Top Places To Visit In Canada
Canada is a country that has you hooked once you’ve been there. Many people say that – and I can only confirm this from my own travel experiences. The friendliness of its people, the non-artificial lifestyle of most Canadians and above all its wonderful nature cast a spell on you. There are so many different regions of this country to get to know – its highlights as well as areas not so well known. Here are the top picks:
Top Places To Visit In Canada
1. Canada’s Far North
One of the most unforgettable places to visit in Canada is the North, and it’s difficult to pin it down to a specific place. The Alaska Highway is as beautiful as the Dempster Highway or the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia. The tundra of the Yukon is as fascinating as the one in the Northwest Territories or in the north of Quebec. What’s most striking is the endless reaches, where almost no human life can be found and where herds of caribou still roam freely and musk ox defend themselves impressively against any aggressors. Life is hard in these areas for the people who live there. Maybe that’s the reason why they are outspoken, but also extremely helpful, when necessary.
Lake in Ontario
2. Vancouver Island and the Coast of British Columbia
The sea and the coast of western Canada are among the most beautiful areas Canada has to offer. Hidden bays, rough coastlines and dark rainforests create a unique landscape that’s genuinely haunting. Whether hiking one of the rough coastal paths with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean, going out bear or whale watching by boat, or trudging through forests with their incredibly high Douglas firs and hemlocks, there are always new, unexpected and breathtaking views to discover.
3. Maritime Quebec
Few regions in Canada are as diverse as the area along the St. Lawrence River. Here you can discover idyllic small villages, watch artists at work, look for culinary treats, see how fishermen catch their fish, go out on a canoe adventure, hike through an impressive mountain landscape, or roam the reaches of the northern tundra. But you don’t see all that by just driving through once — every trip reveals another side of the area worth investigating further.
4. Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains National Parks in Alberta are amongst the top favorites in Canada. Because of their breathtaking mountain scenery they are also the most visited areas of the country. Beyond the famous stops, it’s worth seeking out the lesser known national parks like Waterton Lakes National Park or Yoho National Park. And when travelling in Banff or Jasper National Park, it’s worth looking for the regions farther off the highways. There is nothing more beautiful than sitting alone on a small island in Pyramid Lake in Jasper National Park very early in the morning, watching the rising morning fog above the water and listening to the stillness of the surroundings — off and on interrupted by the cry of a loon or the rustle of a wapiti elk coming out of the bushes onto the lake shore.
Chateau Laurier with Wilfried Laurier in Ottawa
5. Niagara Falls
This is a genuine gap that should have been on this list from the start — it’s consistently one of the most-visited natural wonders in Canada, and for good reason. About 2,800 cubic meters of water per second pour over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls alone. Skip the tackier parts of the tourist strip if you can, and get up close on a boat tour through the mist — it’s loud, it’s wet, and it’s completely worth it. Combine it with the Journey Behind the Falls for tunnels carved right behind the cascading water.
A boat trip and Journey Behind the Falls tour is a genuinely efficient way to experience both in one visit.
6. Canada’s Cities
Every Canadian city has its own character: Vancouver is unbelievably close to nature, which is right in front of its doorstep. Toronto offers something likeably provincial despite its enormous size. Montreal is arguably the most urban city in Canada. And then there are the idyllic smaller cities of the country like Ottawa, Quebec and Halifax, all easy to get around in, and all with something that distinguishes them from each other: the center of political power on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the historic center of town in Quebec, or the closeness of the Atlantic in Halifax. It’s this variety that makes Canada’s cities so worth exploring.
Toronto City Hall
