Precious moments. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Priscilla Downey photo.
by Maggie Cole
You land on our website and love what we do. Walking with polar bears in Arctic luxury? All-inclusive packages taking you straight into polar bear country for a week? Count me in!
But then you visit our polar bear safaris page and are overwhelmed with how many different options there are. You have so many questions! Twelve different experiences to choose from? How on earth am I going to narrow it down? And trips in the summer? I thought polar bears could only be seen in the fall?
This is exactly what our safari specialists are here to help with. Getting on the phone with our team, telling us what’s on your bucket list, what you’re hoping to see and experience, and when you want to travel. This is a big trip for you! It’s important to us that you’re on the right safari.
We recommend talking to a safari specialist as the best option to help you feel more comfortable in selecting the right safari for you. You can email us at info@churchillwild.com, or give us a call at (204) 878-5090.
BUT, if you’d like a little more time to research the different safaris we offer on your own, I’m hoping this blog post can help you.
Okay, so starting from scratch, you can see polar bears from July through November, with additional specialized safaris in February and March.
Summer polar bears at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Leighton Lum photo.
Walking with Polar Bears from July through November: The Polar Bear Highway
Along Canada’s Western Hudson Bay coast, polar bears typically come off the sea ice in late June or early July as the ice melts. Once ashore, they travel up and down the coastline following a well-established seasonal corridor often referred to as the “Polar Bear Highway.”
From July through November, bears move along this coastal route, resting, socializing, and conserving energy, until freeze-up allows them to return to the Hudson Bay ice for their annual winter seal hunting. The July through November movement pattern determines when and where polar bears can be seen.
The Polar Bear Highway runs along the same stretch of coastline where Churchill Wild’s remote ecolodges are located, including Seal River Heritage Lodge, Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, and Dymond Lake Ecolodge.
Churchill Wild’s remote ecolodges along Hudson Bay
Because these lodges are positioned directly within polar bear habitat, rather than operating solely from town, polar bears are encountered throughout the entire ice-free season. The number of polar bears around our lodges in the summer and fall remains constant, depending on the whims of nature, of course, but your chances of viewing bears are generally equal.
Situated at 58 degrees latitude, Churchill, Manitoba has a subarctic continental climate characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Arctic summers are absolutely beautiful. When our season starts in July, the average daily temperature is around 15° Celsius (59°F), and similar temperatures continue throughout most of August until autumn arrives.
September is a month of varied and rapidly changing weather. Temperatures start dropping and the first frost occurs, marking the start of the most colourful season when foliage turns shades of orange, red, and gold. Average highs and lows in September are between 3°C and 9°C (37°F and 48°F).
Can you handle the cold? If not, we’ll automatically steer you towards the July/August timeframe. Our warmer safaris are Birds, Bears & Belugas, Arctic Discovery, and Summer Dual Lodge Safari.
Summer Safaris: Polar Bears, Belugas, and Bug Jackets
Birds, Bears & Belugas departures run from July 4 to August 20 at Seal River Heritage Lodge. This is peak summer on the coast – long days and plenty of wildlife to see both on land and in the water. You’ll head out on foot to walk with polar bears, then switch perspectives with Zodiac excursions right from the lodge to watch beluga whales in the bay.
One of the highlights is a full-day ATV journey to the mouth of the Seal River, which can be a good spot to see polar bears hunting beluga whales (a new skill they’ve learned in the past 20 years). Other wildlife in the area are sik-siks (Arctic ground squirrels), sometimes caribou, and a variety of shorebirds. And if the timing’s right, the tundra comes alive with vibrant pink and purple fireweed.
This is a 7-day, 8-night safari.
Honourable Mention – Polar Bear – Susan Bradfield – Birds, Bears & Belugas – Seal River Heritage Lodge
Arctic Discovery departures run from July 29 to August 24 and take place at our Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge – with a few unforgettable stops along the way. Your journey begins in Winnipeg with a private tour of the Manitoba Museum, before continuing north to Churchill for a two-night stay. While in Churchill, you’ll head out on three beluga whale excursions with Sea North Tours – including the chance to kayak alongside these curious “canaries of the sea”.
Kayaking with beluga whales with Sea North tours in Churchill.
From there, we fly you to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge for the rest of your safari. This is where you’ll head out on foot to walk with polar bears in their natural habitat. Unlike our Seal River location, you won’t see beluga whales here – which is exactly why we include time in Churchill first.
Nanuk offers a different kind of experience. The terrain allows us to use our open-air tundra rhinos to cover ground and position ourselves near wildlife before continuing on foot. This means less overall walking, while still delivering incredible, ground-level encounters. *That’s a key note to remember.
If you’re looking for more time on foot, Seal River Heritage Lodge may be a better fit. If you prefer a bit less walking without sacrificing wildlife, Nanuk is an excellent choice – with opportunities to see polar bears, black bears, wolves, and more.
