Wild Canada: Belugas & Bears

Arrive in Winnipeg, where you are transferred to your hotel. Gather tonight for a welcome dinner.

Begin your day at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, going behind the scenes for an up-close perspective of its exhibits. Get an insider’s look at the research facilities as well, learning about critical efforts underway to help the Canadian polar bear population. Afterward, tour bustling Winnipeg, capital of the prairie province of Manitoba. Enjoy lunch at leisure before journeying to FortWhyte Alive, where you encounter mighty bison and learn how they influenced local history. Then, paddle a voyageur canoe used by fur trappers, explore a Plains Cree tipi and step into a one-room sod house, where you sip wild bush tea and taste bannock cooked over a campfire.

Fly to Churchill, on the shores of Hudson Bay, and check in to your rustic lodge. After lunch, a local expert reveals Churchill’s intriguing heritage. See the cargo aircraft wreck of “Miss Piggy,” and visit a local polar bear hotspot for a sense of what it’s like to have wild bears at your doorstep. Later, head to the nearby boreal forest to meet a local dog musher and his pack. After learning about this time-honored form of transportation, take a spin along a forest trail. This evening, learn to capture professional quality images on a smartphone camera with tips from an expert wildlife photographer, on an A&K-exclusive experience.

Embark on an extended boat cruise on Hudson Bay, keeping a close watch for elusive polar bears, beluga whales and other exciting wildlife. If conditions allow, disembark to explore the bears’ summer habitat on foot. Return to Churchill for a relaxing evening at leisure.

Cross the Churchill River to the Prince of Wales Fort, a former outpost of the Hudson’s Bay Company. During the summer, the waters here are home to thousands of beluga whales; thrill to up-close views of these friendly mammals from a sturdy Zodiac. Later, join a local collective for an indigenous craft session exclusively for A&K guests with members of the community.

Today, a massive Arctic CrawlerTM super-bus carries you into the wilderness in comfort and safety. Keep watch for eagles, bears and other wildlife. Then, view the wreck of the ‘Ithaca,’ which ran aground just offshore during a 1961 storm. Experience beluga whales again, this time by kayaking or aqua-gliding on a mat pulled by a Zodiac among these gentle giants. Tonight, feast on a hearty meal at your lodge.

Visit the Churchill Northern Studies Center, where you learn about the role it played during the Cold War-era space race and hear about crucial scientific research being conducted today. A charter flight returns you to Winnipeg. This evening, visit Dalnavert House, built by Hugh John Macdonald, son of Canada’s first prime minister and the then-premier of Manitoba. Enjoy a private tour and reception before sitting down to a special farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport and board your homebound flight.