Tour Operators
Click image to enlarge.
Polar Bears International supports and encourages respectful eco-tourism. We believe that such tourism helps local people earn vital income while simultaneously protecting the polar bears and their habitat. Tourism also helps create an enlightened constituency of people interested in the future of the bears and the Arctic wilderness.
The following companies offer polar bear tours. Those listed in the Platinum through Copper Levels support PBI and its conservation efforts.
Platinum Level
Frontiers North's Tundra Buggy Adventure
http://www.tundrabuggy.com
124 Kelsey Blvd.
Churchill, MB R0B 0E0
Canada
Toll Free: 1 (800) 663-9832
Phone: (204) 949-2050
Fax: (204) 663-1051
E-mail: http://www.tundrabuggy.com/contact/
Description: The originator of the world-famous Tundra Buggy, with tours to Churchill each fall by expert guides. Trips range from day excursions to Tundra Buggy Lodge stays surrounded by polar bears.
Conservation support: Every year, the company generously supports our fall Leadership Camp by donating nights on its remote Tundra Buggy Lodge to students and teachers. They also donate the use of a mobile classroom on a Tundra Buggy for our Tundra Connections broadcasts, which link educators with students all over the world. FNA/TBA also supports PBI’s other Churchill-based initiatives, which include free on-buggy lectures and PBI newsletter distribution. In addition, FNA/TBA makes a cash donation each year to PBI in the form of one-year memberships to each of its "Specialist" and "Enthusiast" level guests, and provided a prize of four free trips to Churchill for our 2008 Project Polar Bear Contest winners, a $20,000 value.
Silver Level
Hudson Bay Helicopters
http://www.hudsonbayheli.com
Box 7500, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 1R3
Phone: 1-867-873-5146 / 1-204-675-2576 (Churchill)
Fax: 1-204-675-2331
E-mail: info@hudsonbayheli.com
Description: Helicopter sightseeing tours of the Churchill area and the wildlife of the North.
Conservation support: Hudson Bay Helicopters has long supported PBI's fall Leadership Camp by taking students on aerial tours of the tundra so they can better understand the ecosystem in the Churchill area. The tours include a stop at polar bear maternal den sites along riverbanks, which are starting to collapse due to melting permafrost. The company also provides logistical support to scientists as they conduct polar bear mark-and-recapture studies.
Nanuk Adventures
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
http://www.nanukpolarbearlodge.com
Po.Box 242
Frontier Sask S0N-0W0
Canada
Phone: 306-296-4403
Fax-306-296-4405
E-Mail: Info@nanukpolarbearlodge.com
Description: Set in the wilderness south of Churchill, the lodge is surrounded by a strong wire fence that separates guests from polar bears. The bears gather near the lodge in the summer and fall, offering close-up views. Nanuk Adventures offers inclusive coastal excursions with a comfortable, safe lodge setting and gourmet cuisine with northern flair. All tours are conducted with enhanced polar bear safety protocol in this high density setting. Some tours can include York Factory with 300 years of Hudson Bay Company and Canadian history located 20 minutes away. Oepn July-October.
Conservation support: Every summer, the lodge hosts PBI researchers who record polar bear vocalizations for analysis.
Watchee Lodge
http://www.watcheelodge.mb.ca
Box 187
Churchill, MB R0B 0E0
Canada
Phone: (204) 675-2114
Fax: (204) 675-2185
Description: Lodge situated in the middle of North America's largest polar bear denning area. Polar bear viewing, including mothers with cubs.
Conservation support: During PBI's fall Leadership Camp, Wat'chee Lodge provides students with access to polar bear maternity den sites on the tundra south of Churchill.
Copper Level
Churchill Wild/Churchill Wild
http://www.churchillwild.co
Rhiana Raesler
Public Relations Manager
Churchill Wild
P.O. Box 425
Thompson, Manitoba
Toll Free: 1 1-866-UGO-WILD (846-9453)
E-mail: rhiana@churchillwild.com
Description: Churchill Wild makes the Arctic's treasures accessible with all-inclusive adventures from Churchill, Manitoba. From polar bears, igloo building and northern lights in the winter to beluga whales and birds in the summer, Churchill Wild offers inclusive and authentic sub-arctic excursions coupled with luxurious fly-in wilderness lodges and gourmet northern cuisine.
