Travel trade resources
at the CNSC
your choice for
sustainable travel
The Churchill Northern Studies Centre offers multi-day packages for groups and independent travelers throughout the year. Visitors stay at our non-profit research centre located on the Hudson Bay Coast.
Whether you work with group travel, independent travelers, or are looking to promote unique volunteer experiences, the CNSC is here to teach others how we facilitate sustainability and understanding of the north.
THE CENTRE
Multi-day travel options include accommodations, on-site meals, tours, activities, lectures, and travel within Churchill. Our 27,000 sq. ft. LEED certified building offers space and security within the Churchill Wildlife Management Unit, located directly in the migration path of caribou, waterfowl and polar bears.
Visitors have access our common rooms including our Aurora dome, observation deck, classrooms and billiard room. They also get to sample the fresh greens produced in our on-site hydroponic garden, in our full kitchen and cafeteria.
The financial contribution of visitors has a major impact. Not only does it cover the costs of running the multi-day program, but it also allows us to provide researchers an affordable, accessible location to continue their valuable work.
Take a virtual tour
Enjoy a compelling journey through the CNSC’s environmentally friendly 27,000 sq. ft. LEED-certified research station.
This insightful tour will give you a better understanding of how we operate sustainably and facilitate important research and education in the sub-arctic.
Live like a researcher
Our active research station offers on-site accommodations for up to 84 guests in our shared dorm style rooms, with individual closet space, and access to top-of-the-line internet service. We provide separate female and male washrooms and private showers.
While on site, guests share common space and meals with researchers pursuing critical studies that help us understand the north. Visitors are also able to check in on our research staff while they collect valuable information about our sub-arctic vegetation, beluga and polar bear migrations, and gradual changes to due a warming climate.
The CNSC facilitates this important research, and provides subsidized rates for academic groups that have an association with an education institution or extracurricular youth group. Current academic rate is $93/night which includes room, board and meals. See our current youth programs here.
For more information, please email us
multi-day packages
Our packages range from five to seven days in length. Each day is filled with wildlife viewing excursions, visits to local museums and attractions, and fascinating tours, all led by a friendly expert. Visitors gain a deep understanding and appreciation of Churchill’s rich history and breathtaking natural surroundings.
Visit the CNSC as an independent group, or join our scheduled Learning Vacations held throughout the year.
Northern Lights
Six days
February-MarchWhat to expect
The CNSC is located 23km out of town, removing ourselves from light pollution, which offers the best and most accessible northern lights viewing in the area.
During our northern lights season, guests will experience comfortable viewing of the northern lights from our indoor aurora dome or from our spacious outdoor observation deck. Guests will also be able to enjoy outdoor activities including igloo and inuksuit building, dog sledding, town and area tours and much more.
Beluga Season
Six days
July & AugustWhat to expect
On top of whale watching excursions by boat, kayak, and on shore, you’ll be busy with loads of authentic experiences with a focus on local history, culture, and the natural world, including a tour of the Prince of Wales Fort and a guided hike through the boreal forest.
Your expert instructor will offer insights and observations during each outing, and he’ll be presenting engaging beluga lectures every night, providing you with an even deeper understanding and appreciation of these captivating creatures.
Polar Bear Season
Six days
October & Novemberwhat to expect
winter skies
Six days
February & March
WHAT TO EXPECT
Located directly beneath the aurora oval, Churchill is the best place on Earth to view the aurora borealis. We record auroral activity more than 300 nights a year.
The CNSC is located 23km out of town, removing ourselves from light pollution, which offers the best and most accessible northern lights viewing in the area.
During our northern lights season, guests will experience comfortable viewing of the northern lights from our indoor aurora dome or from our spacious outdoor observation deck. Guests will also be able to enjoy outdoor activities including igloo and inuksuit building, dog sledding, town and area tours and much more.
belugas in the bay
Six days
July & August
WHAT TO EXPECT
Thousands of individuals migrate to the Churchill River estuary every year to feed, give birth, and moult, and with multiple awe-inspiring opportunities to watch them, you’ll have a hard time keeping track of how many you’ve spotted.
