7 Best Places to See Polar Bears In Their Natural Habitat

One of the most common questions travellers to the Arctic ask is where is the best places to see polar bears in the wild.

In this blog post, I will provide an in-depth overview of some of the world’s best places to view polar bears and share my experience encountering them in the wild. I have also included information about the best time to see them and how to get to each location.

Seeing a polar bear in the wild is a humbling experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. Here is how:

Where To See Polar Bears in The Wild

Polar bears live above the Arctic Circle and can be seen anywhere in this region, encompassing Norway, Arctic Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Alaska.

A polar bear (Ursus Maritimus) is more likely to be seen where it can hunt prey. They use the Arctic tundra and sea ice to hunt food such as walruses and seals. You will likely find polar bears in areas with sea ice and their natural prey.

There are estimated to be between 22,000 and 31000 polar bears in the wild divided into 19 subpopulations across the Arctic. 60 – 80% of polar bears are believed to live in Arctic Canada, although more information is needed in areas such as East Greenland and Russia to support this.    

Polar bears are terrific swimmers, and very rare bears have ended up in Iceland, south of the Arctic Circle. An adult polar bear can walk up to 60km daily. They are always on the move, searching for food, and can cover vast areas.  

Here are my seven best places to see polar bears in the wild:

1.Svalbard, Norway

Svalbard is my top location to spot polar bears in the wild; in my experience, it has always provided the best sightings.

The Svalbard archipelago is located halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole in the High Arctic. Its far northern position, relatively small landmass, and absence of any other nearby land make it a haven for polar bears, who live here year-round. The Barents Sea subpopulation of polar bears, where Svalbard is situated, is between 2500 and 3000 bears.

During the winter, polar bears breed on land. In the summer, during the warmer months, mothers and polar bear cubs come down from the interior’s icy landscapes and can be seen hunting on the edge of the pack ice or roaming the remote shore for prey.

While sightings are never guaranteed, Svalbard offers the best chances to spot a polar bear hunting on an ice floe, something you won’t see on land-based tours. It’s the best option for photographers who capture polar bears in their pristine natural environment. Svalbard also has a wealth of other wildlife, including walruses, Arctic birds, Arctic foxes, reindeer, and ringed seals.

Top Tip: Due to the risk posed, the best way to see polar bears in Svalbard is on an expedition cruise around the islands. If you get lucky, you may even see one from a Zodiac. Choose September for the northern lights.

Best time: May – September

Getting there: Svalbard is easily accessible with daily flights from Oslo in Norway.

I encountered this polar bear on an expedition cruise in Svalbard in May from the safe distance of a Zodiac. It was walking along the coast and came out of nowhere behind some rocks. It completely ignored us as it walked past.

I spotted this polar bear on the sea ice north of Svalbard, my favourite place to see polar bears in the wild.

Please note that new regulations have come into place in Svalbard from 2025, restricting the summer viewing distance for polar bears to 300 metres. Please bring binoculars and a long telephoto lens to appreciate the spectacle fully.  

To find out more please see our article How To See Polar Bears In Svalbard. Here you can search our Svalbard cruises

2. Churchill, Canada

Nicknamed ‘The Polar Bear Capital of the World,’ Churchill is a town on Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Northern Canada. Polar bears congregate in Churchill at the end of the summer as they wait for Hudson Bay to freeze over so they can once again hunt seals on the sea ice.

The experience of viewing polar bears in the wild in Churchill is different from Svalbard’s. Polar Bears are seen walking on the Arctic tundra rather than on the pack ice. Instead of viewing polar bears from a ship or Zodiac, large tundra buggies take guests into viewing distance of the bears. Whilst it feels more like a safari than an expedition, an advantage is that it is possible to get much closer to the bears in the protection of a Tundra buggy.

Polar bears can be seen along the Churchill River during the summer months. You can combine polar bear watching with a tour to see Beluga Whales, which also frequent the Canadian Arctic during the summer.

No polar bear capital would be complete without a jail. Churchill has a polar bear holding facility dubbed ‘The Polar Bear Jail’. It holds unruly bears that wander into Churchill until they can be released back into the wild.

Top Tip: Consider a specialist trip in March to see mothers and cubs emerge from their winter dens. These trips have limited capacity and are booked years in advance.

Best time: October – November

Getting there: Churchill has direct flights to Winnipeg for onward connections.

3. East Greenland

Due to its vast wilderness and huge landmass, seeing a polar bear in Greenland is like finding a needle in a haystack. While the Greenland flag has a polar bear as its coat of arms, polar bear sightings in Greenland are extremely rare unless you know where to look.

