A photograph of Canada

Country guide

Up to 1 hour in Canada — page 5

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 Arct...

Photograph · Chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0

14,620 Places
4Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

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.

Checked 2026-08-25

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

Top things to see

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

  1. Vanier Park Vanier Park
    101 1 hour

    Vanier Park

    Vanier Park is a waterfront public park on the south shore of English Bay in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood. Its peninsula setting opens views across the water toward downtown, the North Shore mountains, and the bay.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Vancouver
  2. Toronto Eaton Centre Toronto Eaton Centre
    102 45 min

    Toronto Eaton Centre

    CF Toronto Eaton Centre

    The Toronto Eaton Centre is a major shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto. It serves as a central retail hub and a landmark within the city's PATH underground pedestrian network.

    • High
    • Market
    • Toronto
  3. Metropolitan United Church Metropolitan United Church
    103 30 min

    Metropolitan United Church

    Metropolitan United Church is a large historic place of worship in downtown Toronto. Its Gothic Revival character and prominent central location make it an architectural landmark as well as a living religious institution.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Toronto
  4. Colborne Lodge Colborne Lodge
    104 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 site
    • Toronto
  5. Todmorden Mills Todmorden Mills
    105 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 site
    • Toronto
  6. Digital Orca Digital Orca
    106 1 hour

    Digital Orca

    Digital Orca is a public sculpture by Canadian artist Douglas Coupland beside the Vancouver Convention Centre waterfront. Its orca form is built from cubic, pixel-like shapes, giving the work a digital appearance against Coal Harbour’s natural setting.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Vancouver
  7. RBC Amphitheatre RBC Amphitheatre
    107 1 hour

    RBC Amphitheatre

    Budweiser Stage, locally known as RBC Amphitheatre, is a large outdoor amphitheatre situated on the Exhibition Place grounds in Toronto, Canada. The venue hosts major concerts and live entertainment events, operated under the Live Nation network.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Toronto
  8. Berczy Park Berczy Park
    108 1 hour

    Berczy Park

    Berczy Park is a compact public park in Toronto’s Old Town, close to Front Street, Scott Street, St. Lawrence Market, and the historic commercial streets around them.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Toronto
  9. Corktown Commons Corktown Commons
    109 1 hour

    Corktown Commons

    Corktown Common

    Corktown Common is a large public park in Toronto’s West Don Lands. It combines recreation, habitat, and flood protection for the lower Don River area.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Toronto
  10. Pacific Spirit Regional Park Pacific Spirit Regional Park
    110 1 hour

    Pacific Spirit Regional Park

    Pacific Spirit Regional Park is a large forested regional park located beside the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver. Managed by Metro Vancouver, it preserves significant coastal forest habitat on the city's western edge.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Vancouver
  11. Place des Canotiers Place des Canotiers
    111 1 hour

    Place des Canotiers

    Place des Canotiers is a public plaza situated in Quebec City's Old Port area, positioned at river level beneath the elevated historic district of Old Quebec.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Quebec City
  12. Quai Paquet Quai Paquet
    112 1 hour

    Quai Paquet

    Quai Paquet is a redeveloped public plaza and ferry terminal located in Lévis, directly across the Saint Lawrence River from Québec City.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Quebec City
  13. Toronto Music Garden Toronto Music Garden
    113 1 hour

    Toronto Music Garden

    Toronto Music Garden is a waterfront public garden on Lake Ontario, designed with cellist Yo-Yo Ma to interpret Johann Sebastian Bach’s First Cello Suite through landscape architecture.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Toronto
  14. Inukshuk Inukshuk
    114 1 hour

    Inukshuk

    The English Bay Inukshuk is a stone waterfront landmark on Vancouver’s shoreline. An inukshuk is a human-made stone marker associated with Inuit and other Arctic peoples.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Vancouver
  15. Vancouver Playhouse Vancouver Playhouse
    115 1 hour

    Vancouver Playhouse

    The Vancouver Playhouse is a civic performing-arts theatre located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Operated by the City of Vancouver through its parks, recreation, and culture division, it serves as a smaller companion venue to the adjacent Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Vancouver
  16. Underground City Underground City
    116 45 min

    Underground City

    RESO, commonly called Montreal's Underground City, is an extensive network of interconnected indoor pedestrian passages beneath downtown Montreal. It links shopping centres, metro stations, office buildings, hotels, and other facilities across multiple levels.

    • High
    • Market
    • Montreal
  17. Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre
    117 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 site
    • Toronto
  18. Society for Arts and Technology Society for Arts and Technology
    118 1 hour

    Society for Arts and Technology

    Société des arts technologiques (SAT)

    The Society for Arts and Technology, known locally as Société des arts technologiques, is a digital-arts institution in Montreal. It operates as a centre for experimental media, supporting creation, production, and presentation in emerging technological art forms.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Montreal
  19. Théâtre Petit Champlain Théâtre Petit Champlain
    119 1 hour

    Théâtre Petit Champlain

    Théâtre du Petit Champlain

    Théâtre Petit Champlain is a compact performing arts venue in Quebec City's historic Lower Town. It functions as a French-language music and theatre room, serving as a cultural landmark within the Petit Champlain district.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Quebec City
  20. Vancouver Lookout Vancouver Lookout
    120 20 min

    Vancouver Lookout

    Harbour Centre Lookout Tower

    Vancouver Lookout is an elevated observation deck at Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver. A glass elevator carries visitors up to a circular viewing level with views in every direction.

    • Notable
    • Viewpoint
    • Vancouver
  21. Manoir Montmorency Manoir Montmorency
    121 1 hour

    Manoir Montmorency

    Manoir Montmorency is a historic manor above Montmorency Falls in the Québec City region. Its position on the heights gives the building a clear relationship with the waterfall and the surrounding landscape.

    • Notable
    • Restaurant or café
    • Quebec City
  22. Brockton Point Totem Poles Brockton Point Totem Poles
    122 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 site
    • Vancouver
  23. Gastown Steam Clock Gastown Steam Clock
    123 20 min

    Gastown Steam Clock

    The Gastown Steam Clock is a street-side clock at Water and Cambie streets in Vancouver, designed and built by Raymond Saunders in 1977. It is not a nineteenth-century survivor, even though it stands in a neighbourhood known for older buildings.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Vancouver
  24. Atwater Market Atwater Market
    124 45 min

    Atwater Market

    Marché Atwater

    Atwater Market is an Art Deco public market located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Situated along the Lachine Canal, it serves as a significant commercial and cultural destination within the city.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Montreal
  25. Lonsdale Quay Market Lonsdale Quay Market
    125 45 min

    Lonsdale Quay Market

    Lonsdale Quay Market is a public market located at the Lonsdale Quay SeaBus terminal in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It occupies a waterfront position with views of Burrard Inlet and the Vancouver skyline across the water.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Vancouver

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.