Thank you so much for this information. I had not come across this before and will contact them. Its good to know we can sort out the food side when we get to Churchill.

Which two did you contact?

Great White Bear Tours and Frontiers North/Tundra Buggy Tours?

I want to do independent tour also, thinking it will be cheaper than the packaged tour.

$1000 R/T air + $300 *2 days tour (how much I don't know exactly) + 1 night stay (sleeping bag if no cheap room available) + own meal (if restaurant sold out too) + transportation from/to airport (none if tour company can pick me up in the airport)

Does anyone know any other tour operators doing day tour to see the polar bears? (Just sent emails to Nature 1st Tours and North Star Tours also)

What do you think my independent tour plan?

Thanks!

We have now booked with Nature 1st as we like the sound of what they offer and it gives us a little bit more time in Churchill as we are only there for two days. We are going to Churchill by train and flying out having spent the previous two weeks travelling from Vamcouver to Port Hardy to Prince Rupert to Jasper to Winnipeg via coach, ferry, train and car so if it all works out it will be a miracle!!!

Probably can't do it really cheaply as too old for sleeping on floors etc but would love to do it your way. Have fun!

Thanks!

Does it mean I just need to go ahead book my flight to Churchill and hotel now, and wait till March to book the buggy tour?

mukadune

I talked to greatwhitebear today, basically the lady told me that they sold almost all tkts to packaged tour, so for this year no tkts left (cancelation period is gone also for the packaged tours), right now only 10/11-13 they still have available tkts and I don't think that is a good time to go normally. Even for next year, she said tkts won't be available for independent visitors, just like this year, it's not how early you need to book, it's just they sold everything to packaged tour first. This makes me feel very bad.

For tundra buggy, the lady told me the tkts will be sold to packaged tour first also, and casual tours won't be available until June instead of late March/early April they repeated saying for the past months. This also makes me nervous on whether they really want to sell anything to independent ones. They have 12 * 38 = 456 per day.

Another problem is even they will sell some tkts to independent travellers in june, but at that time, I am afraid it will be very hard to get places to stay and flight tickets will become very expensive. Before confirming the buggy tour, it doesn't make sense to book flight and hotel. This is really a headache.

What do you think?

Thanks!

Hi sorry maybe I am out of date with what is happening in Churchill, I went there 2 years ago in October. I tried to book the year before in October, at that time was told sold out tour but to try again in the spring so went ahead and booked the train there and flight back to Thompson (fabulous murals, see if you can). I rang Tundra Buggy tours in the spring and had no problem getting 2 days with them, kinda crowded first day but saw lots of polar bears so who cared!!!

Stayed at the Tundra Inn and it was fine and never needed to book anywhere for a meal at night, it is not that kind of place!!!!

The polar bears are fabulous.

Take something with you to eat on tundra trip if you can, they only supply 1 roll and soup for each person!!!!

You will be back from the trip about 4.30-5.00pm there is very little to do in Churchill so you will have plenty of time. On your flight back you can take your luggage with you at start of trip but some of ours went back to collect theirs, time is really not an issue in Churchill, they work round everything!!!