This is a 9-day, 8-night safari.
Polar bear meets Tundra Rhino at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Summer Dual Lodge Safari departures run from August 20 to September 3 and take you to BOTH Seal River Heritage Lodge and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge – giving you the best of two very different Arctic landscapes in one trip. If you’re struggling to decide which lodge you’d prefer, or just want to maximize your time searching for polar bears, this is the trip for you. You’ll spend your first four nights at Seal River Heritage Lodge, where you can walk with polar bears and head out on the water to see beluga whales in the bay. Then we fly you south to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, where the terrain and wildlife shift. Here, you’ll continue your search for polar bears, with the added chance of spotting black bears, wolves, and other coastal wildlife.
Two lodges. Two distinct environments. One amazing experience.
This is an 11-day, 10-night safari.
Guests photographing polar bears at the fence. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
One thing to keep in mind if you’re visiting our lodges in the summer months – there are bugs. And yes, lots of them. We highly recommend coming prepared with a bug jacket, hat, and insect repellent. We do have bug jackets and spray available for purchase at the lodge, but covering your skin is key. If you’re prepared, it’s very manageable and won’t take away from the experience. That said, if you really hate bugs (fair enough), we’ll likely steer you toward a September departure. By then, temperatures have dropped and both the bugs and beluga whales have mostly moved on. This is when safaris like the Arctic Safari and Hudson Bay Odyssey run.
Example of bug jackets in the summer.
Polar Bears and Northern Lights: September Safaris
Arctic Safari departures run from September 3 to September 19 and take place at both Seal River Heritage Lodge and our Caribou Tundra Camp – our ONLY trip that goes here. You’ll start with four nights at Seal River Heritage Lodge, walking with polar bears and taking in the start of fall along the coast. Then things shift. We fly you by float plane to Caribou Tundra Camp, right on the edge of the Nunavut border. The only way in is by air – we land directly on the lake.
This part of the trip is all about getting out and exploring. Think glamping, long hikes, and following ancient caribou migration routes across wide-open tundra. If you like a more active, expedition-style experience, this is your safari. Throughout the journey, Jad Davenport is right there with you in the field, sharing simple, practical tips to help you capture what you’re seeing – whether you’re shooting with a full camera setup or just your phone.
Wildlife can include polar bears, foxes, caribou, Arctic hare, and if the timing lines up, some incredible northern lights. September is when the aurora really starts to show itself again.
The Arctic Safari is 10 days, 9 nights.
Hudson Bay Odyssey departures run from September 3 to September 21 and take place at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Those bright autumn colours I mentioned? This is where they really show up. The landscape around Nanuk lights up in September, and it’s an amazing time to be out exploring. Wildlife can include polar bears, black bears, moose, wolves, foxes, and more. It’s also a great time for northern lights – and if they start dancing after you’ve gone to bed, don’t worry. Our guides will come knock on your door and wake you up so you don’t miss it.
This trip is 7 days, 6 nights.
Take a look at this video from 2025 below, or this one from 2023: September at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
Okay! Now that we’ve covered the summer and autumn safaris, it’s time for the safaris with the cold, snowy landscapes and polar bears. You’ve got a lot to choose from, but I’m going to break it up.
Six Ways to See Polar Bears in October and November
In October, the temperatures start cooling off and bear activity starts heating up. The cooler weather and impending sea ice trigger the bears to start sparring, as they anticipate the arrival of the seal hunting season over the winter, and mating season in the spring.
The average high experienced in October is 1°C (33°F), and temperatures drop to an average of -4°C (25°F). November gets even chillier with average highs and lows both in the negative, around -9°C (16°F) and -16°C (3°F), respectively. Churchill Wild includes Arctic-rated winter gear with our fall packages, so you don’t have to buy or bring your own.
In October and November, we have all three lodges running. This includes Seal River Heritage Lodge, Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, and Dymond Lake Ecolodge.
One last goodbye from Scarbrow. See you next season. Dymond Lake Ecolodge.
Our full list of fall safaris includes: Great Ice Bear, Fall Dual Lodge Safari, Nanuk Polar Bear Photo Safari, Seal River Polar Bear Photo Safari, Photography Masterclass, and Nanuk Emergence Quest.
Great Ice Bear safari departures run from October 17 to November 17 and take place at Dymond Lake Ecolodge. This is the ONLY safari where we combine both ground-level viewing and a Tundra Buggy experience in one trip.
You’ll start with four nights at the lodge, heading out on foot (and yes – there’s a lot of walking here) to search for polar bears, snowy owls, Arctic hares, foxes, and, if conditions line up, northern lights overhead. Then we fly you into Churchill for a night and a full-day Tundra Buggy experience with Frontiers North Adventures. We buy out the entire buggy, so it’s just our 16 guests on a vehicle that can normally hold up to around 40. It’s a completely different perspective – you’ll cover more ground and see polar bears out along the coastline.
