10 Best Places to Visit in Canada:
Canada is a huge and beautiful country. With so much to see, it’s a wonder that many people consider that they have “seen” Canada when venturing to a single town or two. Canada has a vast history and many different cultures and all of this can be seen in any of its beautiful cities.
Anywhere you go when you cross the border into the Great White North (although it’s really not all that white in the summer!) you will be able to find something to do and beauty to see, but this list of the 10 Best Places to Visit in Canada gives you some places to start planning your next trip.
Want to see what’s the best just south of the border? Take a look at The Best Places to Visit in the USA.
Niagara Falls
You can’t make a list of the best places to visit in Canada and not include Niagara Falls. This beautiful natural wonder is iconic, and it is more breathtaking in person than it is in the movies. If you think you have an idea of what 6 million cubic feet of falling water per minute looks like, you’ll still be in awe when you really see it. Take a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist and get an amazing close-up experience. Niagara Falls, NY is one of the top places in America, and it’s no question for us that the Canadian side is one of the 10 best places to visit in Canada.
Ottawa
The capital of Ottawa is located on Parliament Hill. The set of government buildings are beautiful Gothic Revival Architecture that could keep you enraptured all day, but there is tons more you can do. Parliament Hill ranks as one of the best places to visit in Canada because you could spend days enjoying the scenery on the Ottawa River, taking tours, visiting museums, and attending any of their seasonal festivals. The annual Tulip Festival displays over one million tulips of various colors, shapes, and sizes.
Banff National Park
One of the top recommended best place to visit in Canada is Banff National Park. Here you will find all of the beauty that you could expect from Canada, in whichever season you visit. Located in the Rocky Mountains, people flock there in the millions to enjoy outdoor recreation or just take in the unforgettable scenery. Think excellent skiing in the winter, hiking and fishing in the summer, and just taking in the colored leaves in the fall.
Bay of Fundy
The highest tidal range in the world can be witnessed at one of the best places to visit in Canada. The Bay of Fundy fills and empties every day – an estimated 100 BILLION TONNES of water passes through. You can walk on the Hopewell Rocks at low tide – when else can you say you walked on the ocean floor?
Churchill
The Polar Bear capital of the world is one of the best places to visit in Canada. Churchill is located on the shore of the Hudson Bay and is a little town that hosts tourists eagar to see polar bears in October and November, or beluga whales in June and July. It is also a prime place to view the aurora borealis (northern lights) in January through March.
Athabasca Sand Dunes
Canada isn’t just lush greenery. One of the best places to visit in Canada is the opposite of all of that! The Athabasca Sand Dunes in Saskatchewan make up almost a mile of unique scenery that was created after the last glaciers left sand, silt, and sediment behind.
Vancouver Island
This beautiful island makes it to the list of best places to visit in Canada for its beauty and its amount of things to do. Take in the botanical gardens or go sailing. Enjoy the 19th -century Victorian architecture and stop by the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. You can jump on a train, or book your whale-watching tour. This (big) little island has it all!
CN Tower, Toronto
One of the best places to visit in Canada is the world’s tallest free standing structure: the CN Tower. At 1,815 feet it is an exciting ride up on a glass elevator, and if you are extremely brave you can even step out on the glass floor observation deck! You are sure to appreciate the view of the city, and once you are back on ground-level you can go enjoy some of the food, theater, and nightlife that Toronto has to offer.
Montreal
Montreal is a beautiful city to explore and has to be included on the list of best places to visit in Canada. Besides visiting Olympic Park, you can also enjoy Old Montreal’s collection of Parisian-style 17th -19th century architecture and then contrast that to the modern architecture in Downtown Montreal. Don’t forget to take in a Cirque de Soleil show – it doesn’t get any better than seeing it in its birth city!
Human Rights Museum
Winnipeg is a newcomer to the list of top places to visit in Canada. Their Human Rights Museum has been in the works for years, and it is set to open on September 20, 2014, and it promises to be an amazing attraction. As the only national museum outside of the capital, it is set to be the place to represent respect, dialogue, and action.
photocredit: Jeffrey Beall
