HUDSON BAY/POLAR BEAR EXPLORER TOUR
Northbound by train Winnipeg to Churchill; return by air from $2419.00
October 16-22; October 23-29; October 30-November 5; November 6-12
Northbound by air Winnipeg to Churchill, return by train from $2299.00
October 21-27; October 28-November 3; November 4-10; November 11-17
For 2003, Rail Travel Center has revised its Hudson Bay/Polar Bear Explorer Tour to offer more dates and more time in Churchill, including two full days of “Tundra Buggy” polar bear spotting. Participants fly one direction between Winnipeg and Churchill and travel the other direction on the VIA Rail Canada NORTHERN SPIRIT streamliner. Time is maximized in Churchill, and the long wilderness train ride is taken once, rather than twice as in previous seasons. This program is operated with our partners at International Wildlife Adventures, whose staff provide escort services on the train and in Churchill. The air travel segment is unescorted. Four dates offer northbound train travel, returning by air; the other four departures reverse the pattern.
One of the most unique travel destinations is the desolate Hudson Bay frontier of Manitoba, Canada. At Churchill, the VIA Rail/Canadian National/Hudson Bay Railway joint line reaches the arctic tundra, terminating on the shores of Hudson Bay. Churchill lies astride the migration path of the polar bears. In autumn, polar bears migrate back to the ice floes using their accustomed route through the town and its environs.
We ride VIA Rail to the literal "end of the line" on the NORTHERN SPIRIT, a train equipped with rebuilt former Amtrak sleeping cars and a diner-lounge car. This is a working train that survives because it serves hundreds of miles of completely road-less country; but we do not advertise the service as a luxury train. Churchill is the most northern point reached by regularly scheduled passenger train service on the North American continent, excluding the isolated railroads of Alaska. The railway was constructed because of steep shipping rates charged wheat farmers by the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River ports. Viewed on a globe, Churchill actually is closer to northern Europe than Montreal! The many trestles keep speeds well under 40 mph north of The Pas, but the slow pace and absolute isolation combine to produce a uniquely serene trip.
This is a “soft adventure”, allowing exploration of the remote beauty of the Canadian arctic frontier. Participants booking this trip must expect simple hotels and need to be flexible regarding schedules. The activities outlined in Churchill are operated as weather and safety conditions permit. The right is expressly reserved to modify the itinerary as required. Polar bear sightings cannot be guaranteed, but no Rail Travel Center group to Churchill has failed to see bears. Complete details follow. All aboard!
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Northbound by Rail/Southbound by Air Itinerary
Day One, Thursday
Board VIA Rail NORTHERN SPIRIT in Winnipeg. Independent arrivals into Winnipeg today. The VIA Rail Canada NORTHERN SPIRIT departs about 8:00PM. Overnight accommodations for the next two nights are in Pullman sleeping cars. Single passengers are accommodated in Roomettes, while couples travel in Standard Bedrooms. Toilet facilities are provided in each room with a shower room in each car.
Day 2:
Day Two, Friday (B,L,D)
On VIA Rail’s NORTHERN SPIRIT en route to Churchill. All day the train rolls north as the scenery changes from wheat fields to boreal taiga forest. There is an extended morning stop at The Pas to detrain and stretch our legs. Full meals are included in the dining car. This evening we can step off again at Thompson. North of here the train carries “piggy-back” cars loaded with refrigerated trucks bringing meat and produce to the arctic frontier. We see our final paved road at Thompson, as the wilderness closes around us. Low trestles, small lakes and fast-flowing rivers provide the scenery.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 3:
Day Three, Saturday (B on the train)
Arrive Churchill; area tour; Eskimo Museum Dawn finds us in a new world as the forest vanishes and we enter the vast expanse of the arctic. The tundra recedes to an apparently limitless horizon. Shortly after breakfast, we arrive at Churchill, the true end of the line. The activities which follow occur during the next four days, weather permitting. We reserve the right to alter the sequence or change the program if weather/safety requires. Today we have an orientation tour of Churchill, including the Hudson Bay Company battery, grain elevators and port facilities, and the Eskimo Museum. Overnight accommodations for the next three nights are at the Tundra Inn or other similar lodges. Please note that hotels in Churchill are simple and basic. Rooms are clean and all have private bath, but there are no deluxe properties here.
(B)
Day 4:
Days Four and Five, Sunday and Monday (L each day)
Two days of Tundra Buggy exploration in search of polar bears. Two full days are devoted to travel far out onto the roadless tundra in search of polar bears, riding on the unique Tundra Buggies. We may see not only polar bears, but also ptarmigan, arctic hares, and even caribou. BRING FILM!
(L)
Day 5:
Days Four and Five, Sunday and Monday (L each day)
Two days of Tundra Buggy exploration in search of polar bears. Two full days are devoted to travel far out onto the roadless tundra in search of polar bears, riding on the unique Tundra Buggies. We may see not only polar bears, but also ptarmigan, arctic hares, and even caribou. BRING FILM!
(L)
Day 6:
Days Six, Tuesday (D)
Dogsledding, Parks Canada Visitors Center; return flight to Winnipeg.. This morning we visit a sled-dog trainer and enjoy, weather permitting, a ride behind a trained dog-team. We also visit the fascinating Parks Canada Visitors Center, which explains life in the Arctic. Later we transfer to the airport for the included flight to Winnipeg. In Winnipeg, we overnight at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel, located right at the airport.
(D)
Day 7:
Day Seven, Wednesday
Tour ends with independent departures from Winnipeg today.
Reverse Itinerary, Northbound by Air/Southbound by Train
These departures include almost the same activities in Churchill, but are slightly less expensive as a cultural program replaces the sled-dog experience. These dates depart Winnipeg by air, returning on the train back into Winnipeg. A summary itinerary follows. Day One, Tuesday: Independent Winnipeg arrivals with accommodations at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel Winnipeg Airport. Day Two, Wednesday: Fly Winnipeg to Churchill, town and Eskimo Museum tours. Days Three and Four, Thursday and Friday (L each day) Two full-days of Tundra Buggy polar bear photo-safaris. Day Five, Saturday (D): A local Inuit artist shares her interesting life and explains the creation and meaning of her unique native art at our morning cultural program. Later visit the Parks Canada Visitors Center, board VIA Rail in mid-evening, with the next two nights spent on the train. Day Six, Sunday (B,L,D on the train: Enroute all day on VIA Rail. Day Seven, Monday (B on the train): Arrive Winnipeg shortly after breakfast. Tour ends.
TOUR PRICES include all rail, air and tundra buggy fares; all hotels; sleeper rooms on the train; admissions and sightseeing; escort service on the train and in Churchill; transfers and luggage handling. Not included are items of a personal nature such as alcoholic beverages and souvenirs.
Northbound Rail/Southbound Air Departures
$2419.00 per person, double occupancy using a Standard Bedroom on VIA
$2724.00 single occupancy using a Roomette on VIA
Northbound Air/Southbound Rail Departures
$2299.00 per person, double occupancy using a Standard Bedroom on VIA
$2604.00 single occupancy using a Roomette on VIA
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Surcharge to Upgrade to a Superior Bedroom on VIA
A limited number of slightly larger Superior Bedrooms are available for the two nights on the train. These rooms offer a long sofa for daytime use (while the standard Bedrooms have two arm chairs), with upper/lower berths at night. There is a private toilet for each room, as in the Standard Bedrooms.
$100.00 per person, double occupancy. These rooms are not offered for single occupancy.
Also see tour packages in:
North America
Canada
Nature & Wildlife
Wildlife Viewing
Railway Trips
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