A Churchill Northern Lights Adventure In Photos

See What Our Guests Experience in Churchill on a Northern Lights Adventure!

Located directly beneath the Auroral Oval, the town of Churchill is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. At Frontiers North Adventures we take our guests to witness this other worldly phenomenon during the months of February and March to optimize conditions. We also have developed our product to provide a comprehensive Churchill experience, sharing the natural wonders and cultural richness of Canada’s North. 

Our northern lights tours take guests to unique viewing locations, as well as providing guests with daytime activities that contribute to the quintessential northern experience. Take a scroll through the photo series below to see what a typical Churchill northern lights adventure looks like with Frontiers North.

Day 1: Churchill Town and Area Tour

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Welcome to Churchill! Make sure to take the time to get this iconic photo on your town and area tour!
 © Abby Matheson
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The perfect setting for a group photo with the vast Hudson Bay in the background!
© Alex Cupeiro
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Don't leave the Polar Bear Capital of the World without seeing the iconic Polar Bear Holding Facility! This beautifully painted, one of a kind facility is used to manage the polar bear interactions with the community.
© Jolie Luo
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Feel like you're on top of the world as you explore the various murals around town!
© Alex Cupeiro

On your first day in Churchill you will start your adventure with a tour of the town and surrounding area. On this tour you will get the opportunity to take your photo with iconic Churchill landmarks, like the Polar Bear Holding Facility, aka Polar Bear Jail! As you get familiar with the surrounding area your guide will make sure to point out everything Churchill has to offer and provide interpretation of the community and its Northern culture.

Night 1: Thanadelthur Lounge

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Your first viewing location is across the frozen Churchill River at the Thanadelthur Lounge. 
 © Frontiers North Adventures
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Explore the rugged winter landscape for an incredible photo with you as the hero!
© Frontiers North Adventures
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Enjoy the northern lights in warmth, through large viewing windows while leisurely enjoying complimentary refreshments!
 © Frontiers North Adventures
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The Thanadelthur Lounge has a rooftop viewing platform, providing another way to capture this phenomenon.
© Frontiers North Adventures

Tonight is the night! Travel across the Churchill River, far from the lights of town, to an exclusive location, Thanadelthur Lounge. Here you will be greeted by the Lounge Host, a professional auroral photographer, who will provide a presentation to the group. Once the aurora come out, you can choose how you want to enjoy them. You will have the opportunity to roam the surrounding terrain to find the perfect spot to capture your first photo of the northern lights, or you can wait inside the warm lounge and relax with refreshments as you await the show. Get a different perspective, the lounge comes with access to a rooftop viewing platform.

Day 2: Across The FrozEN RIVER

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Travel across the frozen Churchill River in an EV Tundra Buggy®.
© Frontiers North Adventures
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Explore the naturally occurring ice hummocks on the Churchill River as you make your way across.
© Alex Cupeiro
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Stand on top of the "ice castle" and feel like you've conquered the world.
© Alex Cupeiro
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Get back on the Tundra Buggy to get to your next destination.
© Frontiers North Adventures

As your second day begins, you will have the opportunity to share stories and photos with the friends you have made on the tour about the spectacle you witnessed the night before. The first activity your group has after meeting for breakfast will be across the Churchill River. To cross the frozen river our group loads into an EV Tundra Buggy® and our driver follows a mapped out path determined by the thickness of the ice. As we make our way, we will have the opportunity to stop and explore the frozen river, playing in the naturally occurring ice hummocks you will see along the way. 

Over the Snow - Snow SHoes and Fat Bikes

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Strap into your snow shoes and get ready to walk over top deep snow!
© Ian Wood
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Don't forget your binoculars! You don't want to miss out on excellent northern wildlife viewing opportunities.
© Ian Wood
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While across the river, hop on a fat bike and zoom over groomed snow trails!
© Ian Wood
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Frontiers North Adventures has a variety of sizes to fit your needs.
© Ian Wood

Once across the river, you will get fitted into a pair of snow shoes and led on a brief adventure through snow topped trees. You will walk with your snow shoes atop deep snow, a practice that has been used in Northern cultures for centuries to travel by foot. At the end of your excursion, you will be rewarded with the view of a vast frozen bay. After you are done snowshoeing you will have the opportunity hop on a fat bike and ride over groomed snow trails. 

