Polar Bears & Northern Lights of the Torngat Mountains
« All Arctic Land Tours cruise options
| Dates | Deck + Cabin Type |
| Custom Base Camp Accommodations | |
Please Note:
These itineraries are not based off of a small ship, but rather are land-based explorations of the Arctic. Accommodations are in luxury custom-built base camps.
Important Pricing Notice:
Rates based on current exchange rate Canadian Dollars (CAD) to US Dollars and do not include 5% GST (2.5% for non-Canadian residents). Please contact us for current exchange rates.
Deposit & Payment These itineraries are not based off of a small ship, but rather are land-based explorations of the Arctic. Accommodations are in luxury custom-built base camps.
Important Pricing Notice:
Rates based on current exchange rate Canadian Dollars (CAD) to US Dollars and do not include 5% GST (2.5% for non-Canadian residents). Please contact us for current exchange rates.
Day 1 Arrive Montreal, Canada
Arrive in Montreal where you will be personally met by a representative to escort you to the elegant Albert at Bay suite hotel.
Day 2 Kangiqsualujjuaq
Depart Montreal for Kuujjuaq in the morning. You will change planes in Kuujjuaq departing to continue onto Kangiqsualujjuaq where you be welcomed by expedition leader and transferred to the comfortable hotel. During dinner, your expedition leader and lead Inuit guide give a briefing and gear check. The evening will be yours to relax, enjoy and explore Kangiqsualujjuaq hamlet. Kangiqsualujjuaq is situated on the banks of the George River nestled amongst the hills peppered with trees that make up the tree line. Just a little further outside of town, the trees end and the open mountains begin.
Day 3 Arctic Igloo Base Camp
After a delicious breakfast of your choice of eggs, or continental breakfast, your expedition leader and guides will meet you in front of the hotel in preparation for your departure for the 4-5 hour relaxed and explorer friendly route out to the Exclusive Arctic Igloo Dome base camp situated 80 km north east along the coast of the Ungava Bay. You will be traveling in traditional Inuit-style qamutiqs – yet outfitted with plush seats with suspension for a pleasurably smooth ride and 360 degree removable cover to keep you warm and protected if the weather is cold and wet.
You will travel initially over the numerous hills/mountains surround Kangiqsualujjuaq and trees. As you proceed northwards you will notice the trees begin to thin out, and cease altogether – you’ve crossed the treeline! The 80km route continues across numerous frozen lakes, valleys, through passes, over the Koroc river and through Nuniviks newest park – the Kuururjuaq Park. Finally, you you’ll arrive and travel on the frozen sea ice in the fiords.
The final destination will be the Arctic Igloo Dome base camp overlooking the floe edge out to the Ungava Bay where you’ll be greeted by your personal chef and welcome buffet and a tour of your new accommodations. Settle into your heated Arctic Igloo Dome with king size bed, duvet cover, linens and down pillows – your Arctic oasis.
Day 4 Helicopter Route
There will be one helicopter day scheduled into the itinerary on day 4, 5,6 or 7 – but which day will be dependent on weather and which day is most likely to have the least cloud cover and best conditions for flying. Working closely with your helicopter pilot, he will determine which day will best be suited for polar bear viewing.
The helicopter flight will take you through some of the most picturesque scenery eastern Canada has to offer! The helicopter will follow the floe edge to the very north end of the Ungava peninsula to the Button Islands. The route will continue around the point and continue down the west coast on the Labrador side following the floe edge where polar bears are most likely to be seen You will then travel through the fiords and over the Torngat mountains following passes and fiords back to the exclusive base camp.
Along the way there will be opportunities to stop for lunch or land at picturesque locations or try to land close to polar bears that are sighted along the route. Each polar bear has a unique personality and depending on their temperament – some run away at the sound of an approaching helicopter, whereas others will not. Also depending on the terrain, the landing conditions may or may not allow for the helicopter to land. The pilot is very experienced in the north and will attempt as close a landing as possible.
The best viewing opportunities occur when the helicopter lands and your group stays in one area. Polar bears are naturally curious and will often approach the group. While having a picnic lunch beside the helicopter, you may have polar bears approach and later wander away once their curiosity has been satisfied.
Total is 4 hours flying time including time for helicopter to fly from George River to the Base Camp to refuel at the end of the day. You can have as much time on the ground when the helicopter lands. The helicopter has room for 4 persons + pilot + Inuit guide.
On average, up to 15 polar bears, including mother and cubs, solo males and juvenile (2 – 4 years old) bears in pairs have been sighted during the 3 hour flight. In addition, sightings of the rare Torngat Caribou herd can also be made.
