Possibly the city’s most popular attraction, the Calgary Zoo has been caring for animals and animal lovers since 1929. Surrounded by botanical gardens with a rain forest and butterfly enclosure, Canada’s second largest zoo is home to more than 1,000 critters representing dozens of species from all corners of the globe.
Set on the 31st floor of the tallest skyscraper in Quebec City, this observatory offers a 725-foot (221-meter high vantage point from which to admire the storybook sights of the UNESCO-listed old town. See Château Frontenac, the city’s fortifications, Parliament Hill as well as the St. Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains.
A former industrial area transformed into a hip urban neighborhood, Saint-Roch in downtown Quebec City is home to bars, restaurants, shops, and galleries and is the city’s nightlife epicenter. Take the Faubourg elevator from this youthful, vibrant quarter to the Upper Town for sweeping views.
Set within Prince Edward Island National Park, Cavendish Beach is characterized by sandy shores, red sandstone cliffs, and rolling dunes. On calm days the water here is ideal for swimming and kayaking, while nearby campsites provide spots to post up for a night of campfire tales and stargazing.
Colorful rhododendrons spill over rocky slopes in Abkhazi Garden, a trove of plants and trees hidden behind a hedge in a quiet Victoria neighborhood. From springtime blooms to fall foliage, Abkhazi Garden puts on a show throughout the year; an on-site teahouse invites lingering over lavish spreads of scones, tea sandwiches, and sweets.
Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta, is an open-air historical and learning museum that gives visitors the chance to experience what life was like on the Canadian Prairies from 1860 to 1950. Costumed interpreters and many hands-on, interactive exhibits help you go deeper into your fun-filled encounter with the living past.
Celebrate Toronto’s locomotive history at Roundhouse Park, a must for train enthusiasts. The family-friendly public space, created in 1997, features a locomotive turntable and railway equipment, and is home to the Toronto Railway Museum.
Les Cours Mont-Royal is an elegant shopping mall that occupies the premises of a swanky old hotel and contains upscale boutiques, a day spa, and a permanent exhibition devoted to Barbie dolls. Many original architectural and design features from the 1920s structure, including a grand curving marble staircase and a huge ceiling chandelier, remain in place.
With hands-on workshops, docents in historical clothing, and live farm animals, Kings Landing offers visitors the chance to experience the 19th-century in rural New Brunswick. Milk a cow, do some gardening, and learn about blacksmithing at this expansive museum that combines educational exhibits with an interactive village.
Devoted to the life and works of its namesake, Victoria’s Robert Bateman Centre is home to the largest collection of Bateman paintings in the world. The gallery invites visitors to discover the natural world through the eyes of the legendary Canadian painter and naturalist.
At Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump—where the Rocky Mountains rise up from the Great Plains in southwestern Alberta—specialized buffalo runners once hunted buffalo by driving them over the cliff. The site’s museum celebrates the traditional indigenous hunting practices through exhibitions and an interpretive walk.
Known for its sizable collection of artifacts from Canada’s First Peoples, the McCord Museum celebrates Canadian history and the lives of Montreal residents. With numerous rotating exhibitions, art objects from photographs to textiles, and an artist-in-residence program, the McCord is a must for museum lovers and history enthusiasts.
Set on the seafront overlooking English Bay, the Vancouver Maritime Museum charts Canada’s connections to the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Collections include maritime art, model ships, the Children's Maritime Discovery Centre, andSt. Roch, a 1928-built Royal Canadian Mounted Police schooner that once trawled the icy Arctic.
This unusual museum casts light on Vancouver’s criminal justice system and the history of the city’s policing practices and legal institutions. Housed in the former coroner’s court, exhibits document high-profile investigations, unsolved crimes, and policing methods, and include access to the old autopsy room and the morgue.
A tributary of the Fraser River, this 300-mile (490-kilometer long river is one of British Columbia’s major waterways and a major source of Pacific salmon. Its north and south branches converge in the town of Kamloops, from where it flows gently west—narrowing as it rushes through a scenic, steep-walled canyon.
Running almost the length of the island, Notre-Dame Street (Rue Notre-Dame) is one of Montreal’s most prominent thoroughfares. The most interesting stretches are in Old Montreal (Vieux Montréal), where it’s lined by historic buildings, and in Griffintown, Little Burgundy, and St. Henri, where antique stores, cafés, and restaurants abound.
