Which Is the Right Lodge for You? Tundra Buggy Lodge vs. Lazy Bear Lodge vs. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

Despite being one of Canada’s most remote travel destinations, Churchill, Manitoba, and the surrounding area has no shortage of unique lodges to choose from. With dozens of highly-rated lodges and tour operators providing northern lights and polar bear expeditions, how do you decide which one to choose? 

Let’s break down Manitoba’s top 3 lodges, all known for their trips to view the northern lights or to get up close (but not too close) to polar bears: Tundra Buggy Lodge, Lazy Bear Lodge, and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Each lodge puts their own spin on an extraordinary Manitoba experience, whether that’s 8-hour days on Tundra Buggies, helicopter tours around the Hudson Bay, or polar bear expeditions on foot. 

Read below to find out which lodge is for you. 

Quick Facts

Tundra Buggy Lodge

Best for: Bear-density purists

Operator: Frontiers North Adventures

Where: Polar Bear Point, inside the Churchill Wildlife Management Area

Getting there: Fly from Winnipeg to Churchill, then travel by Tundra Buggy to the lodge.

Season: October and November only.

Capacity: Up to 40 guests, split into two units of 20. Trip sizes are typically 20–28 guests.

Sleeping: Twin-sized bunk beds with a privacy curtain, window, reading light and outlets.

Bear viewing: Eight-hour days aboard a Tundra Buggy®, departing directly from the lodge.

Aurora viewing: Rooftop observation deck and panoramic windows and skylights in the Thanadelthur Lounge.

Lazy Bear Lodge

Best for: Social, flexible travellers

Operator: Lazy Bear Expeditions

Where: 313 Kelsey Blvd, in the town of Churchill.

Getting there: Fly from Winnipeg to Churchill, followed by a shuttle to the lodge. This is the easiest of the three lodges to access.

Season: Fall and summer.

Capacity: 33 rooms.

Sleeping: Private rooms with private bathrooms.

Bear viewing: Excursions by Arctic Crawler™ tundra vehicle, helicopter and Zodiac.

Aurora viewing: Curated viewing spots around Churchill, plus a Hudson Bay coastal location exclusive to Lazy Bear.

Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

Best for: Seclusion seekers

Operator: Churchill Wild

Where: Approximately 250 km southeast of Churchill on the Hudson Bay coast.

Getting there: Fly from Winnipeg to Churchill, followed by a charter flight of approximately one hour to 90 minutes to the lodge.

Season: Late October through November for fall polar bear viewing; mid-February to mid-March for northern lights.

Capacity: Eight guest rooms in two wings.

Sleeping: Private rooms with en-suite bathrooms.

Bear viewing: On-foot excursions, supplemented by Tundra Rhinos, snowmobiles and komatiks.

Aurora viewing: Viewing from inside the lodge's perimeter fence, with virtually no light pollution for hundreds of kilometres.

What is it Like to Stay at Tundra Buggy Lodge? 

The Tundra Buggy Lodge is the best choice for travelers whose main priority is to see the polar bears. It’s run by Frontiers North Adventures, and is only open during peak polar bear season.

The lodge itself is actually a set of renovated train cars, with some cars transformed into rooms with bunk beds, another into a dining room, and a lounge area with a rooftop observation deck. The lodge sits inside the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, putting you right in the heart of where the polar bears live. 

If you choose to book a stay at Tundra Buggy Lodge, prepare yourself for a rugged yet incredibly immersive experience into the wild. 

What do you experience at the Tundra Buggy Lodge?

Polar bears, polar bears, and more polar bears. Trips to Tundra Buggy Lodge are famous for their 8-hour polar bear expeditions on a Tundra Buggy®. After all, that is what they’re named for. And because you're staying inside Churchill Wildlife Management Area, there’s no commute time–you'll wake up to see these magnificent animals directly outside your window. 

Evening activities at the lodge include guest lecturers and Indigenous learning experiences that teach you about the history and the significance of this land, and more about the people and culture that make Churchill the wildlife-haven that it is.

Can you see the northern lights from the Tundra Buggy Lodge?

In the dark hours of the night, head up to the built-in observation deck on top of the Thanadelthur Lounge, where you might catch Churchill’s famous auroras lighting up the night sky. Make sure to pack your camera (and a few spare batteries) to allow yourself time to get the perfect shot.

