1180 Best Sights in Canada

With a steep canyon landscape, a temperate rainforest complete with waterfalls, and a suspension bridge (circa 1912) 50 meters (166½ feet) above raging Lynn Creek, this 617-acre park provides thrills to go with its scenic views. The park has many hiking trails, including a short walk to a popular swimming hole, and another trail leading to a double waterfall. Longer walks in the park link to trail networks in nearby Lynn Headwaters Regional Park and the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. The park's on-site Ecology Centre distributes trail maps, as well as information about the local flora and fauna. There's also a gift shop and a café. To get to the park, take the Lions Gate Bridge and Capilano Road, go east on Highway 1, take Exit 19, the Lynn Valley Road exit, and turn right on Peters Road. From Downtown Vancouver, you can take the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay, then Bus 228 or 229 from the quay; both stop about a 15-minute walk from the park.

The suspension bridge here is shorter than the Capilano Suspension Bridge (47 meters/157 feet versus 137 meters/450 feet at Capilano) so the experience is less thrilling, but also less touristy—and it's free.

Step back in time at this marvelously restored early-20th-century general store, where counters and shelves are loaded with bygone products such as old-fashioned tinctures, sewing machines, and period clothing. Hear an old telephone ring and see a fully equipped barber shop. Other rooms feature antique stoves and carriages. Curiosities fill every shelf and corner. Shopkeepers in costume lead guided tours, giving a feel of being in the store while it was in operation. They point out how some old devices worked.

A bizarre optical illusion has been attracting visitors since the days of horse-drawn wagons. If you park your car in neutral at the designated spot, you seem to be coasting uphill without power. Don't be tempted to turn the vehicle around; the effect is most pronounced when you are going backward. Get out and try it on foot and it seems harder to walk downhill than up. There are shops and a restaurant within the attached Wharf Village ( magnetichillwharfvillage.ca), designed to resemble a traditional coastal village.

This stunning library, housed in a former 19th-century Methodist church, is a true gem for design, architecture, and culture enthusiasts alike. Completely revamped a few years ago, its now whitewashed, design-heavy interior earned international acclaim and architectural awards. Inside, you'll find compelling permanent exhibitions on French Canadian literature and culture, along with weekly showings of various genres of French-Canadian movies.

Only a 35-minute drive north of Victoria, this adventure starts with a short walk along a boardwalk through coastal forest before reaching the tower itself—a spiral ramp that rises 31 meters (104 feet) to the top. With only a 5% gradient, it is purposefully designed to be fully accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. Views over Finlayson Arm are stunning. Daring-of-heart can walk across the sturdy net suspended across the center of the tower and choose the spiral slide down for a faster exit. There are also traditional hiking trails to enjoy, and picnic areas. Note: drones are not permitted.

Scenic Maligne Lake Road was built along the glacier valley that runs between the Maligne and Elizabeth mountain ranges. Along the 44-km (27-mile) drive to Maligne Lake, you'll see spectacular mountain scenery, other blue lakes, and the fast-flowing Maligne River. Highlights along the way also include Maligne Canyon and Medicine Lake. This drive takes you through one of the best places to spot wildlife, especially at dusk and dawn. Look for elk, moose, bighorn sheep, white-tail deer, and grizzly and black bears.

Geothermal springs tumble down a waterfall and into a series of oceanside rock pools at idyllic Hot Springs Cove, accessible only by boat or air from Tofino. Here, day trips—which are offered by several Tofino outfitters—usually include a bit of whale-watching en route. Once you arrive at the park, there's a half-hour boardwalk trail through old-growth forest to the site. Another popular day trip is to Meares Island, where an easy 20-minute boardwalk trail leads to trees up to 1,600 years old.

On 100 acres of lovely woodland in Kleinburg, 30 km (19 miles) northwest of downtown, the McMichael's permanent collection consists of more than 6,500 pieces by Canadian artists. The museum holds impressive works by Tom Thomson, Emily Carr, and the Group of Seven landscape painters, as well as their early-20th-century contemporaries. These artists were inspired by the wilderness and sought to capture it in bold, original styles. First Nations art and prints, drawings, and sculpture by Inuit artists are well represented. Strategically placed windows help you appreciate the scenery as you view art that took its inspiration from the vast outdoors. Inside, wood walls and a fireplace set a country mood. You can also take a meandering nature trail or grab a snack or lunch at CABIN, the excellent on-site restaurant. Guided tours are offered from Thursday to Sunday. Entrance is free on the third Sunday of every month.

