Lonely Planet Canada

By Brendan Sainsbury

Lonely Planet’s Canada is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Savor culture in Quebec City, marvel at Niagara Falls, and hike in the Rockies; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Canada and begin your journey now!

 

Inside Lonely Planet’s Canada Travel Guide: 

Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak

NEW top experiences feature - a visually inspiring collection of Canada’s best experiences and where to have them

What's NEW feature taps into cultural trends and helps you find fresh ideas and cool new areas

NEW pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel

Planning tools for family travelers - where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for kids

Color maps and images throughout

Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics

Over 100 maps 

Covers Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

 

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Canada, our most comprehensive guide to Canada, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less traveled. 

Looking for just the highlights? Check out Pocket Toronto, a handy-sized guide focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip.

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 

 

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – New York Times

 

'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Jul 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781838696443

Book preview

Front CoverLonely Planet Logo

Canada

MapHow To Use This eBookFull Page SamplerbuttonCountry Map

Contents

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Canada

Canada Map

Canada’s Top Experiences

Need to Know

What’s New

Month by Month

Itineraries

Scenic Drives & Train Trips

Outdoor Activities

Family Travel

Regions at a Glance

ON THE ROAD

ONTARIO

Toronto

City Walk: Subterranean Toronto

Niagara Peninsula

Niagara Falls

Niagara Peninsula Wine Country

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Southwestern Ontario

Hamilton

Brantford

Guelph

Kitchener-Waterloo

Elora & Fergus

Stratford

Lake Huron Shoreline

London

Windsor

Amherstburg

Leamington & Pelee Island

Port Stanley

Port Dover & Around

Muskoka Lakes

Orillia

Gravenhurst

Bracebridge

Rosseau & Port Carling

Huntsville

Georgian Bay

Parry Sound

Midland & Penetanguishene

Collingwood & Blue Mountain

Bruce Peninsula

Northern Ontario

Killarney Provincial Park

Sudbury

Elliot Lake

Sault Ste Marie

Lake Superior Shoreline

Thunder Bay

Cochrane to Moose Factory & Moosonee

Temagami

North Bay

Eastern Ontario

Algonquin Provincial Park

Haliburton Highlands

Peterborough & the Kawarthas

Land O’ Lakes

Prince Edward County

Kingston

Thousand Islands

Brockville & Prescott

Merrickville

Morrisburg

Ottawa

QUéBEC

Montréal

City Walk: Art & Architecture in Old Montréal

The Laurentians

St-Jérôme

St-Sauveur-des-Monts

Val-David

Ville de Mont-Tremblant

Parc National du Mont-Tremblant

Montréal to Québec City

Eastern Townships

Mauricie

Québec City

Around Québec City

Lévis

Wendake

Île d’Orléans

Ste-Anne de Beaupré

Charlevoix

Baie St Paul

Île Aux Coudres

La Malbaie

St Siméon

Baie Ste Catherine

Saguenay

Tadoussac

Les Bergeronnes

L’Anse St Jean

Saguenay

Lac St Jean

Ste Rose du Nord

South Shore

Grosse Île

Montmagny

St Jean Port Joli

Rivière du Loup

Île Verte

Trois Pistoles

Parc National du Bic

Rimouski

Gaspé Peninsula

Ste Flavie

Grand Métis

Matane

Cap Chat

Ste Anne des Monts

Parc National de la Gaspésie

Mont St Pierre

East of Mont St Pierre

Forillon National Park

Gaspé

Percé

New Carlisle

Bonaventure

Carleton

Matapédia Valley

North Shore

Baie Comeau

Godbout

Pointe des Monts

Sept Îles

Mingan Archipelago National Park

Havre St Pierre

Natashquan

Îles de la Madeleine

Île du Cap aux Meules

Île du Havre Aubert

Île du Havre aux Maisons

Grosse Île

Far North

Abitibi-Témiscamingue

James Bay

Nunavik

Montréal’s Markets

NOVA SCOTIA

Halifax

Around Halifax

Dartmouth

Peggy’s Cove

South Shore

Chester

Mahone Bay

Lunenburg

Liverpool

Kejimkujik National Park

Shelburne

Acadian Shores

Yarmouth

French Shore

Annapolis Valley

Digby

Long Island & Brier Island

Annapolis Royal

Wolfville & Grand Pré

Central Nova Scotia

Parrsboro

Advocate Harbour

Sunrise Trail

Tatamagouche

Pictou

Antigonish

Cape Breton Island

Ceilidh Trail

Cabot Trail

Baddeck

Sydney & North Sydney

Eastern Shore

NEW BRUNSWICK

Fredericton

Upper St John River Valley

Mt Carleton Provincial Park & the Tobique Valley

Western Fundy Shore

St Stephen

St Andrews By-The-Sea

Fundy Isles

Deer Island

Campobello Island

Grand Manan Island

Saint John

Eastern Fundy Shore

St Martins

Fundy National Park

Alma

Southeastern New Brunswick

Moncton

Sackville

Northumberland Shore

Shediac

Bouctouche

Kouchibouguac National Park

Northeastern New Brunswick

Caraquet

Bathurst

Campbellton

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Charlottetown

Eastern Prince Edward Island

Wood Islands

Montague & Georgetown

Souris & Around

St Peter’s Bay to Mt Stewart

Central Prince Edward Island

Victoria

Prince Edward Island National Park

Brackley Beach

Rustico & North Rustico

New Glasgow

New London

Kensington

Cavendish

Western Prince Edward Island

Summerside

Tyne Valley

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

St John’s

Avalon Peninsula

Southeastern Avalon Peninsula

Baccalieu Trail

Cape Shore

Eastern Newfoundland

Trinity

Bonavista

Burin Peninsula

St-Pierre & Miquelon

Central Newfoundland

Gander

Twillingate Island & New World Island

Fogo Island & Change Islands

Central South Coast

New-Wes-Valley

Northern Peninsula

Gros Morne National Park

Port au Choix

L’Anse aux Meadows & Around

St Anthony

Western Newfoundland

Corner Brook

Blomidon Mountains

Port au Port Peninsula

Port aux Basques

Cape Ray

South Coast

Killick Coast

Labrador

Labrador Straits

Central Labrador

Labrador West

MANITOBA

Winnipeg

Lake Winnipeg

Gimli

Hecla & Grindstone Provincial Park

Southeastern Manitoba

Whiteshell Provincial Park

Western Manitoba

Brandon

Riding Mountain National Park

Northern Manitoba

The Pas

Thompson

Churchill

SASKATCHEWAN

Regina

Southern Saskatchewan

Moose Jaw

Ogema

Gravelbourg

Swift Current

Val Marie & Grasslands National Park

Eastend

Maple Creek

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

Qu’Appelle Valley

Manitou Beach

Saskatoon

Northern Saskatchewan

The Battlefords

Prince Albert

Prince Albert National Park

ALBERTA

Edmonton

Calgary

Banff & Jasper National Parks

Kananaskis Country

Canmore

Icefields Parkway

Banff Town

Lake Louise

Jasper Town & Around

Southern Alberta

Drumheller

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Lethbridge

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park

Waterton Lakes National Park

Crowsnest Pass

Northern Alberta

Peace River & Around

Mackenzie Highway

Lake District

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Vancouver

Lower Mainland

Richmond & Steveston

New Westminster

Bowen Island

Sea To Sky Highway

Squamish & Around

Whistler

Sunshine Coast

Gibsons

Roberts Creek

Sechelt

Powell River

Vancouver Island

Victoria

Walking Tour: Chinatown & the Inner Harbour

Southern Vancouver Island

Cowichan Valley

Nanaimo

Parksville & Qualicum

Port Alberni

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Tofino

Ucluelet

Denman & Hornby Islands

Comox Valley

Campbell River

Strathcona Provincial Park

North Vancouver Island

Southern Gulf Islands

Salt Spring Island

North & South Pender Islands