Gliding along the world’s longest unsupported span, Whistler’s Peak 2 Peak Gondola connects two side-by-side mountains—Whistler and Blackcomb—and is the longest and highest continuous lift of its kind. The gondola was built for skiers, snowboarders, hikers, and sightseers alike to travel between the two internationally renowned snow- and sun-sport wonderlands. With incomparable views of the surrounding peaks, you’ll get some of the freshest mountain air and most spectacular vistas in all of British Columbia.
This stately Georgian manor is surrounded by carefully tended gardens and lush lawns, and serves as the official residence of the Canadian monarch when in Halifax. Built primarily using local materials and centrally located in downtown Halifax, the historic house highlights Nova Scotia’s past and its rich culture.
The Aquarium du Quebec is a family-friendly destination and home to more than 10,000 marine animals. Kids learn about the magic of the marine world through visits to tanks, marine mammals like polar bears and walrus, and educational exhibits. Animal feedings and trainings, seasonal events, and a riverside picnic area are also popular.
Considered by many to be the best mountain bike park in the world, Whistler Mountain Bike Park features over 60 trails covering 124 miles (200 kilometers) and nearly 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) of lift-serviced vertical. With four separate zones and five skills centers, there’s something for mountain bike riders of every ability level.
Quebec City’s Fort Museum (Musée du Fort) is known for its light and sound show that recounts the compelling military history of the only fortified city in North America. Located directly in front of the Château Frontenac, the informative museum offers a convenient, kid-friendly way to learn about—and kick off your visit to—Quebec City.
The Toronto Zoo, located in Scarborough, is the largest zoo in Canada. Representing seven domains from the Americas to Africa and encompassing a whopping 710 acres, the zoo is home to over 5,000 animals, including leopards, tortoises, and camels. The zoo's mission is to educate the public about protecting endangered species and preventing extinction.
Humber Bay Park, created from two man-made peninsulas near Mimico Creek and Lake Ontario, is a popular recreation hub in Toronto. Park pursuits include bird-watching, biking, hiking, and photographing the CN Tower and Toronto skyline, as well as lounging at the sandy beach area and taking dogs to the off-leash park.
Built to host the 2010 Winter Olympics’ long-track speed skating competitions, the Richmond Olympic Oval is a premier sporting venue for elite and amateur athletes from Canada and beyond. Visitors can watch events or participate in sports at the arena’s two ice rinks, 4-story climbing wall, ice tracks, and fitness center.
Confederation Bridge stretches 8 miles (13 kilometers) in length, making it the longest bridge in the world to cross ice-covered waters. Completed in 1997, the bridge stands as a testament to human ingenuity, showcasing advanced engineering techniques. While crossing, you’ll be treated to panoramic views of the surrounding coastal scenery.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is a year-round resort situated at the confluence of the Kicking Horse and Columbia rivers—just outside Golden, Alberta. Known best for its world-class ski runs, reliable powder, and easily accessible backcountry terrain, Kicking Horse is a summer resort with epic mountain biking, hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities. The resort is also home to Boo, the orphaned grizzly bear.
Each year over a thousand Chinook salmon pass through the world’s longest wooden fish ladder at the Whitehorse Fish Ladder and Hatchery. The fish ladder is part of their journey from the Bering Sea back to their home waters to spawn. This 1,200-foot (366-meter chute allows the salmon to bypass the Whitehorse Dam and is a popular spot to watch the salmon run.
Head to the Niagara Falls IMAX Theatre, where the films screened teach visitors about the falls’ history and culture. From local native people to daredevils who rolled down the falls in a barrel, the IMAX 3D films provide Niagara Falls’ backstory and make viewers feel as though they’re right there in the middle of the action.
With more than 100 shops, the Outlet Collection at Niagara is one of the largest outdoor outlet malls in Canada. Opened in 2014, this modern mall offers all kinds of brand-name goods at discounted prices, from outdoor gear to beauty products, making it a must for bargain hunters.
Comprising 63 tree-topped islands scattered near Lake Huron’s southwest shore, Georgian Bay Islands National Park is known for its beaches, wind-bent white pines, and stark granite coastline. The pristine freshwater archipelago inspired Canada’s Group of Seven artists in the 1920s and continues to attract summertime adventurers.