If you want to experience both ways of viewing polar bears – on foot and by Tundra Buggy – and are more focused on wildlife viewing than photography, this is a great fit.
The Great Ice Bear safari is 8 days, 7 nights.
Tundra Buggy experience by Frontiers North. Alex Berger photo.
Fall Dual Lodge Safari run from October 7 to October 25 and take place at BOTH Seal River Heritage Lodge and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Think of this as the fall version of our Summer Dual Lodge Safari – same concept, just a completely different feel. Colder temperatures, crisp air, and a shift in wildlife. You can spot polar bears, wolves, moose, snowy owls, Arctic hares, foxes, and northern lights. By this time of year, the black bears have gone into hibernation.
If you’re having a hard time choosing between lodges, or you simply want more time on the coast, the dual lodge safari is the way to go. Two lodges, two landscapes – you won’t be disappointed.
This is an 11-day, 10-night safari, and just to note, it’s not a photography-specific tour.
Honourable Mention – Michael Bitting – Fall Dual Lodge Safari – Seal River Heritage Lodge – Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Now we get into our Polar Bear Photo Safaris. We offer one at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge and one at Seal River Heritage Lodge. Our photo safaris do NOT have photography leaders, but they are much more photography-focused. You’ll spend more time out in the field, head out earlier for sunrise, and really slow things down to get the shot. For example, if we come across a polar bear, you might sit there for hours waiting for the perfect moment – the head lift, the eye contact, the right light. That’s the pace of this trip. If that doesn’t sound like your thing, we recommend not going on a photo tour.
Polar Bear Photo Safaris: Three Options
If you want an actual photo safari, you have three options.
Departures for the Polar Bear Photo Safari at Seal River Heritage Lodge run from October 19 to November 21, and Polar Bear Photo Safari at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge from October 23 to November 18. As mentioned, there’s more walking at Seal than at Nanuk – so if you’re travelling with heavier camera gear, that’s something to keep in mind.
The wildlife mix is also a bit different between the two. Along with polar bears, you’re more likely to see Arctic hare and fox at Seal River, while Nanuk offers better chances for snowy owls, moose, wolves, and both red and cross foxes. And of course – northern lights at both.
These safaris are offered as either 7- or 8-day trips.
View Photo Safari itinerary at Seal River
View Photo Safari itinerary at Nanuk
Dancing polar bears. Seal River Heritage Lodge. Dennis Fast photo.
For hardcore photographers who want a photo leader, a deep dive into camera settings, and instruction on how to become a better photographer, you’ll want to look at our Photography Masterclass with National Geographic photographer Jad Davenport. This safari runs from November 16 to December 2 and takes place at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
Daily classroom modules on the Photography Masterclass focus on the essential pillars of professional nature and travel photography. You’ll learn how to set up your camera for bird photography, how to create compelling landscape compositions, how to design a personal workflow, and how to develop a post-production editing style. Jad also shares real-world insight into the business of photography, with discussions on winning assignments, understanding contracts, copyrights and model releases, and how to build a sustainable career.
The wildlife you could see during the Photography Masterclass includes polar bears, moose, wolves, snowy owls, foxes, and more.
This trip is 10-days, 9-nights.
Portrait of a polar bear. National Geographic photographer Jad Davenport.
Cubs, Cold, and the Rarest Polar Bear Safari on Earth
Lastly, we come to our Nanuk Emergence Quest. This safari runs from February 14 to March 21 at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge and is our most sought after experience. This takes place at a very special time of year – when female polar bears are emerging from their dens with their new cubs and beginning the journey toward the sea ice. We keep these departures intentionally small, with just 8 guests per trip. There’s a lot of snow on the ground, and travel can be challenging, so a smaller group allows us to move safely and responsibly while maximizing the experience.
Polar bear mom and cubs on their journey to the ice. Fabienne Jansen photo.
Temperatures on this safari can drop to -50°C (-58°F) with windchill. We provide top of the line Arctic gear, but it’s still an extreme winter out there – you will be uncomfortable. This is a high-risk, high-reward experience, with roughly a 50% chance of sightings. It’s part of what makes it so special, but it’s important to go in with the right expectations.
Demand for this safari is extremely high, with a waitlist that spans years. It’s also not open to first-time guests – you’ll need to have travelled with us before to be considered.
If it’s something you’re interested in, we recommend reaching out to our sales team to start the conversation.
This is a 14-day, 13-night safari.
Churchill Wild Safaris Wildlife Comparison Chart
Well, I’ve covered all of our polar bear safaris! I know it’s a lot to take in – but hopefully this has helped you get a clearer sense of which experience is the right fit for you. And if you’re still unsure, that’s exactly what we’re here for. Give our safari specialists a call at (204) 878-5090 or send us an email at info@churchillwild.com. Tell us what’s on your bucket list, what you’re hoping to experience, and when you want to travel.
We’ll find your perfect match.
