Churchill

Nature’s most mesmerizing light show awaits—welcome to the enchanting world of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. Dancing across the night sky in a symphony of colors, this celestial phenomenon is a bucket-list must.

Churchill is located on Hudson Bay, at the mouth of the Churchill River and on the edge of the Arctic Circle. To say Churchill is remote is an understatement. There are no roads in, so your only way to arrive is either by air or a two day (one way) train ride. Churchill is known as the Polar Bear capital of the world, and is the location of the annual Beluga whale migration. Each of these has a very short season of viewing. Polar Bears can typically be found in October and November, but can vary slightly (I was lucky enough to encounter 3 in July). Beluga season is mid July to mid August. It is also one of the premier places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights. The best time for the AB is late Fall, Winter, and early Spring. I went at the end of July and stayed for 4 nights and 5 days for the Beluga whale migration and it was worth every single penny it cost. Make no mistake, this is not an inexpensive trip due to Churchill's location. Everything has to be either flown, or railed in, so their costs reflect that. There is only one commercial airline that flies there from Winnipeg. But again, it was totally worth it and I can only describe sharing the waters with the Belugas as a magical experience. I will be back. This guide contains a complete list of my exciting journey--to include accompanying photos I took. Even with Churchill being very small (only about 800 full time residents) there is much to see and do. I also include many of the photos I took at each place.