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. Spanish Banks Spanish Banks
    101 1 hour

    Spanish Banks

    Spanish Banks Beach

    Spanish Banks is a public beach park on Vancouver's west side, situated along English Bay.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Vancouver
  2. Trinity Bellwoods Park Trinity Bellwoods Park
    102 1 hour

    Trinity Bellwoods Park

    Trinity Bellwoods Park is a large public green space in Toronto’s west end, between Queen Street West and Dundas Street West.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Toronto
  3. Vanier Park Vanier Park
    103 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
  4. Toronto Eaton Centre Toronto Eaton Centre
    104 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
  5. Metropolitan United Church Metropolitan United Church
    105 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
  6. Colborne Lodge Colborne Lodge
    106 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
  7. Todmorden Mills Todmorden Mills
    107 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
  8. Digital Orca Digital Orca
    108 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
  9. RBC Amphitheatre RBC Amphitheatre
    109 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
  10. Berczy Park Berczy Park
    110 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
  11. Corktown Commons Corktown Commons
    111 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
  12. Pacific Spirit Regional Park Pacific Spirit Regional Park
    112 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
  13. Place des Canotiers Place des Canotiers
    113 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
  14. Quai Paquet Quai Paquet
    114 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
  15. Toronto Music Garden Toronto Music Garden
    115 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
  16. Inukshuk Inukshuk
    116 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
  17. Vancouver Playhouse Vancouver Playhouse
    117 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
  18. Underground City Underground City
    118 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
  19. Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre
    119 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
  20. Society for Arts and Technology Society for Arts and Technology
    120 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
  21. Théâtre Petit Champlain Théâtre Petit Champlain
    121 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
  22. Vancouver Lookout Vancouver Lookout
    122 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
  23. Manoir Montmorency Manoir Montmorency
    123 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
  24. Brockton Point Totem Poles Brockton Point Totem Poles
    124 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
  25. Gastown Steam Clock Gastown Steam Clock
    125 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
  26. Atwater Market Atwater Market
    126 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
  27. Lonsdale Quay Market Lonsdale Quay Market
    127 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
  28. Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
    128 1 hour

    Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art

    The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art is a downtown Vancouver institution dedicated to contemporary Indigenous art of the Northwest Coast.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Vancouver
  29. Base de plein air de Sainte-Foy Base de plein air de Sainte-Foy
    129 1 hour

    Base de plein air de Sainte-Foy

    Base de plein air de Sainte-Foy is an outdoor recreation centre in Quebec City’s Sainte-Foy district. Its setting brings nature-based activity into the city, with a lake, surrounding grounds, trails, and equipment rental forming the core of the visit.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Quebec City
  30. Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Auditorium) Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Auditorium)
    130 1 hour

    Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Auditorium)

    Queen Elizabeth Theatre

    Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a civic performing arts venue in Vancouver, operated by the city. It serves as a major destination for opera, ballet, and touring theatrical productions.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Vancouver
  31. St-Viateur Bagel St-Viateur Bagel
    131 45 min

    St-Viateur Bagel

    St-Viateur Bagel is a Mile End bakery associated with Montreal's distinctive wood-fired bagel tradition. It is a working production bakery and retail stop, suited to travelers who want to see and taste one of the city's best-known culinary signatures.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Montreal
  32. Steam Whistle Brewing Steam Whistle Brewing
    132 45 min

    Steam Whistle Brewing

    Steam Whistle Brewing is a visitor brewery in Toronto’s historic John Street Roundhouse at 255 Bremner Boulevard. The brewery occupies a former Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive repair facility, so the visit combines local beer culture with a distinctive railway setting.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Toronto
  33. Chapelle des Ursulines Chapelle des Ursulines
    133 30 min

    Chapelle des Ursulines

    Chapelle des Ursulines is a historic chapel in Old Québec shaped by the Ursuline presence, religious use, sacred art, music, architecture, and decoration.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Quebec City
  34. Chinatown Millennium Gate Chinatown Millennium Gate
    134 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
  35. CRAB Park at Portside CRAB Park at Portside
    135 1 hour

    CRAB Park at Portside

    CRAB Park at Portside is a compact harbour park on Vancouver’s downtown waterfront. Its name comes from Create a Real Available Beach, reflecting community efforts to create public access beside an industrial shoreline.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Vancouver
  36. David Lam Park David Lam Park
    136 1 hour

    David Lam Park

    David Lam Park is a public park in Vancouver's Yaletown neighbourhood, situated along the north shore of False Creek.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Vancouver
  37. Evergreen Brick Works Evergreen Brick Works
    137 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
  38. Fairmount Bagel Fairmount Bagel
    138 45 min

