Get ready for an unforgettable RV adventure as you witness one of the most majestic events in nature on Fantasy's Polar Bear Migration RV Tour. Churchill, Manitoba is home to the world's largest populations of polar bears, and every fall they gather along the shores of Hudson Bay. This incredible spectacle is a must-see for nature lovers and RVers alike!
The adventure unfolds at the International Peace Garden in Dunseith, North Dakota, marking the international border between Canada and the United States. As with all Fantasy tours, this one gets the green light with an Orientation, Get Acquainted Party, and Welcome Dinner. The agenda here includes a guided tour of the International Peace Garden, and the North American Game Warden Museum, honoring all those on the dangerous front lines of resource protection.
En-route to Dauphin, Manitoba, we view the Boissevain Murals, an unusual outdoor art gallery depicting local community history in living color. We learn more about the rugged heritage of Western Canada over afternoon tea at Fort Dauphin. Canada has a rich Ukrainian heritage, a story that started in the 19th century with the immigration of Ukrainian famers to this region. We honor this colorful history with a unique Ukrainian dining experience and a Ukrainian church tour.
“The Best Little Casino in Canada,” and the only one in The Pas, Manitoba is the Aseneskak Casino nestled amid the strong trees of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation just minutes from the Saskatchewan River. Dinner here on Day 4 means basking in the warm First Nations décor over a meal with new friends.
Thompson, Manitoba is a revealing two-day stop capped by a visit to the Heritage North Museum. Legends roar to life here with log structures, mounted indigenous animals, and artifacts from the First Nations, fur trade and mining activities that all helped to forge this region.
And here’s where the adventure starts! No actual roads lead to Churchill, it is only accessible by rail and plane. We leave our RVs in Thompson for the flight from Thompson to Churchill and we’ll fly back to Thompson after our Polar Bear adventure in Churchill.
Welcome to Churchill, Manitoba, the “Polar Bear Capital of the World!” This rustic outpost attracts international visitors year-round for a unique and rare wilderness experience. The family owned and operated Tundra Inn in the center of town is home base, and we’ll enjoy another Welcome dinner and breakfast during our stay. Early October is prime time for viewing the great white beasts we’ve come so far to meet. See them up close and personal from the safety, warmth and comfort of a private tundra buggy that moves smoothly over snow and ice. Think all the comforts of home, even lunch, and then some! In addition to two days of private Tundra buggy bear viewing, we’re treated to local bear and wildlife viewing, a guided bus tour and cultural presentations by a local expert, Sandra Cooke. Remember, you’re riding with Fantasy, the only RV tour company that offers two days of bear viewing via private tundra buggy!
It’s all about the bears in Churchill. And these are no Winnie-the-Pooh bears! The 1,000 or so resident bears, are always entertaining and sometimes unruly. Polar bear power rules here and they always have the right of way in Churchill. In fact, the number of polar bears passing through Churchill in October far surpasses the number of human inhabitants, and needless to say, no one wants to argue with a 1,400-pound, 10-foot bear!
With a sack lunch from the inn, we fly back to Thompson to reunite with our RVs. By now we’re 10 days into our polar adventure and going strong. We overnight in Fairford, MB en-route to the “Gateway to the West,” the vibrant capital city of Winnipeg/lles-Des-Chene. We’ll tour the Royal Canadian Mint of Winnipeg. A comprehensive guided city tour includes: Assiniboine Park & Gardens, 1,100 acres of pure landscape joy; Wellington Crescent, the Legislative Building, Broadway Avenue, the Exchange District, the French Quarter and the exquisite Saint Boniface Cathedral, the “Mother Church of Western Canada.” With Fantasy you always have options, and the popular one here is Assiniboine Park Conservancy featuring the “Journey to Churchill” exhibit.
A farewell dinner and breakfast regretfully concludes our magnificent Polar Bear Migration adventure, leaving us to ponder the power and glory of the polar bear forever. Was this the most outrageous otherworldly adventure ever, or all just a great white dream?
This Fantasy tour is a “bear” necessity with limited availability! Invitations to meet these rare, precious, and beautiful creatures in their natural habitat are neither easy to get, nor easy to get to since it takes an RV, train, plane and tundra buggy just to meet them. All the arrangements are carefully and creatively made for you by the professional Fantasy staff to ensure the nature experience of a lifetime.
There is limited availability on the Polar Bear Migration RV tours, departing in September. Don’t miss this chance to party with the polar bears while they’re still around!