10 Day Canada's Polar Bears & Rockies Small Group Tour
A portion of this tour runs as a group tour where you will be escorted by an expert tour leader. Another portion is self-guided, whether conducted by rail, cruise or land, and you will travel between destinations on your own, with free time to explore at your own pace.
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
Experience a superior level of comfort. Our Small Group tours have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. Travel with no more than 26 people, allowing for a more personalised and immersive experience. Please see the Important Information on your selected tour for the exact group size.
✓ Small group tour, up to 20 guests only
✓ Incredible sightseeing including a two-day Tundra Buggy adventure in Churchill, just south of the Arctic Circle to see majestic polar bears in the wild, guided tours of Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies including iconic sights like Lake Louise & Moraine Lake
✓ 7 nights in hand-picked, premium accommodation in central locations including 2 nights at the 5-star Fairmont Vancouver
✓ 2 nights in comfortable, lodge style accommodation with private facilities in Churchill
✓ 8 Breakfasts, 3 lunches & 3 dinners
✓ Internal flights: Vancouver to Calgary, Calgary to Churchill and Churchill to Calgary
✓ Specialist naturalist guide in Churchill
✓ Comfortable, dedicated transportation throughout
✓ In-depth sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to Canada! On arrival, please make your own way to your hotel located in the heart of downtown Vancouver's entertainment district.
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is known as the 'Castle in the City', symbolising timeless elegance and luxury since 1939. Holding a prime downtown location, you are perfectly located just minutes away from Vancouver's biggest attractions.
After breakfast, meet your Tour Director at the hotel for a briefing before we head out for a full-day guided tour of Vancouver. Visit the main sites of Vancouver including Stanley Park with the fascinating collection of totem poles, the Lions Gate Suspension Bridge, Gastown, Chinatown, Canada Place, Robson Street, and many other sights and icons. We also venture out of the city and take a gondola ride to the top of Grouse Mountain to enjoy spectacular views across the city. We’ll also visit Capilano Suspension Bridge for an exhilarating walk along the cliff-hanging footpaths.
Return to your hotel late this afternoon where the rest of the evening is at leisure.
After breakfast, we transfer to Vancouver Airport for your flight to Calgary. On arrival, we’ll travel to Banff National Park for a three-night stay in the heart of this charming town. Spend the afternoon and evening visiting the many shops and cafes that line the street and be sure to visit the Christmas Shop opposite the hotel!
Discover Lake Louise and Moraine Lake on this morning tour from Banff. Located inside the Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these lakes are renowned for their distinct turquoise hues and pristine beauty. Gain insight into the area’s mountaineering history, admire views of the Valley of Ten Peaks and leave with plenty of frame-worthy photos. Return to Banff where the rest of the day is at leisure.
Today is a free day for you to explore the charming town of Banff on your own. Choose to spend the day wandering round the quaint stores of Banff town or explore one of the many incredible nature trails that surround the city to discover the beautiful scenery and wildlife in the area.
After a relaxed morning, check out and transfer to Calgary in preparation for our flight tomorrow morning to Churchill in Manitoba, gateway to the incredible Polar Bears. This evening, meet your specialist guide who will accompany you to Churchill and will give you insight into the program ahead.
This morning we transfer to Calgary Airport and board our early morning flight to Churchill in Manitoba. Upon arrival, we are transferred into town where our driver will point out various places of interest. Take a brief stop at the Polar Bear Holding Facility, then head over to the Parks Canada Visitor Centre to gain an understanding of the history of the fur trade in the area.
Following this, we pay a visit to Polar Bears International House where we receive a short talk to learn more about polar bears around the world, research, conservation efforts, climate change and more. Check into your hotel and enjoy a wonderful dinner at the hotel this evening.
A one-hour helicopter excursion is a great way to experience the sub-arctic landscape from a birds eye view as well as a guarantee to see wild polar bears in their natural environment.
Note: the day of operation of this excursion may vary. Tour is subject to weather conditions.
Today, enjoy a full-day Tundra Buggy adventure in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Specially designed for the northern landscape, these all-terrain vehicles enable us to venture to the best locations in the Churchill area to safely experience wildlife on a network of established trails.
