1182 Best Sights in Canada

In the center of this triangular junction in the heart of the city stands the National War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring Canada's war dead. To the side is the Valiants Memorial, erected in 2006. Statues honor 14 men and women for their roles in Canada's military history over the past four centuries.

Spanning the Kicking Horse River, this natural rock formation was created when the hard limestone eroded more quickly than the softer rock causing cracks to widen until the flow of water changed and formed a bridge. A short pathway displays interpretive signage explaining the erosion process as you walk to several lookouts that provide views of the geological formation from different vantage points.

This nonsectarian burial ground, established in 1850, is the final resting place for many of Toronto's pioneers, including prominent turn-of-the-century Black Canadian doctors, businessmen, and politicians. The cemetery's chapel, gate, and gatehouse date from 1872; the buildings constitute one of the most attractive groupings of small Victorian-era structures in Toronto.

Located on the east wall of the TELUS building and the south wall of the Mercer Warehouse building on 104 Street and 104 Avenue, Canada's first museum dedicated to neon is worth a peek. While not a museum in the traditional sense, this outdoor collection of more than 20 colorful creations tells the story of Edmonton's past from the logo for the Running Room (North America's largest chain of specialty running stores), originally installed in 1997, to the sign for the now defunct The Movie Studio, one of Canada's largest independent video stores that shuttered in 2015.

In the Edmunston suburb of St-Jacques, roses, rhododendrons, alpine flowers, medicinal plants, and dozens of other annuals and perennials bloom in 10 gardens. Khronos: The Celestial Garden has an astronomical theme, complete with a contemporary stone circle. The music of Mozart, Handel, Bach, and Vivaldi often plays in the background. Two arboretums have coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs. Mosaiculture plantings on metal frames placed throughout the gardens illustrate legends and cultural themes. Children (and adults) enjoy the phasmids (stick insects) and beekeeping exhibits.

Oromocto, off Highway 2, east of Fredericton, is the site of the Canadian Armed Forces base Camp Gagetown, the largest military base in Canada (not to be confused with the pretty Village of Gagetown farther downriver), where Prince Charles completed his helicopter training. The interesting museum here traces Canada's military history back to the 18th century and includes regimental, naval, and air force exhibits.

Unlike most Bay of Fundy beaches, this one is sandy and great for swimming, especially if you wait until the tide is coming in. The sun warms the sand at low tide, and the sand warms the water as it comes in. There are quite a lot of steps down to the beach, and the toilets, canteen, and picnic tables are at the top. It's part of the New River Beach Provincial Park that also has a boardwalk through a bog, a playground, interpretive programs, hiking trails, kayak rentals, and campsites. The annual Sand Sculpture Competition in late July is a popular event. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

Newfoundland's first craft cidery, producing cider and pét nat (sparkling wine) for businesses around the province, has a tasting room where visitors can enjoy the products on-site along with a charcuterie board or seasonally appropriate pairings like grilled cheeses or hot chili. Watch for pop-up events with visiting chefs. Visitors can sit outside in a miniature orchard, and a weatherproof dome allows for a charming outdoor experience in summer and winter. In the off-season, the tasting room continues to open for Saturday afternoon. 

Newfoundland's first artisanal gin distillery has quickly expanded their award-winning line of local liquors and built a very cool tasting room. Located on the water in the small community of Clarke's Beach, the distillery draws a crowd on summer evenings. The seaweed, rhubarb, and bakeapple gins, along with fiery aquavit, are all worth the stop.

Newfoundland ponies are a part of the Island's cultural history and heritage. Netta LeDrew, founder of the sanctuary, can tell visitors of the work this breed did hauling capelin in from the stages and plowing the fields. But the ponies under her care know no such rigors; these sturdy little beauties are a part of a rescue and breeding program. You can come and meet them and appreciate their picturesque lives with their devoted caretaker, a brand new barn, and plenty of space to graze and roam.

This 200-year-old building with stone barrel vaults is where the renowned Newman's Port was aged. According to legend, a Newman and Company vessel loaded with port wine was driven off course by pirates in 1679 and forced to winter in St. John's. Upon its return to London, the cargo was found to have improved in flavor, and after that the company continued to send port to be matured in these wine cellars. The vaults are now a historic site, with guides who interpret the province's long and unique association with port. A small taste of port comes with admission.

Restored to resemble a circa 1869 pharmacy, the apothecary has glass-fronted walnut cabinets that display vintage remedies such as Merrill's System Tonic, which "purifies the blood and builds up the system." Among the boxes and bottles is a rare collection of apothecary flasks.

The Niagara Grape & Wine Festival group organizes three big events in Niagara. The largest, with an annual half-million attendees, is the 10-day Niagara Wine Festival in September. The three-week Niagara Ice Wine Festival in January is a nod to Niagara's specialty, ice wine. The three-weekend Niagara New Vintage Festival, in June, is a wine and culinary event.

These 100 acres of immaculately maintained gardens are among the most captivating attractions around Niagara Falls. Here you'll find the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, housing one of North America's largest collections of free-flying butterflies—at least 2,000 butterflies from 50 species around the world are protected in a climate-controlled, rain forest–like conservatory.  Between May and mid-October, you can tour the gardens in a horse and carriage.

In connected side-by-side buildings—one the 1875 former Niagara High School building and the other the first building in Ontario to have been erected as a museum, in 1906—this extensive collection relates to the often colorful history of the Niagara Peninsula from earliest times through the 19th century.  From June through September, the museum offers guided walking tours of the town at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday.

