1180 Best Sights in Canada

Yorkville is also home to a unique park on Cumberland Street, right outside Bay subway station, designed as a series of gardens along old property lines and reflecting both the history of the Village of Yorkville and the diversity of the Canadian landscape. The result of an international design competition, the park lines the street with a soothing waterfall fixture, tree-lined enclaves, and a big rock sculpture that children love to climb on. It's rare to find that kind of open public space in a retail area in the city that doesn't require you to buy something, though the ample outdoor seating often looks like a shared open-air café for nearby shops like Starbucks, Nutbar, and vegan lunch spot Kupfert & Kim.

One of Ontario's most beautiful wineries occupies 75 acres that were once a Mennonite homestead established in 1845. The original buildings have been transformed into the visitor center and production complex. Several tour and tasting options are available, including packages that focus on specific grapes, zero-alcohol options, and even dog-friendly tours. The excellent restaurant on-site serves lunch and dinner, and you can find a guesthouse and a B&B on the property.

This 4.6-km (3-mile) out-and-back trail has minimal elevation, making it a fun one for the whole family. The trail is a wide, heavily trafficked path through the forest, until you eventually reach the Wapta Falls ("wapta" means "river" in the Sioux language of the Stoney people). The falls are especially forceful and impressive in June and early July, when the runoff is still high. Easy.

Originally called the Lower Path, Water Street has been used by St. John's residents since the 1520s. The older architecture resembles that of seaports in southwest England and Ireland. If you do nothing else in St. John's, take a walk down Water Street. This is the center of the downtown universe, and on a sunny day it will be packed with smiling locals. Sections are closed to car traffic during the summer, allowing for a lively pedestrian space with outdoor restaurant service. 

This former Canadian Pacific Railway passenger terminal was built between 1912 and 1914 as the western terminus for Canada's transcontinental railway. After Canada's two major railways shifted their focus away from passenger service, the station became obsolete. But a 1978 renovation turned it into an office-retail complex and depot for SkyTrain, SeaBus, and the West Coast Express (a suburban commuter rail). In the main concourse, murals up near the ceiling depict the scenery travelers once saw on journeys across Canada. This is where you catch the SeaBus for the 13-minute trip across the harbor to the waterfront public market at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, and the adjacent Shipyards with its restaurants, galleries, and open-area concert space.

The walkway along the Yukon River passes by a few points of interest. Start along the river just east of the MacBride Museum entrance on Front Street. Traveling upstream (south), you'll see the old White Pass and Yukon Route Building on Main Street. The walk is a good way to get an overview of the old town site and just stretch your legs if you've been driving all day. On Thursday afternoons in summer, there's an excellent outdoor market with local foods, crafts, and entertainment.

The brand-new visitor center is in downtown Waterton. The original Waterton Information Centre was destroyed by the Kenow Mountain wildfire in 2017. Stop in to pick up brochures, maps, and books. You can also pick up the booklet for the free Xplorer Program for kids between ages 6 and 11. Park interpreters are on hand to answer questions and give directions. There are many wonderful interpretive displays and experiences both inside and outside the building that help visitors learn about the flora and fauna inside the park.

In roughly the park's geographic center, this low-key townsite swells with tourists in summer, and restaurants and shops open to serve them. In winter only a few motels are open, and services are limited.

This 3.7-km (2.3-mile) trail is used for hiking and mountain biking in summer and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. The trail follows an old exploration road to a junction. Visitors who wish to see the lake, which is popular with trout anglers, must then follow a short, steep 200-meter (656-foot) trail to the muddy lakeshore. If you continue 900 meters (0.6 mile), you'll come to a lovely spring that gushes out of a wall of rock on Mount Shark. Moderate.

Located northwest of Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway, the Weeping Wall is a series of cascading waterfalls partway up the western base of Circus Mountain. This is truly a mountain that cries; its main waterfall is even called Teardrop. The best view of the wall is from the roadside pullout. Watch for ice climbers in winter.

Formerly Arts Commons, this complex was pieced together in the 1980s by incorporating the historic Calgary Public Building (1930) and the Burns Building (1913). Today it's one of Canada's largest arts complexes with five theater spaces and a state-of-the-art concert hall. There are also six resident companies—Alberta Theatre Projects, Arts Commons Presents, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Downstage, Theatre Calgary, and One Yellow Rabbit—and six gallery spaces. The $600 million modernization and expansion plan also includes connecting to Olympic Plaza.

Running along the coast from Bamfield to Port Renfrew, this is an extremely rugged 75-km (47-mile) trail for experienced hikers only. It takes an average of six days to complete and is open from May 1 to September 30. A quota system helps the park manage the number of hikers, and reservations, through Parks Canada, are mandatory. Hiking requires payment of a reservation fee, ferry fares, and an overnight-use fee.

At more than 3½ million square feet, West Edmonton Mall is a neighborhood unto itself. As North America’s most comprehensive retail and entertainment complex, you could spend an entire week here and never get bored. Fantasyland Hotel is located on-site, so there's a place to stay while you spend two or more days exploring all this mall has to offer. There's North America's second biggest indoor water park (World Water Park), an enormous amusement park (Galaxyland), the Marine Life aquarium, a race kart track, more than 100 restaurants and pubs, and 800 retail shops. There’s also an IMAX theater, a bingo parlor, a bowling alley, a casino, two mini-golf courses, and Jubliations live dinner theater for those who are spending the night and want some classic evening entertainment.