In 1639, Augustinian nuns arrived from Dieppe, France, tasked with caring for the sick in the new colony. They established North America's first hospital north of Mexico, the Hôtel-Dieu. The complex underwent a full renovation and expansion in 2015 and now includes a quiet, health-conscious restaurant (with silent breakfast!), a holistic spa, and accommodations ranging from contemporary en suite rooms to dorm-like rooms with antique furniture—the perfect canvas for a calm retreat. The museum showcases an extensive collection of liturgical and medical artifacts, while the richly decorated chapel (by Thomas Baillairgé) and the 1659 vaults, used by nuns as shelter from bombardments, are also worth visiting. A small order of nuns continues to reside within the monastery, truly making it a place of living memory.

The Jasper area's highest mountain stands 3,363 meters (11,033 feet) tall. Showing its permanently snow-clad north face to the town, the peak was named for a World War I British nurse who stayed in Belgium to treat wounded Allied soldiers after Brussels fell to the Germans and was subsequently executed for helping prisoners of war escape. The mountain is arguably the most spectacular site in the park reachable by car. From Highway 93A, a narrow, winding 14½-km (9-mile) road (often closed mid-October to late June) leads to a parking lot at the mountain's base. Trailers aren't permitted on this road, but they can be left at a separate parking lot near the junction with 93A. Several scenic lookouts along the route offer access to trails leading up the Tonquin Valley, one of the premier backpacking areas.

Wedged between narrow streets at the foot of the cliff, this spacious museum, with its striking limestone-and-glass façade, was designed by architect Moshe Safdie to seamlessly blend into the landscape. Its bell tower thoughtfully echoes the shape of the city's church steeples. A new exhibition, running until 2030, powerfully witnesses the narratives of 95,000 First Nations and Inuit women and men of Québec as they reflect on history, embrace the present, and envision a hopeful future. The temporary exhibits here are always well worth a visit too.

Situated on the city's liveliest avenue, the Grand Allée, this neoclassical museum in the park with a slick and modern wing is a remarkable steel-and-glass setting for its collection of 22,000 traditional and contemporary pieces of Québec art. Designed by starchitects Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu, the Lassonde Pavilion, added in 2016, features three stacked, cascading galleries; a grand stairwell that spirals dramatically from the top floor to the basement, where a rising almost-mile-long tunnel connects to the museum’s three other wings. MNBAQ houses works by local legends Jean-Paul Riopelle, Jean-Paul Lemieux, Alfred Pellan, Fernand Leduc, and Horatio Walker that are particularly notable, as well as temporary exhibits by international artists such as Turner, Miró, and Giacometti. The original museum building in Parc des Champs-de-Bataille is part of an abandoned prison dating from 1867; a hallway of cells, with the iron bars and courtyard, has been preserved as part of a permanent exhibition on the prison's history.

Situated on the city's liveliest avenue, the Grand Allée, this neoclassical museum in the park with a slick and modern wing is a remarkable steel-and-glass setting for its collection of 22,000 traditional and contemporary pieces of Québec art. Designed by starchitects Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu, the Lassonde Pavilion, added in 2016, features three stacked, cascading galleries; a grand stairwell that spirals dramatically from the top floor to the basement, where a rising almost-mile-long tunnel connects to the museum’s three other wings; and views of the neighboring neo-Gothic church from both the rooftop terrace and courtyard. MNBAQ houses works by local legends Jean-Paul Riopelle, Jean-Paul Lemieux, Alfred Pellan, Fernand Leduc, and Horatio Walker that are particularly notable, as well as temporary exhibits by international artists such as Turner, Miro, and Giacometti. The original museum building in Parc des Champs-de-Bataille is part of an abandoned prison dating from 1867; a hallway of cells, with the iron bars and courtyard, has been preserved as part of a permanent exhibition on the prison's history.