Galiano Island

Saturna Island

Mayne Island

Fraser & Thompson Valleys

EC Manning Provincial Park

Fraser River Canyon

Lytton

Kamloops

Sun Peaks

Okanagan Valley

Osoyoos

Oliver

Vaseux Lake

Penticton

Penticton to Kelowna

Kelowna

Vernon

North of Vernon

The Kootenays & The Rockies

Revelstoke

Revelstoke to Golden

Golden

Yoho National Park

Kootenay National Park

Radium Hot Springs

Radium Hot Springs to Fernie

Fernie

Kimberley

Cranbrook

Cranbrook to Rossland

Rossland

Nelson

Nelson to Revelstoke

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast

Williams Lake to Prince George

Barkerville & Around

Bowron Lake

Wells Gray Provincial Park

Chilcotin & Highway 20

Bella Coola Valley

Northern British Columbia

Prince Rupert

Haida Gwaii

Prince Rupert to Prince George

Prince George

Prince George to Alberta

Stewart-Cassiar Highway

Alaska Highway

YUKON TERRITORY

Whitehorse

Alaska Highway

British Columbia to Whitehorse

Whitehorse to Alaska

Haines Highway

Klondike Highway

Carcross

Carmacks

Stewart Crossing

Dawson City

Dempster Highway

Arctic Parks

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Yellowknife

North Slave

Highway 3

South Slave

Mackenzie Highway

Hay River

Fort Smith

Wood Buffalo National Park

Dehcho

Fort Simpson

Nahanni National Park Reserve

Sahtu

Norman Wells

Western Arctic

Inuvik

Tuktoyaktuk

Banks Island

NUNAVUT

Iqaluit

Baffin Region

Pangnirtung

Auyuittuq National Park

Cape Dorset

Pond Inlet

Kimmirut

Resolute

Quttinirpaaq National Park

Kivalliq Region

Rankin Inlet

Naujaat

Kitikmeot Region

Cambridge Bay

Gjoa Haven

UNDERSTAND

History

Indigenous Cultures

Wildlife

Cuisines of Canada

Wine Regions

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z

Accessible Travel

Accommodations

Customs Regulations

Discount Cards

Electricity

Embassies & Consulates

Etiquette

Food & Drink

Health

Insurance

Internet Access

Legal Matters

LGBTIQ+ Travelers

Maps

Money

Opening Hours

Post

Public Holidays

Safe Travel

Telephone

Time

Tourist Information

Visas

Volunteering

Women Travelers

Work

Transportation

Getting There & Away

Entering the Country

Air

Land

Sea

Getting Around

Air

Bicycle

Boat

Bus

Car & Motorcycle

Hitchhiking

Ride-Sharing

Local Transportation

Tours

Train

Language

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

COVID-19

We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.

Welcome to Canada

Along with over 20% of Canada’s population, I was born overseas, gravitating to British Columbia in my 30s where I was quickly seduced by a country whose personality is rooted to the noble tenets of peace, order, and good government. I love Canada for its cultural diversity, liberal freedoms, fondness for outdoor life, and pure, unsullied wilderness. After over a decade living here, I’m still only scratching the surface.

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Bow Lake near the Icefields Parkway | TRPHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

By Brendan Sainsbury, Writer

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png @sainsburyb

For more about our writers.

Canada’s Top Experiences

1WORLD-CLASS NATIONAL PARKS

While Italy has ornate churches and France has gourmet food, Canada tops the ratings with its world-class national parks. The substantial network of 48 protected enclaves represents the cream of Canada’s diverse, largely unspoiled landscapes. Don’t leave before you’ve visited at least one.

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LUCKY-PHOTOGRAPHER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Banff

The world’s third oldest national park (pictured) is an integral slice of Canadian history and a dramatic introduction to the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Banff is where tourism in Canada first took off in the 19th century, inspired by the rediscovery of a natural hot springs and the building of a cross-continental railroad.

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Inkpots | WEI SEAH/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Pacific Rim

A narrow but dramatic strip of wave-whipped beaches, brooding forests, and weather-beaten sea-stacks on the west coast of Vancouver Island, this park is esteemed for kayaking, sublime sunsets, and the best surf breaks in Canada.

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Tofino | MATTEO PROVENDOLA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Kluane

Kluane is an imposing empire of mountain and ice that’s home to Canada’s highest peak, Mt Logan, and sits flush up against humongous Wrangell-St Elias national park in Alaska to form one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the world.

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Kluane Lake | LYNN A/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

2WINTER SPORTS

If you had to pick a motif to personify the essence of Canada, chances are it would be a winter sport. Picture a stick-wielding teenager chasing a hockey puck across a frozen lake, a skillful snowboarder etching artistic grooves onto an impossibly steep mountainside, or thousands of Ottawa citizens skating en masse along the Rideau Canal. When temperatures dive and snow starts to fall, Canadians don’t hibernate; they embrace the cold.

Whistler

One of the world’s largest and finest ski resorts (pictured) melds tasteful nouveau Alpine architecture with spectacular gondola rides, an Olympic nordic park, spine-chilling black diamond runs and the chance to partake in a bobsled ride.

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MARINA POUSHKINA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Montréal Canadiens

Hockey is the national passion, and if you’re visiting between October and April, going to a game is practically mandatory. Pick a team – such as the Montréal Canadiens (flag pictured) – and work out how such a polite country embraces such a ferocious sport.

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BALKANSCAT/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Rideau Canal

This well-established 200km-long waterway (pictured) is at its finest in Ottawa in the winter, when it becomes the world’s largest skating rink. People swoosh by on a special 7.8km section of groomed ice, pausing for hot chocolate and delicious slabs of fried dough called beavertails.

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MEANDERING IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

3WATCHING WILD FAUNA

While other countries have hunted their wild animals to extinction or corralled what remains of them into zoos and wildlife parks, Canada has preserved a semblance of its original ecosystems. Bears rummage around Vancouver’s crinkled North Shore, musk oxen roam by the herd across the arctic tundra and cougars stalk the craggy peaks of the Rockies. Walk carefully through the mountains and valleys and establish your place in the food chain.

Jasper National Park

Seeing big fauna in Jasper (pictured) is more a guarantee than a possibility. Elks graze on railway tracks, bears poke their noses around alpine meadows, and wolves and caribou occasionally frequent the park’s central valleys in the winter.

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WEEKEND WARRIOR PHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Grasslands National Park

This semi-arid sea of grass and prairie in Saskatchewan is the habitat for two important animal species: black-tailed prairie dogs and plains bison. The latter beasts, once ubiquitous in North America, were successfully reintroduced into the park (pictured) two decades ago.