On top of whale watching excursions by boat, kayak, and on shore, you’ll be busy with loads of authentic experiences with a focus on local history, culture, and the natural world, including a tour of the Prince of Wales Fort and a guided hike through the boreal forest.
Your expert instructor will offer insights and observations during each outing, and he’ll be presenting engaging beluga lectures every night, providing you with an even deeper understanding and appreciation of these captivating creatures.
lords of the arctic
Six days
October & November
WHAT TO EXPECT
Churchill is the polar bear capital of the world, and the Churchill Northern Studies Centre is in the heart of all the polar bear action.
The CNSC is located within the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, and directly in the path of the annual polar bear migration path.
You’ll have two opportunities to go onto the tundra in a specialized polar bear viewing vehicle. This heated vehicle has an outdoor viewing platform, so you’ll have the chance for intimate, unobstructed views.
On top of the incredible experience of seeing polar bears and other wildlife in their natural habitat, you’ll be busy with loads of authentic experiences with a focus on local history, culture, and the natural world, including a helicopter tour of the rugged Hudson Bay coastline and an afternoon of dog sledding.
visit for the day
Visit our active study centre, and have full access to our facility for $5/day or free with a CNSC membership . We offer various guided or self guided tours year round, including the highlighted tours and talks below.
Explore all of our day programming here.
Self-Guided Tour
Visitors can learn about the building’s innovative features, get the chance to see science up close in the laboratory, check out the views from the observation deck, and take home some swag from our gift shop.
Green Building Tour
- 60 minutes
- Indoors
- $85 flat rate
Rate is for groups of up to five people. For larger groups, cost is $10/person for each additional person.
Enjoy a compelling journey through the history of the CNSC and its environmentally friendly 27,000 sq. ft. LEED-certified research station.
Get exclusive views with the elevated outdoor platform and the indoor Aurora dome, all while discovering the innovative features that permit unprecedented self-sustainability in Canada’s subarctic.
Green Building Tour
- 60 minutes
- Indoors
- $85 flat rate
Rate is for groups of up to five people. For larger groups, cost is $10/person for each additional person.
Enjoy a compelling journey through the history of the CNSC and its environmentally friendly 27,000 sq. ft. LEED-certified research station.
Get exclusive views with the elevated outdoor platform and the indoor Aurora dome, all while discovering the innovative features that permit unprecedented self-sustainability in Canada’s subarctic.
Historic Rocket Range Tour
- 60 minutes
- Outdoors
- $345 flat rate (walk) / $238.00 (drive)
Rate is for groups of up to five people. For larger groups, cost is $20/person for each additional person for a walking tour, $15/person for each additional person for driving tour.
Take a guided tour of the Churchill Rocket Range National Historic Site – built in 1954 – and learn about its ties to the Canadian Space Agency and NASA.
As the first rocket range in Canada, this site was home to extensive suborbital research, including fascinating experiments on the northern lights.
Historic Rocket Range Tour
- 60 minutes
- Outdoors
- $345 flat rate (walk) / $238.00 (drive)
Rate is for groups of up to five people. For larger groups, cost is $20/person for each additional person for a walking tour, $15/person for each additional person for driving tour.
Take a guided tour of the Churchill Rocket Range National Historic Site – built in 1954 – and learn about its ties to the Canadian Space Agency and NASA.
As the first rocket range in Canada, this site was home to extensive suborbital research, including fascinating experiments on the northern lights.
Current Research Lecture
- 60 minutes
- Indoors
- $175
There is a virtual option available.
Rate is for groups of up to five people. For larger groups, cost is $10/person for each additional person.
Learn about the local ecology where three distinct eco-zones intersect and what makes the CNSC an optimal location for a research station.
This dynamic presentation also includes an overview of some of the research projects currently being pursued at the Centre to help connect you to the critical subarctic science we support.
Current Research Lecture
- 60 minutes
- Indoors
- $175
There is a virtual option available.