Part of the University of British Columbia, the MOA has one of the world's leading collections of Northwest Coast First Nations art. The Great Hall has dramatic cedar poles, bentwood boxes, and canoes adorned with traditional Northwest Coast–painted designs. On clear days, the gallery's 15-meter-tall (50 foot) windows reveal a striking backdrop of mountains and sea. Another highlight is the work of the late Bill Reid, one of Canada's most respected Haida artists. In The Raven and the First Men (1980), carved in yellow cedar, he tells a Haida story of creation. Reid's gold-and-silver jewelry work is also on display, as are exquisite carvings of gold, silver, and argillite (a black shale found on Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) by other First Nations artists. The museum's visible storage section displays, in drawers and cases, contain thousands of examples of tools, textiles, masks, and other artifacts from around the world. The Koerner Ceramics Gallery contains 600 pieces from 15th- to 19th-century Europe. Behind the museum are two Haida houses, set on the cliff over the water. Free guided tours—given several times daily (call or check the website for times)—are immensely informative. The MOA also has an excellent book and fine art shop, as well as a café. To reach the museum by transit, take any UBC-bound bus from Granville Street Downtown to the university bus loop, a 15-minute walk, or connect to a shuttle that scoots around the campus and will drop you off opposite the MOA at the Rose Garden. Pay parking is available in the Rose Garden parking lot, across Marine Drive from the museum. If you're planning to visit several attractions at UBC, a UBC Attractions Pass will save you money.

An intriguing collection of live and preserved insects, spiders, and scorpions from six temperate zones is housed here, and there's a glass beehive with 10,000 honeybees. The verdant greenhouse is home to hundreds of live tropical butterflies. A walking trail leads through woodland to the Humber River and Rocky Brook—you have a good chance of spotting beavers and muskrats from the viewing deck. Check out the gift shop, which sometimes stocks lollipops with edible dried scorpions inside. Picnic tables provide a nice spot to stretch and rest, and complimentary pet kennels are available for use during your visit. The insectarium is a one-minute drive off the Trans-Canada Highway at Deer Lake; turn north onto Route 430, also signed here as Bonne Bay Road.

One of North America's most impressive natural wonders, the falls are actually three cataracts: the American and Bridal Veil Falls in New York State, and the Horseshoe Falls in Ontario. In terms of sheer volume of water—more than 700,000 gallons per second in summer—Niagara is unsurpassed compared to other bodies of water on the continent.

On the Canadian side, you can get a far better view of the American Falls and a close-up of the Horseshoe Falls. You can also park your car for the day in any of several lots and hop onto one of the WEGO buses, which run continuously to all the sights along the river. If you want to get close to the foot of the falls, the Maid of the Mist boats take you near enough to get soaked in the spray.

After experiencing the falls from the Canadian side, you can walk or drive across Rainbow Bridge to the U.S. side. On the American side you can park in the lot on Goat Island near the American Falls and walk along the path beside the Niagara River, which becomes more and more turbulent as it approaches the big drop-off of just over 200 feet.

The amusement parks and tacky souvenir shops that surround the falls attest to the area's history as a major tourist attraction. Most of the gaudiness is contained on Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls' Times Square. Despite these garish efforts to attract visitors, the landscaped grounds immediately bordering the falls are lovely and the beauty of the falls remains untouched.

One reason to spend the night here is to admire the falls illumination, which takes place every night of the year, from dusk until at least 10 pm (as late as 1 am during the summer). Even the most contemptuous observer will be mesmerized as the falls change from red to purple to blue to green to white, and finally all the colors of the rainbow in harmony.

You can spend hours exploring North America's first green energy projects. Wander through turn-of-the-20th-century machinery, explore exhibits, get to know the history of AC and DC current through the eyes of inventor Nikola Tesla, and even take a glass-paneled elevator trip to the mouth of the dam. The station comes to life at night for Currents: Niagara's Power Transformed, an immersive, 40-minute interactive show of sound, light, and state-of-the-art 3D projection-mapping technology.

Located atop the Édifice Marie-Guyart, the city's tallest building, Observatoire de la Capitale offers a spectacular panorama of Québec City from 31 stories up. The site features an overview of the city's history with 3-D imagery, audiovisual displays in both French and English, and a time-travel theme with a 1960s twist.

This national park has some of Canada's most stunning coastal and rain-forest scenery, abundant wildlife, and a unique marine environment. It comprises three separate units—Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands, and the West Coast Trail—for a combined area of 123,431 acres, and stretches 130 km (81 miles) along Vancouver Island's west coast.

