Top Things To Do When Traveling In Canada

Canada, the second-largest country in the world, is a feast for the world traveler. The country has a little bit of everything, from high mountains to islands, from prairies to beaches, from small rural villages to big dynamic cities. The travel activities in Canada are also numerous, with travelers getting to choose from the full gamut of things to do, from trekking in the wilderness finding cheap car hire in Canada and traveling to gaming in the casinos of Niagara Falls.

Below is a list of the top five things to do when traveling in Canada:

National parks

A trip to Canada would not be complete without a tour of the country’s national park system, which contains 48 parks which cover an absolutely massive 328,198 square kilometers — 3.3% of all the land in Canada!

Make sure you visit Waterton Lakes National Park. This park is part of the Unesco Biosphere Reserve and International Peace Park, and is at the place where the Great Plains meet the Rocky mountains. So leave the crowds at Banff and Jasper behind and enter a diverse landscape like no other.

Then set your compass pointed west and go to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and enjoy Canada’s west coast. Walk along sprawling sandy beaches and admire jagged rocky coastlines. Kayak between islets and hike along the West Coast Trail.

Or, if you’re feeling extremely adventurous, head up to the Yukon border and go to the Nahanni National Park Reserve. This is a UNESCO World Heritage park and spans a colossal 30,000 square kilometers up by the magnificent Mackenzie Mountains. This park is so far out that you need to fly in via Fort Simpson, so it’s not for the light of heart.

Culturally diverse, vibrant cities

But you shouldn’t just put outdoor destinations on your itinerary, as Canada also boasts some of the most dynamic and multi-cultural cities on the planet.

Practice up on your French and head into Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city and one of the most vibrant and colorful cities in the world. This city has the third-largest native French speaking population on the planet and the old city is a throwback to Canada’s colonial days. Be sure to climb up Mont-Royal on a network of trails and check out the chalet, which is located in a wooded forest by a lake. Go shopping in the Boutiques of Le Plateau, which is full of small shops, pubs, and eateries that show a quintessential cross-section of French-Canadian commercial life. And if you get tired of life at street level, go underground — literally. Montreal has an entire network of underground tunnels that are full of shops, restaurants, and even hotels.

Toronto is also not a city to miss when traveling to Canada. While some pass up Toronto, labeling it as a vanilla and kind of boring Anglo city, it is actually a hot bed of culture, with a dynamic art scene, diverse food options, and rollicking bars. Go up the CN Tower, which was once the tallest in the world, for a view of the city. Then head over to the St. Lawrence Market, which is ground zero for food and drinks. After that, to and hear some music at the Roy Thomson Hall, which is the epicenter of Canada’s music scene. You shouldn’t miss Vaughan as well, a nearby city known for its more peaceful ambiance and developing real estate. New residents flock to pre-construction condos in Vaughan every year due to its family-friendly vibe.

You should also definitely not count out Vancouver. It’s a city ringed by mountains and water. Go to the massive, 1,000 acre Stanley Park and go swimming at the beach, golf, and go hiking. Be sure to go to the Vancouver Aquarium, which is one of the best in the world. After that, get your learn on at the anthropology museum at the University of British Columbia, which has hundreds of thousands of objects on display.

World-class gaming

When you’re in a Canadian city and have finished up drinking, eating, and walking around and are looking for something a little more exhilarating to do, be sure to head over to a casino. Gaming is legal throughout many parts of Canada, and the country has some of the top casinos in the world, such as the Casino Montreal and the Casino Niagara. If you can’t make it into a physical casino — such as during the coronavirus lockdown — then just take your gaming ambitions virtual, and check out the best online casino in Canada.

Conclusion

There is truly something for all travelers in Canada, so be sure to dive deep into the country and check out some of the things on this list.