    Fairmount Bagel

    Fairmount Bagel is a historic bakery in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood, established as one of the city's two essential institutions for Montreal-style bagels. These bagels are distinguished by being hand-rolled, boiled in honey-sweetened water, and baked in wood-fired ovens.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Montreal
  39. Guild Park and Gardens Guild Park and Gardens
    139 1 hour

    Guild Park and Gardens

    Guild Park and Gardens is a public park in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario. The park occupies the grounds of the former Guild Inn, a historic artists' colony and hotel that operated from the 1930s until 2001.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Toronto
  40. Jean-Talon Market Jean-Talon Market
    140 45 min

    Jean-Talon Market

    Marché Jean Talon

    Jean-Talon Market, known locally as Marché Jean-Talon, is a year-round public market located in Montreal's Little Italy neighbourhood. It operates as one of the city's principal food markets under the administration of Marchés publics de Montréal.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Montreal
  41. Joan of Arc Garden Joan of Arc Garden
    141 1 hour

    Joan of Arc Garden

    Jardin Jeanne-d'Arc

    Jardin Jeanne-d’Arc is a formal garden within the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City. Named for Joan of Arc, it combines seasonal flower displays with a statue of its namesake.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Quebec City
  42. Koerner Hall Koerner Hall
    142 1 hour

    Koerner Hall

    Koerner Hall is a concert venue within Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music. It hosts classical, jazz, chamber, and contemporary performances in an intimate hall designed around close audience-performer contact and carefully shaped acoustics.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Toronto
  43. Kondiaronk Belvedere Kondiaronk Belvedere
    143 20 min

    Kondiaronk Belvedere

    Belvédère Kondiaronk

    Kondiaronk Belvedere is the best-known lookout on Mount Royal in Montreal. From this elevated viewpoint in Mount Royal Park, visitors see the downtown skyline and the St.

    • Notable
    • Viewpoint
    • Montreal
  44. Montmorency Falls Montmorency Falls
    144 1 hour

    Montmorency Falls

    Chute Montmorency

    Montmorency Falls, or chute Montmorency, is a major waterfall east of Québec City. The Montmorency River drops over a cliff into a basin below, creating a dramatic natural landmark close to the provincial capital.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Quebec City
  45. Onhwa' Lumina
    145 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
  46. Parc des Moulins Parc des Moulins
    146 1 hour

    Parc des Moulins

    Parc des Moulins is a public park in Quebec City situated on the former grounds of the city's zoo. The site has been transformed into a broad garden space and family recreation area.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Quebec City
  47. Rouge National Urban Park Rouge National Urban Park
    147 1 hour

    Rouge National Urban Park

    Rouge National Urban Park is Canada's first national urban park, established to protect natural, cultural, and agricultural landscapes within a major metropolitan area. It encompasses diverse ecosystems along the Rouge River watershed at Toronto's eastern edge, extending into neighbouring municipalities.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Toronto
  48. Rue du Trésor Rue du Trésor
    148 45 min

    Rue du Trésor

    Rue du Trésor is a narrow pedestrian lane in Old Québec, close to the Château Frontenac. It functions as an open-air gallery where artists display and sell their work directly to passers-by.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Quebec City
  49. Sunnyside Beach Sunnyside Beach
    149 1 hour

    Sunnyside Beach

    Sunnyside Beach is a west-end lakefront beach and boardwalk in Toronto, Ontario. It occupies a historic recreational area along the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, within the broader Sunnyside neighbourhood.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Toronto
  50. Sunset Beach Park Sunset Beach Park
    150 1 hour

    Sunset Beach Park

    Sunset Beach Park is a waterfront green space on Vancouver's West End shore beside False Creek. The park combines a sandy beach, grass, trees, and open views towards the downtown skyline and North Shore mountains.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Vancouver
  51. Terrasse du Chevalier-de-Lévis Terrasse du Chevalier-de-Lévis
    151 1 hour

    Terrasse du Chevalier-de-Lévis

    Terrasse du Chevalier-de-Lévis is an outdoor public terrace on the Lévis bluff, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River opposite Québec City.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Quebec City
  52. The Bentway The Bentway
    152 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
  53. Trout Lake Trout Lake
    153 1 hour

    Trout Lake

    Trout Lake is a freshwater lake within John Hendry Park in east Vancouver. The lake and its surrounding green space form a relaxed public landscape with paths, a beach area, trees, picnic spaces, and views toward the mountains.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • 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.