Roavina

Country guide

Canada

A photograph of Canada
Photograph · Chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0

Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area and has the longest coastline of any, running from the Atlantic to the Pacific and north into the Arctic across ten provinces and three territories. Just over 41 million people live in it, and not evenly: the great majority are in urban areas while very large stretches hold almost nobody. Ottawa is the capital, and Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are the three largest metropolitan areas and the three realistic starting points. The federal government is officially bilingual in English and French, and which of the two a street is lived in changes as you cross the country.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
English and French
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+1
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Canadian dollar (CAD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
911
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 120 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Water systems and advisories are managed by multiple jurisdictions

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Old Quebec Old Quebec
    02 2 hours

    Old Quebec

    Vieux-Québec

    Old Quebec, known locally as Vieux-Québec, is the fortified historic core of Quebec City.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  2. Château Frontenac Château Frontenac
    03 2 hours

    Château Frontenac

    château Frontenac

    Château Frontenac is a landmark hotel in Quebec City’s Upper Town, beside Dufferin Terrace and above the St. Lawrence River. Its steep roofs, turrets, and ornate gables give the building a château-like silhouette that dominates the Old Quebec skyline.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  3. Petit Champlain Petit Champlain
    04 2 hours

    Petit Champlain

    Petit Champlain is a historic quarter in Québec City's Lower Town, situated at the foot of Cap Diamant beneath the Château Frontenac escarpment. The area comprises narrow cobblestone streets and heritage buildings dating to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  4. Gastown Gastown
    05 2 hours

    Gastown

    Gastown is Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood, established in 1867 and designated a National Historic Site of Canada. The district centres on Water Street and retains Victorian-era architecture alongside commercial development.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  5. Fortifications of Quebec Fortifications of Quebec
    06 2 hours

    Fortifications of Quebec

    fortifications de Québec

    The Fortifications of Quebec are the defensive walls, gates, and ramparts that encircle Old Quebec, forming the only remaining fortified city walls in North America north of Mexico.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  6. Place Royale Place Royale
    07 2 hours

    Place Royale

    Place Royale is a historic public square in Quebec City's Lower Town, widely recognized as the restored birthplace precinct of French North America.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  7. Chinatown Chinatown
    08 1 hour

    Chinatown

    Vancouver Chinatown is one of North America's largest historic Chinatowns, established in the late nineteenth century. It sits east of downtown Vancouver, centred around Pender Street and Main Street.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  8. Morrin Centre Morrin Centre
    09 2 hours

    Morrin Centre

    The Morrin Centre is a cultural institution occupying a landmark building in Quebec City's Old Town. The structure served as a prison from 1812 to 1868 before conversion to an educational facility.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  9. Yaletown Yaletown
    10 1 hour

    Yaletown

    Yaletown is a converted warehouse district on the southern edge of downtown Vancouver. Formerly an industrial rail yard and warehousing area, the neighbourhood has been redeveloped into a dining, design, and waterfront destination.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  10. Artillery Park National Historic Site Artillery Park National Historic Site
    11 1 hr 30 min

    Artillery Park National Historic Site

    Artillery Park is a staffed national historic site within the Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site. It preserves military heritage buildings and grounds that served defensive functions from the 18th to 19th centuries.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  11. Old City Hall Old City Hall
    12 45 min

    Old City Hall

    Old City Hall is Toronto’s former civic headquarters, a Richardsonian Romanesque landmark completed in 1899 at Queen Street West and Bay Street. Its clock tower and richly carved sandstone exterior make it one of downtown’s most recognisable historic buildings.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  12. CN Tower CN Tower
    13 45 min

    CN Tower

    The CN Tower is Toronto's 553.33-metre communications and observation tower, built as a national engineering landmark and now operated as a ticketed visitor attraction.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  13. Casa Loma Casa Loma
    14 45 min

    Casa Loma

    Casa Loma is a Gothic Revival style mansion and museum in Toronto, Ontario. Built in the early twentieth century, it stands as Toronto's singular castle museum and a major architecture destination.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  14. Habitat 67 Habitat 67
    15 45 min

    Habitat 67

    Habitat '67

    Habitat 67 is a residential complex designed by architect Moshe Safdie for Expo 67, the 1967 World Fair held in Montreal. It stands as one of the most recognizable examples of Brutalist architecture in North America.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Montreal
  15. Lions Gate Bridge Lions Gate Bridge
    16 45 min

    Lions Gate Bridge

    Lions Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the First Narrows of Burrard Inlet, connecting Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver to the North Shore municipalities.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  16. Bonsecours Market Bonsecours Market
    17 45 min

