Polar Bear Tours - Reviews

The first step in planning polar bear tours, is to decide on a destination. I have done the ground work for you by selecting a number of trip reports out of the many I've read, and summarised them below.

The lodge is beautiful, basic and cozy and the atmosphere is exactly what I wanted from a trip to the north. The staff - with a special mention of Tom our three day guide - are exceptionally colourful and knowlegeable.

The tundra trip with Great White Bear tours is not to be missed. Their 'tundra rovers' are the most sophisticated vehicles on the snow for polar bear tours and our driver and guide Brendan was exceptional. At one point we questioned why he had stopped and was backing up. Turns out he wanted a better look at a small hill with willows... and wouldn't you know it, there was a bear right there on the far side.

I was caught in the first snow storm of the season on Nov 3 and we only spotted one bear that day - but it was still extraordinary as this bear was hanging out with sled dogs in a private compound (ever see Tom Mangelson's famous photo of bear kissing dog? same place!).

But all that snow paid off, as the bears were very active on day 2 and we saw 30 bears! Including a mama and two cubs who came right up to our vehicle... and just an hour later a huge male also came right up to give us a sniff. UNBELIEVABLE! I'm already planning my next visit."

They flew in and out, had 5 hours on the tundra and saw "lots of bears and other animals".

Meeting a blind sled dog and capturing some beautiful photographs of the 34 polar bears sighted during the Tundra Buggy tour highlighted this trip for him, although seeing the northern lights and an encounter with wolves don't fall far behind…

Doing this trip as a Learning Vacation through the CNSC, she found the whole experience richer and more meaningful than an ordinary tourist trip. Apart from the interesting lectures, she also got to fly in a helicopter and saw some moose and bears from the air.

She saw scores of bears during her visit and compares Tundra Buggy and Great White Bear's vehicles, as the group made use of both.

She left Churchill with a great respect for polar bears and warns that the town's accommodation and restaurants get booked up long in advance of the limited polar bear tours season.

She saw quite a number of polar bears up close and has added many photos to her trip report. Her excitement was hardly containable with the sightings from afar, and it only grew when she was close enough to fully comprehend the sheer size of these beautiful bears. She also saw an arctic fox, willow ptarmigans and a snowy owl. On the return flight she also saw the northern lights.

The polar bear tour included the return flight, bus to the tundra buggy launch area, a restaurant meal at the conclusion of the day and a book.

Cindy writes that this was truly a remarkable adventure for her, and affordable because it was a one-day trip. She does hope to be back for a longer visit.

Due to the warm-ish weather there wasn't much snow and the bears stood out against the dark tundra, a bit of a disappointment for Michael as one would expect to see the bears on polar bear tours on the snow. He would like to return in a few years' time, but would then go in November.

As his trip report is posted on a forum, it's in a handy Q&A format.

He found the Polar Hotel to be a great base, with all the luxuries and comforts one would expect from any well kitted hotel. A 6-hour ride on a skidoo will get you to Kapp Linné, where it is not so much a matter of luxury, but more of charm.

The all round sunlight (24 hour light from mid-April to mid-August, and then 24 hour dark from end October to mid-February) writes James, can be a bit disorienting, never quite offering an opportune time for rest.

A most interesting point to note is that with the conclusion of his adventure in Svalbard, James' desire to sight a polar bear had eased away against the backdrop of the beauty he did get to experience…

They left the ship and went ashore for a closer look, being careful to approach the bear slowly and with ease since one does not want to scare him into running. Richard found coming this close to such a gigantic animal absolutely incredible, leaving him thrilled and in awe at the same time.

The polar bear was eating eggs when they spotted him, with birds shooting down from all angles trying to chase him off, but he continued without so much as acknowledging the birds. When Richard and his fellow travellers were within a few hundred metres, the polar bear looked up, reacting to their scent…

She went on an expedition ship tour and saw polar bears at least 4 different times (including a mother and cubs feasting on a kill). She also got to see a lot of the natural beauty and other arctic wildlife, like walrus interaction with bears, beluga whales, reindeer, arctic foxes and many seabirds among which the puffin… the trip is was not just focussed on polar bears.

Nicola and Carl went on an arctic cruise - and lots of kayaking - aboard the Noorderlicht, a beautiful 100-year old Dutch schooner (sailing vessel).

The main concern for safety, they soon discovered, was with the walruses that can get quite aggressive under the calmest conditions, and they had a run in twice while kayaking at sea but managed to escape unharmed on both accounts.

They sighted three polar bears on their voyage as well as arctic foxes, minke and beluga whales…