wild lead guides have at least 10 years experience working with polar bears in the wild, and most of our guides have many more years of bear guiding experience with grizzlies, black bears, and brown bears. They’ve completed specialized training including the Bear Guard Training Course offered by Bearwise, recognized by Parks Canada, the Government of Nunavut, and the World Wildlife Fund Canada. This level of expertise explains how over 8,000 guests have safely experienced ground-level polar bear encounters at our lodges.
Weather delays are an Arctic reality, and we acknowledge this truth candidly. Flights from Winnipeg to Churchill can face postponements, just as connections to our lodges might. However, our integrated logistical approach minimizes disruption, and once you’ve reached our lodges, you’re exactly where you need to be, not hoping to reach polar bear territory each day through uncertain conditions. When you commit to a Churchill Wild experience, you’re securing your place in the bears’ domain for the entirety of your stay.
The Authentic Canadian Experience
Priced in Canadian dollars, a significant advantage for international travellers when comparing costs with other polar bear tours, our all-inclusive packages commence in Winnipeg, eliminating logistical complexities and uncertainty. This transparent pricing approach reflects our commitment to exceptional customer service at every touchpoint of your journey. Our remarkable 95% success rate in polar bear sightings speaks to both our strategic lodge locations and unparalleled expertise in tracking and interpreting bear behavior.
Blueberries & Polar Bears cookbooks. Over 100,000 copies sold.
The culinary journey at Churchill Wild draws from the celebrated Blueberries & Polar Bears cookbook series, offering authentic northern cuisine that has nourished guests, photographers, filmmakers, and documentary crews from Disney, BBC, CNN, Netflix and more for over 35 years. Each meal tells a story of northern ingenuity and abundance, crafted from recipes perfected by co-founder Jeanne Reimer’s mother Helen Webber and her friend Marie Woolsey. This isn’t standard restaurant fare hastily arranged between excursions; it’s a gastronomic tradition born of the north, served in the comfort of our lodges after your day’s adventures.
Our commitment to environmental stewardship extends to every aspect of our operation. Churchill Wild’s lodges operate with minimal ecological footprints. We utilize solar power, practice responsible waste management, source local ingredients where possible, and implement water conservation measures. We’ve pioneered sustainable tourism practices in one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems, proving that luxury and environmental responsibility can coexist harmoniously. Through our Prairie Wild farm in southern Manitoba, we grow produce using regenerative farming principles, bringing fresh, pesticide-free ingredients directly to our lodge tables.
Extended Seasons, Extraordinary Encounters
Wolf meets polar bear at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Christoph Jansen photo.
The increasing popularity of Churchill-based tours during the traditional October-November season has led to more visitors sharing viewing areas. While Churchill itself provides valuable polar bear experiences, Churchill Wild offers something distinctly different: an extended viewing season from July through November, with specialized experiences for mothers and cubs, and wolves in February and March, and exceptional viewing opportunities in November and December, all from the comfort of luxury ecolodges that no one else offers.
As one Birds, Bears & Belugas guest marveled: “Walking within 100 metres of wild polar bears who are lumbering around the rocks and tundra of Hudson Bay waiting out the summer until the ice returns. So close to a polar bear who was very curious but not threatening when he came up close to our lodge windows and fence. Everything about the experience exceeded all our expectations. My husband and I will NEVER forget our time at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Our experience was worth EVERY cent and we will tell everyone about our amazing time.” — Catherine B., Perth, Australia
Another guest put it simply: “A Magical Experience. Polar bears on land and sea every day. Whales to stroke!! Food excellent.” — William and Sue Hoare, Aberfeldy, United Kingdom.
This combination of summer polar bear viewing with beluga whale encounters represents an experience exclusively unique to Churchill Wild.
Beyond the Bears
Red fox pouncing on a lemming at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Fabienne Jansen / ArcticWild.net photo.
While polar bears remain our iconic centerpiece, Churchill Wild experiences encompass the full majesty of Arctic ecosystems. Witness beluga whales gliding through summer waters. Track wolves as they move silently through the landscape. Observe black bears foraging along the forest edge. Document Arctic and red foxes in their seasonal coats. Marvel at the elusive wolverine when fortune favors. Spot the diverse array of birds that populate the coastal tundra.
No other polar bear tour provider in the world offers such a diverse range of wildlife encounters across multiple seasons, from summer beluga whale and polar bear combinations to fall polar bear, black bear, moose, and wolf encounters, to winter mother and cub expeditions. Our locations were chosen not merely for bear proximity, but for their extraordinary biodiversity and photographic potential at the intersection of multiple Arctic ecosystems.
