Stay on the Tundra Among the Bears in the World's Most Remarkable Hotel
This is simply the most extraordinary polar bear experience available! Stay at the Tundra Lodge, set on the subarctic plain near the edge of Hudson Bay, with round-the-clock proximity to polar bears. For wildlife photographers, no place offers a better spot for coveted close-up shots. As dusk descends, remain in the domain of the polar bear while the sunset lingers on the landscape. Safe inside the warm confines of the lodge, enjoy surprising comfort in these austere environs. This custom "train" of connected lounge car, dining car and sleeping compartments is built on wheels, allowing us to station it for optimal polar bear viewing each season. Daily Polar Rover excursions take us farther afield in search of bears and other northern wildlife. There’s no more immersive encounter with the King of the Arctic's realm.
Trip Highlights
Be with Polar Bears Around the Clock
Stay at one of the world’s truly unique lodges, designed for polar bear observation and optimally placed near the shore of Hudson Bay in the heart of the bears’ habitat
Scout for Bears from Custom Polar Rovers
Look for polar bears beyond the lodge aboard our custom Polar Rover vehicles, with steel-mesh outdoor viewing platforms for the closest encounters
Search for Arctic Wildlife on a Tundra Safari
From Arctic fox and Arctic hare and to snowy owl and willow ptarmigan, look for northern wildlife that thrives along Hudson Bay in the polar bear's realm
WWF In Action
Polar Bear Photo Expeditions
This specialized photography adventure is designed to maximize your polar bear photography opportunities, with round-the-clock proximity to bears from our unique mobile lodge stationed in an area of high bear density. Our on-site Polar Rover offers daily excursions to photograph polar bears and other wildlife farther afield. Your Expedition Leaders are accomplished wildlife photographers and expert naturalist guides, by your side to share tips from their extensive experience to help you get those once-in-a-lifetime shots.
View Photo Expedition
Experience Life at the Tundra Lodge
What Makes Our Tundra Lodge Adventure SO Special?
Our exclusive Tundra Lodge—an innovative accommodation with no peer in Churchill (or anywhere else)—is simply the most remarkable way to immerse yourself in the realm of the polar bear. A stay at the Tundra Lodge puts you directly in the bears' wild habitat around the clock—and since you're elevated above the ground, you get exceptional proximity in total safety.
- The Best Polar Bear Viewing Spot on the Planet
The Tundra Lodge is strategically placed on a small spit of land that juts into Hudson Bay. This isolated spot is where the sea ice first begins to form, attracting polar bears at the beginning of the bear-viewing season. Tundra Lodge guests stay right in the midst of the most concentrated polar bear activity in the world! - Close-Up Bear Viewing from Private Cabins & Shared Observation Areas
At the Tundra Lodge, just 29 guests spend leisurely time observing polar bears. Aboard this unique hotel fashioned like a train with sleeper cars, each guest has a compact private cabin with individual sleeping berth and window through which to watch bears (and, if we're lucky, the northern lights!). Large elevated outdoor viewing platforms with steel-grate decking further enhance polar bear observation. At the Tundra Lodge, you won't miss a thing, since you're in polar bear terrain 24/7. - Exclusive Permits Access the Best Bear-Viewing Area
Not every polar bear tour operator possesses permits to access the entire Churchill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) where the best, and sometimes only, polar bear viewing occurs. Nat Hab, in tandem with our partner Great White Bear Tours, holds one of these permits. Other operators are confined to the paved and gravel road to Halfway Point—which, as the name suggests, is only halfway to the prime polar bear area. If you're coming to Churchill to get close to polar bears, be sure you get full access. - Travel with Two Naturalist Expedition Leaders
With two guides, our 29 guests get the richest interpretive experience and exceptional personal attention. Our Expedition Leaders' in-depth knowledge and experience mean better, closer and more inspiring encounters with polar bears, the northern landscape and other Arctic wildlife. - Our Polar Rovers Are the Most Impressive Vehicles in Churchill
Our custom-built Polar Rovers have an advanced drive train that lets us safely cruise over the tundra with virtually no chance of breakdown, plus a custom-designed heavy-duty suspension system that steadies the ride over the uneven terrain. With huge picture windows, an angled front windshield (to look down on bears in front below), and onboard flush toilets, our guests enjoy a superior experience. - Steel Mesh Decking Enhances Close-Up Bear Viewing
Built into the rear observation platform of every Polar Rover—and into the platforms that separate the "cars" of our Tundra Lodge—is an exclusive feature that greatly enhances polar bear viewing: grated steel mesh decks that we can see through, enabling us to come within mere inches of curious bears that sometimes wander beneath the platforms! - The Smallest Groups for Superior Nature Adventures
Natural Habitat Adventures is known for its small groups, including the smallest polar bear tours in Churchill. While it may cost us more, the benefits are worth it. Inside the Tundra Lodge, which accommodates just 29 guests, you'll have plenty of room to view bears through sliding windows and ample deck space. Our Polar Rovers hold 30 or more passengers, but we generally travel with no more than 16 per vehicle when we head out on excursions from the Tundra Lodge. Every guest has plenty of space to spread out, angle for photos, and enjoy watching wildlife without being bumped by other travelers. - Private Chartered Flights Maximize Time with Polar Bears
To achieve the most time on the tundra viewing polar bears, rather than waiting around airports and enduring the hassle of security screenings, we charter our own private aircraft to take us directly from Winnipeg to Churchill at a time most convenient for us. We know you'd rather spend your time with polar bears, rather than waiting in airports. - We Provide Heavy Parkas & Winter Boots for Your Use
No need to go spend a lot of money buying heavy outdoor gear you may use just once—we provide Arctic-style parkas and heavy-duty winter boots for your use in Churchill, at no cost. - The Finest Naturalist Guides on the Planet
Natural Habitat Adventures is known worldwide for employing the highest-quality guides in the industry. Our Churchill Expedition Leaders have been guiding polar bear trips for an average of 10 years each. They also receive additional training from WWF scientists. You won't find more knowledgeable guides! These congenial professionals meet you in Winnipeg and travel with the group the whole way. Our photo tour leaders are also professional photographers, with a passion and talent for sharing their knowledge. Our philosophy is simple: a nature adventure is only as good as the guide who leads it, so we provide the best. See Expedition Leader bios and traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders. - Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Outstanding Polar Bear Adventure
With Natural Habitat Adventures, you receive our exclusive guarantee that clearly states that we will meet the high expectations we set forth in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise. - Feel Good About Your Carbon-Neutral Journey
We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you travel with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset—including your round-trip flights from home. Natural Habitat Adventures has been the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company since 2007. - Natural Habitat Adventures is World Wildlife Fund's Travel Partner
Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our small-group nature adventures, World Wildlife Fund, the world's leading environmental conservation organization, has named Natural Habitat Adventures its worldwide travel partner—a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!
