3 February 2027 – 7 days for US$8,795 per person
Experience one of Earth’s most dynamic natural laboratories as you investigate the physics, chemistry and atmospheric dynamics behind the aurora borealis in one of the planet’s most active auroral zones. With exclusive access to heated observatories, remote-field vantage points and custom-built viewing structures, you’ll explore the science of charged particles, magnetic fields and solar-terrestrial interactions while witnessing the phenomenon firsthand under Churchill’s exceptionally clear winter skies.
This expedition places you in the heart of the subarctic, where long winter nights create ideal conditions for observing auroral activity at peak intensity. Each evening, you’ll travel to a variety of purpose-built viewing sites – from a 360° glass-topped Aurora Pod® to a secluded forest cabin accessed by snowcoach – to compare how different environments frame the science and spectacle of the lights.
Throughout the journey, you’ll be joined by experts in fields such as atmospheric physics, solar science and northern Canadian ecology. They’ll break down the mechanics of geomagnetic storms, explain how solar winds energise our upper atmosphere and connect what you see overhead with real-time space weather data and decades of auroral research.
By day, hands-on Arctic experiences deepen your understanding of this environment’s role in the auroral story. Dog-sledding, snowshoeing and cultural encounters reveal how northern communities and ecosystems adapt to extreme conditions, adding ecological and human perspectives to the science you explore each night.
This adventure is designed for the science-curious traveler – anyone who wants to go beyond simply watching the northern lights to truly understanding them. Whether you're a space-weather enthusiast, a nature lover with a thirst for knowledge or a curious mind seeking a deeper connection to the Arctic, this journey invites you to explore the aurora with both wonder and scientific insight.
In partnership with Natural Habitat Adventures.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
Your northern lights adventure kicks off in Winnipeg, a city shaped by its fur-trading past and later by the rise of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, it’s a lively cultural hub on the edge of the prairie. When you arrive, you’re met and taken to the historic Fort Garry Hotel, a grand 1913 French-chateau-style landmark that remains one of Winnipeg’s most iconic places to stay.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit the hotel’s gear room to pick up the full set of cold-weather clothing you’ll need for the Arctic – parkas, insulated boots, snow pants, fleece layers, mittens, hats, neck gaiters and warmers – so you don’t have to purchase or pack your own. This evening, you’ll join your Expedition Leader and fellow travellers for a welcome dinner.
DAY 2: WINNIPEG TO CHURCHILL AND FIRST AURORA WATCH
This morning, board a private charter flight to Churchill. When you land, you’ll be transferred into town for a short introduction to this historic settlement, once home to a major Hudson’s Bay Company outpost. After dark, you set out on your first outing to look for the northern lights.
The aurora often begins as a soft glow on the northern horizon before blossoming into waves of dancing color – greens most commonly, but sometimes pinks, reds or purples. While science explains the lights as the meeting of solar winds and Earth’s magnetic field, the old stories, like the Hudson Bay Inuit belief that the lights are the spirits of ancestors, still give the spectacle a deeper magic.
DAYS 3 TO 5: NIGHTLY AURORA VIEWING AND DAYTIME ARCTIC EXPERIENCES
Over the next three days, activities will showcase the wild character of the Canadian North. A highlight is travelling by custom-built snowcoach deep into untouched boreal forest, exploring terrain far beyond the usual routes. You’ll also snowshoe in search of wildlife tracks – look for Arctic hares, ptarmigan, foxes and more.
Around Churchill, you’ll gain insight into northern Canadian history and culture, from the region’s Indigenous heritage to its fur-trade legacy. You will also visit the Itsanitaq Museum, ride behind a dog team through the forest and learn about the traditions of Inuit, Dene and Métis communities.
On clear winter nights, head beyond the town lights to watch for the aurora from a rotating selection of six private, heated viewing sites, so you stay warm and comfortable while waiting for the sky to come alive. You may spend time in the two-story Aurora Tower with its curved glass roof, the 360° Aurora Pod®, the cozy stove-heated Aurora Sphere or the Plexiglass-topped Aurora Domes. You might also watch from a musher’s camp, warming yourself by a fire in a traditional tepee or in our remote forest cabin, reached by snowcoach along a frozen creek. Whichever locations you visit, each is designed to give you optimal views of the night sky without sacrificing comfort.
DAY 6: CHURCHILL TO WINNIPEG
Spend your final morning in Churchill browsing local shops for authentic northern crafts before catching your charter flight back to Winnipeg. In the evening, share a farewell dinner celebrating all you’ve experienced beneath the Arctic sky.
DAY 7: DEPART WINNIPEG
After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your journey home.
