Friday, December 16th
This morning, the alarm sounds off at 2:45am. We have thirty minutes before our ride comes. We hustle with the excitement of a trip to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the ... Full Journal »
Polar Bear Migration Fly-in Photo Safari
« All Arctic Tours by Land cruise options
| Dates | Deck + Cabin Type |
| Custom Base Camp Accommodations | |
| Oct 22 '13 Oct 26 '13 Oct 30 '13 Nov 3 '13 Nov 7 '13 Nov 11 '13 Nov 15 '13 |
$7,600 |
| Please note: rates are based on current exchange rate (CAD/USD). Please contact us for exact quote in US dollars. Internal Flight package: $1400 CAD |
|
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 tax (varies by itinerary but generally 5%). 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 tax (varies by itinerary but generally 5%). Please contact us for current exchange rates.
Day 1 Depart Winnipeg
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 and Arviat 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 are traveling north along the Hudson Bay coastline but are prevented from moving any further north due to the river. This is where the cabins have been placed. Directly in ‘polar bear alley’ and you will live with them, observe and photograph them while they wait for both the river and the Hudson Bay coast to freeze up.
Days 2-4 Polar Bear Observation
Polar Bear Observation, Trekking and eye-to-eye photography: Aside from observing polar bears when they come right into the complex (there deliberately has not installed a perimeter fence around the camp to provide a more natural experience of interaction). Your Inuit guides know these polar bears intimately. They understand their behavior after years of living amongst them.
With your Inuit guides, you will 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.
Expert Guiding: 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.
Northern Lights: Situated directly in the prime Northern Lights viewing band where the most intense and reliable northern lights occur, you will eagerly await sunset each evening and the first hints of the northern lights to appear in the darkening night sky.
Day 5 Photography Morning & Return home
Photograph in the morning. Depart the cabins shortly after noon for the charter flight returning to Churchill, where the trip will conclude (participants can either fly back to Winnipeg that evening, or stay on in Churchill).
Itinerary Notes
Please note:All rates are posted in Canadian Dollars (CAD) and do not include 5% GST. Please contact us for current exchange rates.
Included:
- The services of a highly qualified Inuit Guides and AK staff leader
- Private aircraft charter from Churchill to Arviat Fly-In Polar Bear Cabins. (addition fee, see rates for air package)
- 4 nights at the Arviat Fly-In Polar Bear Cabins (single supplement not available)
- All meals while at the Arviat Fly-In Polar Bear Cabins
- Airport pick up and drop-off in Churchill
Not Included:
- Flights to/from Churchill – ask about special rates
- Hotels, transfers and meals in Winnipeg
- Tips/Gratuities, Personal Expenses, Travel, Medical and Search and Rescue Coverage
- Additional costs associated with weather/flight delays and/or layovers in Churchill, Arviat Polar Bear Cabins, and Winnipeg including flight changes, additional hotels and meals.
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 Tours by Land
- 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. |
