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Canada's Destinations

Destinations

Canada is the second-largest country on Earth, with three coasts, the Rockies, a French-speaking province and some of North America's best cities. Here is how the destinations compare, and which one fits your trip.

Verified October 2026

Tap a dot to open that destination's guide. Hover over a province or territory to see its name.

How Canada is organized

Canada is a federation of ten provinces and three territories. Many of the rules that matter on a trip are set by the province: sales tax, the drinking age, winter tire laws, liquor stores and health care. The destination pages say which province each place is in, and the practical guides point out where the rules change.

Distances are bigger than most Americans expect. Vancouver to Halifax is about 2,750 miles (4,430 km) in a straight line, roughly Seattle to Miami, and the country spans six time zones, one of them on the half hour in Newfoundland. Most good trips stay in one region and fly between regions. Most Canadians live within a few hours of the US border, so the cities are an easy drive or a short flight from home for much of the US.

Ontario and Quebec

The big cities, Niagara Falls, the capital, French-speaking Quebec and a lot of lakes. The easiest part of Canada to reach from the US Northeast and Midwest, and the best for a trip without a car.

ONTARIOTORONTOTorontoNeighborhoods, hotels, transit, CN Tower to Kensington Market, sports, food and itineraries for Toronto. ONTARIOCHUTES DU NIAGARANiagaraThe Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the boat and tunnels, border bridges, and Niagara-on-the-Lake wine country. ONTARIOL'ONTARIOOntarioMuskoka, Algonquin, Georgian Bay, Tobermory, Prince Edward County, Thousand Islands and Stratford. ONTARIO · QUEBECOTTAWAOttawaParliament tours, national museums, the Rideau Canal Skateway, Gatineau Park and a 2–3 day plan. QUEBECMONTRÉALMontrealNeighborhoods, the métro, bagels and smoked meat, Old Montreal, Mount Royal and 2–4 day plans. QUEBECVILLE DE QUÉBECQuebec CityOld Québec's walls, cliffs and cafés, with day trips, winter festivals and itineraries. QUEBECRÉGIONS DU QUÉBECQuebec regionsQuebec's mountains, wine country, whale coast, fjord and Gaspé, with loop routes and drive times.

Atlantic Canada

Lighthouses, lobster, the world's highest tides, fiddle music and some of the friendliest towns in North America. Summer and early fall are the season; many places close or slow down from late October.

NOVA SCOTIANOUVELLE-ÉCOSSENova ScotiaHalifax, Lunenburg, the Cabot Trail, Fundy tides and the CAT ferry from Maine. NEW BRUNSWICK · PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDNOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK ET ÎLE-DU-PRINCE-ÉDOUARDNB & PEIHopewell Rocks, Fundy, Acadian New Brunswick, Charlottetown, Green Gables and PEI beaches. NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADORTERRE-NEUVE-ET-LABRADORNewfoundlandSt. John's, Gros Morne, icebergs, whales, puffins, Viking history and how to get there.

British Columbia

Mountains meeting the Pacific: Vancouver, the ski slopes and summer trails of Whistler, and Vancouver Island's rainforest coast. Mild, wet winters on the coast and big snow in the mountains.

BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVERVancouverNeighborhoods, transit, Stanley Park, the North Shore, food and itineraries for Canada's Pacific city. BRITISH COLUMBIAWHISTLER ET LA ROUTE SEA-TO-SKYWhistlerThe Sea-to-Sky Highway, Whistler Blackcomb in winter and summer, buses, winter tires and lodging costs. BRITISH COLUMBIAÎLE DE VANCOUVERVancouver IslandVictoria, Tofino, Pacific Rim and the island's ferries, drives, whales and wine country.

The Rockies and the Prairies

Glacier lakes, the Icefields Parkway and wildlife in Banff and Jasper, the Calgary Stampede, dinosaur country, and the wide skies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, including polar bears at Churchill.

ALBERTA · BRITISH COLUMBIALES ROCHEUSESRockiesBanff, Jasper, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake: shuttles, passes, bases, seasons and itineraries. ALBERTACALGARY ET L'ALBERTACalgaryCalgary, the Stampede, Edmonton, Drumheller's dinosaurs and Waterton Lakes, with no provincial sales tax. MANITOBA · SASKATCHEWANLES PRAIRIESPrairiesWinnipeg, Churchill polar bears and belugas, Riding Mountain and Saskatchewan's parks and cities.

The North

The Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut: gold rush towns, the midnight sun in summer, the northern lights in winter, and Inuit and First Nations cultures. Remote, expensive and unforgettable.

YUKON · NORTHWEST TERRITORIES · NUNAVUTLE NORD CANADIENThe NorthYukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut: Klondike, aurora, Arctic culture, costs and safety. OUTDOORSAURORES BORÉALESNorthern lightsSeeing the aurora in Yellowknife, Whitehorse, Churchill and beyond: timing, forecasts, tours, costs, gear and photos.

Which destination fits your trip?

A filled dot means the destination is one of Canada's best for that interest; an open dot means it's good. "No car needed" means you can see the highlights with trains, buses, ferries, transit and tours; a half dot means you can, with some effort or a tour.

DestinationCities & cultureMountainsCoast & islandsFoodWinterWildlife & natureNo car needed
Toronto
Niagara
Ontario lakes
Ottawa
Montreal
Quebec City
Rural Quebec
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick & PEI
Newfoundland
Vancouver
Whistler
Vancouver Island
The Rockies
Calgary & Alberta
The Prairies
Yukon & the North

Combining destinations on one trip

The easy pairs are a short drive, train or ferry apart. Flights between regions take four to six hours coast to coast, so for a first trip pick one region and do it well.

  • Toronto and Niagara. A big city and the falls, about 80 miles (130 km) apart. Add Niagara-on-the-Lake for the wineries.
  • Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa. Three cities linked by VIA Rail and good highways, each two to three hours from the next.
  • Quebec City and Charlevoix. Old Quebec, then the river villages and whale watching at Tadoussac.
  • Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria. The city, the Sea-to-Sky Highway and a ferry across to Vancouver Island.
  • Calgary, Banff and Jasper. Fly into Calgary and drive the Icefields Parkway between the two parks.
  • Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick. A loop through the three Maritime provinces, linked by the Confederation Bridge and a summer ferry.

Before you go, read what you need at the border, how to get around and when to go.