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BENNEKOM/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Churchill

This lone Manitoba outpost (pictured) is right in the middle of a polar bear migration path. From late September to early November, tundra buggies head out in search of the razor-clawed beasts, sometimes getting you close enough to lock eyes.

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CHERYLRAMALHO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

4COOL CITIES

While not as old or culture heavy as their metro cousins in Europe, Canadian cities are notable for their diversity and cosmopolitanism. Places like Toronto and Vancouver pulsate with a United Nations of neighorhoods and ethnic cuisines while slick skyscrapers and modern infrastructure consistently rank them at the top of global livability indices. There’s art and festivals too and, when you tire of the urban bustle, the uncrowded countryside is never far away.

Vancouver

Regularly trumpeted as one of the world’s prettiest 21st century cities, Vancouver (pictured) mixes a diverse Asian-influenced food culture with a penchant for glassy streamlined architecture and an abundance of urban beaches.

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SHAWN.CCF/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Montréal

Bilingual Montréal (pictured) is a jubilant juxtaposition of Anglo-French culture where bohemian street poets share cafe space with city slickers, and comparisons with Paris aren’t exaggerations.

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CATHERINE ZIBO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Toronto

One of the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet, Toronto (pictured) is Canada’s ‘big apple’, a hyperactive stew of cultures and neighborhoods that will blind you with its sheer urban awe.

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FRANKLIN MCKAY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

5NORTH OF THE 60TH PARALLEL

Only a tiny percentage of visitors to Canada make it north of the 60th parallel. Yet, this bleak, beautiful land accounts for over 40% of the country’s total area and is laced with some of its more esoteric attractions. Come in winter to see the Northern Lights in all their glory or decamp in summer and drive all the way to the Arctic Ocean on one of Canada’s newest roads.

Dawson City

The wonderfully preserved hub of Canada’s legendary gold rush, Dawson (pictured) is one of the nation’s most compelling small towns where false-fronted streets and buildings reek with the essence of a lost era.

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PIERRE JEAN DURIEU/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Nahanni National Park

Thirty-storey waterfalls, towering canyons and legends of lost gold await in this Northwest Territories nirvana. Visit on a day trip or spend a week paddling (pictured).

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GROGL/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Baffin Island

The forlorn, brutal landscape of the Inuit, Baffin is a siren call for hardcore hikers and climbers, and more than a few polar bears.

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Akshayuk Pass | PETR KAHANEK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

6DIVERSE INDIGENOUS CULTURE

Scratch the surface of Canada’s indigenous culture – a mix of Inuit, Métis and over 600 First Nations groups – and a complex web of layered history will reveal itself. Herein lie thousands of years of different stories, struggles, languages, and creation myths as vast and diverse as the country that shelters them. You’ll find it in art, music, place names and landscapes, reflecting the complicated vicissitudes of Canada’s soul.

Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve

In the Haida Gwaii archipelago you’ll find the soul of the Haida people, best known for their war-canoe and totem-pole carvings. This national park combines lost villages, burial caves and hot springs.

Museum of Anthropology

The best museum in Vancouver is stuffed with art from cultures around the world with an obvious bias for masterpieces plucked from the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

A superb museum and Unesco World Heritage Site (pictured above) in Southern Alberta documenting the Blackfoot people and their legendary buffalo hunts on the cliffs near the town of Fort McLeod.

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ARCHITECT: ROBERT LEBLOND; IMAGE: PECOLD/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

7ISLAND CULTURE

From the fifth largest island in the world (Baffin) to the 63 tiny landfalls scattered around Georgian Bay in Lake Huron protected in a national park, Canada has an incredible variety of islands. Prince Edward Island is a province in its own right, Cape Breton has a rich Celtic and Acadian heritage that sets it apart, while Ellesmere Island in the far north is the same size as Great Britain but harbors a population of just 191.

Manitoulin

The largest freshwater island in the world (pictured) is situated in the middle of Lake Huron and is replete with beaches, summery cottages and numerous First Nations communities.

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RAVI NATARAJAN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Vancouver Island

With its forested mountains and storm-whipped beaches, Vancouver Island (pictured) is rugged but easy-going, and unsullied by excessive development.

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LYNDA MCFAUL/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

PEI

Canada’s smallest province is home to gentle pastures, sweeping sand dunes (pictured) and the woods that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables.

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AUTUMN SKY PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

8HITTING THE ROAD

Distances can be long in the world’s second largest country but the scenery is more often than not spectacular. To absorb the best of it at ground level, hire a car and hit the road for a week or three. Classic drives abound on the well-maintained highways and byways of Canada, many of them meticulously mapped with recommended stop-off points and overnight stays en route.

Cabot Trail

A 300km-long highway (pictured) that winds and climbs over stunning coastal mountains, with heart-stopping sea views, moose nibbling on the roadside and plenty of trails to stop and hike.

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APURV SHAH/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Viking Trail

This highway connects Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park and its fjord-like lakes and geological oddities with the sublime, 1000-year-old Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows.

Icefields Parkway

Known more romantically as the ‘Promenade des Glaciers’ in French, this super-smooth highway (pictured) through the Rocky Mountains invites vigorous head-twists every few kilometers as you glide past lakes, glaciers and grazing wildlife.

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RAFA IRUSTA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

9LONG-DISTANCE HIKING

A vast country replete with national parks and numerous other protected areas: Canada is a hiker’s paradise. Day walks are all very well (and plentiful), but to get an eye-full of the country’s most photogenic panoramas, you’ll need to disconnect yourself from social media and immerse yourself in Canada’s rural splendor with a tent, some bear spray and the other essential (dis)comforts of backcountry living.

West Coast Trail

Tracking the so-called graveyard of the Pacific (courtesy of its shipwrecks), this 75km trail (pictured) is laced together by a mix of ladders, rocky scrambles, tidal pools and old First Nations paths.

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CHESS OCAMPO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Bruce Trail

The granddaddy of all Canadian trails (pictured) was conceived in 1959 and runs for 900km across Ontario’s Niagara escarpment to Tobermory on the tip of the Bruce peninsula.

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/KSIMAGE/SHUTTERSTOCK © ©

East Coast Trail

Wrapped around Newfoundland’s Avalon peninsula where steep cliffs rise from the ocean, this 265km (and growing) trail (pictured) is made up of 25 linked paths which can be done separately.

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SF PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

10 HISTORIC SITES

It’s not as new as it looks. Loaded with millennia of Indigenous narratives, Canada’s history pierces the past with widely spread roots. Historic sites incorporate Viking vestiges, Métis battlegrounds, erstwhile Gold Rush boomtowns and – star of the show – the handsome walled city of Québec. Discovering them takes you from the colonial squabbles of 18th century Europe, to the building of a cross-continental railroad and the settlement of Canada’s ‘wild’ west.

Québec City

Québec’s capital is more than 400 years old, and its ancient stone walls, glinting spired cathedrals and jazz-filled corner cafes suffuse it with atmosphere, romance, melancholy and intrigue on par with any European city.

L’Anse aux Meadows

Though there are few physical remains of Leif Erikson’s Viking voyage to Newfoundland in 1000 CE, the story of the improbable settlement and its 1960 rediscovery never cease to fascinate.

Louisbourg

Endure soldiers’ rations, bribe guards and camp out 18th-century style at this re-creation of a 1744 French fort in Nova Scotia (pictured).