Rate is for groups of up to five people. For larger groups, cost is $10/person for each additional person.
Learn about the local ecology where three distinct eco-zones intersect and what makes the CNSC an optimal location for a research station.
This dynamic presentation also includes an overview of some of the research projects currently being pursued at the Centre to help connect you to the critical subarctic science we support.
stay for the evening
northern lights like nowhere else
The Churchill Northern Studies Centre was chosen as one of the best locations to view the aurora borealis. We are fortunate enough to experience the northern lights 300 days out of the year.
volunteer expedition
immerse yourself
For clients that are looking for a unique volunteer experience! Explore our Volunteer Expedition page to learn more about how to become fully immersed into the CNSC while staying for up to three weeks at a time
Frequently Asked Questions
about traveling to cnsc
Fees for each season and group may vary, depending on programs provided. Each multi-day program includes pricing for transportation, programmed activities, and accommodations with meals.
A non-refundable deposit is due upon booking.
Please contact the CNSC Programming Department at [email protected] for up to date pricing.
Your financial contribution has a major impact. Not only does it cover the costs of the multi-day programming, but it also allows us to provide researchers an affordable, accessible location (board, lab space, equipment, access to the north) to continue their valuable work.
Plus, each guest will receive CNSC membership for one year, ensuring you can stay up-to-date on all our activities.
At time of booking, 20% of the total trip fee is due immediately. This deposit is non-refundable, except in cases of trip cancellation due to low registration numbers (see Refund Policy).
Payments for multi-day packages are due 60 days before the start of the trip. Bookings made within 60 days of arrival will need to be paid in full.
In the event that you need to cancel or reschedule your trip for personal reasons, your deposit will not be refunded. If you cancel 120 days or more before the Learning Vacation, you will receive your full payment, less the deposit.
If you cancel 119 to 60 days before the start of the Learning Vacation, you will receive 50 per cent of your payment.
Payments for trips cancelled 59 days or less before the scheduled start date will not be refunded.
Click here to see the full Learning Vacation Payment and Cancellation policy.
About a week after you leave, we will send you a survey so you can provide feedback on your experience.
Since your Learning Vacation fees also includes a one-year membership to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, you will receive a copy of The Birdfish magazine to help keep you updated on all our activities.
Of course, you are always welcome to book another Learning Vacation, or experience the CNSC a different way by applying for a Volunteer Expedition.
Churchill is accessible only by train and airplane. ViaRail and Calm Air offer regular return service from Winnipeg to Churchill. We are happy to help you figure out schedules if you need it.
Once you arrive in town, we will pick you up and get you settled in at the Centre.
You will be assigned a room within the CNSC for the duration of your stay.
Guest rooms accommodate up to four people in bunk beds, with individual closet space, a small writing desk, bedside shelves, and individual reading lamps. We provide all linens, including bed sheets, comforters, and towels.
Separate female and male washrooms have low flow toilets, sinks, and private showers. Washing machines are available every evening.
The building is equipped with top-of-the-line wireless internet. Local calls can be made from the Weston Family Welcome Lounge. Please note that cellular coverage is unreliable at the CNSC.
The Centre has a small gift shop which carries postcards, stamps, books, CNSC brand clothing, locally made jams and jellies, and other souvenirs.
Yes! The nightly accommodation rate includes room and board, three meals a day – along with coffee, water, and other refreshments, as well as access to all of our common spaces on site. Food is prepared and served in a cafeteria style setting.
Yes! Once you book, we will send you a Welcome Package that includes a packing list for each season. And if you need anything while you’re here, we have a selection of gear available to rent.
We can provide meat and vegetarian options, and exclude foods that may cause allergic reactions. We will do our best to accommodate other needs, provided you give us ample notice of your needs, but we cannot make any guarantees.
Plan your visit
contact us
Contact us anytime for additional questions regarding booking and CNSC programming.
If you are looking to book a group for a visit, please submit a Booking Request Form. For annual group bookings, please contact us for options.
We look forward to creating a new experience with you!