Dining at the Tundra Buggy Lodge

Enjoy fine-dining inside the lodge, with every meal prepared freshly by local chefs with naturally-sourced ingredients. Despite staying in the frozen tundra, perfectly cooked bison, elk, or Arctic char are typically on the menu. 

Where do you sleep at the Tundra Buggy Lodge?

Among the renovated train cars, there are two cars where guests sleep. Each of the two cars 

has 10 twin-sized bunk beds, allowing for 20 guests to stay in each car at a time. Amenities include a reading light, personal windows to see wildlife, and outlets to charge your electronics. There are 3 bathrooms per car, and 2 of those bathrooms contain showers.

How to book a trip and get to Tundra Buggy Lodge 

To book a stay at the Tundra Buggy Lodge, you must book through Frontiers North Adventures. They’ll handle all of your travel logistics, including accommodations for your first night in Winnipeg, and your flights to and from Churchill. The lodge only operates during Polar Bear Season, which ranges between October and November. Trips sell out quickly, so make sure you plan months in advance.

What is it like to stay at Lazy Bear Lodge?

If you want to see the polar bears but not dedicate your entire trip to it, choose to stay at the Lazy Bear Lodge. Because it operates in both the summer and the fall, Lazy Bear Lodge offers many different types of trips: Ultimate Bears and Belugas Summer Adventure, the Ultimate Northern Lights Photo Adventure, and Bears and Aurora Arctic Adventure. 
 

What you will do at the Lazy Bear Lodge

The Lazy Bear lodge offers no shortage of activities to do. Depending on which trip you sign up for, your itinerary might include activities like a visit to historical shipwrecks, bonfires, helicopter tours, heritage tours, or dogmushing, an exhilarating 1-mile dogsledding experience through Manitoba’s boreal forests.

How to view the northern lights at Lazy Bear Lodge

Lazy Bear Lodge makes it easy to view the northern lights. Once they start dancing in the sky, staff will take you to some of the most scenic spots in Churchill to view the colors in the night sky. They even have their own exclusive viewing location on the coast of the Hudson Bay, allowing you to see the northern lights where most people can’t. 

Is there a restaurant in the Lazy Bear Lodge? 

The Lazy Bear Café is everything but lazy. Now a standalone main attraction in Churchill, all of their dishes feature organic and locally sourced ingredients. They grow many of these ingredients themselves at their own Boreal Gardens Research farm. This farm is Manitoba's northernmost farm and it’s 100% sustainable. Warm up your taste buds for fresh dishes like Pan-Fried Arctic Char, Braised Peppered Elk, and Slow Roasted Manitoba Bison.

What are the rooms like at Lazy Bear Lodge?

The Lazy Bear Lodge brings together rustic charm and modern comfort into a cozy, comfortable and authentic Arctic experience. There are 33 rooms in the lodge, and the craftsmanship shows: it's built from recycled logs, runs on renewable energy, and grows its own produce in the Boreal Gardens research facility and greenhouse.

Amenities include a 24-hour espresso bar, a 24-hour telephone system, handicap accessible rooms, private bathrooms, and free Wi-Fi. 

How to book a trip and arrive at the Lazy Bear Lodge?

The trip to Lazy Bear Lodge is the easiest of the three lodges; it’s located right in the town of Churchill. Depending on the expedition you choose, flights and transportation are included in the cost of the trip, and Lazy Bear will handle all logistics for you. 

The Lazy Bear Lodge offers trips throughout the summer and fall months. Deciding when to book it really depends on what you want to see. In the late summer, Churchill is known for its beluga whale population that exceeds the human population by 3,000. The northern lights also experience a summer peak in late August and September. As the fall is peak polar bear season, trips centered around the polar bears occur between September and November.

Make sure to plan your trip in advance as these tours often sell out ahead of time. 

What is it like to stay at the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge?  

The Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge takes glamping to an entirely new level. Enjoy all of the amenities that come with staying at a luxury hotel while also being in the remote wilderness, hundreds of kilometers away from town. Nanuk is completely off the grid, meaning they run their own water, sewer, and electricity systems. You could even call the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge your Arctic haven, where Manitoba’s boreal forests, Arctic tundra, and Hudson Bay coastline meet. 