International Wildlife Adventures
http://www.wildlifeadventures.com
PO Box 1410
Vashon, WA 98070
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 808-4492
Phone: (206) 463-1943
E-mail: info@wildlifeadventures.com
Description: Fall trips to Churchill to see the famous gathering of polar bears with several levels of packages.
Zegrahm Expeditions
http://www.zeco.com
192 Nickerson Street #200
Seattle, WA 98109
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 628-8747
Phone: (206) 285-4000
Fax: (206) 285-5037
E-mail: zoe@zeco.com
Description: Summer cruises to remote arctic regions with polar bears and other arctic wildlife. Destinations include Svalbard (Spitsbergen/Norway), Russia's Wrangel Island, and Canada's Baffin Island.
Other polar bear tour companies
Churchill Nature Tours/Riding Mountain Nature Tours
http://www.churchillnaturetours.com
P. O. Box 429
Erickson, MB R0J 0P0
Canada
Phone: (204) 636-2968
Fax: (204) 636-2557
E-mail: mail@churchillnaturetours.com
Description: All tour packages include lodgings, fine meals at select restaurants or superb picnics, all transport and transfers, baggage handling, entry fees, tips to hotel and restaurant service staff. Some tours include helicopter, tundra, or boat tours. Most tours have a helpful and informative tour handbook. All tours are led by experienced naturalist guides. Tours include fall trips to Churchill.
Churchill Northern Studies Centre
http://www.churchillmb.net/sc
P.O. Box 610
Churchill, MB R0B 0E0
Phone: (204) 657-2307
Fax: (204) 675-2139
E-mail: cnsc@churchillmb.net
Description: Learning vacations including subarctic ecology courses , a five-day study tour of the polar bears of Hudson Bay, and Earth Watch programs.
ExpeditionTrips
http://www.expeditiontrips.com
6553 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98136
USA
Toll Free: 1 (877) 412-8527
Phone: (206) 547-0700
Fax: (206) 634-9104
E-mail: info@expeditiontrips.com
Description: ExpeditionTrips specializes in Churchill polar bear tours and small-ship Arctic cruises to regions including Svalbard (Spitsbergen/Norway), Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island, Greenland, Iceland, Northeast Passage (Franz Josef/Wrangel Island). We partner only with quality, environmentally-responsible shipping companies and tour operators. Our Program Managers have traveled to the Arctic many times and understand the differences in trips and ships.
The Great Canadian Travel Company, Ltd.
http://www.greatcanadiantravel.com
158 Fort Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1C9
Canada
Phone: (204) 949-0199
Fax: (204) 949-0188
E-mail: sales@gctc.mst.com
Description: Polar bear tours to Churchill, Spitsbergen and the High Arctic.
Great White Bear Tours
http://www.cancom.net/bt
Box 91
Churchill, Manitoba R0B 0E0
Canada
Toll Free: 1 (800) 765-8344
Phone: (204) 675-2781
Fax: (204) 675-2930
E-mail: gwbt@cancom.net
Description: Tours on all-terrain buses; overnight stays at the Great White Bear Tundra Lodge.
Natural Habitat Adventures
http://www.nathab.com/polar-bear-tours-and-the-north
PO Box 3065
Boulder, CO 80307
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 543-8917
Phone: (303) 449-3711
Fax: (303) 449-3712
E-mail: info@nathab.com
Description: Eco-friendly, environmentally conscious polar bear tours to Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Our expert guides are the best in the business at letting you see truly wild polar bear in comfort, safety and style. We also offer trips specifically for photographers, where our professional photographer-guide brings you to the premier viewing spots with the best lighting conditions. For those hoping to see polar bear abroad, try our ‘Round Spitsbergen adventure. Contact our adventure specialists today for the trip of a lifetime.
Nature Encounters Tours & Travel Ltd.
http://www.natureencounterstours.com
Carol Petersen
Box 472
RR1, D74, 1153 Senator Road
Bowen Island, British Columbia
Canada V0N 1G0
Toll Free: 1-866-949-3007
Vancouver Area: (604) 947-9005
Toronto Area: (416) 617-1201
Toll Free Fax: (866) 773-1264
E-mail: inquiry@natureencounterstours.com
Description: Trips in fall and summer to see polar bears, photography tours.
TravelWild
http://www.travelwild.com
P.O. Box 1637
Vashon Island, WA 98070
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 368-0077
Phone: (206) 463-5362
Fax: (206) 463-5484
E-mail: info@travelwild.com
Description: Expedition cruises to see polar bears and other wildlife in Spitsbergen and other Arctic destinations.
