Canada is the second-largest country on earth and it behaves like it. The distance from St John’s to Victoria is greater than the distance from London to Kabul, and the only sensible way to think about a Canadian holiday is to abandon any notion of “seeing the country” and pick a corner instead. The eastern cities and the western mountains are two entirely different trips, separated by several time zones and a great deal of prairie that most visitors, rightly or wrongly, fly over. What unites the place is less a single national character than a shared competence: the trains run, the parks are immaculate, the cities are clean and safe, and nobody makes a fuss. It is, for the traveller, one of the easiest countries in the world to get along in — which is not the same as saying it is dull.
What follows is our coverage of the places we have been to and some that are on our must-do list . The pages below take the eastern hub, Toronto, and the two headline acts of the west — Vancouver and the Banff–Lake Louise corner of the Rockies — as the natural starting points for a first Canadian trip.
Geography — Which Canada Are You Visiting?
For practical purposes, in visiting Canada, most first-time visitors choose between two broad regions, with a third for the more adventurous.
Central Canada (Ontario and Québec) — Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, and Québec City, plus Niagara Falls. This is the populous, urban heart of the country: cosmopolitan cities, French and English cultures rubbing along, and the easiest region to do without a car.
The West (British Columbia and Alberta) — Vancouver, Victoria, the Rocky Mountain parks of Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise, and the city of Calgary as a gateway. Mountains, coastline, and wilderness on a scale that is the reason many people come to Canada at all.
The North and the Maritimes — the Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland) and the territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut). Rewarding, distinctive, and well off the standard itinerary. Worth a future trip rather than a first one.
Places we love
Banff & Lake Louise — The Rocky Mountain heartland: turquoise glacial lakes, Canada’s first national park, and scenery that undersells itself on every postcard. [link]
Calgary — Gateway to the Rockies and host of the world’s biggest rodeo: a booming, friendly prairie city with the mountains an hour west.
Halifax — Atlantic Canada’s salty, likeable capital: a great harbour, a hilltop citadel, deep maritime history, and Peggy’s Cove on its doorstep.
Jasper — The wilder, quieter half of the Rockies: glaciers, the Icefields Parkway, remote lakes, and one of the world’s darkest night skies (now recovering from the 2024 wildfire).
Montréal — The most European city in North America: French-speaking, festival-mad, and serious about food, with a beautiful old town beneath Mount Royal.
Niagara Falls — One of the most powerful waterfalls on earth, best seen from the Canadian side; an easy and unforgettable trip from Toronto.
Ottawa — The national capital: Parliament Hill, the UNESCO-listed Rideau Canal, and a clutch of Canada’s finest national museums.
Québec City — The only walled city north of Mexico — unapologetically French, impossibly photogenic, and entirely walkable beneath the Château Frontenac.Sudbury — A northern mining city with a remarkable environmental comeback, a first-rate science centre, the Big Nickel, and lakes in every direction.
Sault Ste Marie — “The Soo”, at the rapids of the upper Great Lakes — gateway to the Agawa Canyon train and the wild Algoma country.
Toronto — Canada’s largest and most multicultural city: world-class museums, the CN Tower, a revitalised lakefront, and some of the best eating in the country.
Vancouver — A Pacific city of rare beauty, ringed by sea and mountains, with Stanley Park at its heart and the Rockies a train ride away.
Victoria — British Columbia’s gentle, garden-filled capital on Vancouver Island: the Inner Harbour, Butchart Gardens, and whales offshore, a scenic ferry from Vancouver.
Whistler — North America’s premier mountain resort: the largest ski area on the continent, summer biking and hiking, and the record-breaking PEAK 2 PEAK gondola.
Winnipeg — The distinctive heart of the prairies: The Forks, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and the birthplace of the Métis Nation.
Getting There and Getting Around
The main international gateways are Toronto (Pearson), Vancouver, Montréal, and Calgary. Most visitors from the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand arrive by air, and internal distances make flying the default for crossing the country.
Within the populated corridor of Ontario and Québec, VIA Rail and intercity coaches connect the main cities reasonably well, and the cities themselves have decent public transport — Toronto’s streetcars and subway, Montréal’s Métro. In the west, a car is close to essential once you leave Vancouver: the Rocky Mountain parks are spread out, and while shuttle services cover the headline sights, a hire car gives you the freedom the region rewards. Roads are excellent and well-maintained; petrol is cheaper than in the UK or Australia, though not as cheap as in the US.
Entry Requirements
Citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and most of the EU do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to six months, but if arriving by air they must obtain an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) before departure. It is applied for online, costs CAD$7, is usually approved within minutes, and is valid for up to five years or until your passport expires. Apply through the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and ignore the third-party sites that charge a markup for the same thing. Note that an eTA is required for air travel only — those entering by land or sea do not need one, though they do need the usual travel documents. Entry remains at the discretion of the border officer; have your accommodation details and onward ticket to hand.
Money and Costs
The currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD). Cards — including Apple Pay and Google Pay — are accepted virtually everywhere, down to coffee carts and market stalls; a small amount of cash is useful but rarely essential.
Tipping is expected, much as in the US, though slightly less aggressively. In sit-down restaurants, 15–20% of the pre-tax bill is standard, with 18% the comfortable middle. Card terminals routinely present tip prompts of 18%, 20%, and higher; a manually entered 15% is perfectly acceptable and draws no reaction. Bars, taxis, and hairdressers carry similar expectations. Sales taxes are added at the till rather than shown on the shelf price, so the final figure is always a little higher than advertised.
Canada is a moderately expensive country. Vancouver and the Rocky Mountain resort towns are the priciest; Toronto sits a notch below; smaller cities and the prairies are more affordable.
Weather
Canada’s climate is continental and emphatic. Summers (June–August) are warm to hot and are the peak season everywhere, particularly in the mountains, where the high country is only fully open and snow-free for these few months. Autumn brings spectacular foliage to the east in late September and October. Winters (December–March) are long and cold — genuinely so — but they are also the point in the western mountains, where Banff and Whistler are world-class ski destinations. Spring is short and unreliable. For a general sightseeing trip taking in both cities and mountains, June to September is the safe window; for skiing, December to March.
Travel Agents
For a fly-drive through the Rockies, or a trip that combines the eastern cities with the western parks, an Australian or New Zealand agent who specialises in Canada can be genuinely useful — national park accommodation in Banff and Lake Louise books out months ahead, and the good lodges go first. Look for ATAS-accredited agents (or the equivalent in your country) with demonstrable Canada experience.