Our partner on the ground takes you to the best locations in Churchill to experience wildlife in their natural environment, and hold the most permits in these protected areas. Travelling in the autumn season is regarded as the best and safest way to view the majestic polar bear in its natural environment. You will have the opportunity to explore the open tundra while your driver discusses the effects of tides, currents and ice formation on the polar bears’ habitat. As well as polar bears, expect to also see other incredible wildlife like arctic hare, arctic and red fox, gyrfalcon, ptarmigan and much more.
Tours begin at sunrise and end near sunset to ensure we make the most of the shortened subarctic daylight hours.
Another full day aboard the Tundra Buggy with your expert guide will ensure that we make the most of our time in this pristine environment in search of the region's best wildlife.
Late this afternoon, we are transferred to the airport for our flight back to Calgary. On arrival, check into our hotel and the rest of the evening is at leisure.
Your adventure ends this morning at the hotel after check-out.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this extraordinary journey.
Secure your trip with a $99.00 deposit per person.
Once we receive your deposit, we will send you an invoice with your remaining balance and payment options.
Instalment Schedule:
This package is sold as land only, however you do have the option of adding domestic & international airfares to your booking. Simply click on’ book now’, and under upgrades , you will be asked “Would you like us to contact you around our flight service?”. By selecting this option Inspiring Vacations will contact you to discuss adding flights to your chosen destination. We can then assist with turning your booking into a flight inclusive package.
Upon completing the purchase of your package and fulfilling the following booking requirements, you will be granted access to our flight portal via your Traveller Hub.
Once these criteria have been met, access will be made available to you via Traveller Hub to book your flights via our flight portal.
The following requests are able to be processed through the online flight portal:
The online flight portal is unable to process the following requests and you must book these yourself independently:
Online check-in
Some airlines may not permit online check-in where flights have been booked by a travel company. Where unavailable to do so online, you will be required to check-in at the airport. Inspiring Vacations cannot check-in online on behalf of our customers.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”3"
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. While tipping is not customary, it's of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many destinations.
You may also consider tipping your tour leader and driver for outstanding service throughout your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however, any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $1,982.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
We have partnered with nib to offer our customers competitive rates for their travel insurance. You can book Comprehensive or Essentials cover for your domestic, international or multi-trip journeys simply by clicking HERE.
Note that Inspiring Vacations cannot provide advice with regards to any insurance product.
Visa & Passport information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return.
Most passport holders will require a e-visa for travel to Canada, which is known as an eTA. You can apply online within 3 months of your departure date at a cost of approximately $8CAD per person.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://smartraveller.gov.au for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Group Size
Minimum of 6 people
Maximum of 20 people
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
You can enhance your holiday by arriving or departing before or after the tour. On this tour you can choose from the following options:
Pre Tour Accommodation
Post Tour Accommodation
Please select the number of extra nights required in the 'Additional Nights Accommodation' field when making your purchase. The additional cost for these arrangements will be added to your final payment invoice and are subject to availability.
To enhance your journey, we are offering guests a choice of the following optional activities (prices are per person):
Optional tours can be selected once you have finalised your tour purchase and paid your deposit. When completing your Passenger Booking Form, you will be asked if you would like to add Optional Tours, where any applicable cost will be added to your final balance. If you choose not to select them at this time, you can choose to add them later by logging in to your Account online.
Please note that you must select your Optional Tours no later than 70 days before departure, after which you will be required to purchase them on tour. Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability and prices may vary as you will be paying in local currency. We appreciate your understanding.
The weather in Churchill varies greatly from season to season, and the wind coming off of Hudson Bay can often make temperatures feel even cooler than reported. The average temperatures for October and November vary from -13˚C to -2˚C (9˚F - 29˚F) but often strong winds can push the temperature down several more degrees (the ‘wind chill factor').
Winter clothing is available to hire and must be pre-booked, but can only be booked within 2 to 3 months of travel.
Winter Clothing Rental Fees;
Parka - approximate $40CAD per person, per day
Pants - approximate $35CAD per person, per day
Boots - approximate $30CAD, per person, per day
Click HERE for more information on weather in Canada & Alaska.
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