Designated as one of the most unique lodges in the world by National Geographic, this 8-room lodge allows you to see nature at its most wild and free. 

Can you walk alongside the polar bears? 

At Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, you can go on wildlife expeditions by foot. Yes, that means you’ll be walking alongside the polar bears, black bears, grey wolves and moose that call this area home. Between wildlife expeditions, you'll explore the Hudson Bay coastline, visit the Itsanitaq Museum to learn about Inuit history and culture, and even stop by Churchill's famous "polar bear jail." This 28-cell holding facility temporarily houses polar bears that wander into town until it's safe to release them back into the wild.
 

Viewing the northern lights at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

The lodge is completely fenced in with 24-hour security patrol, ensuring the bears and wolves don’t sneak in or around the lodge. At night, the fence makes it safe to step outside and watch the northern lights fill the sky. Because of the lodge’s remote location, the northern lights shine undisturbed by light pollution, allowing you to see them in their fullest and brightest form.

What’s the food like at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge?

Just like the Tundra Buggy and Lazy Bear lodges, food at the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is prepared by local chefs with a menu inspired by the surrounding tundra. Standout dishes at the Nanuk lodge are braised beef ribs, baked pickerel, rib sandwiches, and chocolate mousse for dessert. Food is prepared family-style, and the chefs often sit and eat alongside the guests and other staff. By the end of your trip, you’ll be on a first-name basis with everyone from the lodge–and the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge will be your new home in the Arctic tundra.

What are the rooms like at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge?

The Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge has only 8 guest rooms, and each room maximizes comfort, privacy, and luxury. Each room has its own private bathroom, and other amenities of the lodge include a warm, rustic common area with a fireplace, radio and telephone service, satellite wifi, and full-service meals. 

How to arrive and book a trip at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge

The Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is located 250 kilometers southeast of Churchill, making it slightly more difficult to reach. It's roughly an 80-90 minute charter flight from Churchill, adding extra time and money, but the lodge’s remote-nature is its main selling point. 

The Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is owned and operated by Churchill Wild, one of Churchill's leading tour operators. Trips typically run between July-March, depending on the type of trip you want to book.

Which Manitoba Lodge Should You Book?

If your ideal vacation is measured in bear sightings and not thread count, you're a Tundra Buggy Lodge person. If you want polar bears but you also want beluga whales, a dogsled run through the boreal forest, a shipwreck, and an espresso at 2 am, you're a “Lazy Bear Lodger”. And if the phrase "walking tour, except the other participants are polar bears" made you sit up a little straighter, you're a Nanuk person. 

So how do you want to experience Churchill? 

Visit travelmanitoba.com for more information about Manitoba’s lodges. 

Frequently asked questions

Can you see polar bears and the northern lights on the same trip?

Yes, and Churchill is one of the few places on earth where that's true. Just know the odds shift by season. Your highest chances of seeing both on the same trip are early fall, where the auroras peak late summer and polar bear season begins.
 

Which Churchill lodge is the cheapest?

Lazy Bear Lodge. Its Bears and Aurora Arctic Adventure starts at $5,120 USD for five nights, three of them in Churchill. Nanuk's fall Polar Bear Photo Safari runs $13,000 USD per person. You're paying for the charter flight, the eight-room exclusivity, and the fact that the bears come to you on foot.

Can you bring kids? 

Depends where. Lazy Bear takes travellers from age eight and rates its Bears and Aurora trip as easy, meaning light walking only. Nanuk's minimum age is 16, which makes sense when the activity is walking around outside a fence in polar bear country. Check with Frontiers North on the Tundra Buggy Lodge, since the bunk-berth setup is a factor there too.
 

Is walking with polar bears actually safe?

It's the question everyone asks and the answer is that Churchill Wild has built its whole operation around it. You get a thorough briefing on moving through polar bear country before you set foot outside, guides lead every excursion, and the lodge compound itself is fenced. Staff monitor the compound and the sky overnight. 
 

Do I need to book a package, or can I just book a room?

Package, for two of the three. The Tundra Buggy Lodge isn't a hotel and can only be reached through a packaged tour. Same story at Nanuk, where the charter flight is built into the rate. Lazy Bear is the exception since it's an actual lodge in town, but the expeditions are where the good stuff lives. All three include your Winnipeg-to-Churchill flights.