Canadian Arctic Tours

Arctic Animals: Herbivores on the tundra include the Arctic hare, lemming, muskox, and caribou. They are preyed on by the Arctic fox and wolf. The polar bear is also a predator, though it prefers to hunt for marine life from the ice. There are also many birds and marine species endemic to the colder regions. Other land animals include wolverines, ermines, and Arctic ground squirrels. Marine mammals include seals, walrus, and several species of cetacean—baleen whales and also narwhals, killer whales and belugas.

Ensuring that you touch, see, hear, smell and taste the last great wilderness of our planet and the proud people who live there drives everything they do. All of the trips have a strong Arctic wildlife and Inuit culture component to them, we are the best in the world at optimizing our clients probability of seeing Arctic animals in their natural habitat. The Inuit guides and elders have been travelling and living on the land all of their lives. They are constantly in search of hidden treasures; their knowledge and secrets are built into every one of our trips.

Arctic Kingdom operates trips throughout the entire Polar region including: Greenland, Russia, Svalbard and the North Pole.

In a world crowded by people and cars, concrete and ever increasing trivial matters, there is one company that offers an experience that transcends mere travel – a company that offers you a chance to immerse yourself in the last great wilderness – to experience up close the world above the Arctic Circle.

Arctic Kingdom know the Arctic like no other company and love to share it. Upscale and exclusive, we offer both scheduled trips available to anyone and custom expeditions for clients such as Disney, National Geographic, the occasional world-renowned polar explorer and of course, discerning travellers.

Ensuring that you touch, see, hear, smell and taste ‘the last great wilderness of our planet’ and the proud people who live there drives everything we do.

We’ve done away with the hotel walls and permanently parked the tundra buggy. With no cruise ship railings, no trail markers, and no clip-boarded pre-programmed, pre-packaged schedules we put as little as humanly possible between you and the Arctic you’ve come to experience.

We intentionally guide you comfortably out of your comfort zone where your pulse will quicken and your senses will sharpen – a sure ticket to revitalized awareness.

And while our trips are very carefully planned on the one hand, they are at the heart, an emotional experience guaranteed to elicit life-long memories that will remain keen and vibrant long after you’ve returned home.

One of the most captivating places on earth, the Arctic boasts vast stretches of treeless tundra, icebergs, abundant wildlife, rich Inuit culture and a remarkably invigorating isolation from the rest of the world. To truly experience the Arctic is to understand the essential Inuit belief that everything in nature is infused with the spirit of life.

Gaze into the wild eyes of a snow-white polar bear that no other human being has ever seen. Hear the sound of whales (before you see them). Touch the aqua blue surface of a millennium old iceberg. Listen to the riveting yet humbly told stories of someone who was born in an Igloo and has never lived below the Arctic Circle.

Wildlife Mecca. Likened to the Serengeti, the Arctic is a wildlife enthusiast’s haven. Ivory-tusked Narwhal, grinning belugas, majestic bowhead whales, thousands of migratory birds, to name a few – the Arctic is teeming with animals. You just need to know when and where to go. That’s where we come in.

In Spring (May/June) the Arctic reawakens with blooming exotic purple saxifrage flowers and massive migrations of birds and whales. Summer brings fine days where t-shirt clas travellers bask on sun-kissed ice. It might drop below freezing that night, but Arctic Kingdom tours enjoy the Arctic summer days when they can get them!

Best time to see:-
Polar Bears: July/August Polar Bear Mothers & newborn cubs: March
Polar Bear Migration: Oct, Nov
Narwhal, Ring Seals, Migratory Birds: Late May, June, July
Walrus: Late Jun, July
Bowhead Whales: Late May, June, July
Belugas: June, July
Caribou Migration Autumn: Early September
Caribou Migration Spring: May
Northern Lights: March, Early April

Currency
Canadian dollar

Language
English, French, Inuit languages

Why we love it
Outdoor activities, a plethora of flora and fauna, and a truly unique blend of cultures awaits you in Northern Canada. Catch a glimpse of the spectacular aurora borealis, see black bears and grizzlies in the wild, and be awe-struck by the incredible mountainous landscape. Much of Northern Canada – including all of Nunavut – is only accessible by sea or air, resulting in many areas of untouched wilderness just waiting to be explored.

Weather
For over half of the year, the majority of Northern Canada is covered in ice and snow, with temperatures usually remaining sub-zero from October to May. The coldest months can average -29ºC to -34ºC and the short summers tend to average 7.2ºC but can occasionally reach 19ºC. In other words, don’t forget to pack the winter woolies!

Social customs & quirks
Because of the remoteness of so many of the communities in the Canadian Arctic, many of the Inuit people acquire their food primarily by hunting. Many northern foods such as raw seal meat, Arctic char, and caribou meat can be bought from local hunters and cooked.

In many places in Nunavut there are bylaws that prohibit all alcohol, due to high rates of addiction in many places. It is not recommended to bring any alcohol into an officially “dry” community. In other communities, local bars are permitted to operate.

Festivals & events
A huge range of festivals and other events are held in Northern Canada, with many of them making the most of the area’s exceptionally long days during summer. From sporting events such as the Midnight Sun Golf Classic in Yellowknife, to traditional Inuit celebrations, a variety of musical events, and much more, there’s something for everyone.

Canada Day is celebrated on the first of July, signifying the day when Canada became a Dominion (rather than a British colony). Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time as the neighbouring United States, although in Canada the day is celebrated as a harvest festival and doesn’t have anything to do with Columbus and the pilgrims.

Health*
There are currently no health requirements for entering Canada.