The stunning landscape of this vast land with tundra, lakes, forests, and mountains from the Atlantic to the Pacific will make you sing O Canada.
With more trees than you can shake a hockey stick at, The Great White North is an ideal place to get immersed in the great outdoors.
Its scenery and wildlife have inspired artists for generations. And their masterpieces, displayed throughout art galleries and museums, will inspire you. From the stunning artworks of the indigenous peoples to the paintings of the Group of Seven to the works of today’s creators.
You can check the art festivals and installations at parks and gardens across cities. All the free cultural events will make your trip itinerary crave a vacation.
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Official languages: English and French.
Currency: Canadian dollar
Capital: Ottawa. Check the outdoor activities and cultural events in Ottawa.
Power outlets: type A and B; 120V/60 Hz
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Best Time to Travel to Canada
It depends.
Summer is the busiest season with back-to-back outdoor festivals, concerts, and manicured gardens.
Hiking trails see more people than Black Friday at the shopping malls, and watersports enthusiasts flock to rivers and lakes.
The downside is the crowds, mosquitoes, other nasty bugs, and high daytime temperatures.
Yes, unless you’re way north it does get hot -and humid- in Canada!
The harsh Canadian winter is great for skiing, skating, snowboarding and any winter sport you can think of.
There’s no better place to experience a winter wonderland.
Canadians endure dark, cold, long winters. They make the most of it by skating on the rinks that pop everywhere, embracing winter activities, and coming up with events to celebrate the season.
Make sure you dress for frigid temperatures, especially in January and February. Bundle up!
Early fall is a lovely time to be outdoors and see the green leaves turn into bright red, yellow, and orange.
You don’t have to deal with hundreds of bugs trying to have you for brunch and with sweat dripping from every bit.
The fall foliage season reaches its peak in the first few weeks of the season, typically between mid-late September/early October.
I repeat, early.
Unfortunately, in Canada, this spectacle is short-lived. Towards the end of October, most of the trees are bare. You feel right away as if a distracted fairy turned on the winter switch too early.
Most of spring feels as if the same distracted fairy didn’t get her act together and forgot to turn off the winter switch and doesn’t realize it until late April.
It’s a great time to see the flowers blooming and spot wildlife in the parks.
Top Things to Do in Canada
- Visit Niagara Falls: one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. Beyond the falls the Niagara Region has parks, gardens, hiking and biking trails, river paths and wineries. Cheers!
- Enjoy the summer in Montreal: beautiful parks, gardens and riverwalks will have you saying Oh-la-la!
- Step back in history in Quebec City: you’ll think you crossed a portal and landed in Europe when you walk on the cobblestone streets of Quebec. You’ll love the sweeping views of the St. Lawrence River.
- Whale watching in Tadoussac: sail in the Saguenay-St.Lawrence Marine Park to see marine mammals in the wild against the gorgeous backdrop of the Saguenay Fjords.
- Explore the art scene in Toronto: Canada’s most populated city never runs short of art exhibits and festivals besides innumerable museums and art galleries.
- Hike the trails in Ontario: nature in Canada is bountiful. You won’t run out of options when it comes to finding trails for all levels and all seasons.
Getting Around Canada
Canada is the second-largest country in the world. Travelling across several provinces takes days, rather than hours. Unless you fly.
But if you’re not pressed for time, Canada is a wonderful destination for long road trips.
You can also take the VIA Rail train (on the expensive side) if you’re travelling at a slow pace. Urban centres have a decent network of buses and trains that take you from A to B.
Taxis, Uber and Lyft are available almost everywhere, as well as car rentals.
You’ll find more details about cities’ local transportation inside the related blog posts you’ll find at the end of this page.
Blog Posts About Canada
Best Booking Resources
These are the go-to resources we use all the time to find where to stay, book flights, and get travel insurance
- Agoda: we’ve found great deals in apartments, guesthouses, and boutique hotels through this site.
- Airbnb: rent a whole house or a room directly from the homeowner through Airbnb. We’ve used it to book apartments and private rooms.
- Booking.com: you’ll find any type of property you can think of in their massive listing, with one of the most comprehensive filters. We’ve found great deals on boutique hotels and apartments.
- Great Escape: it combines the listings from Expedia, Kiwi, Kayak, and Skyscanner (on the premium service) to find the best airfares.
- Hotwire: the first site I check when we plan to stay at a hotel for a few nights. You can save anything from 20% to 60%. Use the search filter to find what you want and you’ll end up with three listings that match your criteria. You’ll know which one you’ll get after you book. If you can handle a little bit of uncertainty you can score big savings.
- House Sitting: you take care of people’s pets and house for free while staying for free. It’s the closest thing to experiencing a place “like a local”. But it comes with responsibilities. Are you an animal lover? You may want to give it a try.
- Momondo: we check Momondo to find great deals to book our flights.
- SafetyWing: travel medical insurance gives us peace of mind knowing that we’re covered in case of emergency. It’s convenient, affordable, and great for digital nomads who spend a long time outside their home country.
Check my Resource Page to learn about the brands I use and trust during my travels and how they can save you time and money. More sightseeing and more cocktails for you!