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STEVE CUKROV/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Need to Know

For more information, see Survival Guide

Currency

Canadian dollar ($)

Languages

English, French

Visas

Visitors may require a visa to enter Canada. Those exempt require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA; $7), with the exception of Americans.

Money

ATMs are widely available. Credit cards are accepted in nearly all hotels and restaurants.

Cell Phones

Local SIM cards can be used in unlocked GSM 850/1900 compatible phones. Other phones must be set to roaming.

Time

Atlantic Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus four hours)

Eastern Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus five hours)

Central Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus six hours)

Pacific Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus eight hours)

When to Go

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High Season (Jun–Aug)

A Sunshine and warm weather prevail; far northern regions briefly thaw.

A Accommodation prices peak (up 30% on average).

A December through March is equally busy and expensive in ski resort towns.

Shoulder (May, Sep & Oct)

A Crowds and prices drop off.

A Temperatures are cool but comfortable.

A Attractions keep shorter hours.

A Fall foliage areas (eg Cape Breton Island and Québec) remain busy.

Low Season (Nov–Apr)

A Places outside the big cities and ski resorts close.

A Darkness and cold take over.

A April and November are particularly good for bargains.

Useful Websites

Destination Canada (en.destinationcanada.com) Official tourism site.

Environment Canada Weather (www.weather.gc.ca) Forecasts for any town.

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/canada) Destination information, hotel reviews and more.

Government of Canada (www.gc.ca) National and regional information.

Parks Canada (www.pc.gc.ca) Lowdown on national parks.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (www.cbc.ca) National and provincial news.

Important Numbers

Exchange Rates

For current exchange rates see www.xe.com.

Daily Costs

Budget: Less than $100

A Dorm bed: $25–40

A Campsite: $25–35

A Self-catered meals from markets and supermarkets: $12–20

Midrange: $100–250

A B&B or room in a midrange hotel: $80–180 ($100–250 in major cities)

A Meal in a good local restaurant: from $20 plus drinks

A Rental car: $45–70 per day

A Attraction admissions: $5–25

Top end: More than $250

A Four-star hotel room: from $180 (from $250 in major cities)

A Three-course meal in a top restaurant: from $65 plus drinks

A Skiing day pass: $50–90

Opening Hours

Opening hours vary throughout the year. We’ve provided high-season opening hours; hours will generally decrease in the shoulder and low seasons.

Banks 10am–5pm Monday to Friday; some open 9am–noon Saturday

Restaurants breakfast 8–11am, lunch 11:30am–2:30pm Monday to Friday, dinner 5–9:30pm daily; some open for brunch 8am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday

Bars 5pm–2am daily

Clubs 9pm–2am Wednesday to Saturday

Shops 10am–6pm Monday to Saturday, noon–5pm Sunday; some open to 8pm or 9pm Thursday and/or Friday

Supermarkets 9am–8pm; some open 24 hours

Arriving in Canada

Toronto Pearson International Airport Trains (adult/child $12.35/free) run downtown every 15 minutes from 5:30am to 1am; taxis cost around $60 (45 minutes).

Montréal Trudeau International Airport A 24-hour airport shuttle bus ($10) runs downtown. Taxis cost a flat $40 (30 to 60 minutes).

Vancouver International Airport Trains ($7.95 to $10.70) run downtown every six to 20 minutes; taxis cost around $40 (30 minutes).

Land Border Crossings Visit the website of the Canadian Border Services Agency (www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca) for the latest info on border crossings.

Getting Around

Car An extensive highway system links most towns. The Trans-Canada Hwy stretches from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island. Outside cities, distances can be deceivingly long and travel times slow due to single-lane highways. All the major rental car companies are readily available.

Train Outside the Toronto–Montréal corridor, train travel is mostly for scenic journeys.

Ferry Public ferry systems operate extensively in British Columbia, Québec and the Maritime provinces.

Air Regional and national carriers crisscross the country, taking days off travel time and reaching northern towns inaccessible by road.

Bus Greyhound Canada is no longer operating. Bus travel is still possible with other operators for shorter, regional trips.

For much more on getting around.

What’s New

Canada has juggled the trials of COVID-19 with several other existential challenges over the last couple of years. With the economy and health system surviving pandemic-related shocks in 2020, emphasis has subsequently shifted to climate change and indigenous relations.

Best in Travel

Vancouver Island was listed in Lonely Planet’s Top 10 regions to visit in 2022. What was once dismissed as a regional backwater where British Columbians went to retire, has morphed into a cool hub of surfing beaches, boutique vineyards, community-led trail-building projects and locavore restaurants. If you’re into riding whitecapped Pacific breakers, getting from A to B by human-powered transport, or frequenting a ski resort that isn’t called ‘Whistler’, this could be your post-pandemic nirvana.

With a population of less than one million spread over a jagged landmass the size of Taiwan, the island has ample room for visitors to spread out and explore its forested mountains and storm-whipped beaches while reveling in the spontaneity of life on Canada’s wild west coast.

Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller

A massive, multi-million-dollar expansion that opened in 2019 makes a great dinosaur experience even more amazing, with interactive exhibits, fossil-casting workshops, and all the dinos you know and love.

Mosaic Stadium, Saskatchewan

Regina’s CFL team – the much loved Roughriders – have a new home where 33,000 of their closest fans can cheer them on.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CANADA

Brendan Sainsbury, Lonely Planet writer

Canada was relatively successful in mitigating the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020-21, especially compared to its American neighbor in the south. Furthermore, after a sluggish start, its vaccination campaign morphed into one of the world’s fastest and most comprehensive.

But as COVID-19 subsided and restrictions gradually eased in mid-2021, a couple of new problems reared their ugly heads. In June 2021, the remains of 215 indigenous children were found at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, BC. The discovery quickly sent shockwaves across the country and reopened the bitter wounds of Canada’s colonial past and its deplorable treatment of indigenous people.

Later the same month, a meteorological ‘heat dome’ installed itself over the Pacific Northwest, prompting record-breaking temperatures in British Columbia which topped a life-threatening 49ºC in the village of Lytton. The heat led to a spate of more than 500 sudden unexpected deaths and sparked off numerous forest fires that destroyed whole communities.

Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories

Canada’s newest national park was officially inaugurated in August 2019 and inhabits over 14,000 sq km of boreal uplands on the eastern arm of Great Slave Lake.

Biodôme renovation, Montréal

The kid-friendly interactive science museum becomes more immersive with a renovation bringing in more natural light and raised walkways.

Vancouver Island Trail

A community campaign is putting the finishing touches to a 770km-long multi-use trail running the full length of Vancouver Island. Juxtaposing existing paths with newer sections over rugged terrain, the task of knitting the route together should be mostly complete by 2022.

Grand Prix du Canada, Montréal

The new three-story Grand Prix du Canada pit building has been revealed at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Fireworks Feast, Prince Edward Island

Food Network star and celebrity chef Michael Smith took over the upscale Inn at Bay Fortune in 2015, and recently added a gargantuan 25ft-long brick-lined stove, where he cooks up summertime feasts for hungry guests and diners.

Polygon Gallery, Vancouver

North Vancouver’s sparkling contemporary art space occupies a dramatic sawtooth-roof building on the waterfront. Check out the artworks plus the views of downtown’s glass-towered cityscape.