More than 100 islands of the Broken Group Islands archipelago in Barkley Sound can be reached only by boat. The islands and their clear waters are alive with sea lions, seals, and whales, and because the inner waters are much calmer than the surrounding ocean, they provide an excellent environment for kayaking. Guided kayak and charter-boat tours are available from outfitters in Ucluelet, Bamfield, and Port Alberni.

The most popular part of the park, and the only section that can be reached by car, is the Long Beach section. Besides the beach, the Long Beach section of the park is home to rich stands of old-growth forest, a wealth of marine and terrestrial wildlife (including black bears, cougars, and sea lions), and a network of coastal and rain-forest hiking paths. A first stop for any first-timer is the visitor center, which doubles as the Ucluelet Visitor Information Office. You can pick up maps and information, and pay park entrance fees here.

Colossal rock cliffs and forest-covered mountains meet the still waters of the Saguenay Fjord, one of the longest in the world, and the namesake national park runs its entire 105-km (65-mile) length. Of the park’s three regions, the Baie-Éternité, which hosts the visitor center, is about 60 km (37 miles) south of the city of Saguenay, where you can visit the Fjord Museum (Musée du Fjord). Outdoor enthusiasts have much to do here, including kayaking, fishing, hiking, camping, bird-watching, whale-watching, and mountain biking, and the park can supply equipment and guides. The spectacular Baie-Éternité escarpments provide thrilling climbs and a via ferrata. Or you can take it easy on sailboat and sightseeing boat cruises, or enjoy a thrilling whale-watching experience.

This vast wildlife sanctuary has more than 400 lakes and rivers and is home to nearly 200 species of birds and animals, so it’s great for wildlife-watching. Cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and snowmobilers enjoy the park's trails in winter, and camping, fishing, canoeing, and hiking are the popular summer activities. The park was once the home of the Algonquins, who called this area Manitonga Soutana, meaning "mountain of the spirits." 

The warmest salt water in Canada and a 3-km (2-mile) stretch of glistening sand has earned Parlee Beach the title of the best beach in Canada by several surveys, and it has a Blue Flag international eco-certification. It is a popular vacation spot for families, with a campground, and plays host to beach-volleyball and touch-football tournaments; an annual sand-sculpture contest and a triathlon are among a schedule of summer events. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee 9 am–5 pm); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; swimming; walking.

Family

Three beloved neo-Gothic-style buildings with copper roofs dominate the nation's capital from Parliament Hill, overlooking the Ottawa River. Originally built between 1859 and 1877, they were destroyed by fire in 1916. The Centre Block was rebuilt by 1920 and is where the two houses of Parliament, the Senate, and the House of Commons work to shape the laws of the land. Masterfully carved stone pillars and provincial emblems in stained glass in the House of Commons are all works of the nationally renowned artist Eleanor Milne. If the House is sitting, be sure to watch Question Period, a lively and at times theatrical 45-minute session during which members of the opposition fire current-events questions at the prime minister and members of the cabinet.

Visitors to the central Peace Tower, completed in 1927, often tour the Memorial Chamber's Altars of Sacrifice, with five Books of Remembrance bearing the names of Canadians killed during military service. Also in the Tower is a 53-bell carillon. From September through June, the Dominion Carillonneur gives 15-minute concerts at noon. In July and August there are one-hour concerts at 2. (All concerts are weekdays only.) Outside on the lawn there's plenty of room to observe the colorful Changing of the Guard ceremony, which takes place daily at 10 [am], late June to late August, weather permitting. The Ceremonial Guard brings together two of Canada's most historic regiments, the Canadian Grenadier Guards and the Governor General's Foot Guards.

North of the Centre Block and reached via its corridors is the Library of Parliament, the only part of the original Parliament Buildings saved from the fire of 1916. A statue of the young Queen Victoria is the centerpiece of the octagonal chamber, which is surrounded by ornately carved pine galleries lined with books, many of them priceless.

In front of and on either side of the Centre Block are the East Block and the West Block. The East Block has four historic rooms restored to the period of 1872 and open to the public from July to early September: the original Governor General's office restored to the period of Lord Dufferin, 1872–78; the offices of Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Georges Étienne Cartier, Fathers of Confederation in 1867; and the Privy Council Chamber. The West Block contains offices for parliamentarians and is not open to the public.