Days 5-7 Daily excursions by snowmobile & qamutik
The sea ice beyond the peninsula where the base camp resides has countless polar bear tracks. Your guides can explain how they know that each track is male, female, how old and what size bear it was. The best part – watch them examine the tracks to determine when the tracks were made – Is it a week old, a day, or even just an hour old. There may be evidence of what the polar bears were looking for – in most cases seal pups.
It is only inevitable that you will come across a polar bear crossing the sea ice. There are various techniques the Inuit guides will use to get close to the polar bears – the best one being – to not approach at all. Upon spotting a polar bear, you will get as close as your inuit guides will allow from a downwind position and then stop. Polar bears are naturally very curious animals and within time will sense your presence and investigate what the new smell is. Other times, the polar bears will be completely unaware of your presence and you will be able to watch them hunt a seal, dig open a seal hole or simply lie down and rub its belly on the sea ice while pushing forward with its hind legs.
The number and types of encounters are different every single time. No two polar bear encounters are the same. An encounter can be as far as 1km, or as close as 10meters. It could be a mother polar bear and cubs on ice. It could be a male who has based himself on one of the hundreds of small rocky islands. Each and every encounter is evaluated by your Inuit guides to determine what the polar bears intention and personality is like. Your safety is the number one priority and all safety precautions are taken to ensure each encounter remains within acceptable guidelines. This is why groups are kept extremely small at only 4 persons, to allow for the closest, safest and most personable encounters you can enjoy.
After returning to the Arctic Igloo Dome base camp, enjoy scrumptious appetizers and cocktails. Relax by the fireplace within the lounge and sip on a glass of wine while reminiscing about the days polar bears seen.
After a steak dinner, wait for the northern lights to appear in the night sky and remain for the next few hours mesmerized by the intense and ever changing colors. The feelings of awe, of inspiration, and wonder on seeing the northern lights is indescribable.
Day 8 Back to Kangiqsualujjuaq
The trip back return by snowmobile caravan on the same trail you arrived on. On the way back, you may come across more polar bears with her cubs crossing the sea ice ahead. Take some pictures with the huge walls of sea ice that surround the lands during low tide. Your guides explain that as the tide goes in and out, the sea ice raises and lowers up to 6 meters - creating vertical walls of ice with marbles of ice at the foot that roll up and down the wall as the tide ebbs and flows. Watch as the polar bears climb onto the ice and up onto the island. They take one last look back at the group and then disappear over the other side of the treeless island. Continue on the trail and arrive back in Kangiqsualujjuaq just before dinner.
Day 9 Fly to Ottawa / Return Home
You are brought to the Kangiqsualujjuaq airport for the 10:40 AM flight to Kuujjuaq. In Kuujjuaq, transfer planes and return to Ottawa and are met by a tour representative to take you to the hotel for one more night in Ottawa. Feel free to visit the nearby parliament buildings or stay a few more extra days and get to see the nations capital.
Itinerary Notes
Please note:All rates are posted in Canadian Dollars (CAD) and do not include 5% GST (2.5% for non-Canadian residents). Please contact us for current exchange rates.
Included in Tour Fare:
* Flights from Montreal to George River
* 2 nights accommodation in Montreal
* 2 nights hotel stay in George River hotel
* 1 days of helicopter scouting and wildlife viewing (4 hours including refueling and transit time to George River)
* 5 days in exclusive Arctic Dome Igloo base camp accommodations
* The services of highly qualified Inuit Guides
* All snowmobiles, fuel, transportation
* Base camp pre-set up and dismantling by Arctic Kingdom
* Trip Leader
* All meals
* Hotel transfers in George River and Montreal
Not Included in Tour Fare:
* Tips/Gratuities
* Meals in Montreal
* Personal Expenses
* Travel and Medical Insurance
* Baggage Insurance
* Additional costs associated with weather and/or layovers in Montreal, Kuujjuaq or George River
* Clothing Rental (Optional)
* Evacuation Insurance
Deposit & Payment
Initial deposit is $2000 CAD, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, and Discover. Alternatively, you can send a check to our Missoula, Montana, office or register online at: https://www.adventure-life.com/forms/fourways.php
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure.
Final payment by bank transfer, check or Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Amex. Credit Card payments subject to 3% convenience fee and maximum $15,000 charge.
Booking last minute? No problem! Please contact one of our trip planners, and we can get you on your way if booking less than 100 days prior to departure.
Click here to see a copy of our Terms and Conditions.
