Things to Do in Canada

Butchart Gardens, established in 1904, treat visitors to an enchanting floral show that changes with the seasons. Covering 55 acres (22 hectares) on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, the botanical space is intricately laid out into separate themed gardens with landscaping that impresses and inspires gardeners and nature lovers alike.

Named for its intense shades of emerald green water, it’s no big surprise that Emerald Lake is considered a must-see destination along Yukon’s southern Klondike Highway. It’s easy to access, too, as it’s literally best viewed from a roadside pullout just 12 kilometers north of Carcross.

Unlike many lakes in the Canadian Rockies that are colored jade-green by glacier silt suspended in the water, Emerald Lake’s brilliant color comes from beneath its crystal-clear waters. A layer of white ash, deposited after a huge volcanic eruption nearly 1,500 years ago near the Yukon and Alaska border, reflects light in varying intensities depending on both depth and time of day. The result is an ever-changing liquid landscape set amid the spectacular mountains of the southern Yukon.

Cabot Trail comprises 185 miles (298 kilometers) of cliff-edge roadway weaving around the northern half of Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island. It offers epic views of the whale-inhabited waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of St. Lawrence, and access to quaint towns and Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley is bursting with vineyards, orchards, outdoor activities, and charming small towns. The latter offer wine-tasting rooms, fantastic restaurants, vibrant arts scenes, and resorts that serve as jumping-off points for adventures around the area. It all combines to make for a deservedly popular year-round destination.

For many visitors to Toronto, this needle-like telecommunications tower—often seen from the airplane window—is their first glimpse of the city. When it was erected in 1976, the CN Tower was the world’s tallest freestanding structure. Though it no longer holds that title, it is still the tallest tower in Canada, and the spectacular views from its observation decks are second to none.

While Niagara Falls is justifiably famous for the force of nature that is the falls themselves, the Floral Clock is one of several other impressive attractions in the area. Comprising thousands of colorful plants and flowers, the clock blooms from spring to fall. It’s a fun photo opportunity, especially for nature lovers and avid gardeners.

Built for the 1976 Olympic Games, the Montreal Olympic Park (Parc Olympique de Montréal) now houses several attractions that form Montreal’s Space for Life museum district. There’s the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, the 56,000-seater Olympic Stadium, the Biodome, an indoor zoo with around 4,500 animals, as well as the Botanical Gardens and Insectarium in neighboring Maisonneuve Park.

Squamish’s Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is home to one of British Columbia’s most iconic landmarks: The Chief. The popular rock­-climbing and hiking destination towers 2,300 feet (700 meters) above Squamish and is the second­-largest granite monolith (freestanding piece of rock) in the world. Though it might be hard to believe from looking at the steep rock face, hiking to the top is a relatively moderate, two­-hour hike. The Chief doesn’t get as much snow during the winter as the other nearby mountains and so enjoys a fairly long hiking season. The summit is usually clear of snow in the early spring, making The Chief a great warm­up hike for the summer months ahead. There are three peaks, each accessible from the single trailhead. You can hike up each one individually, or summit all three if you’re feeling ambitious. Hikers should be prepared with sturdy footwear, clothing, food and water.

In addition to being a popular hiking destination, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is a rock-climber’s paradise. There are hundreds of granite walls and multi-­pitch crack climbing routes, the most well­-known being The Apron and The Grand Wall. Even the most advanced rock climbers come from all over the world to be challenged during the busy summer season by these routes.

The Yukon River stretches nearly 2,000 miles (over 3,000 kilometers) from its source in British Columbia, across the entire width of Alaska, before emptying into the Bering Sea. During the Klondike Gold Rush, the river was one of the few transportation routes for gold prospectors and many historic gold rush sites and relics can be viewed along the river today.

Open to the public since 1867—the year Canada achieved confederation—the Halifax Public Gardens is one of the oldest Victorian gardens in North America. This National Historic Site of Canada was built on two formerly adjacent gardens, and today the idyllic urban green space is home to a variety of trees, flowers, and even tropical plants.

Vancouver’s Stanley Park enjoys a stellar natural setting, surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and set against the backdrop of the snow-capped North Shore Mountains. At nearly 1,000 acres (405 hectares) in size, it offers a combination of coastal red-cedar forest, lakes and lagoons, and scenic meadows. A walk along the public park’s seawall is an essential Vancouver experience.

Overlooking Downtown Halifax, this strategically set hilltop fortification has presided over the capital of Nova Scotia since 1856, with earlier versions of the fort having stood here since 1749. Today, the former British citadel remembers the military history of Halifax, with exhibits focusing on life within the 19th-century fort.

Stretching along the rugged north coast of Prince Edward Island, this national park features some of the province’s most dramatic scenery. It encompasses red sea cliffs, sandy beaches, towering dunes, salt marshes, and sprawling birch forests inhabited by red fox, muskrat, and mink.

Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal) charms visitors with its picturesque squares, grand old-world architecture, and winding cobblestone streets. Whether in the Old Port or walking down the main street Rue Saint-Paul, it’s easy to feel transported back in time—in fact, some architectural remains date back to New France. The historic site is considered to be the best preserved Old Town in North America.