Churchill Belugas and Bears Explorer by Train

Day 01

Welcome to Winnipeg

I flew into Winnipeg today and I am so excited to go on my beluga whale tour! My home for the night is the Inn at the Forks, which is just across the street from the VIA Rail Station at the Forks, a popular tourist destination. After checking in, I head to an evening meet and greet held by a representative from Frontiers North. Our tour is unescorted, meaning the Frontiers North representative will not be travelling with us to Churchill. The meet and greet gave our group the chance to ask some last-minute questions about our adventure.

Photo © Inn at the Forks

Day 02

The Train Voyage Begins

After breakfast at the hotel I have a bit of free time to walk around the Forks before our train departure in the early afternoon. We all meet at the train station and board the train. The travel arrangements on the train are private sleeper cabins, but there are plenty of opportunities to socialize with my fellow travellers during meals!

Photo © Uli Kunz

Day 03

Day on Train

We wake up on the train for our first full-day. We enjoy a delicious breakfast in the dining car and afterwards I snuggle up with a book and a cup of coffee in my berth. As we are travelling, I notice the landscape is beginning to change. First from prairie grasslands thick with trees to boggy muskeg with stunted growth. In the late afternoon we arrive in Thompson, one of this routes major stops.

While some people board the train, I spend an hour exploring Thompson. We once again board the train for our final leg to Churchill. Once again I'm rocked to sleep by the slow chug of the train.

Photo © Uli Kunz

Day 04

Churchill Adventure Begins

We wake up early in the morning for breakfast before arriving in Churchill. Our first day encourages guests to learn about the history and culture of the town. Upon arrival, we head straight out on a Churchill and area tour, which comprises of an exploratory drive past various points of interest in and surrounding Churchill. Our driver stopped briefly at Manitoba Conservation’s Polar Bear Holding Facility so we could get out and take photos. Don't forget to bring your bug spray! 

After our tour, the bus dropped our group off at our hotel for check in. I chose to spend my free afternoon visiting the Parks Canada Visitor Centre and Churchill’s Itsanitaq Museum, which houses one of the most extensive Inuit Art collections in the world. For dinner I meet with a couple of my fellow travellers at the Tundra Inn Dining Room and Pub - lucky for us it happens to be open mic night so we stayed for a pint and enjoyed the show! 

Photo © Doug Ross

Day 05

Beluga Whales, Prince of Wales Fort and Dog Carting

Today is our first encounter with Churchill’s beautiful beluga whales! After a light breakfast at our accommodations, I meet with the rest of the tour group at Sea North Tours and we are bussed down to the port for our morning on the water. They take us on a three-hour boat tour on the Churchill River, cruising down the river looking for pods of curious whales.

This excursion also included a stop for a walking tour at the historical Prince of Wales Fort where a Parks Canada Interpreter teaches us about the famous explorers who lived at the fort in the 18^th Century and how they managed to survive in Churchill’s harsh climate. 

After lunch on our own, we head down to Wapusk General Store for our next activity—dog carting! We are transferred to join a local dog musher for an exciting dog carting excursion through the boreal forest, what a rush! Our host Dave Daley introduces us to his team of sled dogs and explains to us the importance of dog sledding in northern culture and history.

Photo © Dan Harper

Day 06

Beluga Whale Zodiac Tour

Our third day in Churchill starts with Zodiac boat tour, giving us a chance to get even closer to the extraordinarily friendly beluga whales. Once again I meet with the rest of the tour group at Sea North Tours and head to the water. Once we board the Zodiac and head into the river estuary we see how curious and friendly the beluga whales are. They seem to love the bubbles from the Zodiac’s motor – they follow us so closely!

Photo © Mike Macri

Day 07

Tundra Buggy Adventure

It's hard to believe but my Churchill adventure is almost over. But before we leave, it's time for our Tundra Buggy adventure in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area! We meet at Fifty Eight North - Home of the Tundra Buggy - and a Frontiers North representative takes us out to the Tundra Buggy Dock area to begin our tour.

Once we board the Tundra Buggy and our driver gives us a safety talk, we head out onto the tundra in search of summer polar bears, arctic foxes, hares and more types of plants and flowers than you can't imagine growing in the North! Our tour allows us to learn from our Tundra Buggy Driver about the many different types of plant life and animal life that are native to the Churchill area. The landscape is so colourful and beautiful and our Tundra Buggy Driver shares a wealth of knowledge about the area. What an adventure!

Photo © Handcraft Creative

Day 08

Depart Winnipeg

My Churchill adventure is over and I’m heading home – but I have a lot of wonderful photos to show my friends and family. I can't wait to plan my next Churchill trip!