Churchill is located directly beneath the Auroral Oval with northern lights activity occurring over 300 nights a year, making it one of the best places on Earth to witness Mother Nature's Light Show. Our Northern Lights and Winter Nights adventure offers a unique program in which travelers can enjoy watching the dancing skies from directly on the tundra, and experience the incredible culture and warmth of the town and people of Churchill. Our Northern Lights and Winter Nights adventure, led by a Frontiers North Interpretive Guide, offers the opportunity to capture this incredible night sky phenomenon from directly on the tundra, surrounded by the beautiful northern tundra landscape and with access to the warmth and comfort of a world-famous Tundra Buggy and the Aurora Lounge.
This adventure includes many northern light photo opportunities. Your Interpretive Guide can assist you with some camera settings but be sure to read our blog on northern lights photography.
Today marks the beginning of my Northern Lights adventure! I’ve arrived into Winnipeg and have checked into my room at the Inn at the Forks hotel, which is just a short taxi ride away from the Winnipeg airport. This evening I look forward to meeting my guide and fellow travelers at our meet-and-greet dinner, which will give everyone a chance to get to know each other and ask our guide any questions about the tour.
Photo: ©Inn at the Forks
After a wonderful and hearty breakfast, my fellow travelers and I are shuttled to the Manitoba Museum, renowned for its vivid portrayal of Manitoba’s rich and colourful history, Planetarium shows, and Science Gallery exhibits.
Our Manitoba Museum program begins with a planetarium presentation depicting the northern lights, followed by an interactive program called “Inuit: People of the North”, which gives us a deeper knowledge and understanding of the traditional lifestyles of the Inuit people. We are able to get a closer look at Inuit art and clothing make of fur, skin, stone and bone and learn about how these resources were integral to the Inuit community.
After lunch our day at the Manitoba Museum continues as a Museum representative leads us on a private guided tour of the Museum, which focuses on galleries that complements our recently gained knowledge of Inuit communities and the history of the fur trade in the north.
At the end of our day, we shuttle back to our hotel to prepare for a group dinner and a good night rest.
We begin our morning with breakfast at our hotel restaurant, after which we check out of our rooms and hop on a shuttle to the Winnipeg airport for a 2-hour flight to Churchill. Upon our arrival, we are taken on a short interpretive tour of Churchill before checking into our hotel.
In the afternoon our Interpretive Guide reviews some northern lights photography tips in preparation for our night of northern lights viewing and photography.
After dinner at a family-run Churchill restaurant, we gather our photography equipment and layers of warm clothing and get ready to enjoy the dancing skies. Our Tundra Buggy driver takes us far away from the lights of town, across the Churchill River, in order to ensure we have the best view of the skies without the glare from the lights of town. Our Tundra Buggy pulls up to Frontiers North's Aurora Lounge, a train-car style lounge car outfitted with couches, tables and a fireplace, making it a cozy haven on the frozen tundra – not that we spend much time inside. We spend our late night hours capturing incredible images of the northern lights as they streak across the sky and once we’ve got our fill for the night, we return to town for a welcome sleep after a great first day in Churchill.
Photo: ©Dan Harper
After breakfast in the hotel lobby, we bundle up in warm clothes for our in-depth Churchill and area tour with our guide leading us on an exploratory drive in the area surrounding the town of Churchill, including historical Cape Merry, the Port of Churchill, and Manitoba Conservation’s Polar Bear Holding Facility.
After a delicious lunch at a locally-owned restaurant we head over to the Churchill Eskimo Museum, home to an internationally recognized collection of Inuit art in stone, bone and ivory depicting the life and spirituality of a people deeply rooted in the north. The collection comprises of almost 1000 pieces dating from approximately 1700 BC to modern times. The museum also houses a gift shop where visitors can purchase Inuit art and carvings.
In the evening after dinner, we once again bundle up for northern lights viewing. My fellow travelers are excited for the night ahead but we take a few moments to relax before heading outside. We sip on a glass of wine, share pictures and tips before bundling up again to take photos. After a couple hours of viewing, our guide and Tundra Buggy driver take us back to town. I crawl into my comfy bed excited for what tomorrow will hold.
Photo: ©Doug Ross
In the morning I grab a quick breakfast from the lobby hotel before meeting the group. Today we’re departing for an interpretive snowshoeing program led by a Churchill naturalist that gives us the chance to trek through boreal forest, across Precambrian rock and along the shore of the Hudson Bay.
After we head back to Churchill for a delicious lunch and a free afternoon to explore the rest of Churchill.
After meeting up for our dinner reservation in town, we head out once again to the Aurora Lounge for northern light viewing. It is a bit overcast when we depart, but soon the clouds clear and the aurora borealis begins its show.