Remai Modern, Saskatoon

Part of the River Landing redevelopment by the South Saskatchewan River, Remai Modern is a museum of modern and contemporary art for Saskatoon. Approach it along the newly named Joni Mitchell Promenade.

LISTEN, WATCH & FOLLOW

For inspiration, visit www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/travel-tips-and-articles.

Explore (www.explore-mag.com) Popular Canadian outdoor magazine with an online podcast and blog.

Ski Canada Magazine (www.skicanadamag.com) For the latest on what’s happening in the snowy north.

I Backpack Canada (ibackpackcanada.com) Independent website and blog with good tips on budget travel in Canada.

Canadian Geographic (www.canadiangeographic.ca) Published by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, this illustrious magazine has been running since 1930.

FAST FACTS

Food trend Plant-based food

Black bear population approx 380,000

Percentage of population that is indigenous 3%

Population 38 million

Pacific Rim Cycle Path, BC

A superb new 25km-long cycling path running between the surfing towns of Ucluelet and Tofino will officially open in 2022. The trail closely tracks the coast through the Pacific Rim National Park.

Pangea Pod Hotel, Whistler

Claiming to be Canada’s first capsule hotel, this funky place has added an affordable flourish to Whistler’s pricey hotel scene.

Month by Month

TOP EVENTS

Québec City’s Winter Carnival, February

Stratford Festival, April–November

Montréal Jazz Festival, June

Festival Acadien, August

Dark Sky Festival, October

January

Ski season is in full swing, and many mountains receive their peak snowfall. Toward the end of the month, cities begin their carnivals to break the shackles of cold, dark days.

6 Ice Wine Festivals

British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley (www.thewinefestivals.com) and Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula (www.niagarawinefestival.com) celebrate their ice wines with good-time festivals. The distinctive, sweet libations go down the hatch alongside chestnut roasts, cocktail competitions and cozy alpine-lodge ambience.

5 Eat Drink Halifax

Hosted by the local Halifax magazine Curated, this winter celebration of all things epicurean brings together some of the city’s top chefs, brewers, cider makers and cocktail shakers (www.curatedmagazine.ca/events/eat-drink-halifax).

February

Yes it’s cold, as in ‘coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada’ cold (Snag – Yukon, on February 3, 1947: -62.8°C). But that doesn’t stop folks from being outdoors; February is filled with all kinds of wintry events.

z Chinese New Year

Dragons dance, firecrackers burst and food sizzles in the country’s Chinatowns. Vancouver (www.vancouver-chinatown.com) hosts the biggest celebration, but Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal also have festivities. The lunar calendar determines the date.

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Chinese New Year in Vancouver | GABI ROSE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

3 Québec City’s Winter Carnival

Revelers watch ice-sculpture competitions, hurtle down snow slides, go ice fishing and cheer on their favorite paddlers in an insane canoe race on the half-frozen, ice-floe-filled St Lawrence River. It’s the world’s biggest winter fest (www.carnaval.qc.ca).

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Bonhomme, ambassador of Québec City’s Winter Carnival | AUDETPHOTO ©

2 Winterlude in Ottawa

A snowy bash along the Rideau Canal, where skaters glide by on the 7.8km of groomed ice. When they’re not sipping hot chocolate and eating beavertails (fried-dough pastry), the townsfolk build massive sculptures entirely of ice (www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage).

2 Yukon Quest

This legendary 1600km dogsled race (www.yukonquest.com) goes from Whitehorse to Fairbanks, Alaska, through February darkness and -50°C temperatures. It’s the ultimate test of musher and husky. Record time: eight days, 14 hours, 21 minutes.

3 World Pond Hockey Tournament

Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, plows 20 rinks on Roulston Lake, rings them with straw-bale seating for 8000-odd spectators and invites 120 four-person teams to hit the puck. Teams travel from as far as the UK, Egypt and the Cayman Islands (www.worldpondhockey.ca).

z Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival

The Pas, Manitoba, puts on a weekend of frosty anarchy featuring dogsled races, snowmobiling, ice sculptures, torchlight parades and trapping games (www.trappersfestival.ca). Bundle up: the daily mean temperature is -16.1°C.

6 Vancouver International Wine Festival

Vancouver uncorks 1700 wines from 200 vintners at the Vancouver International Wine Festival (www.vanwinefest.ca), a rite of spring for oenophiles. You’re drinking for art’s sake, since the event raises funds for the city’s Bard on the Beach summer Shakespeare festival.

March

Snow lessens and temperatures moderate from the brunt of winter. Ski resorts still do brisk business, especially mid-month when kids typically have a school break.

5 Sugar Shacks

Québec produces three-quarters of the world’s maple syrup, and March is when trees get tapped. Head out to a local sugar shack and do the tire d’érable (taffy pull), where steaming maple syrup is poured onto snow and wound around a popsicle stick once it’s cooled.

z Regina Powwow

Students at First Nations University of Canada initiated this Saskatchewan powwow (www.fnuniv.ca/pow-wow) more than 40 years ago to celebrate spring and give thanks for the land’s rebirth. Dancers arrive from around North America, and traditional crafts and foods abound.

April

Apart from in the far north, winter’s chill fades and spring sprouts. It’s a good time for bargains, as ski season is winding down but the summer influx hasn’t yet begun.

3 Stratford Festival

Canada’s Stratford, a few hours outside Toronto, nearly outdoes England’s Stratford-upon-Avon. This festival (www.stratfordfestival.ca) plays a monster season from April to November. Four theaters stage contemporary drama, music, operas and, of course, works by Shakespeare. Productions are first-rate and feature well-known actors.

z World Ski & Snowboard Festival

Ski bums converge on Whistler for 10 days of adrenaline events, outdoor rock and hip-hop concerts, film screenings, dog parades and a whole lotta carousing (www.wssf.com). Heed the motto: party in April, sleep in May.

3 Hot Docs

Want to learn more about Ontario’s Hwy 7? Millionaires who live in Mumbai’s slums? Belly dancers working in Cairo? Toronto hosts North America’s largest documentary film festival (www.hotdocs.ca), screening 170-plus documentaries from around the globe.

May

This is a fine time for shoulder-season bargains and wildflower vistas. The weather is warm by day, though nippy at night. Victoria Day (called ‘National Patriots’ Day’ in Québec), in the third week of May, marks the official start of summer.

z Tiptoe through the Tulips

Ottawa bursts with color – more than three million tulips of 200 types blanket the city for the Canadian Tulip Festival (www.tulipfestival.ca). Festivities include parades, regattas, car rallies, dances, concerts and fireworks.

5 Chocolate Festival

Plays about chocolate, painting with chocolate, jewelry making with chocolate – are you sensing a theme? Québec’s Fête du Chocolat de Bromont (www.facebook.com/Feteduchocolat.Bromont) is all about the sweet stuff. The best part: eating the chocolate. Bromont lies 75km east of Montréal.

June

Take advantage of long, warm days to hike, paddle and soak up the great outdoors (but bring repellent for black flies). Attractions don’t get mega-busy until later in the month, when school’s out for summer.

3 Luminato

For 10 days in early June, big-name musicians, artists, dancers, writers, actors and filmmakers descend on Toronto for a celebration of creativity that reflects the city’s diversity (www.luminatofestival.com). Many performances are free.