The two-level, 48-block-long mall is oriented east-west with a main boulevard down the center, which takes about 20 minutes to walk. There’s a food court at each end, one near Galaxyland to the east and one near the Fantasyland Hotel, World Waterpark, and Marine Life to the west. BRBN St., which runs north from near the center of the first floor, is where you’ll find a collection of the finer dining establishments.

If it’s your first time, it’s worth visiting guest services to get a map and a quick orientation. The staff can also point you in the right direction if you’re looking for something in particular. There are two guest services locations, one near Galaxyland and the other near the Deep Sea Adventure Lake.

A wide sweep of sandy beach backed by a dune system is the standout feature of this 530-acre park on Mabou Harbour. The only public-access beach in the area, it also has a fishpond, a picnic area, and change rooms, but its status as a protected natural environment prevents any further development and preserves its peaceful quality. Behind the beach are 12 km (7½ miles) of hiking trails, through agricultural land and marshes, that have fine views. Amenities: parking (free); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

At the edge of Western Bay, at the end of Lighthouse Road, a boardwalk will take you to a windy point with an unmanned lighthouse. If you take a right turn before the boardwalk, you can follow a trail that brings you to a secluded grassland called Bradley's Cove, where 200-year-old root cellars still stand. This trail also affords opportunity to encounter foxes and other woodland creatures sunning themselves on the rocks. 

This 100-acre water park has huge water slides, a lazy river, a fantastic wave pool, and Bear Footin' Bay, a delightful area for younger children to splash around in. You can also splurge on a group cabana or hang out at the calm Coconut Cove. Arrive early on summer weekends.

Visitors who like to stay on dry land while observing sea life should stop by here. Exhibits and models inside the center's modern structure explain the unique world of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, and there's a life-size model of a pilot whale. Using zoom scopes on the whale-spotting deck, you may catch a close-up glimpse of the many different species that often frolic just off-shore.

This is a 21.3-km (13.2-mile) circuit with 700 meters (2,297 feet) of elevation gain which takes you to Twin Falls backcountry campground. The trail takes you through the Yoho Valley and past Twin Falls and Marpole Lake. There is a seasonal suspension bridge, so check the trail report to ensure it's in operation before you go. Note that reservations for the campground must also be made in advance. Difficult.

An hour-long thrill ride, these tours veer around and hurdle white-water rapids that follow Niagara canyons up to the wall of rolling waters, just below Niagara Falls. Children must be at least six years old for the open-boat Wet Jet Tour and four years old for the covered-boat (dry!) Jet Dome Tour; minimum height requirements also apply. Tours depart from Niagara-on-the-Lake or Niagara Falls, ON (June to August only) and Lewiston, NY.

A self-guided route involves taking an elevator to the bottom of the Niagara Gorge, the narrow valley created by the Niagara Falls and River, where you can walk along a 1,000-foot boardwalk beside the crushing Class VI rapids of the Niagara River. The gorge is rimmed by sheer cliffs as it enters the giant whirlpool.

Yukon Energy built the world's longest wooden fish ladder to facilitate the yearly chinook (king) salmon run around the Whitehorse Rapids hydroelectric dam. The salmon hold one of nature's great endurance records, the longest fish migration in the world—more than 2,000 miles from the Bering Sea to Whitehorse. There's a platform for viewing the ladder, and TV monitors display pictures from underwater cameras. Interesting interpretive exhibits, talks by local First Nations elders, and labeled tanks of freshwater fish enhance the experience. The best time to visit is August, when hundreds of salmon use the ladder to bypass the dam.

This brewery crafts award-winning small-batch Belgian-inspired, West Coast–influenced and limited-release beers. There's no kitchen on-site, but guests are encouraged to order takeout from local restaurants. Indoor tastings are available, and the large outdoor patio has amazing views of the Purcell Mountains. The tasting room and patio are family-friendly noon–4 pm daily.

Founded by the late Peter and Catharine Whyte, two Banff artists, this museum exhibits artworks, artifacts, and other items relating to the cultural heritage of the Canadian Rockies. Many of the earliest photos of Banff National Park can be found here, either on the walls or in the archives.

This calm cove near Horseshoe Bay is popular for swimming, scuba diving, sunset watching, and, at low tide, hiking out to Whyte Islet just offshore. Amenities: food and drink, parking (for a fee), and toilets. Best for: sunsets, swimming, and walking.  

Excellent views of the Athabasca Glacier are the highlight of this strenuous, 8-km (5-mile) hike near the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. This pass was originally used by explorers and First Nations people and is fairly steep. Keep an eye out for wildflowers and bighorn sheep. Be sure to dress in warm layers, because this pass can be snowy until late July. Difficult.

The zoo, on St. George's Island in the middle of the Bow River, is one of Canada's largest, with more than 1,000 creatures from 119 species in natural settings. It is also one of Calgarians' most cherished institutions. The Canadian Wilds section replicates endangered Canadian ecosystems, and the Exploration Asia exhibit allows you to (safely) get up close to Amur tigers. Prehistoric Park, a Mesozoic landscape, displays 22 life-size dinosaur replicas. Destination Africa showcases two African ecosystems, the TransAlta Rainforest and the African Savannah, and has mixed-species exhibits of more than 100 animals, the largest indoor hippo immersion habitat in North America, and 84 plant species indigenous to the African continent.

Life became easier for the locals after this mill opened in 1860, greatly reducing the time needed to card (process) wool. On a visit here you can view the restored mill, glean fascinating facts from engaging guides about its working days, and try your hand at carding wool and spinning yarn.

A local artist created the striking 100-foot memorial, a bas-relief carved from local granite. The memorial commemorates fishermen and the fishing industry.