Location: Churchill, Canada

The Great Polar Bear Migration

A VIP polar bear photography tour like no other!

Polar Bear Photography Tour in Churchill, Canada.
 

Witness the largest accessible aggregation of polar bears in the world as they gather on the shores of Hudson Bay waiting for the annual freeze. You will see mother bears with their new born cubs, solitary bears foraging along the shore, and sparring males asserting their dominance over one another.

Our life changing polar bear expeditions are open to anyone that would like to enjoy world-class intimate encounters with polar bears on the Canadian Tundra, but avid photographers will find this trip that includes six full days of bear watching especially rewarding.

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THE ENCOUNTER

Intimate, eye level encounters with polar bears on the sub-arctic tundra
Polar bear photography tour

2024

DATE
October 27-November 2 FULL

November 3-9 FULL

PRICE (USD)
$7,195 + 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) per person double occupancy


$9,495 + 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) single occupancy

LEADER
Andy Murch

BOOK THIS TRIP
Sparring male polar bears

2025

DATE
October 27-November 2 4 SPOTS AVAILABLE

November 2-8 2 SPOT AVAILABLE

PRICE (USD)
$7,595 + 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) per person double occupancy


$9,795 + 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) single occupancy

LEADER
Andy Murch

BOOK THIS TRIP
Polar bear photography tour

2026

DATE
October 26 – November 1 5 SPOTS AVAILABLE

November 1-7 5 SPOTS AVAILABLE

PRICE (USD)
$TBA + 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) per person double occupancy


$TBA + 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) single occupancy

LEADER
Andy Murch

BOOK THIS TRIP
Polar bear photography tour

POLAR BEAR TOUR ITINERARY

DAY 1

We will meet your plane at Churchill Airport for a seamless transfer to our lodge on the Canadian tundra. Keep your eyes peeled on the short drive to the lodge because you have a good chance of seeing your first polar bear!
If your flight arrives in the morning, after a short orientation about the lodge and bear safety, we will head out onto the tundra in a cozy 4WD vehicle to look for bears.
When the sun sets, we will return to the lodge and then drive into town for dinner. Once we get back to the lodge, you will have time to review your images or relax in the grand room. The lodge is away from the light pollution caused by the street lights in Churchill, so if the skies are clear, this is also a great time to head outside and look for auroras.

Polar bear photography tour

DAYS 2-6

A typical day starts at sunrise. All rooms look onto the tundra, so you can survey the terrain as soon as you wake up. After a buffet breakfast in the grand room, we will prep cameras, don warm clothing, and head out to find bears.
We generally stay out on the tundra until lunch time and then make a quick stop in town for lunch. Some groups choose to bring a pack lunch and stay out on the tundra all day. Either way, we will continue photographing bears in the afternoon, returning to lodge once the sun gets low.

Polar bear photography tour

At dinner time, we usually head into town as a small group, returning to the lodge in time for a nightcap or some aurora gazing.
Sleep, dream of polar bears, repeat.

Northern lights on the tundra

DAY 7

Departure day. After a final breakfast at the lodge, we will transfer you back to Churchill Airport or to the train station in time for you homeward journey.

Grey wolf close encounter.

WHY OUR POLAR BEAR TOURS ARE THE BEST IN CANADA

LOTS MORE DAYS WITH POLAR BEARS

Google ‘Polar Bear Tours in Churchill’ and you’ll soon find the big companies that offer comparably priced polar bear tours. But if you read the fine print, you’ll notice their six day tours only give you two or three days with bears!

We don’t think you really want a day touring Winnipeg and another stuck in Churchill. So when we pick you up at the airport, we’ll take you straight to our lodge to get changed into warm clothing, and then we’re heading out for bears. And we’ll do the same thing, every day, all day, until it is time to fly home.

Plain and simple, we deliver world class polar bear encounters with no fluff.

