Polar bear watching is an unforgettable experience for any naturalist. Close sightings of these highly photogenic creatures are exciting and extremely rewarding. Our polar bear watching holidays offer a range of trips, destinations and locations chosen to give you the very best experience.
Why our polar bear watching holidays are so successful
More about polar bears and where to see them
The self-pronounced "Polar bear capital of the world” is Churchill, on Hudson Bay in Northern Manitoba, Canada. At the onset of winter you can stay out on the tundra in a purpose-built mobile “lodge”, or make daily sorties from town. In summer, a stay at a wilderness lodge gives sightings of mothers and their cubs
Any summertime expedition voyage to the island of Spitsbergen in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago usually offers sightings of individual bears, or occasionally a mother with one or more cubs, out on the ice floes. These are sometimes attracted right up to the vessel out of sheer curiosity.
Polar bear
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a single species found throughout the northern hemisphere circumpolar region. It normally lives on pack ice within 300 kilometres of land, coming ashore for the short summer season. These massive animals – males can measure up to 2.6 metres tall and weigh over 400 kilogrammes – are solitary by nature, powerful and seemingly tireless swimmers, and ruthlessly skilful hunters.
Best places to see Polar bear
One of the best places to see polar bears is Churchill in northern Manitoba, Canada, where they congregate at the start of winter to wait for pack ice to form in Hudson Bay. During summer there may be opportunities to see mothers with their cubs on land. Somewhat closer to home, it is estimated that around 2,000 individuals inhabit the waters around the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago, where they can be seen during an expedition voyage.