3 North by Northeast

Over more than 25 years, NXNE (www.nxne.com) has become a must on the music-industry calendar, with around 1000 emerging indie bands taking to the stages of Toronto’s coolest clubs. You might catch the rock stars of tomorrow. Film screenings and comedy shows add to the mix.

3 Montréal Jazz Festival

Two million music lovers descend on Montréal in late June, when the heart of downtown explodes with jazz and blues for 11 straight days (www.montrealjazzfest.com). Most concerts are outdoors and free, and the party goes on round the clock.

z Pride Toronto

Toronto’s most flamboyant event (www.pridetoronto.com) celebrates diversity of sexuality and gender identity with a month of festivities, climaxing with a triple whammy: the Trans March, Dyke March and Pride Parade. Rainbow-coated Church-Wellesley Village is ground zero.

3 Saskatchewan Jazz Festival

Come show your soul patch at this jazzy 10-day festival (www.saskjazz.com) at venues throughout Saskatoon. Blues, funk, pop and world music are also on the agenda. Herbie Hancock and Ziggy Marley are among the acts that have trekked to the prairie.

z Alianait Arts Festival

Iqaluit’s summer fest celebrates Inuit culture through a series of events, including music and talent shows, held at various venues around town.

July

This is prime time for visiting most provinces, with the weather at its warmest, a bounty of fresh produce and seafood filling plates, and festivals rockin’ the nights away. Crowds are thick.

3 Country Music in Cavendish

Some of the biggest names in country music come to Prince Edward Island for the Cavendish Beach Festival (www.cavendishbeachmusic.com). This is one of the largest outdoor music festivals in North America, and the island swells with people.

3 Montréal Comedy Festival

Everyone gets giddy for two weeks at the Just for Laughs Festival (www.hahaha.com), which features hundreds of comedy shows, including free ones in the Quartier Latin. The biggest names in the biz yuck it up for this one.

3 Calgary Stampede

Raging bulls, chuckwagon racing and bad-ass, boot-wearing cowboys unite for the ‘Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.’ A midway of rides and games makes it a family affair well beyond the usual rodeo event, attracting up to 1.5 million yee-hawin’ fans (www.calgarystampede.com).

3 Winnipeg Fringe Festival

North America’s second-largest fringe fest (www.winnipegfringe.com) stages creative, raw and oddball works from a global lineup of performers. Comedy, drama, music, cabaret and even musical memoirs are on tap over 12 days.

z Arctic Art

The Great Northern Arts Festival (www.gnaf.org) in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, draws scores of carvers, painters and other creators from across the circumpolar world. It’s an ideal place to buy Arctic art, watch it being made, or participate in workshops.

3 Stan Rogers Folk Festival

Honoring a legendary Canadian folk singer, the three-day Stanfest (www.stanfest.com) in Canso, Nova Scotia, has drawn dozens of artists for over two decades. Over 10,000 fans flock to the tiny town to strum, dance and croon.

3 Festival d’Été de Québec

With 300 shows on 10 stages, the 11-day Summer Festival (www.infofestival.com) attracts musicians and top new talent from all over the world to Québec City.

August

The sunny days and shindigs continue. Visitors throng most provinces, and prices reflect it. It can get downright hot and humid away from the coasts.

3 Festival Acadien

Acadians tune their fiddles and unleash their Franco-Canadian spirit for the Festival Acadien (www.festivalacadien.ca) in Caraquet, New Brunswick. It’s the biggest event on the Acadian calendar, with singers, musicians and dancers letting loose for two weeks in early August.

2 Newfoundland Rowing Regatta

The streets are empty, the stores are closed and everyone migrates to the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake for the Royal St John’s Regatta (www.stjohnsregatta.org). The rowing race began in 1825 and is now the continent’s oldest continuously held sporting event.

3 Edmonton Fringe Festival

Edmonton Fringe Festival (www.fringetheatre.ca) is North America’s largest fringe bash, staging some 1600 performances of wild, uncensored shows over 11 days in mid-August. Acts are democratically chosen by lottery.

z Canadian National Exhibition

Akin to a state fair in the USA, ‘The Ex’ (www.theex.com) features more than 700 exhibitors, agricultural shows, lumberjack competitions and outdoor concerts at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. The carnivalesque 18-day event runs through Labour Day and ends with a bang-up fireworks display.

September

Labour Day in early September heralds the end of summer, after which crowds (and prices) diminish. But the weather is still decent in most places, making it an excellent time to visit. Plus, moose mating season begins!

z PEI Fall Flavours

This island-wide kitchen party merges toe-tapping traditional music with incredible seafood over the course of three weeks (www.fallflavours.ca). In Charlottetown, don’t miss the oyster-shucking championships or the chowder challenge.

3 Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto’s prestigious 10-day celebration (www.tiff.net) is a major cinematic event. Films of all lengths and styles are screened, as celebs shimmy between gala events and the Bell Lightbox building. Buy tickets well in advance.

5 Newfoundland Coastal Cookout

The wee town of Elliston in eastern Newfoundland gathers many of Canada’s best chefs and has them cook at stations set up along a gorgeous 5km coastal trail. Foodies flock in to eat and hike and eat some more (www.rootsrantsandroars.ca).

3 Canadian Deep Roots Festival

Tune in to Mi’kmaw, Acadian, African–Nova Scotian and other unique music – all with local roots – in the fun university town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia (www.deeprootsmusic.ca). Workshops are available with some of the performers, so you can learn to drum, strum or fiddle.

October

With fall foliage flaming bright and the weather cool but comfortable, October welcomes lots of visitors. Grab a stick, because hockey season gets underway.

z Celtic Colours

With foot-stompin’ music amid riotous foliage, this roving festival in Cape Breton attracts top musicians from Scotland, Spain and other countries with Celtic connections (www.celtic-colours.com). Community suppers, step-dancing classes and tin-whistle lessons round out the cultural celebration.

5 Oktoberfest in Ontario

Willkommen to this nine-day beery Bavarian bash in Kitchener, supposedly the largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany (www.oktoberfest.ca). The sauerkraut, oompah bands, lederhosen and biergartens bring 500,000 people to clink steins under the tents.

z Dark Sky Festival

In late October, Jasper’s Dark Sky Festival (jasperdarksky.travel) fills 10 days and nights with events celebrating space. Hear talks by astronauts, astronomers and astrophotographers, listen to the symphony under the stars, see the aurora borealis reflected in a glacial lake and gaze through a telescope into the great beyond.

November

After fall color but still early in the ski season, this is an offbeat time to visit. It’s cold, but just a tease as to what’s coming over the next three months.

z Niagara Festival of Lights

From November to January, the family-friendly Winter Festival of Lights (www.wfol.com) gets everyone in the holiday spirit with two million twinkling bulbs and 125 animated displays brightening the town and the waterfalls themselves. Fireworks occasionally light up the skies, too.

December

Get out the parka. Winter begins in earnest as snow falls, temperatures drop and ski resorts ramp up for the masses. ‘Tis the holiday season, too.

2 Mountain Time

Powder hounds hit the slopes from east to west. Whistler in British Columbia, Mont-Tremblant in Québec and the Canadian Rockies around Banff, Alberta, pull the biggest crowds, but there’s downhill action – and cross-country – going on in every province.

