15 of the best places to visit in Canada

03.12.2023 - 22:13 / lonelyplanet.com

Visitors to Canada are equally as wowed by the wildlife and wilderness as they are by the cultural and culinary offerings in the cities that speckle the sprawling nation.

Look for polar bears on the arctic tundra of Churchill or cruise Vancouver’s curvy coastline in a canoe while gawking at the city skyline; Feast on five-star fusion cuisine in Toronto or take in a street-side jam session in Montréal. 

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or returning to experience something new, these are the best places to see in Canada. But plan ahead because this is the world’s second-largest country – you can’t see it all in just one trip.

Best for multicultural experiences

A vibrant jumble of cultures and neighborhoods, Toronto strikes you with sheer urban awe. Will you have dinner in Chinatown or Greektown? Five-star fusion or a peameal bacon sandwich? In Ontario’s coolest city, designer shoes from Bloor-Yorkville are accessorized with tattoos in Queen West, while mod-art galleries, theater par excellence, rocking band rooms and hockey mania round out the megalopolis. It is far and away Canada’s largest city, as well as its most diverse – about half of Toronto’s residents were born in another country.

Be sure to snap a photo of the CN Tower, considered one of the best places to visit in Toronto, and for an added thrill, check out the Edgewalk, where you can shuffle around the tower’s perimeter while taking in unparalleled city views.

Best for mountain views

The sawtooth, snow-topped mountains straddling the British Columbia–Alberta border inspire both awe and action. Five national parks – Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes and Jasper – offer countless opportunities to delve into the lush wilderness with ribbons of hiking trails, rushing whitewater and powdery ski slopes to satisfy travelers looking for mountain thrills. 

This is one of the best places to visit in Canada in winter, but there is outdoor adventure aplenty during the summer months, too.

Planning tip: For a different perspective, take the train and experience the grandeur from the comfort of your seat: luminous lakes, jumbles of wildflowers and glistening glaciers glide by as the steel cars chug up mountain passes and down river valleys en route to points east or west.

Best for celebrating Canada’s First Nations culture

The largest freshwater island in the world, floating right in Lake Huron’s midst, Manitoulin is a slowpoke place of beaches and summery cottages. Jagged expanses of white quartzite and granite outcroppings edge the shoreline and lead to shimmering vistas. First Nations culture pervades, and the island’s eight communities collaborate to offer local foods (wild rice, corn soup) and eco-adventures (canoeing, horseback riding, hiking).