40 Top Things to Do in Canada

Château Frontenac & Dufferin Terrace

Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Landmark hotel above a boardwalk with sweeping views of the St. Lawrence.

Tip: Walk the Governors' Promenade stairs to the Plains from the terrace's end.

Glissades de la Terrasse

Québec City · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route

Wooden toboggan run on the Terrasse Dufferin, open in winter since 1884, beside the Chateau Frontenac.

Tip: Buy tickets at the hut at the top; the run is best at dusk when the terrace lamps come on.

Hotel de Glace

Québec City · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route

Ice hotel rebuilt each winter from snow and ice at Valcartier, with sculpted rooms, an ice bar and a chapel.

Tip: Open from early January to late March; day visits are possible without staying the night.

Île d'Orléans

Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Farm island with cider houses, strawberry stands, chocolatiers and vineyards on a 67 km loop.

Tip: Drive the loop clockwise and stop at Cassis Monna & Filles.

La Citadelle de Québec

Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Star-shaped fortress still home to the Royal 22e Régiment, with guided tours and summer guard changes.

Tip: Changing of the guard runs mornings in summer.

Musée de la civilisation

Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Hands-on museum on Québec history and Indigenous nations in the lower town.

Place D'Youville rink

Québec City · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route

Free outdoor skating rink just outside the Saint-Jean Gate, with skate rentals and music in the evenings.

Tip: Skate rental is available at the rink chalet.

Banff Gondola

Banff · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Gondola up Sulphur Mountain to a summit boardwalk with views over six ranges.

Tip: Book online; go first thing or near sunset to avoid lines.

Banff Upper Hot Springs

Banff · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Hot mineral pool with mountain views, next to the gondola base.

Tip: Closes each fall for maintenance (mid-Oct to early Nov).

Cave and Basin National Historic Site

Banff · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Birthplace of Canada's national parks, with a thermal cave and marsh boardwalk.

Tip: Short walk or bike ride from downtown.

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Banff · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Local art and mountain history museum on Bear Street.

Tip: Good rainy-day stop.

Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure

Jasper · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Ice Explorer ride onto the Athabasca Glacier from the Icefield Centre.

Tip: Runs about mid-April to mid-October; book ahead and bring layers.

Columbia Icefield Skywalk

Jasper · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Glass-floored walkway 280 m above the Sunwapta Valley.

Tip: Open about May to early October; usually bundled with the Glacier Adventure.

Jasper SkyTram

Jasper · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Tramway up Whistlers Mountain with views over Jasper and the Athabasca Valley.

Tip: Seasonal (late Mar–Oct); hike to the true summit from the top.

Maligne Lake Cruise

Jasper · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Boat cruise to Spirit Island on Jasper's largest lake.

Tip: Cruises run about late May to early October; book ahead in summer.

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site

Halifax · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route

Star-shaped hilltop fort with costumed soldiers and the noon gun.

Tip: Be there by noon for the daily cannon firing.

Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk

Halifax · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route

Four-kilometre harbourside walk past ferries, tall ships and food kiosks.

Tip: Ride the Dartmouth ferry for cheap harbour views.

Peggy's Cove

Halifax · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route

Fishing village on bare granite with a 1915 lighthouse, 45 minutes from downtown.

Tip: Stay well back from the black rocks; waves sweep people off.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Boathouse

Lake Louise · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Rent a red canoe for a paddle on Lake Louise.

Tip: Expensive and first come, first served; go at opening.

Lake Louise Gondola

Lake Louise · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Summer gondola on the ski hill with grizzly-habitat views and an interpretive centre.

Tip: Bears are often seen on the slopes in June.

Plain of Six Glaciers Trail

Lake Louise · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route

Longer hike past the lake to a teahouse below Victoria Glacier.

Tip: Teahouse at the end opens about June to early October; avalanche risk on upper trail in winter.

Audain Art Museum

Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route

Forest-set gallery of British Columbia art, from Emily Carr to Northwest Coast masks.

Peak 2 Peak Gondola

Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route

Record-setting gondola spanning 4.4 km between Whistler and Blackcomb summits.

Tip: Ride a glass-floor cabin; the wait is a few minutes longer.

Scandinave Spa Whistler

Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route

Outdoor Nordic baths among the trees with hot pools, cold plunges and saunas.

Tip: Silence is the rule; book ahead on weekends.

Isle-aux-Coudres

Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Short free ferry ride to a flat island loop for cycling past windmills and river views.

Tip: Rent bikes near the ferry landing.

Train de Charlevoix

Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Seasonal riverside rail line between Baie-Saint-Paul and La Malbaie, hugging the St. Lawrence shore.

Tip: Runs roughly June to early November; book fall dates early.

Bluenose II

Lunenburg & Mahone Bay · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route

Replica of Canada's famous racing schooner, offering harbour sails when in port.

Tip: Check the sailing schedule; it travels some summers.

Old Town Lunenburg

Lunenburg & Mahone Bay · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route

UNESCO-listed 1753 grid of brightly painted wooden houses climbing from the harbour.

Tip: Shoot the waterfront from across the harbour on Tannery Road.

Mont Tremblant ski area

Mont-Tremblant · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route

The highest skiable peak in the Laurentians, with over 100 runs on four sides and a gondola from the village.

Tip: Ski the North Side (Versant Nord) in the morning, when it gets the sun.

Notre-Dame Basilica

Montréal · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Gothic Revival basilica with a deep-blue, gold-starred interior and carved wood altarpiece.

Tip: Book the AURA light show for evenings.

Old Montréal

Montréal · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route

Cobbled lanes, 18th-century stone buildings and the Old Port waterfront along the St. Lawrence.

Tip: Walk rue Saint-Paul early before tour groups arrive.

Fort George National Historic Site

Niagara Falls & Niagara-on-the-Lake · On our Toronto, Niagara & Prince Edward County route

Rebuilt War of 1812 fort with musket demonstrations in summer.

Niagara Parkway

Niagara Falls & Niagara-on-the-Lake · On our Toronto, Niagara & Prince Edward County route

Riverside road past orchards, wineries and the Floral Clock between the falls and the lake.

Tip: Rent bikes for the paved recreation trail alongside.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route

137-metre bridge over a canyon plus treetop walkways and a cliffside walk.

Tip: Lynn Canyon's bridge nearby is free but shorter.

Stanley Park Seawall

Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route

Ten-kilometre waterfront path around a forested park, with totem poles at Brockton Point.

Tip: Rent bikes on Denman St and ride counterclockwise as required.

Inner Harbour

Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route

Harbour framed by the Parliament Buildings and the Fairmont Empress, busy with floatplanes and buskers.

Tip: Return after dark when the Parliament is lit up.

Royal BC Museum

Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route

Provincial museum of natural and human history, including First Peoples galleries.

Tip: Some galleries are being renewed; check what is open.

Cabot Trail

Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route

298 km loop road of switchbacks and sea cliffs; the park section is the dramatic core.

Tip: Drive counterclockwise for ocean-side pullouts.

CN Tower

Toronto · On our Toronto, Niagara & Prince Edward County route

553-metre tower with a glass floor, revolving restaurant and the EdgeWalk ledge.

Tip: Go near sunset to see the city by day and night.