Itineraries

The Central Corridor

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2 WEEKS

This 1450km route from Toronto to Québec City encompasses Canada’s largest cities, mightiest waterfalls and prettiest islands.

Spend two days in multicultural Toronto, wallowing in the wealth of architecture, art museums, restaurants and nightclubs. Spend day three at Niagara Falls, then begin your eastward haul. The Loyalist Parkway (Hwy 33) rambles shoreside in winery-laden Prince Edward County and pulls into colonial Kingston. From there, the misty, mansion-covered Thousand Islands dot the St Lawrence River; Gananoque makes a good break for a day in their midst. Make a half-day stop at Upper Canada Village, a recreated 1860s town, before heading to Ottawa for a couple of days to get your culture fix at the national museums.

Save room for your next stop, Montréal, where the French exuberance seduces via Euro-cool clubs and foodie-beloved cafes. Had your fill? Swing over to the Laurentians to spend a day or two and hike, cycle or ski yourself back into shape. Finish in Québec City – its charismatic walled Old Town, dramatically poised on a bluff over the St Lawrence, will leave an impression long after you return home.

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Upper Canada Village, Ontario | BORIS SV/GETTY IMAGES ©

Itineraries

Trans-Canada Highway

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1 Month

The world’s longest highway – a 7800km belt of asphalt cinched around Canada’s girth – is technically a patchwork of provincial roads. Scenic stretches alternate with mundane ones; many of the best sights require a detour off the highway.

The road begins in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada’s oldest city and a heck of a pub-filled good time. It rolls all the way through the province until it hits the sea, at which point you must ferry over to North Sydney, Nova Scotia, where the road resumes on beautiful Cape Breton Island. Continue to New Brunswick – or take the longer route to Prince Edward Island – then follow the St John River via Fredericton to Québec. The Gaspé Peninsula entices as a pastoral side-trip east. Otherwise, the highway follows the mighty St Lawrence River and reaches romantic Québec City.

Carry on the urban theme in Montréal, where the pâtisseries and café will keep you lingering, before plunging into Ontario at museum-fortified Ottawa. From there, follow in the fur traders’ footsteps to North Bay, the gateway to the Algoma wilderness that inspired the Group of Seven painters. Savor the superb stretch of road skirting Lake Superior to Thunder Bay and voilà, there goes week two.

Next the highway enters the prairie flatlands of Manitoba, where Winnipeg rockets up and provides an enlivening patch of cafes and culture. The road dawdles under Saskatchewan’s big skies until reaching bad-ass Moose Jaw, where Al Capone used to hide his bootlegged booze. In Alberta, dinosaur junkies can detour to Drumheller. And put on your cowboy boots before arriving in Calgary, a former cow town that’s become one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities. So passes week three…

You’re in the Rockies now. They offer a dramatic change of scenery as the highway meanders through Banff before entering British Columbia at Yoho National Park and reaching its highest point (1627m) at Kicking Horse Pass. The mountains eventually give way to river country. The most memorable section leads through the Fraser River Canyon, from where it’s only a quick jaunt to mod, multicultural Vancouver and the ferry to Victoria. Snap a picture at the Mile 0 sign. You made it!

Itineraries

Cabot & Viking Trails

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2 WEEKS

Wild, windswept and whale-riddled, this 1700km route through Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador and Québec unfurls sea-and-cliff vistas, Viking vestiges and much more.

Start in Halifax and spend a few days enjoying the beer, farmers markets and cosmopolitan life. Then hit the road to Celtic-tinged Cape Breton Island for two days. It’s about a five-hour drive, and there’s no ferry involved, as a causeway connects the mainland to the island. You won’t have time to traverse Cape Breton in depth, but you can certainly get a feel for its beauty in pastoral Baddeck and along the art-studio-dotted Cabot Trail. Industrial North Sydney is nearby for the ferry to Newfoundland.

It’s a six-hour sail over the Cabot Strait to Port aux Basques. The ferry goes daily, but be sure to book in advance. Spend a day in the sleepy town, then steer for Gros Morne National Park, about four hours north on the Trans-Canada Hwy. This World Heritage site is rich with mountain hikes, sea-kayak tours, fjord-like lakes and weird rock formations. After soaking it up for three days, continue on the Viking Trail to its awe-inspiring endpoint: L’Anse aux Meadows. This was North America’s first European settlement, where Leif Eriksson and his Viking pals homesteaded 1000 years ago. Poke around for a day before backtracking about two hours to St Barbe, where the ferry for Labrador departs. Reservations are wise for the daily, two-hour crossing.

And then you’re in the Big Land. (Actually, the ferry lands in Québec, but more on that province later.) Turn your wheels northeast and head for L’Anse Amour, intriguing for its tall lighthouse and shipwreck-strewn hiking trail. Further along is Red Bay, Canada’s newest World Heritage site, which preserves a massive, 16th-century whaling port. To really get away from it all, drive 90km onward to Mary’s Harbour and spend the night on the offshore island that holds Battle Harbour, a restored village. After a few days in Labrador, it’s time to head back. Before getting on the ferry, detour for a few hours down Rte 138 in Québec. It makes a beautiful drive past waterfalls and overlooks the crashing surf. Afterward, you’ll need a couple of (long) days to retrace your path to Halifax.

Itineraries

The Rockies

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2 WEEKS

Prepare to feast on a smorgasbord of scenic delights on this 2000km trek, which loops through British Columbia and Alberta.

Start with a couple of days in mountain-meets-the-sea Vancouver, where you’ll be spoiled by urban hiking, biking and other activities, plus western Canada’s best culinary scene. Make the wine pilgrimage east through rolling hills to the lake-studded Okanagan Valley, famous for its fruit orchards, crisp whites and bold reds. Kelowna makes a good sipping base in the area if you fancy tippling for a night or two.

Next it’s time to get high in BC’s Rocky Mountains. A trio of national parks pops up in quick succession, each providing plenty of ‘ah’-inspiring vistas: Mt Revelstoke has a cool scenic drive and hikes; Glacier has 430 of its namesake ice fields; and Yoho is home to looming peaks and crashing waterfalls. Golden is a convenient base to take these in, with a decent array of tourist facilities, restaurants and stores.

Cross the border into Alberta, and park it in Banff. You won’t be able to stop the clichés from flying forth. Grand! Majestic! Awe-inspiring! Allot plenty of time – at least three days – for hiking, paddling, gawking at glaciers and spotting grizzly bears (best done from a distance). Sapphire-blue Lake Louise is a must, with a pair of alpine-style teahouses to fuel your hikes with scones, beer and hot chocolate.

From Banff, the Icefields Pkwy (Hwy 93) parallels the Continental Divide for 230km to Jasper. Try to keep your eyes at least partially on the road as you drive by the humongous Columbia Icefield and its numerous fanning glaciers. Foaming waterfalls, dramatic mountains and the sudden dart of a bear (Or was that a moose? Or was it a wolverine?!) are also part of the journey. Jasper itself is bigger and less crowded than Banff, and offers superb hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, mountain biking and rafting.

It’s a shame to have to leave, but we must return to Vancouver. The Yellowhead Hwy (Hwy 5) plows south to Kamloops, a handy spot to spend the night before motoring back to the City of Glass.

Itineraries

French Canadian Sampler

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1 WEEK

Get a taste of Gallic Canada on this 700km jaunt through New Brunswick and Québec.