Photo: ©Dan Harper
This morning we got to sleep in a bit. I wake up and take a walk down the Hudson Bay coast before meeting the group for our lunch reservations.
After lunch we bundle up before heading out on a dog sledding excursion led by local dog musher Dave Daley. Once we get to know some of the sled dogs, he explains the basics of dog sledding and the importance of dog sledding to the northern communities. Soon we prepare to take a mile-long ride through the boreal forest.
After dog sledding we have another delicious dinner in Churchill before heading out to see the northern lights one last time. Tonight I made sure to turn my camera off, lay down on the tundra, and just stare at the northern lights absorbing their beauty. When the northern lights die down we head back across the Churchill River to our hotel.
Photo: ©Dan Harper
Today is our last day in Churchill. After breakfast we head over to the Parks Canada Interpretive Centre, which has indepth displays that reveal the remarkable history of Churchill through wildlife dioramas and exhibits that portray the history of the fur trade in the area. To wrap up our time at the Parks Canada Interpretive Centre we hear a presentation on the history, culture and wildlife of the area.
After our final lunch in Churchill, we return to the Churchill airport for our Winnipeg flight. Once we land we return to the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel to check in for our last night of our tour. We have one more big group dinner as a send off for all of the travelers who have come from all over the world to see the northern lights in Churchill.
Photo: ©Dan Harper
It’s my final morning in Winnipeg. My northern lights adventure was such a wonderful experience and I’m so excited to go home and show everyone the amazing photos I’ve captured of Churchill’s incredible northern lights.
Guests will arrive in Winnipeg independently and make their own way to the Inn at the Forks hotel. Activities: Evening welcome dinner hosted by Frontiers North Interpretive Guide. Meals: D
Activities: Manitoba Planetarium presentation; interactive "Inuit: People of the North" program; private guided tour of Manitoba Museum. Meals: B, L, D
Early morning flight to Churchill. Activities: Interpretive transfer into Churchill; evening RAW:churchill experience (select departures only); evening northern lights viewing from a Tundra Buggy. Meals: B, L, D
Activities: Churchill Town & Area Tour; Churchill Eskimo Museum; evening northern lights viewing from a Tundra Buggy. Meals: B, L, D
Activities: Snowshoeing program with a local resident; evening northern lights viewings from a Tundra Buggy. Meals: B, L, D
Activities: Dog sledding excursion hosted by a local resident and dog sledding expert; evening northern lights viewings from a Tundra Buggy. Meals: B, L, D
Check out of the Churchill hotel before departing for the day’s activities. Activities: Presentation at the Parks Canada Interpretive Centre. Afternoon flight back to Winnipeg. Meals: B, L, D
Depart Winnipeg at your leisure. Meals: None
Dine under the northern lights at Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site.
Book on select Northern Lights and Winter Nights adventures to guarantee your seat at the 2018 RAW:churchill culinary and adventure experience. Visit raw-churchill.com to learn more.
"We had a marvelous time. The staff was fantastic. The Tundra Buggy took us to a dark area where we didn't have light interference. We have two amazing nights. The first had blues at the top, reds at the bottom and the curtains moved quickly. They even danced for us. The second night was more of your classic NLs. Slow, rippling curtains of green but sometimes they seemed to cover half the sky. It exceeded our expectations. A number of our friends had disappointing experiences in Norway and Iceland. Churchill is the best spot since you need it really cold to avoid clouds and snow. "
Richard
| Dates | Adventure | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 17-24, 2019 Tour Code: NL3 | Northern Lights and Winter Nights Enthusiast Lodging: 3 nights Winnipeg, 4 nights Churchill Maximum 20 people | $5,699 $995 Single Supplement |
| Feb 24 - Mar 3 2019 Tour Code: NL4 | Northern Lights and Winter Nights Enthusiast Lodging: 3 nights Winnipeg, 4 nights Churchill Maximum 20 people NEW: Includes RAW:churchill experience | $5,699 $995 Single Supplement |
| Mar 1-8, 2019 Tour Code: NL5 | Northern Lights and Winter Nights Enthusiast Lodging: 3 night Winnipeg, 4 nights Churchill Maximum 20 people NEW: Includes RAW:churchill experience | $5,699 $995 Single Supplement |
| Mar 5-12, 2019 Tour Code: NL6 | Northern Lights and Winter Nights Enthusiast Lodging: 3 nights Winnipeg, 4 nights Churchill Maximum 20 people NEW: Includes RAW:churchill experience | $5,699 $995 Single Supplement |
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All prices CAD, plus applicable taxes.
All prices, inclusions, and dates may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.
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