Lazy Bear Expeditions & Tours Churchill Canada — Hotel in Churchill

We had an amazing trip with Lazy Bear Lodge from August 3–9. It truly was the trip of a lifetime. We saw multiple polar bears and plenty of belugas, and every part of the experience was beyond what I imagined.

Our accommodations in Winnipeg at their partner hotels were excellent. We decided to spend an extra night at the beginning of the trip to explore the city, which I would highly recommend. The lodge in Churchill was beautiful and cozy. Some reviews say the rooms are small, but as someone who has stayed in many lodges, it was exactly what I expected.

The food was outstanding, especially considering how remote Churchill is. Each day there was a lunch, dinner, and dessert special, and the breakfast buffet was different every morning. The variety was far more than I anticipated, and the restaurant staff were always friendly and welcoming.

I went on this trip with my 83-year-old grandmother, and she loved it. She can be quite particular, and the staff went above and beyond to accommodate her needs, whether it was providing a smaller portion at meals or offering an extra hand on more physical tours. She’s quite mobile for her age, but I also noticed guests with less mobility enjoying themselves just as much, thanks to how well everything was run.

It’s worth noting that Churchill can only be accessed by plane, train, or boat, and this adds to the charm. If you’re expecting a five-star luxury city hotel, you might be disappointed, but if you’re expecting the best Churchill has to offer, you will be thrilled.

We did have wildfire smoke during our visit, which is just a reality of Canada in August, but it didn’t take away from the experience. The tours were wonderful, and we also had time to explore the town. The Itsanitaq Museum was a highlight.

The staff truly made this trip special. From Sue in Winnipeg, who helped us arrange everything, to the front desk and restaurant teams, to our wonderful guides: Tony, Mirko, and Kai. Tony, our lead guide, was engaging and full of knowledge, especially for bird lovers. Mirko was great behind the wheel of the van and Arctic Crawler, and even helped guests get incredible polar bear photos through the telescope. Kai was the captain for both my zodiac tours and led the aquagliding experience, which was absolutely unforgettable. I don't think our groups stopped laughing on either of those boat rides.

Aquagliding with the belugas is something I will remember forever. Watching them underwater was magical. I felt like we had plenty of time for the experience, and while I could have stayed in the water all day, it felt worth every moment.

I can’t say enough good things about Lazy Bear Lodge. This was a truly special trip, and I hope I get the chance to return one day. Thank you to everyone who made it...

Wow! Lazy Bear Lodge exceeded my expectations! The lodge is a Churchillian owned family business that focuses on the guest experience. Sue and Melissa made the booking process easy and were very responsive in answering my questions ahead of the trip. On our day of departure we were delayed, by no fault of Lazy Bear, and I thought they pivoted superbly. They immediately adjusted our schedule so that we didn't miss out on any of the activities. Deacon (the owners son) and Eric were our guides throughout the trip and were knowledgeable about the area of Churchill, polar bears, and other local wildlife. Getting to see the polar bears in the tundra was amazing! We saw 7 bears on the trip. Deacon and Eric were great at positioning our crawler to maximize our viewing pleasure and seemed to have an awareness for not disturbing the ecosystem around them. The crawler is heated and spacious. Dave Daley and his team of dogs at Wapusk Adventures was one of the highlights of the trip for the dog mushing experiential ride. You walk away with a whole new perspective on what the life of a dog musher is like, and the night ride is unique in its own right. Seeing the Northern Lights in all their magnificent green was incredible. Amberlee worked the front desk and watched over the skies while we slept to notify guests when they were visible. The crawler can get a bit bumpy if that's of concern to you, also out of Lazy Bear's control. If you plan to eat someplace else while you're in town, make a reservation, they fill up. I traveled as a single so I paid a small supplement, but Lazy Bear does offer to match you with another traveler if you're interested and...

Lazy Bear Cafe (at the Inn

This IS the best, #1 restaurant in town. First night, the rack of lamb was as well cooked as you will get, hot baked potato with fresh toppings on the side, hearty bacon bits, real chives (large fresh slices) butter, sour cream. Actual al dente steamed veggies. I am telling you...really superb. My wife loved the chicken quesadilla. 2d night, after a really poor lunch at the Tundra (all eight of us had mediocre or less meals), cancelled our dinner reservations. We returned to the Lazy Bear and I had a 12 oz.rib-eye steak, (I asked and was given ground peppercorns crushed on the steak [original au poivre] before cooking) topped with sauteed fresh mushrooms with the now famous baked potatoe, with toppings on the side. My wife had the black bean burger which she loved. The steak was perfectly cooked, as were our companions'. I asked to speak to the chef to tell him my appreciation of the peppercorns. In the conversation, I noted how special the lamb had been the previous night. He casually said, you can't be from Australia and not know how to cook lamb. Churchill is an extraordinarily small town. We ate at the top 3 and Lazy Bear is the...