A Winter Adventure in Churchill, Manitoba—The Best Place on Earth to See the Aurora!

In the same land that hosts the beluga whales of summer and polar bears in autumn comes an amazing phenomenon that illumines the dark winter skies. The northern lights—also called the aurora borealis—brighten the night in an ethereal display of color. Churchill has some of the most intense auroral activity on Earth, with often-clear skies that make it the ideal viewing destination. Photograph the lights from five heated vantage points exclusively for our guests, including a cabin in the boreal forest that we access via private snowcoach over a frozen creek, and from our custom-built Aurora Pod®, with a 360° view of the night sky through its glass top and sides. On this exciting Arctic adventure, our days are filled with distinctly northern activities like dog sledding, while nights offer potential for the best aurora viewing on the planet.

Highlights:

• Watch in comfort from a selection of six private viewing locations, each with heated interiors and comfortable seating and located well outside town in total darkness.
• Aboard our custom snowcoach, venture deep into the North Woods as we travel atop a frozen creek, keeping an eye out for moose, fox and Arctic hare.
• Learn about local lifestyles of Indigenous peoples on an array of winter activities, including snowshoeing and a traditional dog sled ride.

Day 1: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Our northern lights tour begins in Winnipeg. Once a fur-trading hub and later a Canadian Pacific Railway boomtown, today Manitoba's capital is a vibrant cultural and commercial center on the eastern edge of Canada’s vast prairies. On arrival, you are met and transferred to the distinguished Fort Garry Hotel, one of the city’s most prestigious landmarks. Built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in the style of a French chateau, it remains the grande dame of Winnipeg hospitality.

This afternoon, head to the "gear room" at our hotel to get equipped with all the cold-weather clothing you'll need for our Arctic adventure. We provide heavy parkas, insulated snow boots, snow pants, fleece jacket, mittens, fleece hat, fleece neck gaiter, and hand and toe warmers. No need to buy and haul your own! This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your Expedition Leader and fellow adventurers.

Day 2: Winnipeg / Fly to Churchill—Town Tour & Northern Lights Watch

Board our chartered flight to Churchill this morning. On arrival, transfer to our hotel, followed by a brief tour of this historic settlement that grew up around the site of a major Hudson's Bay Company fur-trading post established in the early 18th century. As night falls, we head out for our first quest in search of the northern lights. Also called the aurora borealis, meaning "north wind of the dawn," the display often begins as a pale glow low in the northern sky, which slowly begins to shift and undulate, frequently emerging as shimmering curtains of green. Sometimes pink, red or even violet colors appear. For centuries, the phenomenon of the northern lights was a mystery, inspiring a host of mythical explanations. While we know now that the aurora is caused by the interaction of the solar wind with Earth’s magnetic field, more poetic stories of their origin linger, including the Hudson Bay Inuit’s belief that the lights are the mystical display of their ancestors’ souls dancing in the sky.

Days 3–5: Aurora Viewing by Night, Arctic Exploration by Day

On these dark, icy nights in the Canadian North, we travel outside town where views of the aurora are best, away from artificial light. Yet you won't stand in the cold as we wait for the lights to appear—we have a collection of six private vantage points from which to witness the phenomenon in warmth and comfort. During your trip, you will visit a selection of the following: Nat Hab's new Aurora Tower is a two-story structure with a curved clear top, offering vantage points on the sky from multiple levels. Our custom-designed Aurora Pod® features a 360° view on the night sky through a glass ceiling and half-walls.

Our private Aurora Sphere is a geodesic dome tent with clear panels and a wood stove-heated interior that provides cozy lounge space throughout the evening. Aurora Domes with Plexiglass roofs offer another angle on the heavens—climb the ladder to the upper level for a view in the round, or head outside for a totally clear vista of the sky, then come in and warm up on the ground level with comfortable sofas, snacks and hot drinks. At a local dog musher’s camp, stay warm by a fire in a traditional tepee as we wait for the lights to appear. Farther afield, view the lights above our isolated cabin deep in the boreal forest, which we reach via an overland snowcoach expedition atop a frozen creek. Regardless of which locations you'll watch from, your comfort is our top priority as we position ourselves for prime observation of the dark winter skies.

While our nights are devoted to the aurora, daytime excursions focus on distinctly northern adventures, local cultures, and the austere beauty of our subarctic environs. A highlight is a journey aboard our custom-built snowcoach deep into the North Woods. This vehicle, designed exclusively for our use, allows passage over wild, roadless terrain, offering a true wilderness experience outside Churchill. We'll also track hardy northern wildlife on a snowshoeing outing, looking for signs of Arctic hare, Arctic and red fox, ptarmigan and more. The historic town of Churchill offers encounters with local people and roving sled dogs. While the Hudson’s Bay Company established a fort near here in 1717 as part of its fur-trading network across the Canadian North, Indigenous cultures had already been flourishing in these challenging environs for thousands of years. Explore their heritage on a dog sled ride through the boreal forest, during a visit to the Itsanitaq Museum, and via cultural programs featuring the arts and traditions of the Inuit, Dene and Metis peoples.

Day 6: Churchill / Winnipeg

The morning is free to wander Churchill’s main street, where several shops sell authentic local handicrafts, from traditional mukluks to sculptures made of caribou hair. We then transfer to the airport for our chartered flight back to Winnipeg. Gather for a farewell dinner this evening to celebrate our aurora adventures.

Day 7: Winnipeg / Depart

After breakfast, our northern lights tour comes to a close as we transfer to the airport for flights home.

Please note: Specific timing on all of the activities in Churchill is flexible to accommodate varying weather conditions.

 Please contact our Travel Agents for more details.

TOUR CODE: NH