Arviat sits on the western shore of Hudson Bay, in the southernmost mainland part of Nunavut. It is easier to reach than many Arctic communities, with flights through Churchill, Rankin Inlet, and Winnipeg, but it is still the North: expensive, weather-bound, and shaped by the land more than by visitor schedules.
The reason to come is the combination of living Inuit culture and tundra wildlife. The nearby Arvia'juaq and Qikiqtaarjuk National Historic Site preserves places tied to Paallirmiut Inuit summer life, ritual sites, and marine harvesting. South of town, the Kuugaarjuk Migratory Bird Sanctuary protects Hudson Bay coast and sedge marsh where geese, eiders, jaegers, seals, belugas, and polar bears may all be part of the wider landscape.
This is not a casual add-on unless you are already in the Kivalliq region. Go with local guidance, respect access rules, and expect plans to bend around weather. If you do that, Arviat offers something rare: an Arctic community where the strongest sights are not separated from the people who know them.