    Bonsecours Market

    Marché Bonsecours

    Bonsecours Market, known locally as Marché Bonsecours, stands as a landmark domed market building on the eastern edge of Old Montreal. The structure features a prominent silver dome visible from various points in the historic district.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Montreal
  17. Citadelle of Quebec Citadelle of Quebec
    18 45 min

    Citadelle of Quebec

    La Citadelle de Québec

    La Citadelle de Québec is an active military fortress on Québec City’s Cap Diamant, not a conventional museum built solely for display. Its star-shaped defensive form, stone ramparts and elevated position above the St.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  18. Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium
    19 45 min

    Olympic Stadium

    Stade olympique

    Montreal Olympic Stadium is the landmark built for the 1976 Olympic Games and the visual centre of Montreal’s Olympic District. Its value lies in the specific collection, landscape, architecture, or public setting represented by that record.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Montreal
  19. Parliament Building of Quebec Parliament Building of Quebec
    20 45 min

    Parliament Building of Quebec

    Hôtel du Parlement

    The Parliament Building of Quebec, known locally as Hôtel du Parlement du Québec, serves as the seat of the National Assembly of Quebec. Constructed in the Second Empire architectural style, this prominent structure anchors the capital district of Quebec City.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  20. Distillery District Distillery District
    21 45 min

    Distillery District

    Toronto’s Distillery District is a pedestrian heritage precinct shaped by surviving nineteenth-century distillery buildings, brick lanes, and industrial façades. Its identity comes from historic structures now occupied by galleries, shops, restaurants, public spaces, and seasonal programming.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  21. Chapel of Our Lady of Help, Montreal Chapel of Our Lady of Help, Montreal
    22 45 min

    Chapel of Our Lady of Help, Montreal

    Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours

    Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel is a historic Catholic chapel in Old Montreal, Quebec. Known locally as Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, it stands as one of the city's oldest religious buildings.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Montreal
  22. Fort York Fort York
    23 45 min

    Fort York

    Fort York is Toronto’s surviving early-19th-century military site: a preserved garrison whose earthworks, buildings and waterfront setting make the city’s military beginnings tangible.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  23. Montreal Clock Tower Montreal Clock Tower
    24 45 min

    Montreal Clock Tower

    Tour de l'Horloge

    The Clock Tower, known locally as Tour de l'Horloge, stands as a memorial tower and waterfront landmark in Montreal's Old Port. Erected between 1919 and 1922, it commemorates Canadian sailors who perished during the First World War.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Montreal
  24. Yonge Dundas Square Yonge Dundas Square
    25 45 min

    Yonge Dundas Square

    Sankofa Square

    Sankofa Square is a central public plaza in Toronto’s entertainment district, at the prominent meeting point of Yonge Street and Dundas Street.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  25. Orpheum Orpheum
    26 45 min

    Orpheum

    The Orpheum is a restored 1927 theatre on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. It is a major concert hall and the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  26. Waterfront station Waterfront station
    27 45 min

    Waterfront station

    Waterfront Station

    Waterfront Station is a heritage transit hub in Vancouver serving as a major interchange for rail, SeaBus, and SkyTrain services. The building preserves classical architectural elements while functioning as a practical arrival point for commuters and visitors.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  27. False Creek False Creek
    28 45 min

    False Creek

    False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia, separating downtown from the rest of the city to the south.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  28. Canada Place Canada Place
    29 45 min

    Canada Place

    Canada Place is Vancouver’s sail-roofed landmark on Burrard Inlet, recognised by five white roof sails that echo a ship in harbour.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  29. Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square
    30 45 min

    Nathan Phillips Square

    Nathan Phillips Square is Toronto's primary civic square, serving as the city's central public gathering space and a signature landmark. Located directly in front of Toronto City Hall, it functions as the symbolic heart of municipal governance and community celebration.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  30. Plains of Abraham Plains of Abraham
    31 45 min

    Plains of Abraham

    Plaines d'Abraham

    Plains of Abraham is a historic battlefield landscape and major urban park beside central Québec City.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  31. Henry-Stuart House Henry-Stuart House
    32 45 min

    Henry-Stuart House

    Maison Henry-Stuart

    Maison Henry-Stuart is a preserved 1849 house and garden near the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City. It offers a close look at domestic life in a nineteenth-century residence, with the building itself providing the main historical experience.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  32. Jesuit House of Sillery Jesuit House of Sillery
    33 45 min

    Jesuit House of Sillery

    Maison des Jésuites de Sillery

    Maison des Jésuites de Sillery is a historic house in Quebec City's Sillery district and a surviving part of a former Jesuit estate established in the seventeenth century.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  33. Mackenzie House Mackenzie House
    34 45 min

