Holidays To Manitoba

Take an adventure-packed expedition on a specially adapted heated vehicle and feel the excitement at your first sight of a great white polar bear on the tundra - an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere in the world. Getting face to face with polar bears in the wild is one of life's great moments and is completely unique to Churchill, Manitoba. Take a winter (October - November) tour to spot on the frozen tundra or take a summer tour (July) which combines viewing the bears with Beluga whales.

Hit the waters of the vast Hudson Bay for an incredible cruise to seek out beluga whales. Listen out for the high-pitched whistles and chirping of the social and curious Beluga as you journey through the bay. The first sightings of these great white icons is truly breathtaking, looking like white spirits floating through the deep blue waters as they swim alongside your boat is an experience not to be missed. Best experienced on a summer tour (July) you can combine them with viewing the iconic polar bears.

Enjoy Manitoba’s crisp, sunny winters with a variety of winter sports and activities. Build an igloo as you learn about northern culture and winter ecology, take a dog-sledding tour through the boreal forests and take part in the excellent, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and even ice fishing that are on offer - Manitoba's winter adventures are endless.

On the edge of Hudson Bay, the town of Churchill is famous for its nightlife as one of the world's premier viewing areas for the Aurora Borealis - "spirits" that dance in the sky some 300 nights each year in Manitoba. Be awestruck upon seeing the haunting beauty of the blue, green and white colours as they swirl and dance in the still northern sky with performances that can be seen on clear nights. According to legend, the northern lights will dance their way down to earth if you whistle at them.

Otherwise known as Islendingadagurinn, the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba is held in Gimli over a long weekend each August. The festival celebrates Icelandic culture and aims to preserve Icelandic heritage in Canada, offering visitors the chance to experience an art show, a sandcastle building competition, live music, cultural displays, Icelandic cuisine and the Viking Village that brings the Viking lifestyle to life.

Unfolding over 10 days each February, Festival du Voyageur is winter festival that celebrates the Francophone culture, the culture shared by French speaking people in the region. The event is held in St Boniface, Winnipeg’s French district, and features plenty of fun winter attractions, including live music, delicious French food and incredible ice sculptures.

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival began in 2002 and has run annually ever since, with a great lineup of comedians entertaining crowds in venues across the city each May.

For two weeks each August, Winnipeg hosts Folklorama, a celebration of all the different cultures in the city. The event gives visitors a taste of the diverse and vibrant cultures that make up the fabric of Winnipeg, with each culture represented in its own venue, with cultural performances and the chance to sample some of their cuisine and drink.

Goldeye is a freshwater fish that’s native to Manitoba and was first enjoyed smoked by the First Nations. These days, the fish is brined and then smoked over oak, creating the delicacy that’s popular throughout the province.

Unlike traditional rye bread that’s made from rye flour, Winnipeg rye bread is made with white flour with cracked rye mixed in, resulting in a delicious light bread that’s hard to find outside of the city.

Brought to Canada by European settlers, the humble perogey is a firm favourite with Manitobans. Perogies are small dumplings that are usually filled with potatoes or cheese, first boiled, then fried.

Bannock is a type of flat bread that’s popular in Manitoba, originally brought to Canada by the Scottish. The indigineous people adopted the bread, changing it to be made from corn flour or plants, as opposed to wheat flour.