Manitoba
Lords of the North: Ecology of Hudson Bay's Polar Bears
Program No. 6290RJ
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Lords of the North: Ecology of Hudson Bay's Polar Bears
Lords of the North: Ecology of Hudson Bay's Polar Bears
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Participant Reviews
Based on 17 Reviews
SHOWING
It was a magical, spiritual experience to look the magnificent animals in the eyes and be part of their environment for a brief time.
— Review left October 27, 2025
This was a bucket-list trip for me. Had a great time, and staying at the Churchill Northern Studies Center had the bonus of lots of researchers and extra lectures. Plenty of people to answer all your questions.
Everyone was very welcoming. The food was really excellent. There was more space to walk around indoors than I expected, and plenty of lounges for some quite time. (All good, since you can't go outside due to bears.)
Just keep in mind that you will be sharing rooms and using bunk beds.
— Review left October 23, 2025
Experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip to learn about and observe polar bears and, if lucky, see a spectacular display of the Northern Lights.
The staff and researchers at the Churchill Northern Studies Center added their knowledge and enthusiasm to our experience.
— Review left November 6, 2024
Be forewarned that seeing bears and seeing northern lights is not guaranteed! Lots of time is spent just looking for bears (which are very solitary), and they spend a lot of time sleeping. We were VERY LUCKY and did see the lights one night and one half-hour display of sparring/playing bears. There was a nice variety of other activities, and it was a great educational experience.
The Research Center, while clean and in good condition, is like being in a college dorm--thin mattresses, sharing bathrooms, mediocre cafeteria food. The hotels before and after the Research Center were excellent.
— Review left October 25, 2024
It was a good experience made better by our tundra driver Maxwell who share stories of the town and his family life in such a small community while we waited for Polar Bear activity. Many thanks to center driver Faith Carnegie, who drove us around and show us all the interesting places in town, but above all for taking us to see up close a lot of the seawall murals. Food at the center was terrible, so be prepare with plenty of snacks.
— Review left October 25, 2024
This was a wonderful experience. If you are reading reviews to decide on taking the trip, know that everyone's trip will be different. There is never a guarantee when it comes to wildlife. The lodging in Churchill is how it is described, dorm rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms. A private room does not exist here, Food is very expensive in this part of Manitoba. The staff do their very best to serve filling, balanced meals but don't expect gourmet. For some people this trip could be physically demanding so be honest with yourself about your abilities. Seeing polar bears spar in the tundra was exciting. Watching them sleep is not quite as exciting.
— Review left October 25, 2024
This was our first Road Scholar trip. We knew we were onto something fantastic when several of the other participants told us this was their 5th, 9th and even 19th Road Scholar tour. The best part was not being shoulder-to-shoulder with other tourists, the optional lectures and having local residents for lecturers and tour guides.
— Review left October 17, 2024
Lords of the Tundra was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Polar bears, tundra and climate change were presented in an engaging and insightful way.
— Review left October 14, 2024
The first week of October is a little early for bear season so you won't see as many bears on that trip. But even seeing a few bears is an amazing and unforgettable experience. And it's less crowded so there was room to spread out in the lodge and in the Tundra Buggy so I think it was more relaxing. And we saw the Northern lights!
— Review left October 12, 2024
Cross polar bears off the bucket list! This is a no frills trip - like camping for adults (bunk beds, communal dining room) but I did and saw everything I had hoped to see. Terrific and knowledgable group leaders and lecturers. The locals lecturers were especially great. So glad I got to go.
Stay home if you live by a schedule.
— Review left October 23, 2023
I have already written a review, but here goes again! This was worst organized Roadscholar trip I have ever been on! Fortunately the subject of the trip--the polar bears--was wonderful, but we have recommended to our friends to never this trip with Roadscholar. Our group was broken up into 2 groups to get from Winnipeg to Churchhill because it was a commercial plane and not a private plan. There wasn't room for all 30+ of us. (Also the largest group I've encountered on a RS trip). We spent hours at the Winnipeg airport waiting to get on a flight. Our Winnipeg guide, David was wonderful--finding places for us to go to, finding restaurants that could accommodate the 20? of us and lastly finding a hotel to accommodate all of us. He was a miracle worker. When we finally got on a flight out we go to the research center at midnite! I think the cleaning lady was a guide!! It was a mess to try to find our rooms and then some of the rooms already had sleeping bodies in them!! who were awakened suddenly by a light being turned on. The rooms were tiny, gender specific, poorly designed. Where do you put your suitcase if your on the top bunk? The shelf can only accommodate 2 and there were 4 people crowded in. We had no leader, just occasionally 2 giggly girls who were useless. We had to support each other as to where we were to be when. Total chaos and disorganization. I couldn't believe it was a Road Scholar program. We may go back to see the polar bears, but NEVER with Road Scholar!
