Our Photo Adventure: Northern Lights in Churchill by Train tour is led by a Photo Specialist 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 capture this incredible night-sky phenomenon from the tundra whether you’re shooting with a DSLR or a newer camera-phone. All skill levels are welcome.
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! After dark surround yourself in beautiful northern landscapes as we travel to a new and secluded location each night for incredible aurora photography opportunities!
This adventure includes an evening at Dan’s Diner, an exclusive culinary experience on the frozen banks of the Churchill River.
This adventure also includes many northern light photo opportunities. Your Photo Specialist can assist you with some camera settings, but be sure to read our blog on northern lights photography and our new smartphone photography blog.
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 welcome dinner with my Frontiers North Photo Specialist where our group has the chance to ask last minute questions and learn more about what our adventure holds!
After a wonderful and hearty breakfast, my fellow travellers 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, where we enjoy an interactive tour of the Winnipeg night sky; this guided “nature walk” of the stars highlights current constellations, planets and northern lights. Next, we experience 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.
After lunch our day at the Manitoba Museum continues with a guided tour of the museum.
At the end of our day, we shuttle back to our hotel to prepare for a group dinner and a good night rest.
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. In the afternoon our Photo Specialist reviews some northern lights photography tips in preparation for our night of northern lights viewing and photography.
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, and thanks to our earlier photography workshop, we got some really good photos!
Photo © Abby Matheson
This morning 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 lunch we visit 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!
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 we feel the exhilaration of an afternoon interpretive snowshoeing adventure through Churchill’s boreal forest.
This evening we have one last night of northern lights viewing. Tonight it's at Wapusk Adventures, where a teepee awaits with a warming fire; a perfect spot for storytelling and a wonderful subject for nighttime photography as the glowing fire lights the traditional structure from within.
Photo © Abby Matheson
On our final day in Churchill, 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.
We also pay visit to 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 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.
Photo © Kieran McIver
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 into Winnipeg and make their own way to the Inn at the Forks hotel; Evening welcome dinner hosted by Frontiers North Photo Specialist. Meals: D
Manitoba Planetarium presentation; Interactive “Inuit: People of the North” program; Overnight at Inn at the Forks hotel. Meals: B, L, D
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; Introductory northern lights photography workshop; Evening forest excursion; Overnight at Churchill hotel. Meals: B, L, D
Churchill and area tour; Parks Canada Visitor Centre; 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
Interpretive snowshoe trek; Evening visit to Wapusk Adventures; Overnight at Churchill hotel. Meals: B, L, D
Itsanitaq Museum; PBI House; 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.
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Photo Adventure: Northern Lights in Churchill
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