Polar bears in Greenland are rarely seen in West Greenland and are mainly seen on the remote east coast, a never-ending wilderness of mountains and ice-filled fjords. In springtime, as the ice from the Arctic drifts down the coast, the polar bears follow the ice.

In 2022, scientists discovered a new subpopulation of polar bears with distinct genetics on the southeast coast of Greenland. While the actual population is unknown, 200 – 400 polar bears are thought to live in the subpopulation.

I was fortunate enough to see this polar bear on the sea ice off the coast of East Greenland on an icebreaker cruise on Le Commandant Charcot in April 2024. The engines were switched off to minimize disturbance, and we reached a standstill. The curious polar bear approached the ship before walking off into the horizon.

Top Tip: Consider an icebreaker cruise between April and June for the best chances of seeing polar bears on the sea ice in Greenland.

Best time: April – September

Getting there: East Greenland is only accessible on an expedition cruise from Iceland or Svalbard.

Please find out more please see our Greenland cruises and tours.

4. Lancaster Sound, The Northwest Passage, Arctic Canada

The Northwest Passage is home to several subpopulations of polar bears. The Lancaster Sound population is estimated to have over 2,500 bears, making it one of the largest populations, only second to the Barents Sea population.

Located at the entrance to the Northwest Passage, Lancaster Sound (Tallurutiup Tariunga in Inuit) is a wildlife hotspot where bowhead whales and narwhals pass through during the short, ice-free summer months.

Like Greenland, the Northwest Passage is a vast and sproiling Arctic wilderness. The Northern Passages consists of narrow waterways and islets chocked full of ice for most of the year. Polar bears are often sighted on land during the summer as they wait for the sea to freeze over so they can hunt on ice floes once more.

Top Tip: An expedition cruise incorporating other parts of Arctic Canada, such as Baffin Island, is the best way to explore Lancaster Sound due to its lack of infrastructure and settlements.

Best time: August – September

Getting there: Much of the Northwest Passage is only accessible on an expedition cruise.

To discover the Northwest Passage please see our largest selection of Northwest passage cruises.

5. Wrangel Island, Russian Arctic

This desolate island is situated 87 miles off the coast of Siberia in some of the most remote parts of the Russian Far East.

The population of polar bears in the adjacent Chukchi Sea is estimated to be around 3,000. As the sea ice breaks up and melts throughout the summer, the polar bears use Wrangel Island as a refuge until the following winter’s ice comes. During the summer, Wrangel Island has one of the highest concentrations of polar bears on Earth condensed in a small area.

Top Tip: Cruises to Wrangel Island are few and far between, so booking well in advance is essential.

Best time: July – August

Getting there: Unless you are a scientist, the only way to Wrangel Island is on an expedition cruise, and only a few ships make it there each year.

Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, no tours are being made to Wrangel Island.

6. Kaktovik, Alaska

Kaktovik is one of the best places in the USA to see polar bears. The small Inuit town is located on Barter Island, just off the coast of Alaska. Polar bears congregate close to the village yearly while waiting for the sea to freeze.

According to locals, up to 80 or more polar bears can be seen at a time in the village’s vicinity during the whaling season.

Local open boats driven by Inuit skippers provide the optimal chances to see polar bears in the wild in Alaska.

Top Tip: Keep your eyes peeled for the northern lights, often seen in September.

Best time: September

Getting there: As part of an organized tour, a charter plane can take you to Kaktovik from Fairbanks, Alaska.

7. Franz Josef Land, Russian Arctic

The most northern territory of Russia, Franz Josef is an archipelago of 191 heavily glaciated islands encapsulated by sea ice for most of the year. With latitudes above 80 degrees north, these are some of the Arctic Ocean’s most remote and inhospitable islands.

It’s unsurprising that ice bears are attracted to the islands during summer. The nearest other land is Svalbard, which is over 600 miles to the west.

The journey there by ship is only possible briefly during summer, and the route heavily depends on sea ice conditions.

Top Tip: Choose a trip later in the season for the best chance of reaching the islands.

Best time: August & September

Getting there: The only way to visit Franz Josef land is on an expedition cruise from Longyearbyen to Svalbard.

Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, no expedition cruises are operating to Wrangel Island.

Polar Bear Safety

It is essential to view polar bears only on organized trips led by specialists. It is paramount that you follow their safety instructions at all times for the safety of yourself and the bear.

I hope this post inspires you to see polar bears for yourself. If you are interested in discovering more about Arctic wildlife please see our guide to Arctic Animals.

At Polar Escapes we are experts in Arctic travel. We offer the largest selection of Arctic expedition cruises and tours.

If you need help planning your trip, please contact our team. They have extensive experience and can make the best recommendations.