Menu
Best Places to see Polar Bears
Where is the best places to see polar bears?
We recommend traveling to either Svalbard or Arctic Canada to see the King of the Arctic - the mighty polar bear.
Svalbard
Latest figures on the number of polar bears suggest that the Svalbard Archipelago is home to around 3,000 bears. To offer you a truly up close and intimate experience, we run small ship Polar Explorer expeditions throughout the season from April to August on the R/V Kinfish, an intimate passenger ship that is ideal for exploring Svalbard's fjords, coves, and glaciers. Its size allows easy navigation through rugged landscapes, tight spaces, and shallower waters to explore wilder and more secluded areas - often allowing us to discover some of the favourite hideouts of the polar bears themselves.
Best Time to See Polar Bears Month by Month
- Svalbard - Freezing temperatures and constant darkness means we would not recommend traveling to Svalbard at this time.
- Arctic Canada - Polar night engulfs the Arctic, with temperatures plummeting to -35C we would not recommend traveling to Arctic Canada at this time.
- Svalbard - Freezing temperatures and constant darkness means we would not recommend traveling to Svalbard at this time.
- Arctic Canada - Polar night engulfs the Arctic, with temperatures plummeting to -35C we would not recommend traveling to Arctic Canada at this time.
Svalbard - Freezing temperatures and constant darkness means we would not recommend traveling to Svalbard to see Polar Bears at this time.
Arctic Canada
March is a good time to travel to Arctic Canada for the opportunity to spot newborn polar bear cubs and their mothers venturing out of their dens for the first time in months, after their winter hibernation. Temperatures are around the -20C mark so appropriate polar clothing is needed at this time.
Svalbard
As mating season begins, mothers emerge from their dens and cubs learn to survive this harsh environment by following them north to the pack ice, but reaching them can still be difficult. We recommend travelling from late April onwards if you wish to join an Arctic expedition in search of the King of the Arctic.
Arctic Canada
In early spring, look out for the polar bear mothers and their cubs on the undisturbed and untouched snowy landscapes. In the evenings, you can witness the phenomenon of the Northern Lights and captures stunning photographs of the vast landscapes and panoramic views.
Svalbard
May is a great time to visit for fantastic opportunities to witness polar bears as they pad across the pack ice on the hunt for seals. Bears are active, landscapes are bright with white snow and ice, clearer blue skies, and less chance of clouds and fog. May sees the transition from spring to summer as the daylight hours steadily increase with temperatures creeping up slowly with lows of -7°C and highs of around -3°C throughout the month. The end of May sees Svalbard come into ‘polar day’ and the month on average has 23.12 hours of daylight; this gives you an abundance of time to explore, despite navigation being limited to the south and west.
Arctic Canada
May sees the beginning of peak season as temperatures rise, although they remain below or around zero degrees. Despite the low temperatures, the midnight sun can still be powerful as it never dips below the horizon and the days are bright and clear which makes for amazing photographic opportunities. This is a great time to travel to the northern reaches of Baffin Island as wildlife congregates out on the floe edge; where the sea ice meets the open water.
Svalbard
As June arrives, Svalbard is officially into summer, with the 24 hour midnight sun, temperatures above freezing and usually clear skies.June is a great time to visit as Polar bear cubs are starting to learn to hunt from their mothers. The sunnier it is, the more likely seals are to be relaxing on the ice floes and taking in the rays, the more seals there are around the more likely it is to see polar bears on the prowl.
Arctic Canada
The migration of the narwhals begins in June and if conditions allow, it is possible to snorkel with them off the floe edge. The end of June sees the end of the snow and the flora beginning to blossom, as you head out of the bitingly cold winter, creating a beautiful backdrop to watch the whales.
Svalbard
July can be a little wetter with an increase in fog but polar bear viewings are still excellent; they are out hunting for seal pups on the ice floes as the walrus are commonly ‘hauled out’ on the beaches. July is the warmest month and sees the ice retreat further north, opening up the busy bird mountain of Alkefjellet, home to approximately 60,000 Brunnih’s guillemots that rest right on the towering cliff face.
Arctic Canada
July sees over 60,000 beluga whales descending on Hudson Bay and the migration of around 270 species of birds, such as guillemots, fulmars and puffins. Photograph polar bears against grassy backdrops as they are out hunting on the shores instead of the pack ice, you are unlikely to see polar bears on snow and ice at this time of year.
