Luxury Canada Tours & Travel

Where to visit in Canada

Our travel experts have collated their top recommendations of where to visit in Canada.

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  Toronto

  Canada’s most populous city lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario as the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe region which wraps around the lake to Niagara Falls. It’s home to around a quarter of the country’s population, and with a high immigrant population (over half of the people living here were born outside of Canada), entire sections are devoted to various cultures, such as Koreatown, Little Italy, Little Portugal and Little India. Of course, that results in a wide array of tasty cuisine to sample too. There are many attractions as well, from explore from CN Tower to a historic castle.

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  Vancouver

  British Columbia’s largest city lies on the west coast with majestic mountains meeting the ocean. It’s tucked between the Pacific and the Coast Mountains – around nearly every corner there’s a soaring peak, body of water or both. It’s also filled with picturesque parks and forests, world-class restaurants, museums, art galleries and a wide range of shopping opportunities. One of the top tourist destinations in Canada, many were drawn after getting a glimpse of its beautiful during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Activities abound in this natural playground, from swimming off the shores of city beaches to skiing down the slopes.

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  Montreal

  Located in Canada’s French-speaking province, Montreal is the country’s cultural capital. It’s truly an international city, although French and English are the primary influences. Vieux-Montreal has lots of European flavor with cobbled streets that can be explored by taking a horse-drawn carriage ride. The Plateau Mont-Royal district is filled with trendy cafes and boutiques, while legendary Olympic Park is known for its open-air events, nature museums and winter activities. The Olympic Velodrome is a must-visit with an indoor zoo, botanical garden and aquarium all in one. In the Montreal Biodome one can walk through five ecosystems, from the South Pole to the Amazon rainforest.

• Quebec City

  Particularly unique for North America, Quebec City is unlike any other place in North America. The UNESCO-listed Old Town is practically a work of art with its cobbled walkways lined with beautifully preserved 17th-century architecture. It’s also home to the only fortress walls that still exist north of America. At the Citadel Canadian troops stage military ceremonies that are fascinating to watch while Chateau Frontenac is the place to go for afternoon tea. Even the poutine is something special here with dozens of ways to order it, including foie gras-topped, the ultimate indulgence.

• Banff

  Banff has been likened to a Swiss ski village, a beautiful town that sits inside Banff National Park in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. It offers small-town charms and abundant wildlife, with elk often seen grazing in the grass just steps from the museums, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, concert venues and nightclubs. It offers a surprisingly robust arts and culture scene, yet just minutes from town in any direction and you’ll be in the wilderness among elk, bears and wolves. There are three ski resorts within easy driving distance, endless trails to hike, including routes that lead to stunningly turquoise glacier-fed lakes.

• Whistler

  The site of many of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Whistler is less than a two-hour drive from Vancouver, offering a down to earth mountain culture, a pedestrian-only village, a world-famous ski resort and jaw-dropping scenery. The winter months bring some of the world’s most reliable snow for all sorts of winter sports, while the warmer months of the year draw many for hiking, mountain biking, golfing, zip-lining and other thrills. It’s also home to fine dining restaurants, lively bars, lavish spas and a host of luxury resorts.

• Victoria

  The British Columbia capital, Victoria is located on Vancouver Island, easily reached by ferry from Vancouver in about 90 minutes. Known as Canada’s “Garden City,” it’s home to one of the world’s most stunning display gardens, Butchart Gardens, and is also considered one of North America’s most British cities with lots of tearooms, a dazzling Parliament building and even a castle. It has a modern side too, with plenty of trendy coffee bars alongside unique and quirky shops. Victoria is also a gateway to the island’s spectacular, wild ocean scenery, secluded coves, and inlets where whales often make an appearance.

• Calgary

  The sophisticated city of Calgary grew out of the Canadian West. It became a popular tourist destination thanks to the famous Calgary Stampede with roots that date back to 1888. A century later as the host of the 1988 Winter Olympics, the whole world got a glimpse of its charms. It still hosts the annual Stampede which brings out the cowboy hats in droves to watch the rodeos and enjoy line dancing. Heritage Park is a must for history enthusiasts as Canada’s largest living history museum with a turn-of-the-century living historic village.

• Lake Louise

  Lake Louise sits inside Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. It’s best known for its surreal turquoise-hued lake that’s fed by glaciers, ringed by towering peaks and overlooked by a magnificent chateau. Outdoor adventure abounds, including the short and rewarding trek from the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise to Lake Agnes Tea House. Tucked deep within the wilderness, it’s one of the most scenic places for afternoon tea you’ll probably ever find. By hopping on the Banff Gondola you’ll soar right over Lake Louise, enjoying a view of Banff, the Bow Valley and six mountain ranges.

• Edmonton

  The capital of Alberta, Edmonton is known as a city of festivals. Two of its most famous are the Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, but if you aren’t here for those events, you’ll find plenty more to do. The city’s biggest attraction is the largest shopping mall in North America, the west Edmonton Mall. It hosts around 800 shops, a full-size ice-skating rink, bungee jumping and a huge indoor water park with wave pools and water slides.