The Country You Need to Put on Your Travel Bucket List

It boasts diverse cultures, artsy cities and spectacular landscapes.

By

Diana Ballon

 
Published October 16, 2024
An aerial view of Montréal. Courtesy Stéphan Poulin/Tourisme Montréal

While autumn is the perfect time to travel in Canada, with fewer crowds and spectacular foliage, visiting my homeland in all seasons makes for a memorable vacation — in a country that is a doable drive or short flight away. The Canadian destinations described here focus on both a city and nearby countryside, to give you the best of both the vibrant culture and the tranquility of time in nature. All are worthy destinations to travel to in fall, spring or summer, and skiers and snow lovers will especially love Alberta and Quebec in winter.

Tourist looking at Bow Glacier

Calgary and Banff, Alberta 

Although the fourth largest city in Canada, Calgary is also easy to navigate. It has actually been rated the friendliest city in the world! Here you will find a serious food culture and a thriving music scene. Lodging ranges from affordable Airbnbs to the luxurious Dorian Hotel — a nod to all things Dorian Gray. Then get your bearings with a narrated city tour enjoyed from the sidecar of a vintage-style motorcycle, with Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures. You’ll drive through the trendy Kensington and Inglewood neighborhoods, through a labyrinth of connected buildings downtown, and under their pedestrian skywalk, the largest of its kind in the world.

You can also explore the city along more than 60 miles of walking, cycling and hiking paths — through urban parks, along riverbanks and past public art.

Then drive just over an hour to visit Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains. There you can stay at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, where you take a 20-minute gondola ride straight up into the mountains! The only ski-in, ski-out hotel in Banff National Park, it is great in winter, especially with a soak in their massive hot tub for après-ski.

Montreal and the Eastern Townships, Quebec

I love Montreal for its European flair, for its many festivals and cultural events — often held outdoors — and for its cool restaurants and boutique hotels.

In Montreal, people throng to its markets for everything from local maple syrup to freshly baked bread, flowers and produce. Visit the historic Jean-Talon market in the heart of Little Italy or shop at the Atwater market in an art-deco-style building near the Lachine Canal.

You can also enjoy Montreal’s plethora of galleries and museums, its eclectic music scene (with many free options) and year-round festivals: the International Jazz Festival and Osheaga Arts and Music Festival are two of the most popular in summer.

For nature lovers, Montreal is also close to mountains, lakes and forests famous for their brilliant fall colors. Drive about 1.5 hours to the Eastern Townships, where there are many affordable options for Airbnbs, gorgeous landscapes and stellar attractions, such as the Granby Zoo and Foresta Lumina, a multi-media light and sound show that you experience while walking through a forest at night.

 

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Halifax and the South Shore, Nova Scotia

Canada’s largest city east of Montreal, Halifax has a rich maritime history and great natural beauty. Visit Citadel Hill, the site of a historic British naval station until the late 19th Century. Enjoy a stroll in Point Pleasant Park, or picnic at the last remaining true Victorian gardens in North America, the Halifax Public Gardens. Then plan to spend time around the city’s vibrant waterfront. There you can walk along its boardwalk, and visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, which was the entry point for more than a million people who immigrated to the country between 1928 and 1971.

Plan also to try out some of the city’s many great restaurants, like The Bicycle Thief, Peacock Wine Bar and Draft.

Then drive under an hour to Peggy’s Cove, where its lighthouse — standing stalwart on smooth granite rock, overlooking the Atlantic — is one of the most photographed in Canada. Five minutes away is the Oceanstone Resort, where you can stay overnight, or simply chill out for a few hours at their new outdoor hydrotherapy circuit. (Twilight hours are best for romance and cheaper prices.)

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Victoria and Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Located on the southern tip of B.C.’s Vancouver Island, Victoria has been rated the most livable city in the country. As Canada’s cycling capital, the city is easy to navigate by bike, has a temperate climate, pretty beaches and a laid-back location on the Pacific Ocean, making it a popular destination for retirees and others seeking an active outdoor lifestyle.

For nature lovers, visit the Malahat Skywalk where you can stroll along its spiral ramp more than 800 feet above sea level, with breathtaking views of surrounding mountains, islands and the Salish Sea. As you head to the Spiral Tower, meander the Malahat’s TreeWalk through the arbutus forest high above sea level. (wheelchair accessible)

 

Charlottetown and St Peters Bay, Prince Edward Island

While PEI may be Canada’s smallest province, it isn’t short on natural beauty, friendly people, outdoor activities, red soil, rolling hills — and lighthouses, of which there are 63! Prince Edward Island also has a half-mile trail that loops around the island, divided into 32 sections. Perfect for a leisurely hike — or cycling.

In the warmer months, PEI’s capital, Charlottetown, is filled with live music, festivals and local markets. Book a room at the historic Great George or the Sydney Boutique Inn & Suites, a former convent from the 1850s. Then head out to explore: about 45 minutes east is Saint Peters Bay, where you can stay at a renovated cottage at the Mysa Nordic Spa, the province’s first Nordic spa, or glamp at one of the Nature Space Resort’s on-site yurts.

Have any of you traveled to Canada? Where did you go? Let us know in the comments below.

Diana Ballon is a Toronto-based writer and editor who specializes in health and wellness, and travel, and has a background in mental health communications. You can follow her thoughts and travels on Instagram at @dianamaryballon.