Our Northern Lights and Winter Nights by Tain tour is led by an Interpretive Guide and includes a two-night train journey that winds through Manitoba and Saskatchewan to Churchill; a town only accessible by train or plane.
Churchill is located directly beneath the auroral oval, making this northern town one of the best places on Earth to witness the awe-inspiring northern lights.
This adventure offers you the opportunity to witness this incredible night-sky phenomenon from the tundra. Surround yourself in beautiful northern landscapes as we travel to a new and secluded location each night for incredible aurora-viewing opportunities!
By day, you’ll experience the history and culture of this unique northern community with a snowshoeing adventure, an exhilarating dog sled ride through the boreal forest, a tour of the local Itsanitaq Museum and more!
This adventure includes an evening at Dan’s Diner, an exclusive culinary experience on the frozen banks of the Churchill River.
I flew into Winnipeg today and I am so excited to go on my northern lights 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 wait for an evening meet and greet with my Frontiers North Interpretive Guide where our group has the chance to ask last minute questions and learn more about what our adventure holds!
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 with our Interpretive Guide 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 © Taylor Cole
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 © VIA Rail Canada
We wake up early in the morning for breakfast before arriving in Churchill. Upon arriving, we head out for a Churchill and area tour which comprises of a guided bus tour of local and historical points of interest surrounding Churchill, including the Polar Bear Holding Facility and Inukshuk.
After a delicious lunch at a locally-owned restaurant we head over to the Itsanitaq Museum, which contains one of Canada’s finest collections of Inuit carvings, kayaks and artifacts dating from pre- Dorset, Dorset, Thule, and modern Inuit times.
This evening we escape the lights of town for the trip's first aurora borealis-viewing opportunity! Tonight we travel to a modern-style yurt tucked away in the boreal forest. The illuminated yurt and surrounding treetops can make for excellent northern lights photography — I'm so glad I brought my camera!
Photo © Abby Matheson
This morning we get to visit Polar Bears International House, where we receive a short talk from a Polar Bears International Ambassador who teaches us about polar bears around the world, polar bear research, climate change and more. We also tour the Interpretive Centre and learn how to support polar bear conservation efforts!
After lunch, we feel the exhilaration of an afternoon interpretive snowshoeing adventure through Churchill’s boreal forest.
This evening's dinner plans are something I've been looking forward to since booking the trip! We journey by official Tundra Buggy® across the frozen Churchill River to Dan’s Diner and experience regional cuisine in a pop-up restaurant, complete with skylights and panoramic windows for best northern lights-viewing opportunities.
After dining beneath the northern lights, we're given time to relax, step outside and socialize with fellow travellers. We eventually head back to town and I just know this will be an experience to remember forever!
Photo © Abby Matheson
In the morning I grab a quick breakfast from the lobby hotel before meeting the group. Today we’re going on a dog sledding excursion! Hosted by a local resident and dog sledding expert, we learn about Métis culture and the history of dog sledding in northern Canada.
This evening we get to take part in another very special northern lights experience! From the town of Churchill, we again travel by Tundra Buggy across the frozen Churchill River, only this time it's to Frontiers North's Thanadelthur Lounge. Here, we can view the northern lights from inside by peering out through the panoramic windows or we can climb onto the roof-top observation deck for an unobstructed view. We spend our late night hours viewing and photographing incredible images of the northern lights as they streak across the sky.
Photo © Mike Gere
Today is our last day in Churchill. After breakfast we head over to the Parks Canada Visitor Centre to view detailed and exciting wildlife dioramas and fur trade exhibits. We leave chock-full of natural and historical information about the Churchill region!
After our final hours in Churchill, we return to the Churchill airport for our evening return flight to Winnipeg. Once we land we check into the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel for our last night of our tour. What an unforgettable experience this has been! I'm so grateful I got to see the northern lights in Churchill with the new friends I made along the way.
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 share my stories all about Churchill.
Guests will arrive into Winnipeg and make their own way to the Inn at the Forks hotel; Evening meet and greet hosted by Frontiers North Interpretive Guide. Meals: None
Board VIA Rail train early afternoon; Begin first leg of journey to Churchill; Overnight on train. Meals: B, L, D
Continue on journey from Winnipeg to Churchill; Overnight on train. Meals: B, L, D
Morning arrival into Churchill; Churchill and area tour; Itsanitaq Museum; Evening forest excursion; Overnight at Churchill hotel. Meals: B, L, D
PBI House; Interpretive snowshoe trek; Dan’s Diner culinary experience; Overnight at Churchill hotel. Meals: B, L, D
Dog sledding and interpretive program; Evening visit to Thanadelthur Lounge; Overnight at Churchill hotel. Meals: B, L, D
Parks Canada Visitor Centre; Evening flight to Winnipeg; Guests will check into their hotel at the Winnipeg airport. Meals: B, L, D
Guests may depart Winnipeg at their leisure. Meals: None
Across the frozen Churchill River a remote dining experience awaits at 58° North latitude, surrounded by wilderness beneath the northern lights.
Imagine dining beneath the northern lights with a multi-course meal that features regional and local fare. This is Dan’s Diner, a remote culinary adventure like no other.
DAN’S DINER REMOTE CULINARY EXPERIENCE
Available on all Northern Lights and Winter Nights departures.
Visit dans-diner.com to learn more.
Polar Bears at Tundra Buggy Lodge
Northern Lights and Winter Nights
Belugas, Bears and Blooms