Same-day reservations for 20- to 60-minute tours are available at the Visitor Welcome Centre, inside the entrance to the Centre Block. From mid-May to August, make reservations at the white tent on the lawn. Allow extra time to go through security scanners. A free half-hour Sound and Light Show (early July–early September) with highlights of Canada is offered twice nightly. Parliament Hill is also the place to be on Canada Day, July 1, for concerts, fireworks, cultural exhibitions, and free performances by top Canadian entertainers. Note: visiting hours are limited when Parliament is in session, so call ahead.

This must-do 1.6-km (1-mile) trail only takes about an hour. The kid-friendly path, paved at the start, runs across a rocky landscape once covered in glacial ice. Eventually you come to a viewpoint overlooking Cavell Pond, which is fed by Cavell Glacier. Small icebergs often float in the water. The view across the valley takes in Angel Glacier, resting her wings between Mount Edith Cavell and Sorrow Peak. Easy.

Located about two hours from Vancouver in Whistler, the longest and tallest gondola in the world when it opened, the PEAK 2 PEAK delivers jaw-dropping views as it travels 4.3 km (2.7 miles) from Whistler's Roundhouse to Blackcomb's Rendezvous Lodge, which sits at an elevation of 2,133 meters (7,000 feet). Two gondolas have a glass-floor viewing area that are worth the extra few minutes' wait; there's a separate lineup for these. A day pass may seem costly until you realize that you can ride PEAK 2 PEAK as many times as you wish, plus travel up and down both Whistler and Blackcomb on a fully enclosed gondola system, a 13.5 km (8.3 miles) loop forming the longest continuous lift system in the world. In summer, the ski runs and the rest of the mountainsides open up to 50 km (31 miles) of incredible hiking. Discounts are offered for multiple days.

This iconic red-and-white lighthouse has long been one of Nova Scotia’s most-visited attractions and is thought to be one of the most photographed spots in Canada. A wooden lighthouse was erected on this point in 1868, to be replaced in 1915 with the concrete octagon that stands today. In 2021, a C$3.1 million redevelopment made the lighthouse fully accessible, adding a huge viewing platform looking out over craggy rocks and the lighthouse, and walkways connecting visitors to the parking lot and village. 

A fishing village that lies along the coast between Cape Spear and Route 10, Petty Harbour is a great day trip with something for everyone all around one scenic harbor. Two of the prettiest segments of the East Coast Trail start from either end of town. Island Rooms of Petty Harbour is dedicated to keeping the fishing and boating heritage of the town alive and can arrange walking, fishing, and traditional boating excursions ( www.fishingforsuccess.org). North Atlantic Ziplines boasts the longest zipline in Canada, with views over the hills and ocean ( www.zipthenorthatlantic.com). The Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium has a touch tank and daily family programs ( www.miniaqua.org). 

Downriver from Annapolis Royal is this reconstruction of Sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain's fur-trading post. The French set up shop here in 1605—two years before the English established Jamestown—making this the first permanent European settlement north of Florida. Port Royal also set other New World records, claiming the first tended crops, the first staged play, the first social club, and the first water mill. Unfortunately, it didn't have the first fire department: the original fortress burned down within a decade. At this suitably weathered replica, which is ringed by a log palisade, you're free to poke around the forge, inspect the trading post, pull up a chair at the dining table, or simply watch costumed interpreters perform traditional tasks in the courtyard. The heritage of the Mi'kmaq people, who assisted the early settlers, can be explored in a wigwam.

Numerous beaches can be enjoyed between Cavendish and Greenwich, but boardwalks and stairs to reach them are only in place from mid-May to the end of September. Brackley, Cavendish, and Stanhope beaches are accessible to those with mobility issues, and beach wheelchairs are available. A relaxing alternative to the beaches is to picnic in the titular grove, accompanied by a soundtrack of songbirds and honking Canada geese that call the nearby pond home. More active types can bike or hike on the park's scenic trails. If you'd rather be out on the water, kayaking and canoeing opportunities abound. Winter visitors will find snow cleared from parking lots and can enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but should be aware that Parks Canada does not provide emergency services in winter.