Start in Caraquet and immerse yourself in Acadian culture at the historic sites and via local foods such as pets de sœur (‘nun’s farts’ in English – try one to see if you can figure out why). If you visit in August, the fiddle-fueled Festival Acadien takes over the town.

Ramble east through Campbellton and cross into Québec. Rimouski, on the St Lawrence River, is your target. Explore its intriguing museums and delicious cafes, and day-trip east up the Gaspé Peninsula on Rte 132, where fluttering Acadian flags, tidy farming hamlets and rocky shores flash by.

From Rimouski, a ferry crosses the river to Forestville, from where you can head south to welcoming Tadoussac. It’s all about whale-watching in this boho little town; Zodiacs motor out to see the blue whales that patrol the area.

Finish your trip in atmospheric Québec City. Check in at a cozy inn in the Old Town, wander its labyrinth of lanes and stop often to sip in the corner cafes.

Itineraries

Heart of the Maritimes

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1 WEEK

This 650km loop lassos the core of the Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island).

Eat and drink your way through Halifax, then make a break northwest for New Brunswick. Festive Shediac is home to the world’s biggest lobster sculpture and – no surprise – the cooked version of the creature gets served in eateries all over town.

Barrel over the 12.9km Confederation Bridge that links New Brunswick to PEI and begin the pilgrimage to Anne’s Land. Anne, of course, is the fictional red-headed orphan of Green Gables fame, and Cavendish is the wildly developed town that pays homage to her.

Continue the red theme by exploring the red sandstone bluffs at Prince Edward Island National Park; there’s bird-watching, beach walking and swimming, too. Stop in PEI’s compact, colonial capital Charlottetown, before taking the ferry from Wood Islands back to Pictou in Nova Scotia. You can stroll Pictou’s boardwalk and, if you’re lucky, the town might be hosting its First Nations Powwow. It’s about two hours from here back to Halifax.

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Confederation Bridge, Prince Edward Island | MMACKILLOP/GETTY IMAGES ©

Itineraries

Bite of British Columbia

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1 WEEK

You don’t have to drive far to experience a range of heart-leaping landscapes in southern BC. Ocean, mountains, forests, islands – all are present and accounted for in roughly 550km.

Begin in Vancouver and take a couple of days to check out the indie shops, the foodie fare and the forested-seawall vistas of Stanley Park. On day three, drive to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal for the dreamy boat trip to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island. Zip over to Victoria, spending an overnight stay exploring the picture-perfect capital and its historic buildings. On day four, drive north up the island on Hwy 1, stopping off at Chemainus, a former logging settlement that’s reinvented itself as an art town. Continue north for a late lunch and an overnight in Nanaimo, then, next morning, catch the ferry back to the mainland’s Horseshoe Bay terminal in West Vancouver.

From here, the Sea to Sky Hwy (Hwy 99) runs cliffside through formidable mountains to Whistler. The resort town has heaps of adrenaline activities and fun, ski-bum bars to occupy your final few days. It’s 120km back to Vancouver.

Itineraries

Klondike Highway & Around

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1 WEEK

Heed the call of the wild, and set your wheels for this epic roadway. Know it’ll be a lot of driving for one week (approximately 30 hours), but the road is the main attraction of the trip.

Start in Skagway, Alaska, as the Klon-dike Hwy does. Soon you’ll leave the cruise ships behind and enter the rugged land Jack London wrote so much about. Follow the road to lively Whitehorse, which has groovy arts and organic bakeries. From there continue north to offbeat Dawson City. Linger a few days and check out the gold rush historic sites, take a mine tour and blow a kiss to the dancing girls. Day-trip to Tombstone Territorial Park for its wide, steep grandeur.

Next, follow the Top of the World Hwy (Hwy 9) across mountaintops to the Alaskan border, and connect down through the US and onto the Alaska Hwy in the Yukon at Beaver Creek. The road between here and well-stocked Haines Junction is sublime, paralleling Kluane National Park and the St Elias Mountains. The gawk-worthy Haines Hwy rolls into Haines, Alaska, where your journey ends.

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Plan Your Trip

Scenic Drives & Train Trips

Canada is made for road-tripping, with a huge expanse of wild landscapes that have highways unfurling right through the good parts. Spiky mountains, ocean vistas, moose and Tim Hortons doughnut shops flash by. Even if you have just one day, you can take an incredible journey. With more time you can really roll.

Need to Know

Best Experiences

A Dance at a traditional ceilidh on the Cabot Trail

A Visit a misty, Gothic castle on the Thousand Islands Parkway

A Hike and bike on the Sea to Sky Hwy

A See whales from shore on the Cabot Trail

A Gape at dazzling mountain views on the Rockies Rail Route

Major Sights

A Jasper National Park (Rockies Rail Route)

A The Chief (Sea to Sky Hwy)

A Thousand Islands National Park (Thousand Islands Pkwy)

A Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Cabot Trail)

Key Starting Points

A Vancouver or Whistler, British Columbia (Sea to Sky Hwy)

A Gananoque or Brockville, Ontario (Thousand Islands Pkwy)

A Chéticamp or Baddeck, Nova Scotia (Cabot Trail)

A Jasper, Alberta or Prince Rupert, British Columbia (Rockies Rail Route)

Sea to Sky Highway

Otherwise known as Hwy 99, this cliffside roadway offers a heart-leaping, humbling drive from Vancouver’s ocean to Whistler’s peaks. It begins at sea level, clasping the shore of Howe Sound, before twisting into the Coast Mountains and climbing through old-growth rainforests. You’ll rise 670m (2200ft) during the 120km route, with plenty of opportunities for scenic vistas, waterfall gaping and outdoor activities along the way.

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Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, Squamish | HAILSHADOW/GETTY IMAGES ©

Highlights

In West Vancouver, not long after you cross the Lion’s Gate Bridge, drop by Lighthouse Park to see the namesake structure along with shimmering sea views. Next you’ll pass Horseshoe Bay, where ferries glide in and out for the 20-minute ride to Bowen Island – a rustically charming retreat populated by writers and artists.

Back on Hwy 99, about 30km north is the kid-friendly Britannia Mine Museum. Descend into the former copper pit for an underground train tour, followed by gold panning. About 6km onward you’ll hear the rushing waters of Shannon Falls Provincial Park. Pull into the parking lot and stroll the 10-minute trail to British Columbia’s third-highest waterfall, which gushes 335m down the rock face.

Continuing your drive, you’ll soon see a sheer, 652m-high granite rock face looming ahead. It’s called the Chief and it’s the highlight of Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. Climbers go gaga over it. The town just beyond is Squamish, a haven for mountain bikers, hikers, kiteboarders and microbrew aficionados. It’s a great spot to hang out for a day.

Nearby Brackendale attracts thousands of salmon-hungry eagles in winter. Hikers will want to pit stop at Garibaldi Provincial Park. Pull over at any of the designated trailheads to meander past scenic alpine meadows and breathtaking mountain views.

Back on the road, you’ll be in Whistler before you know it. Canada’s favorite ski resort combines a gabled, Christmas-card village with some jaw-dropping dual-mountain terrain. Skiers and snowboarders will be in their glory in winter, while summer is almost as busy with mountain bikers and hikers.

When to Go

This is a beautiful, well-maintained