Svalbard
August is a good time to visit Svalbard as the pack ice will have retreated enough to completely circumnavigate Svalbard, you can sail beside the sheer ice cliffs of Nordaustlandet, and see the variety of fjords and glaciers. Polar bears are out hunting, making the most out of the last days of summer and you may even spot female walrus with their young.As daylight hours start to slightly decline, the sun dips below the horizon for the first time in months, allowing for beautiful photos of pink skies over the fully green tundra.
Arctic Canada
The absence of ice makes it possible to sail the historic Northwest Passage at this time of year. August is a popular time to visit as temperatures are around 10C, but much of the snow and ice will have disappeared as the scenery turns green. The absence of ice makes it possible to sail the historic Northwest Passage at this time of year.
- Svalbard - As autumn arrives it steals the warmth and the daylight and the ship's head back south as the summer season comes to an end. Bears are preparing for winter and the whales begin their migration south as the ice starts to re-from in the fjords.
Arctic Canada
September is a good time to photograph a range of wildlife against the impressive scenery as the vibrant autumn colours of the tundra come to life. A backdrop of oranges and yellows as opposed to the greens of summer and the white snow and ice of the winter months. Temperatures head back towards 0°C, making more layers necessary than the previous months. The climate will, however, remain dry and clear, offering stunning sweeping views as you fly-in via private charter.
- Svalbard - The beginning of winter draws in and sunlight hours wane, temperatures remain below freezing as the ice cover in the waters steadily increases. Sea-based expeditions have ceased, as they can no longer navigate the archipelago.
Arctic Canada
Mid-October is a great time to visit Churchill to see large groups of polar bears gather on the shores of Hudson Bay as they wait for the water to freeze over, providing them with a route to their winter feeding grounds further north. They will feast on seals until temperatures are warm again. Cubs are around 10 months old and learn hunting skills from their parents. It is not uncommon for the bears to come right up to your remote lodge and inspect you through the wire fence at this time.
- Svalbard - From mid November, there is no longer any light so this is not a good time to visit Svalbard and our trips don’t run again until February.
Arctic Canada
As the winter draws in and the “Big Freeze” commences, polar bears can be seen hunting for seals as they break through the gaps in the ice to gasp for air. Churchill is a great place to see these magnificent creatures, as well as the remote polar bear cabins.
- Svalbard - Freezing temperatures and constant darkness means we would not recommend traveling to Svalbard at this time.
- Arctic Canada - Polar night engulfs the Arctic, with temperatures plummeting to -35C we would not recommend traveling to Arctic Canada at this time.
Arctic Canada
Polar bears begin to emerge from their winter dens as soon as spring arrives, which means the months of March and April are the best time to see mothers and cubs together in the snow. There is no better place to spot these furry families than the northern reaches of Canada, beyond the Arctic Circle. Here expeditions to remote locales such as Baffin Island require expert guiding from the local Inuit, a great deal of weather-appropriate clothing, a willingness to set up camp in the frozen wilderness, and above all, an intrepid mindset.
Churchill
The town of Churchill in Canada’s Manitoba province is the self-proclaimed “Polar Bear Capital of the World”, and it’s easy to see why. Visitors to Churchill are perfectly placed to observe the bears’ seasonal migration, with thousands of the 500kg+ predators amassing on the shores of Hudson Bay between October and November, waiting for the waters to freeze and open up a route to their winter feeding grounds.
As the summer months of the northern hemisphere come to an end, polar bears in the Churchill area, just south of the Arctic, are waiting for the waters of Hudson Bay to refreeze so that they can get back onto the ice and start their hunt for ringed seals; stocking up on the much needed food energy they need to survive the harsh winters. The Hudson Bay will normally freeze over towards the end of November and so for roughly six weeks before this happens large numbers of bears are waiting in this area, almost guaranteeing sightings. Here you will find single males, who will spar with each other for fun and mothers with cubs, waiting for their first decent meal since giving birth. Polar bears are quite curious animals and will often approach the vehicles to examine what we are and if there is a chance of food. This provides excellent sightings and quite often you will come face to face with these majestic creatures. Once the bay has frozen over, the bears head north and often not seen until the next summer.
Greenland
Of all our polar bear destinations, Greenland offers the slimmest chance of spotting the “King of the Arctic” in the wild. Greenland is the largest island in the world and much of its Arctic shoreline, where polar bears are most likely to be seen, is both uninhabited and virtually impenetrable. Setting sail along the east coast between July and September may yield sightings, and at the very least will immerse you in a simply spellbinding landscape, the sheer scale and diversity of which has to be seen to be believed.