— Review left March 22, 2023
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS TRIP TO CHURCHILL TO VIEW POLAR BEARS.. ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPEIRENCE.. WERE WERE ABLE TO SEE ABOUT 15 POLAR BEARS. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS IN THE WILD AND THERE IS NO GAURENTEE THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT MANY. MOTHER NATURE DICTATES WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WILD NOT HUMANS(THANK GOD!) MY ATTITUTE TOWARDS MOTHER EARTH AND HUMANITY HAS CHANGE DRAMATICTLY. WHO SAID A 72 MALE CAN NOT LEARN TO CHANGE??? WHEN YOU GO ON THIS TRIP BE PREPARED TO COME BACK WITH A VERY DIFFERENT ATTITUDE ABOUT THE WORLD WE EXIST IN TODAY.!!! Dale A laurin Sr. Wisconsin
— Review left November 4, 2022
What an amazing Road Scholar program! We saw many polar bears in the wild and were led by experts on the Tundra Buggies! I would reccomend this program to anyone who can keep the pace!
— Review left October 31, 2022
Greatly enjoyed this trip of October, 2021. The polar bears were the highlight (needless to say) and we saw a lot of them, due to great spotting by tundra buggy drivers and Martin, the RS lecturer (whose lectures also added immensely to the quality of trip). The Churchill Northern Studies Center was a good base, located 23 km outside Churchill smack on the tundra, and the polar bear sightings more than compensated for sleeping in bunk beds in 4 person dorms. We also had the incredible good fortune to see the Aurora Borealis our final night! Churchill turned out to be fascinating town in its own right, especially after learning about its laudable response to extended isolation resulting from the railroad terminating services a few years back; the related large murals on the buildings were very impressive as well.
— Review left April 19, 2022
if learning about polar bears is on your bucket list, definitely do this program. I learned a tremendous amount about polar bears and global warming from an expert. Be prepared that accommodations are dormitory style and shared, even for couples in Churchill. Winnepeg is also a lovely city to visit. Did get to see 20 polar bears and the Northern lights!!
— Review left November 12, 2021
The Polar Bears Are Truly. “Lords OF the North.” I feel honored to have been in their Presence
— Review left November 1, 2021
It took me three years to plan this trip and I'm glad I did. The town of Churchill is small and there is only an eight (six for sure) week window in which to see polar bears in their natural habitat. I let Road Scholar know of my intentions and received a phone call in February when they were starting to take reservations.
I started making a list of what I would need to wear and pack for the trip. I expected to find temperatures in the twenties and wind gusts that would make it seem in the teens or below. I went shopping at camping stores for clothing and supplies.
I found someone who had gone on the exact same RS trip eight years previous who showed me her photos. I was hooked and ready to go.
In between, I made up a list of questions for Road Scholar and got all my answers. I wanted nothing to disrupt my good time. I even asked special questions because I am tall (6' 6")
The flight time is restrained by the lack of flights and so there is a one day layover in Winnipeg coming and going home. Hotels were fine.
We had two trips with our group of 38 travelers on tundra buggies, essentially school buses ten feet off the ground, so that bears would not be a problem. The buses were heated, had bathrooms and were spacious enough for all of us to get photos. You could go to a screened porch in back for additional photos. My friend and I even went on a helicopter ride, we paid for extra, to get views of bears from the air. I took over 1,500 photos and my friend even more.
We all got to ride in dog sleds one afternoon. We took trips into town for luncheon and souvenirs.
We stayed at a science center manned by professors doing research. Every night, we had a lecture by a man who is on the UN commission to preserve polar bears who showed us facts and personal movies of marking bears for study.
I can't think of anything that would add to the trip. Went out to film the northern lights one night. The people were wonderful and so friendly.
Fabulous trip. Go!
— Review left November 27, 2019