The following companies offer polar bear tours. Those listed in the Platinum through Copper Levels support PBI and its conservation efforts.
Platinum Level
Frontiers North's Tundra Buggy Adventure
http://www.tundrabuggy.com
124 Kelsey Blvd.
Churchill, MB R0B 0E0
Canada
Toll Free: 1 (800) 663-9832
Phone: (204) 949-2050
Fax: (204) 663-1051
E-mail: http://www.tundrabuggy.com/contact/
Description: The originator of the world-famous Tundra Buggy, with tours to Churchill each fall by expert guides. Trips range from day excursions to Tundra Buggy Lodge stays surrounded by polar bears.
Conservation support: Every year, the company generously supports our fall Leadership Camp by donating nights on its remote Tundra Buggy Lodge to students and teachers. They also donate the use of a mobile classroom on a Tundra Buggy for our Tundra Connections broadcasts, which link educators with students all over the world. FNA/TBA also supports PBI’s other Churchill-based initiatives, which include free on-buggy lectures and PBI newsletter distribution. In addition, FNA/TBA makes a cash donation each year to PBI in the form of one-year memberships to each of its "Specialist" and "Enthusiast" level guests, and provided a prize of four free trips to Churchill for our 2008 Project Polar Bear Contest winners, a $20,000 value.
Silver Level
Hudson Bay Helicopters
http://www.hudsonbayheli.com
Box 7500, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 1R3
Phone: 1-867-873-5146 / 1-204-675-2576 (Churchill)
Fax: 1-204-675-2331
E-mail: info@hudsonbayheli.com
Description: Helicopter sightseeing tours of the Churchill area and the wildlife of the North.
Conservation support: Hudson Bay Helicopters has long supported PBI's fall Leadership Camp by taking students on aerial tours of the tundra so they can better understand the ecosystem in the Churchill area. The tours include a stop at polar bear maternal den sites along riverbanks, which are starting to collapse due to melting permafrost. The company also provides logistical support to scientists as they conduct polar bear mark-and-recapture studies.
Nanuk Adventures
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
http://www.nanukpolarbearlodge.com
Po.Box 242
Frontier Sask S0N-0W0
Canada
Phone: 306-296-4403
Fax-306-296-4405
E-Mail: Info@nanukpolarbearlodge.com
Description: Set in the wilderness south of Churchill, the lodge is surrounded by a strong wire fence that separates guests from polar bears. The bears gather near the lodge in the summer and fall, offering close-up views. Nanuk Adventures offers inclusive coastal excursions with a comfortable, safe lodge setting and gourmet cuisine with northern flair. All tours are conducted with enhanced polar bear safety protocol in this high density setting. Some tours can include York Factory with 300 years of Hudson Bay Company and Canadian history located 20 minutes away. Oepn July-October.
Conservation support: Every summer, the lodge hosts PBI researchers who record polar bear vocalizations for analysis.
Watchee Lodge
http://www.watcheelodge.mb.ca
Box 187
Churchill, MB R0B 0E0
Canada
Phone: (204) 675-2114
Fax: (204) 675-2185
Description: Lodge situated in the middle of North America's largest polar bear denning area. Polar bear viewing, including mothers with cubs.
Conservation support: During PBI's fall Leadership Camp, Wat'chee Lodge provides students with access to polar bear maternity den sites on the tundra south of Churchill.
Copper Level
Churchill Wild/Churchill Wild
http://www.churchillwild.co
Rhiana Raesler
Public Relations Manager
Churchill Wild
P.O. Box 425
Thompson, Manitoba
Toll Free: 1 1-866-UGO-WILD (846-9453)
E-mail: rhiana@churchillwild.com
Description: Churchill Wild makes the Arctic's treasures accessible with all-inclusive adventures from Churchill, Manitoba. From polar bears, igloo building and northern lights in the winter to beluga whales and birds in the summer, Churchill Wild offers inclusive and authentic sub-arctic excursions coupled with luxurious fly-in wilderness lodges and gourmet northern cuisine.
International Wildlife Adventures
http://www.wildlifeadventures.com
PO Box 1410
Vashon, WA 98070
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 808-4492
Phone: (206) 463-1943
E-mail: info@wildlifeadventures.com
Description: Fall trips to Churchill to see the famous gathering of polar bears with several levels of packages.