The Choice of Professionals
Sparring buddies. Seal River Heritage Lodge. Charles Glatzer photo.
When world-class wildlife photographers need unparalleled access to polar bears in their natural habitat, they choose Churchill Wild. It’s why our ecolodges have been the source of footage for numerous acclaimed polar bear documentaries and films produced by industry leaders including Disney, BBC, CNN, Netflix, and more. These media giants don’t select filming locations by chance. They choose environments that showcase polar bears in their most natural and compelling state.
We regularly invite media members to take part in our polar bear safaris and write about their experiences. We do not ask them to write positive stories in exchange for their trips, we simply ask them to write the truth about their experience. You’ll find glowing articles all over the internet about Churchill Wild because authentic experiences speak for themselves.
Polar bear cub approaches at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Dave Bouskill / The Planet D photo.
In 2023, renowned travel writers Dave Bouskill and Deb Corbeil of The Planet D visited Seal River Heritage Lodge, and in 2024, award-winning author Lisa Ellen Niver also experienced Seal River Heritage Lodge. Both had previously visited Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, writing and making videos about their experiences. Filmmaker Tomas Koeck was also at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge in 2023 working on his new documentary “Flyway of Life,” slated to be released on April 22, 2025, about bird migration routes in North America.
When discerning travellers seek experiences beyond the ordinary, they choose Churchill Wild, a testament reflected in our extraordinary collection of over 500 5-Star Tripadvisor reviews. This remarkable achievement stands unmatched in the polar bear tourism industry and speaks volumes about the transformative nature of our safaris.
What’s even more telling is our extraordinary rate of return visitors. When Churchill Wild first began, we thought we might get a few repeat guests, but that number has exploded with numerous returnees. Many have returned four or five times, and one couple, Christoph and Fabienne Jansen of Arctic.Wild.net, have now been on over 30 departures with us, a testament to the unparalleled nature of our experiences.
A guest from the Great Ice Bear Adventure in November summarized their experience: “The lodge has good facilities, the food is amazing. The guides (and guards) did a great job walking with us through the snow and ice-covered tundra spotting bears and other arctic wildlife. They also shared stories and pictures in the evenings. Everyone was friendly, helpful and made us feel at home in a very exotic location.” — F. Meister, United Kingdom
Arctic fox walks by napping polar bear at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Ellen Zangla photo.
Another guest on our Polar Bear Photo Safari declared: “This has to be the ultimate polar bear experience that is accessible for photographers. The lodge is in a great location with one bear around most of the time and others transiting through. We got quite close to some of the bears and took many photos of them sleeping, walking, frolicking, and sparring. The guides were excellent in terms of their knowledge and in providing a safe experience.” — G.K. and E.C., Canberra, Australia
These testimonials, alongside our numerous international tourism awards, further validate what our guests already know: Churchill Wild delivers an Arctic experience that transcends conventional wildlife tourism.
From the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and a PURE Life Experiences Award, to being recognized by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, to winning the Sustainable Tourism Award in Manitoba, Churchill Wild has consistently been acknowledged for setting the standard in ethical wildlife experiences.
Cub cuddles. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Ellen Zangla photo.
The transformative power of these experiences resonates deeply with our guests. As one visitor said: “Bears, bears and still more bears!!! Never expected to see so many, let alone to actually walk among them – a truly amazing experience. Everything else (and there was plenty) was just icing on the cake.” — Jolyne D’Ambrosio, Boston
A world traveller confessed: “I have been travelling non-stop for three years around the world, had plenty of beautiful experiences and encounters, but my stay at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is the best trip of my life. I couldn’t believe we were walking towards polar bears and cubs and watching northern lights every night!” — Lili G., Berlin, Germany
Another guest wrote with profound emotion: “Since I was a little girl, I have dreamt of seeing a polar bear in the wild where he is king of his domain. This dream was possible because of your love, passion, and dedication to the north and your work. From the bottom of my heart and the little girl who lives within it, I thank you for this amazing experience. It was a privilege and honor to be able to walk among them in their natural habitat, brought tears of joy to my eyes.” — Lynne Fox, Amherstburg, ON
Video by filmmaker Tomas Koeck.
Perhaps most telling is the simple declaration from a guest: “It was the most amazing trip we have ever taken! And given a chance, we’ll be back again in the future!” — Mark Capilitan, Ireland
Others may offer polar bear tours. Some may attempt to replicate elements of our approach. But only Churchill Wild offers true polar bear immersion, an experience measured not in days spent, but in moments of awe secured in memory forever. The difference isn’t subtle; it’s fundamental. It’s the difference between observing the Arctic…
And becoming part of it.
Churchill Wild Polar Bear Safaris