Night 2: Dan's Diner

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Dine Beneath the northern lights! Enjoy a chef-curated 7-course menu at this one-of-a-kind culinary experience.
© Frontiers North Adventures
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Each course is intentionally crafted using regional ingredients to provide guests with a true taste of place.
© Abby Matheson
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Delicately plated with care by the chef and his team.
© Ian Wood
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Don't forget about the aurora! As you dine the viewing windows above and along the sides of Dan's Diner provide access for viewing while you enjoy your food.
© Abby Matheson
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Conclude your evening sharing stories around a warm fire as you participate in a private scotch tasting with your group.
© Ian Wood

Later in the evening you will be at another exclusive Frontiers North location across the Churchill River. This time you will be going a little earlier as you will be having your dinner in this remote viewing location, Dan's Diner. Here you will participate in the Dan's Diner culinary experience, a chef-curated evening of delicious tastes, taking you an a complete food journey from start to finish. After pampering your taste buds, you will be escorted outside to cap off the evening with a private scotch tasting around a warm fire. As we enjoy this intimate experience our guide and driver are on high alert, ready to get the group when the aurora come out to dance.

Day 3: Polar Bears International & Itsanataq

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Learn about polar bear conservation and the field research being conducted by Polar Bears International.
© Madeline Grant
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Connect with real researchers who are actively working on polar bear conservation.
© Alex Cupeiro
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Your group will learn about indigenous history and culture of the region at the Itsanataq Museum.
© Abby Matheson
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Explore the extensive collection of art and cultural artifacts displayed by the museum curator.
© Alex Cupeiro

The third day in Churchill will provide guests the opportunity to learn more about the community of Churchill and the surrounding region. We start with an in depth tour of the Polar Bears International House and their remote research station, Tundra Buggy One. We learn all about how the community of Churchill handles being the Polar Bear Capital of the World and the practices in place for wildlife management and safety. We also learn about polar bears and their habitat directly from an official Polar Bears International representative! After that we head over to the Itsanataq Museum to learn about Northern indigenous culture. This museum has a unique collection of art and artifacts collected across the region for hundreds of years. 

Night 3: Viewing from the forest 

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Tonight you will be welcomed by a host in the heart of the boreal forest.
© Abby Matheson
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As the aurora dance the temperatures often drop. You will be able to warm up inside the comfort of a heated yurt.
© Frontiers North Adventures
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The secluded environment will provide an excellent place to set up your camera to capture the swirling colours above.
© Frontiers North Adventures
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Capture ribbons of light as the stream across the night sky above the tree line.
© Frontiers North Adventures

Tonight, instead of crossing the frozen river, we escape the lights of town by going into the heart of the boreal forest. As we arrive at our location we are greeted by the friendly host, who is there to welcome us at their yurt, set-up in a private space surrounded by beautiful forest. This is another location that provides unique vantage points, allowing photographers to set-up multiple shots throughout the night. 

Day 4: Dog Sledding & Fur Trade History

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Feel the exhilaration of gliding over the snow, led by a team of skilled sled dogs through the boreal forest.
© Alex Cupeiro
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After your ride you will learn more about dog sledding, Métis culture, and meet some new furry, four-legged friends!
© Alex Cupeiro
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Learn more the significance of the history of the region from an interpretive Parks Canada presentation.
© Dan Harper
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Delve into the impressive collection of historical artifacts collected from the rise of the Hudson Bay Company.
© Madeline Grant

We start our final full day in Churchill by going back into the boreal forest, this time to meet high performance athletes! These athletes are sled dogs, all of which are extremely excited to meet you and lead you around their track, the "Ididamile". You will glide around this mile-long track, cleverly named by owner Dave Daly, to give a nod to the famous Iditarod race. After you have gone on a ride, you will learn about the history of dog sledding, as well as the Métis nation and their culture through an interpretative presentation. From there we go to Parks Canada for another interpretative presentation. This time we learn about the history of the fur trade and the impact that the Hudson Bay Company had on the region and the national history of Canada.

Night 4: The Wapusk Dog Yard

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Watch the Northern Lights move rhythmically above an authentic indigenous teepee.
 © George Ramos
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Both the teepee and the log-cabin will provide excellent places to get warm.

 © Alex Cupeiro

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Set your timer and take a photo of yourself looking at the lights!
© Alex Cupeiro

For our final viewing location we return to the dog sledding yard we were at earlier in the day, this time to see the aurora borealis. Here, tucked away in the boreal forest a fire is lit in an authentic indigenous teepee, providing a beautiful subject for photos. You can choose to keep warm in the teepee as well, or if you would prefer there is a lovely spacious log-cabin as well. As this is your last night, you may feel bold enough to tempt the aurora into coming closer with some loud whistling, as you will have learned the local lore on your adventure. 

 

Check out our video to see what a Northern Lights Adventure in Churchill looks like.

WATCH

 

Header image © Frontiers North Adventures

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