Zegrahm Expeditions
http://www.zeco.com
192 Nickerson Street #200
Seattle, WA 98109
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 628-8747
Phone: (206) 285-4000
Fax: (206) 285-5037
E-mail: zoe@zeco.com
Description: Summer cruises to remote arctic regions with polar bears and other arctic wildlife. Destinations include Svalbard (Spitsbergen/Norway), Russia's Wrangel Island, and Canada's Baffin Island.
Other polar bear tour companies
Churchill Nature Tours/Riding Mountain Nature Tours
http://www.churchillnaturetours.com
P. O. Box 429
Erickson, MB R0J 0P0
Canada
Phone: (204) 636-2968
Fax: (204) 636-2557
E-mail: mail@churchillnaturetours.com
Description: All tour packages include lodgings, fine meals at select restaurants or superb picnics, all transport and transfers, baggage handling, entry fees, tips to hotel and restaurant service staff. Some tours include helicopter, tundra, or boat tours. Most tours have a helpful and informative tour handbook. All tours are led by experienced naturalist guides. Tours include fall trips to Churchill.
Churchill Northern Studies Centre
http://www.churchillmb.net/sc
P.O. Box 610
Churchill, MB R0B 0E0
Phone: (204) 657-2307
Fax: (204) 675-2139
E-mail: cnsc@churchillmb.net
Description: Learning vacations including subarctic ecology courses , a five-day study tour of the polar bears of Hudson Bay, and Earth Watch programs.
ExpeditionTrips
http://www.expeditiontrips.com
6553 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98136
USA
Toll Free: 1 (877) 412-8527
Phone: (206) 547-0700
Fax: (206) 634-9104
E-mail: info@expeditiontrips.com
Description: ExpeditionTrips specializes in Churchill polar bear tours and small-ship Arctic cruises to regions including Svalbard (Spitsbergen/Norway), Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island, Greenland, Iceland, Northeast Passage (Franz Josef/Wrangel Island). We partner only with quality, environmentally-responsible shipping companies and tour operators. Our Program Managers have traveled to the Arctic many times and understand the differences in trips and ships.
The Great Canadian Travel Company, Ltd.
http://www.greatcanadiantravel.com
158 Fort Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1C9
Canada
Phone: (204) 949-0199
Fax: (204) 949-0188
E-mail: sales@gctc.mst.com
Description: Polar bear tours to Churchill, Spitsbergen and the High Arctic.
Great White Bear Tours
http://www.cancom.net/bt
Box 91
Churchill, Manitoba R0B 0E0
Canada
Toll Free: 1 (800) 765-8344
Phone: (204) 675-2781
Fax: (204) 675-2930
E-mail: gwbt@cancom.net
Description: Tours on all-terrain buses; overnight stays at the Great White Bear Tundra Lodge.
Natural Habitat Adventures
http://www.nathab.com/polar-bear-tours-and-the-north
PO Box 3065
Boulder, CO 80307
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 543-8917
Phone: (303) 449-3711
Fax: (303) 449-3712
E-mail: info@nathab.com
Description: Eco-friendly, environmentally conscious polar bear tours to Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Our expert guides are the best in the business at letting you see truly wild polar bear in comfort, safety and style. We also offer trips specifically for photographers, where our professional photographer-guide brings you to the premier viewing spots with the best lighting conditions. For those hoping to see polar bear abroad, try our ‘Round Spitsbergen adventure. Contact our adventure specialists today for the trip of a lifetime.
Nature Encounters Tours & Travel Ltd.
http://www.natureencounterstours.com
Carol Petersen
Box 472
RR1, D74, 1153 Senator Road
Bowen Island, British Columbia
Canada V0N 1G0
Toll Free: 1-866-949-3007
Vancouver Area: (604) 947-9005
Toronto Area: (416) 617-1201
Toll Free Fax: (866) 773-1264
E-mail: inquiry@natureencounterstours.com
Description: Trips in fall and summer to see polar bears, photography tours.
TravelWild
http://www.travelwild.com
P.O. Box 1637
Vashon Island, WA 98070
USA
Toll Free: 1 (800) 368-0077
Phone: (206) 463-5362
Fax: (206) 463-5484
E-mail: info@travelwild.com
Description: Expedition cruises to see polar bears and other wildlife in Spitsbergen and other Arctic destinations.