This moderately difficult 3-km (2-mile) hike offers stunning views of Sunburst, Elizabeth, Cerulean, Magog, and Wedgewood Lakes as well as Sunburst Peak and Mount Assiniboine. The hike begins at the lodge and climbs up to a ridge known as the Niblet and then continues on to the summit of the Nublet. The total elevation gain is 350 meters (1,148 feet). Moderate.

Created in partnership with the Stoney Nakoda Nation (Iyarhe Nakoda), this after-dark winter-only multimedia experience includes four multisensory art installations that provide an Indigenous perspective on Banff National Park, which has long been a place of gathering for many Indigenous Peoples. Sounds, lighting, video projections, and other immersive elements allow guests to connect with the mountains and the park in a new way. Visitors can dine at the top of the mountain while watching as the summit of Sulphur Mountain (Mînî Rhuwîn) is transformed with Nightrise.

The Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens offer a tranquil setting with manicured trees and shrubs, miniature pools and waterfalls, a teahouse, and pebble designs originally constructed in Japan and reassembled alongside Henderson Lake. Admission to the gardens is C$7.

This cannon-like apparatus by the water was installed in 1890 to alert fishermen to a curfew ending weekend fishing. Now it signals 9 pm every night. 

Opened in 1960 in memory of Japanese scholar and diplomat Dr. Inazo Nitobe (1862–1933), this 2½-acre walled garden, which includes a pond, a stream with a small waterfall, and a ceremonial teahouse, is considered one of the most authentic Japanese tea and strolling gardens outside Japan. Designed by Professor Kannosuke Mori of Japan's Chiba University, the garden incorporates many native British Columbia trees and shrubs, pruned and trained Japanese-style, and interplanted with Japanese maples and flowering shrubs. The circular path around the park symbolizes the cycle of life and provides a tranquil view from every direction. Cherry blossoms are the highlight in April and May, and in June the irises are magnificent. Because the garden is so exotic, it's worth renting an audio guide. Or take a free drop-in tour Thursday at 11 am between May and September. Japanese tea ceremonies, offered  through the Urasenke Foundation, are held the last Saturday of every month, May through September. For reservations, email  [email protected] (C$10). If you're planning to visit several attractions at UBC, a UBC Attractions Pass will save you money.

Great views of the Bow Valley, Banff townsite, and surrounding mountain peaks can be enjoyed from the top of the Norquay chairlift. The ride up takes 10 minutes. An interpretive path, a viewpoint, and the historic Cliffhouse Bistro, where you can have lunch, dinner, or drinks, are at the top.

Two kilometers (1 mile) east of L'Anse aux Meadows is Norstead, a reconstruction of an 11th-century Viking port, with a chieftain's hall, church, and ax-throwing area. Interpreters in period dress answer questions as they go about their Viking business (albeit in sneakers). A highlight is the Snorri, a reconstructed Viking knarr (boat) that sailed from Greenland to L'Anse Aux Meadows in 1997, re-creating Leif Eriksson's voyage.

Just down the highway from the visitor information center, this museum provides an expansive view of Gander's and Newfoundland's roles in aviation. In addition to viewing the aircraft collection (including a World War II–era Lockheed Hudson and a Voodoo fighter jet) and some photographs, you can climb into the cockpit of a real DC-3. 

In the late-19th century, hundreds of cannery villages, built on pilings on the edge of the wilderness, lined the coast between California and Alaska. Most are gone now, but BC's oldest (it dates to 1889) and most complete surviving example is 22 km (14 miles) south of Prince Rupert, via Highway 16 and Port Edward, at the mouth of the Skeena River. Once home to more than 700 people during canning season, the town of 28 buildings, including managers' houses, the company store, and cannery works, is now a national historic site. Staff members lead tours, give demonstrations of the canning process, and represent the unique culture of cannery villages. The site also has a seafood restaurant and overnight accommodations in its European Bunkhouse.

Built in 1893, this building is the oldest North-West Mounted Police detachment still standing in its original location. The building served as a home, lodging, and jail for police officers stationed in Canmore until 1929. It's also Canmore’s third-oldest remaining building.

The combination of fossils and semiprecious stones makes Parrsboro a natural place to hold this long-established show (the first was in 1966) during the third weekend of August. In addition to dozens of exhibitors, the event includes themed demonstrations and geological field trips. Experts are on hand to identify any treasures you turn up.

This is the place to learn about fossils, as well as the flora and fauna prevalent in Nova Scotia today. It's also home to star exhibit Gus, a friendly Gopher Tortoise born in the 1920s, who is usually out and about around 3:30 pm. The Nature Centre is home to other live creatures, including snakes, frogs, and insects. The museum has a program of daily events and hosts major traveling exhibits as well as nature talks, walks, and workshops that appeal to all interests and ages.

This picnic site is located right next to rushing waterfalls; a very short walk brings you to the bridge that crosses in front of them. There are toilets and an abundance of picnic tables.

Québec City's Bassin Louise swimming pool is a bold urban marvel, a vibrant example of European-style city planning brought to life right here in the Old Port. Open from late June to early September, this free public swimming area offers an unforgettable, fun way to cool off on hot summer days. Dive into Olympic-sized lanes or relax in tranquil zones, or have your kids enjoy a wealth of supervised activities in the water, all with breathtaking marina views directly on the St. Lawrence River. On-site changing rooms, a restaurant, and an ice cream counter complete this perfect, accessible day by the water.

This 60-foot-high wooden tower within a picnic area is well sited for viewing the majestic St. Lawrence and the many small islands in the estuary. In spring and fall, wild Canada geese can be seen here. The area is about 2 km (1 mile) north of Église St-François on chemin Royal.