Manitoba
Manitoba is a prairie province where you can spend a city weekend in Winnipeg or head north to Churchill to see polar bears and belugas.
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Manitoba is a prairie province in central Canada, bordered by Minnesota and North Dakota to the south. Its capital, Winnipeg, sits where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet. North of the city, farmland and lakes give way to boreal forest and tundra, and the province reaches the shore of Hudson Bay.
Winnipeg suits a stay of two or three days, with museums, river paths and historic sites at The Forks. Churchill, a small town on Hudson Bay, is the draw for wildlife. Polar bears gather nearby in October and November, and beluga whales come into the Churchill River estuary in summer. Churchill is remote, so treat the northern trip as its own leg. Plan a few days in Winnipeg on either side of it, since flights and trains link the two. Summer suits the city and the belugas, and autumn is the season for bears.
Manitoba in five
- Book Churchill tours earlyPolar bear viewing around Churchill runs through a short fall season, and tour seats and lodge rooms are limited. Book the tour or lodge before you lock in flights.Churchill
- Check your eTA before you flyVisitors from visa-exempt countries need an eTA to fly into Canada. Apply online before the trip and carry the approval with your passport.Visas and entry
- Get an eSIM and offline maps for ChurchillChurchill has no road link to the rest of Canada, so you reach it only by train or plane. Load an eSIM and download maps and tour details before you leave Winnipeg.Phones and eSIM
- Choose the train or flight to ChurchillThe Via Rail train from Winnipeg takes far longer than the flight. Pick by how much time you have, and book the leg you cannot change first.Getting around
- Pack for cold wind off Hudson BayChurchill sits on the western shore of Hudson Bay, where wind makes the cold feel sharper, even in fall. Bring a windproof outer layer, a warm hat and gloves, because shops in town are few.Clothing
Neighborhoods
Winnipeg
Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, sits where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet. Visitors come for The Forks, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and festivals such as Festival du Voyageur in winter.
Churchill
Churchill is a remote town on Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada, where visitors go to see polar bears in autumn and beluga whales in summer.
Things to do in Manitoba
See all attractions in Manitoba
Need to know
- Currency
- Canadian dollar (CAD)
- Entry
- eTA for visa-exempt visitors who fly in; visas for others Read more
- Emergency
- 911 for police, fire and ambulance
- Tipping
- Expected: 15 to 20 percent at restaurants
- Time
- UTC-6 Central Time, with daylight saving to UTC-5 in summer
Weather by month
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryDeep cold
- FebruaryWinter festival
- MarchLate snow
- AprilSpring thaw
- MayGreen, mild
- JuneLong days
- JulyWarm, festivals
- AugustFolklorama
- SeptemberAutumn color
- OctoberPolar bear season
- NovemberCold, quiet
- DecemberCold, short days
Right now in Manitoba
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
9
- Feels like
- 8°
- Humidity
- 99%
- Wind
- 8 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 59%
Manitoba
05:38 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today6°2°59%Monday: Drizzle. High 6°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 59%.
- Tue6°-1°0%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 6°, Low -1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed7°1°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 7°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu1°-2°0%Thursday: Cloudy. High 1°, Low -2°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri3°-2°2%Friday: Cloudy. High 3°, Low -2°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Sat6°1°17%Saturday: Cloudy. High 6°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 17%.
- Sun3°1°6%Sunday: Drizzle. High 3°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 6%.
Updated 03:45 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 1.397 CAD
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- Selkirkabout 45 min by car north of WinnipegA river town on the Red River, home to the Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site.
- Whiteshell Provincial Parkabout 1.5 to 2 hours by car east of WinnipegLakes, cabins and hiking in a provincial park.
- Riding Mountain National Parkabout 3 to 4 hours by car northwest of WinnipegForest, lakes and elk in a national park.
Before you go to Manitoba
Rules for Manitoba, checked
- Declare all food, plants and animal products at the border, since Canada Border Services Agency rules apply to food and souvenirs.Source
- Polar bears roam Churchill's streets and the tundra. Keep your distance from them and follow your guide's instructions at all times.
Plan around Manitoba
The Forks, downtown and the Exchange District
Read the guideChurchill polar bear guidePolar bears, tundra tours and the rail line north
Read the guideGetting around ManitobaTrains, buses and flights to Churchill
Read the guideVisas and entry ruleseTA rules for visitors arriving by air
Read the guideMoney and typical costsCards, tipping and typical prices in Winnipeg
Read the guideWhere to stayHotels and hostels in Winnipeg and Churchill
Read the guideManitoba FAQ
Is Winnipeg worth visiting?
Yes, for two or three days. The Forks, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Exchange District cover the main sights, and the city is the main gateway to Churchill.
How do you get from Winnipeg to Churchill?
You can fly, which is quicker, or take the Via Rail train on the Hudson Bay line, which is slow and scenic. Book your flight or train before you plan the rest of the trip.
When is the best time to see polar bears?
Late October and November, when bears gather on the shore of Hudson Bay while they wait for the ice to form.
Do you need a car in Winnipeg?
No for the core city. The Forks, downtown and the Exchange District are walkable, and Winnipeg Transit buses reach the rest. Churchill has no road link, so a car is not an option there.
What is the Festival du Voyageur?
A winter festival held each February in Saint-Boniface, celebrating French-Canadian fur trade history.