Cancellation Policy
| Days Prior to departure | Fee |
|---|---|
| 90 days | Deposit |
| 89-61 days | 50% tour cost |
| 60-0 days | 100% tour cost |
Arctic Land Tours
- Ship Highlights
- Passengers : 12
Think African Safari…in the Arctic
These land based trips are operated from either cabins and lodges, safari style camps located on the sea ice within a safe distance from the floe edge, or on a flat expanse of pebbly beach. Many of these locations have been used by Inuit for generations and are still used to this day.
Each trip begins in a local Inuit community, where you will meet soap stone carvers, Inuit throat singers or drum dancers, and learn how seal skins are made into traditional clothing. Here you can ease into the Arctic environment welcomed by the friendly, local community.
Arctic land tours local guides and elders have been traveling and living on the land all their lives. This knowledge is built into every one of these trips. Combine this traditional knowledge with the very latest in expedition equipment including satellite imagery for ice and wildlife tracking, rigid polar bear proof structures and the latest spotting scopes to ensure a safe and memorable Arctic experience.
Utmost Comfort
Remote camps are ready for you upon arrival and designed to provide you with ultimate comfort and functionality. Custom built base camps vary but typically consist of a kitchen structure for your gourmet chef to call home, and a large central meeting and dining location. Separate washroom facilities provide a private spot to freshen up with running water, washbasins and hot showers.
These tours define comfort as lounging on raised beds, dining on the freshest foods and relaxing in custom designed tents. This is what sets these land tours apart from the rest – a luxury experience in the Arctic.
Small Groups
By traveling in small groups of 6-12 people, passing silently by glaciers and below towering fiords, you truly embrace the Arctic wilderness. This allows you to enjoy the Arctic at your own pace, without the rumbling of engines and crowds of people nearby.
Unparalleled Knowledge
Your team operating the Arctic land tours have aerially scouted the far reaches of the Arctic for hundreds of hours, have a decade’s worth of wildlife expeditions under their belt, and worked with the world’s leading wildlife and culture filmmakers. .
Unparalleled Access
Not from the deck of a ship, but from the land. For years they have worked closely with
Inuit guides and developed lasting friendships, to bring the best of the Arctic to you. Through these friendships you will gain access to knowledge of the best locations, wildlife colonies and safe passageways, passed on through generations. You’ll also make new friends, while sharing stories, tracking wildlife and scanning the horizons for polar bears.
Peace of Mind
Your safety is taken very seriously. For every expedition there is a thorough Arctic Safety Plan complete with training, field support and top of the line equipment. With a mix of traditional survival and modern technology, staff are well prepared to handle minor to major emergency scenarios. Expedition leaders are highly trained professionals, equipped with instant communication to headquarters and local response teams.
Arctic Experiences - Four Distinct Styles
Arctic Safaris
Designed to allow travelers to spend as much time as possible experiencing Arctic wildlife. This could be on the floe edge, in a zodiac boat, on foot, or by snowmobile. All safaris have been carefully researched to offer the very best of polar wildlife and scenery. Your expert team has scouted the locations, consulted with scientists, and worked hand-in-hand with local Inuit guides to bring the best the Arctic has to offer to you.
Great Migrations
The mass movement of animals from one region to another is one of nature’s most astounding natural phenomenon. At the root of every migration is the need to mate, to seek nourishment or to escape extreme weather. So while fascinating, migration is crucial to survival for many animals. Great Migration expeditions are land-based safari-style trips timed to coincide with such migrations, including the Narwhal, as they travel south for the summer, or the Bowhead Whale as they move further north to feed. These floe edge Great Migration trips also offer opportunities to see Polar Bears and Walrus.
Grand Odysseys
Grand Odysseys are defined by unprecedented access, demanding logistics and the overall sense of exploration. These trips utilize years of experience planning and operating major scientific and film expeditions, and take advantage of the full range of activities possible, including hot air ballooning over the sea ice, snow surfing, kite skiing, snowmobiling, and the ultimate Arctic experience, a North Pole flyover.
Arctic Diving Safaris
What first inspired the creation of these tours was a trip to Igloolik to dive with Walrus and Bowhead whales under the ice. Since then your expert team has lead hundreds of dive trips, and are always eager to talk about their first love. From rebreathers to open circuit, and under ice diving, with exotic Arctic wildlife, they are the experts in Arctic diving. A scuba diving information kit is available upon request, which includes dive policies, operations, supplied gear and required gear list.
| Cabins | |
|---|---|
 | Custom Base Camp Accommodations Relax after a day of exploration in your custom-built base camp, with raised beds, private washrooms and custom designed tents. |