WE ACTUALLY GO AND FIND BEARS

Instead of sitting in a wobbly tundra hotel on wheels, we spend our days driving around the tundra finding the best bear activity. We don’t wait for bears to come and find us.

By using small 4WD vans that hold a MAXIMUM of 6 guests, we are able to navigate small trails that access spots where large tundra vehicles don’t go. We are nimble and fast, which means we can quickly find bears, foxes, and other animals, and then maneuver into the perfect position to enjoy them.

Incidentally, our lodge is in a spectacular spot in the middle of the tundra too, and the bears love to visit!

WE WALK ON THE TUNDRA  

Looking down on bears from a high-sided tundra vehicle really doesn’t do them justice, especially if you want compelling polar bear images. When we find bears, our armed guides assess the situation, and then we leave our vehicle so that we can enjoy the encounters on foot at eye level. That means photographers can set up tripods for pin sharp images, or even hunker down so they’re shooting upwards, which makes the bears look even more impressive!

It also means we can quietly approach arctic foxes, snow hares, ptarmigan, and any other tundra animals that stay well away from vehicles. Now that is a real tundra experience!

Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
arctic fox photo tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
red fox in the arctic
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Arctic fox tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Sparring male polar bears
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Northern lights on the tundra
 
Arctic hare
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Arctic fox watching
 
Silver Fox tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Red for on the Tundra
 
silver fox
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Northern lights on the tundra
 
Polar Bear Photography Tour in Churchill, Canada.
 
Grey wolf on our polar bear tour in Churchill.
 
Polar bear photography tour
 
Polar Bear in the setting sun on the Canadian tundra
 
Polar bear cub playing in the snow.
 

DETAILS

ACCOMMODATION

White Whale Lodge. A fabulous new alternative to staying in town.
Our comfortable lodge is located deep in the tundra, where our guests have the opportunity to see bears, foxes, and other tundra wildlife even when not on a tour.
At night this is also an excellent location to watch auroras; away from the light pollution from the town of Churchill.

FITNESS LEVEL

Some minor walking on snow.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Six nights accommodation at White Whale Lodge, situated outside Churchill for a more immersive experience.

Five or Six days on the tundra viewing polar bears; depending on your arrival time on day one. Approximately 6-8hrs per day.

Licensed polar bear guide: we work with the most experienced bear guides in the industry. They are experts in bear behavior and armed for your safety.

Exclusive group use of a tundra-ready 4WD passenger van that comfortably seats 6 photographers / bear watchers and one driver guide.

Exclusive access to restricted areas of the tundra where polar bears are especially abundant.

NOT INCLUDED

Flights

Lunches and dinners

Drinks

The polar bear capital of the world

During the fall months, polar bears congregate along the southern shoreline of Hudson Bay waiting for the sea ice to freeze. At that point they leave land for the winter season to hunt on the ice.

The ideal time to see polar bears around Churchill is during October and November. In particular, early November (when we schedule our trips) is widely considered to be the perfect time to look for bears.

Northern Lights

Although bear season is often overcast, the northern lights (Aurora Borealis) are often visible on clear nights and the nights are long in November so there is plenty of time to look for them. You will be staying at the brand new White Whale Lodge which is out on the tundra, away from any light pollution, so the aurora opportunities will be especially rewarding.

Arctic foxes

You also have an excellent chance of seeing arctic foxes, silver foxes, and red foxes hunting on the tundra. It is not uncommon to see numerous foxes everyday; sporting their beautiful, snow white, winter pelage. Arctic foxes are another species that is best photographed from ground level.

arctic fox photo tour
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    Silver fox in the tundra on our Polar Bear photography tour

    Delivering world-class wildlife encounters since 2010

    Big Fish Expeditions Founder Andy Murch has spent the last three decades chasing big animals all over the world. Few people have Andy’s knowledge and organizational skills necessary to put together a professional expedition. Have a look through some of the comments from our guests: testimonials.

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