    Mackenzie House

    Mackenzie House is a compact historic house museum in downtown Toronto and the final home of William Lyon Mackenzie. Mackenzie was Toronto’s first mayor, a journalist, politician and reformer associated with Upper Canada’s democratic movement.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  34. St. Lawrence Market South St. Lawrence Market South
    35 45 min

    St. Lawrence Market South

    St. Lawrence Market is a historic public market in Toronto, widely recognised as the city's most important food-hall destination.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  35. fontaine de Tourny fontaine de Tourny
    36 45 min

    fontaine de Tourny

    Fontaine de Tourny

    The Fontaine de Tourny is an ornate public fountain situated on the grounds of the Parliament Building in Québec City's capital district. It serves as a significant public-art landmark within the parliamentary precinct.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  36. Grande roue de Montréal Grande roue de Montréal
    37 45 min

    Grande roue de Montréal

    La Grande Roue de Montréal

    La Grande Roue de Montreal is an observation wheel located at the Old Port of Montreal. It stands as a prominent landmark offering elevated perspectives of the surrounding urban and natural landscapes.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Montreal
  37. Colborne Lodge Colborne Lodge
    38 45 min

    Colborne Lodge

    Colborne Lodge is a historic house museum within Toronto’s High Park. Built in 1836, it was the home of John George Howard, an architect and engineer who shaped the city’s early development.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  38. Todmorden Mills Todmorden Mills
    39 45 min

    Todmorden Mills

    Todmorden Mills is a heritage site located in the Don Valley of Toronto, Ontario. It preserves the industrial and village history of the area, which was once a significant milling centre along the Don River.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  39. Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre
    40 45 min

    Harbourfront Centre

    Harbourfront Centre is Toronto's principal waterfront arts and festival venue. It occupies a significant stretch of the city's Lake Ontario shoreline and serves as a major cultural hub for performing arts, visual arts, and community programming.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  40. Brockton Point Totem Poles Brockton Point Totem Poles
    41 45 min

    Brockton Point Totem Poles

    Brockton Point Totem Poles is a cultural landmark located within Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. The display features multiple totem poles representing Indigenous art and heritage from various First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  41. Gastown Steam Clock Gastown Steam Clock
    42 45 min

    Gastown Steam Clock

    The Gastown Steam Clock is a public landmark on a sidewalk in Vancouver’s historic Gastown district.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  42. Chinatown Millennium Gate Chinatown Millennium Gate
    43 45 min

    Chinatown Millennium Gate

    Chinatown Millennium Gate is a ceremonial landmark at the western entrance to Vancouver Chinatown. Its traditional Chinese architectural forms make it an immediate visual marker for the historic neighbourhood.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Vancouver
  43. Evergreen Brick Works Evergreen Brick Works
    44 45 min

    Evergreen Brick Works

    Evergreen Brick Works is a former brick-making complex in Toronto’s Don Valley, now a destination where industrial heritage, environmental learning, community activity, and the ravine landscape meet.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto
  44. Onhwa' Lumina
    45 45 min

    Onhwa' Lumina

    Onhwa' Lumina is a night-time Indigenous storytelling experience in Wendake near Québec City. Its core is an outdoor night walk combining light, sound and a defined route to present contemporary Indigenous storytelling.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Quebec City
  45. The Bentway The Bentway
    46 45 min

    The Bentway

    The Bentway is a public realm and arts space located beneath the elevated Gardiner Expressway in Toronto. It functions as a linear corridor connecting the historic Fort York district to the city's waterfront area.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Toronto

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Canada be?

Ten to sixteen days is realistic for one Canadian region, not for crossing the country. An eastern cities route, a Rockies journey and a Pacific itinerary each work better as their own trip.

What entry documents are needed for Canada?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada lists visitor visa and electronic travel authorisation rules. The required document depends on passport, travel method and status, so complete the official eligibility check for the actual journey.

What is the best way to travel around Canada?

Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal are the principal air gateways. VIA Rail is most useful in the Québec City–Windsor corridor and on selected long-distance services; outside major centres, a car or domestic flight may be necessary.

When is a practical time to visit Canada?

May to September suits many city and national-park itineraries, but northern access and mountain conditions have shorter operating seasons. Winter is a separate travel plan with different road, daylight and activity constraints.

What money and payment basics apply in Canada?

Prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD). Payment fees and acceptance are Not recorded at national level here, so verify rental deposits, remote-area fuel payment and card conversion terms directly with each provider.

What practical safety details should I save for Canada?

Call 911 for an emergency in Canada. Electrical supply is 120 V through Type A and B sockets; the source set does not record one nationwide tap-water statement, so local guidance applies.