Region

North America

Country/State

Canada

Place(s)

  • Vancouver
  • Montreal
  • Toronto
  • Quebec
  • Banff
  • Alberta
  • Ottawa
  • Nova Scotia
  • Jasper
  • Kelowna
  • Calgary
  • New Brunswick
  • Manitoba

Best Time to Visit

  • Season(s): Summer & Spring
  • Month(s): March to October

Uniquely Popular For

  • Beautiful Landscapes
  • Polar Bears
  • National parks
  • Niagara Falls
  • Northern Lights
  • mind-boggling natural scenery
  • majestic Mountain ranges
  • popular Ski Resorts
  • a buzzing metropolitan life
  • ethnically diverse Restaurants
  • lovely historic Buildings

General Tourist Attractions

  • Quebec City’s Old Town offers cobblestone walkways, well-preserved 17th-century architecture, café culture, and the only North American fortress that still exists. Sample the local ice ciders at Marché Jean-Talon, head out for drinks on Grande Allée, and ride the funiculaire from the Old Town to explore the streets below the stunning Château Frontenac.
  • Montreal is a beautiful city in Quebec offers a look at the French side of the country. European-style streets, an underground mall, jazz clubs, and amazing cuisine make this the hippest and most romantic city in all the country.
  • Stop along the way at the Columbia Icefield, an enormous icefield that feeds into eight glaciers. Here you can travel out onto the Athabasca Glacier via an enormous bus, or opt for a hiking tour where you can walk, feel, and even drink pure water from the glacier. The Icefields Parkway connects Banff and Jasper.
  • Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick are great places to explore, especially during the summer. If you want to spend your days hiking, kayaking, relaxing by the ocean, and whale watching, this is the place to do it.
  • Road trip the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton and spend a few days camping in the Highlands National Park, or head to Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland to tackle the legendary Long Range Traverse backcountry hike.
  • Enjoy open-air dining on Granville Island, spend an afternoon people-watching in Stanley Park, or head outside the city to see some of the spectacular surrounding scenery (like Grouse Mountain) in Vancouver.
  • The Calgary Stampede is a multi-day rodeo, drinking event, and carnival. It’s where everyone pretends to be a cowboy for a few days.
  • Banff is a popular mountain town known for its excellent trails. It’s quite busy during the winter months as locals and visitors alike hit the slopes.
  • Sunshine Village, Whistler Blackcomb, ice skating at Lake Louise, Kicking Horse, and Mont Tremblant are just a few you should check out (they stretch from British Columbia to Quebec).
  • Take a few days off from the city to explore the Vancouver Island. Try the delicious seafood, go for a hike, spot some whales, shop, and lounge on the beach.
  • Hike the Pacific Rim National Park for a wonderful look at some temperate rain forests on Vancouver Island. It’s one of the most popular parks in Canada, home to Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar, and Pacific Silver Fir (among others).
  • The Long Beach area is one of the most accessible places for hiking, but the sand dunes behind Wickanninish Beach on the south Beach Trail are also worth the trek.
  • Calgary offers a selection of free and low-cost activities for the budget traveller. Have a picnic in one of its many parks, go rollerblading, dine in Kensington, or head up to the top of the surrounding peaks.
  • The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and the Art Gallery of Ontario are the two most famous art museums, but there are a plethora of smaller, speciality galleries too – like the Textiles Museum of Canada, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
  • Ottawa is a very easy city to explore on foot. Home to museums, art galleries, and plenty of shops, it’s a charming city worth a visit. You can take a tour of Parliament Hill, the historic buildings where the Canadian government operates, or cross the Ottawa River and visit Quebec.
  • The Canadian War Museum and the National Gallery of Canada are two must-visit museums.
  • Nova Scotia is a worthy sight combined with over 100 beaches, picturesque lighthouses, great sailing, mouth-watering seafood (this area of Canada is the main fishing region), and a marvellous coastline.
  • Kelowna is where the Canadians spend their vacation. Warm in the summer and mild in the winter, this glacial valley has some of the best weather in the entire country. There’s a marina and few golf courses, and the Okanagan Valley is home to Canada’s best vineyards and wineries.
  • Churchill, Manitoba, happens to be the Polar Bear Capital of the World, the Beluga Whale Capital of the World, and one of the best places to view the Aurora Borealis. You can ride in a tundra buggy (a special bus raised on giant wheels to keep you out of reach from polar bears) and head out on the open plains to watch polar bears in their natural habitats.
  • Niagara Falls is one of the most highly visited attractions in the entire continent. You never imagine how big it is until you see it up close and you never envision so much mist either.
  • The Yukon is the perfect place to get your nature fix. The chances of seeing a bear, elk, or deer are incredibly high (or you can tour the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, where you’re guaranteed to see them).
  • Go hiking in Tombstone Territorial Park, soak in a mineral hot pool at the Takhini Hot Springs, or swing by the Sign Post Forest with its unique collection of over 77,000 signposts.
  • Visit the CN Tower in Toronto, while also visiting many museums and enjoying delicious Asian food.
  • Hike trails in summer, pristine lakes to Canoe or Kayaking, and skiing in the winter at Banff National Park in Alberta
  • Winter hiking at Windy Lake National Park.
  • Visit the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove.
  • Tidal bore rafting on the Shubenacadie River near the town of Maitland.
  • Whale-watching, backpacking, exploring the scenery of ancient rainforest bordering sandy beaches at the district of Tofino.
  • Sighting Grizzly Bears in Great Bear Rainforest.
  • Explore over 50 different dinosaur species and over 150 complete dinosaur skeletons at Dinosaur Provincial Park

Memorable Pursuits

  • The Bay of Fundy is home to the world’s highest tides located between the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia where the tides rise and fall between nine and 16 meters twice day. In some places the tides recede more than five km from shore, allowing visitors to walk on and explore the ocean floor.
  • Fundy National Park encompasses 206 square of hiking trails, beautiful cascading waterfalls, and three front-country campgrounds with more than 550 campsites along with several lodging options, a myriad restaurants, bars, and gift shops. 
  • Spend a night in an ice hotel , Hôtel de Glace is built from scratch each year and is around for just three short months. Hôtel de Glace is North America’s only ice hotel and located just outside downtown Québec City consists of overnight sleeping rooms and suites, a handful of ice bars, ice chapel, indoor and outdoor ice slides, and arctic spas.
  • Alberta is home to some of the world’s largest dark sky preserves, including Wood Buffalo and Jasper national parks. It's also one of best places to stargaze in the Canadian Rockies. Every October the park holds a Dark Sky Festival that includes both free and ticketed events and workshops. One can learn about the constellations, listen to aboriginal songs and stories and even pick up some tips for photographing the spectacular starlit sky.

Something Leisurely

  • The Icefields Parkway is a stretch of roadway connecting and located in both Banff and Jasper National Parks. This is one of the most scenic roadways in the world. There are literally scenic overlooks, hiking trails, and beautiful turquoise lakes abound all throughout the whole drive.
  • Take a guided tour and walk on the Athabasca Glacier and do not miss the Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and the Columbia Icefield 
  • With roads running through mountains, past pristine lakes and winding their way around the wilderness, Canada is a great place to get your engine running. Just remember: you drive on the right-hand side of the road in Canada, and whilst roads are excellent, drivers should be prepared to drive in snow if travelling in the winter, although most cars are equipped with winter tyres and roads are gritted and salted.

Quick Tip(s) from the Locals

  • Even when there’s a definite alternative available to explore the city free of cost, the weather here is unsure. So as to avoid this, wearing layers is always a good idea as temperatures can change surprisingly quickly.