Manitoba Attractions Guide

Winnipeg

• The Forks — Manitoba's most-visited destination, where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet; explore The Forks Market food hall, the riverwalk trails, and riverboat tours in summer or skating on the frozen rivers in winter.
• Canadian Museum for Human Rights — The first national museum built outside the National Capital Region, in a striking glass tower at The Forks; its interactive galleries trace the evolution and celebration of human rights, and the Israel Asper Tower of Hope offers panoramic city views.
• Assiniboine Park — The city's largest park (153 hectares of English landscape gardens, conservatory, and trails), home to the Assiniboine Park Zoo and its Journey to Churchill exhibit, where polar bears swim above visitors in the Sea Ice Passage tunnel.
• Manitoba Museum — Located in the Exchange District with nine galleries covering natural and human history; the highlight is the Nonsuch Gallery, housing a full-size replica of the 17th-century ship that launched the Hudson's Bay Company.
• Exchange District — A 20-block National Historic Site with the greatest concentration of turn-of-the-20th-century commercial architecture in Canada; today its warehouses hold galleries, boutiques, coffee shops, and live music venues.
• Fort Whyte Alive — A nature centre on the city's edge with lakes, trails, and close-up bison encounters on guided prairie tours.

Churchill

• Polar bear viewing — Churchill is the "Polar Bear Capital of the World": from October to November, hundreds of bears gather along Hudson Bay waiting for freeze-up, best seen from a Tundra Buggy on guided tours with operators such as Frontiers North Adventures or Lazy Bear Expeditions.
• Beluga whales in summer — Each July and August, roughly 3,000–4,000 beluga whales gather in the Churchill River Estuary to calve and feed; get eye-level with them by kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or zodiac tour.
• Historic Prince of Wales Fort — A massive 18th-century stone fortress across the river from town, reached by boat in summer; a Parks Canada site telling the story of the Hudson's Bay Company's northern trade.
• Town of Churchill — The small, walkable community itself is part of the experience: visit the Eskimo Museum (Itsanitaq Museum), look for Arctic hares and foxes along the coast, and remember there are no roads into Churchill — arrive by train or plane only.
• Northern lights — Churchill's subarctic location and minimal light pollution make February–March excellent for aurora viewing, a perfect winter complement to fall bear season.

Practical Tips

• Best season: June–August for Winnipeg festivals, river activities, and Churchill belugas; October–November for polar bears in Churchill; February–March for the northern lights. Winnipeg winters are famously cold — dress in real layers.
• Getting around: Winnipeg is easy to navigate by car or bus, with most attractions downtown or within a short drive. Churchill has no roads to the rest of Canada — fly (about 2 hours from Winnipeg) or take the VIA Rail train (about 2 days); book Churchill tours and accommodation well in advance, as seasons are short and capacity is limited.

ShareCopied!

Scan with WeChat to share