Depart Winnipeg for Churchill. On arrival transfer to a waiting private charter aircraft for a 40 min flight to the Arviat Polar Bear Cabins situated halfway between Churchill, MB and Arviat, NU on the Hudson Bay Coast, only a couple of miles south of the mighty Gellini River. The cabin placement is very strategic for reliable polar bear encounters and amazing photography. As the river to the north of the cabins is 5km wide, polar bears traveling north along the Hudson Bay coastline are prevented from moving any further due to the river. This is where the cabins have been placed, directly in ‘polar bear alley’. Live with them, observe, and photograph them while they wait for both the river and the Hudson Bay coast to freeze up.

Polar bear observation, trekking and eye-to-eye photography: Observe polar bears when they come right into the complex (there is a four foot high protective perimeter fence around the camp to provide a more natural experience of interaction). Your Inuit guides know these polar bears intimately and understand their behavior after years of living amongst them. With your Inuit guides, go on day hikes outside of the Arviat Polar Bear Cabin complex. Knowing that your guides will keep you safe, you’ll be able to approach polar bears from the ground for up close photographic opportunities (generally up to 100 ft/30 m). In many instances, the polar bears are friendly, in good spirits and will not approach. At times there will be a curious polar bear who will come towards you, yet, your guides will keep you a safe distance at all times. This is the most authentic, safe and up close method of approaching polar bears and seeing them eye to eye anywhere.

This time of year is the best to view the northern lights. Situated directly in the prime viewing band, where the most intense and reliable northern lights occur, eagerly await sunset each evening and the first hints of the northern lights to appear in the darkening night sky.

Photograph in the morning. Depart the cabins shortly after noon for the charter flight returning to Churchill, where the trip concludes (participants can either fly back to Winnipeg that evening, or stay on in Churchill).