Canada: Polar bears get ready for their close-ups

Each year polar bears gather in northern Canada waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze so they can trudge safely on the ice and begin their winter migration. The Great Canadian Travel Co., based in Winnipeg, takes tourists to the tiny town of Churchill to watch the world’s largest bears at close range from the safety of a special Tundra Buggy vehicle.

Dates: Polar bear-watching tours depart Oct. 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19 and Nov. 14.

Price: The Bear Country Adventure tour runs two nights and three days, though you spend just one day observing the bears. It costs $1,676 to $1,781 a person, based on double occupancy.

The price includes round-trip airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill, two nights of lodging, breakfasts and a daylong bear-watching excursion with lunch. Single supplement ranges from $242 to $342. (Prices quoted here are in U.S. dollars; prices on the website are in Canadian dollars.)

Info: The Great Canadian Travel Co., (800) 661-3830