1180 Best Sights in Canada

Don a miner’s helmet and lamp and go 1,000 feet into a mine on a guided tour with heritage interpreters. Discover the mine's inner workings and feel like you've stepped back in time.  All tours must be pre-booked online in advance.

Built under the Gardiner Expressway, the Bentway is part of the city's efforts to reclaim public spaces. The sprawling stretch of land houses whimsical art installations, communal dining and picnic spaces, a gloriously smooth paved pathway built for roller-skating and ice-skating (rentals available at C$10) depending on the season, and various community events, festivals, and concerts.

Explore the lives of the Beothuk, a First Nations people who succumbed in the early 19th century to a combination of disease and battle with European settlers. A 1½-km (1-mile) trail leads to the archaeological site that was inhabited from about 1650 to 1720, when the Beothuk departed this stretch of coast as settlers moved in. Walk softly to feel The Spirit of the Beothuk, represented by a commanding bronze statue by Gerald Squires that stands almost hidden in the woods. Just in back of the center is a Spirit Garden, opened in consultation with First Nations in Newfoundland, which is the site of an annual "Voices on the Wind" ceremony in September.

This small but charming public space features a striking two-tiered cast-iron fountain surrounded by 27 whimsical dog sculptures—and one cat—making it a popular spot for a quick break or an Instagram-worthy photo. Designed by the acclaimed firm Claude Cormier + Associés, the fountain is ringed by statues gazing up at a golden bone perched at the top. With plenty of seating and green space, Berczy Park offers a relaxing oasis in the heart of the city where people and their dogs gather year-round. In the colder months, the fountain shuts off, but the park still draws visitors to see the dog statues decked out for the holiday season. 

With picturesque views of flowing waterfalls, mountains, and glaciers, the Berg Lake Trail is one of the top backpacking destinations in the Rockies. This moderately difficult 21-km (13-mile) one-way hike is one of the most popular overnight trails in the Canadian Rockies. Turquoise-blue Berg Lake gets its name from the fact that it's dotted with mini icebergs—even in the middle of summer. The lake sits at the base of the north face of Mount Robson and glaciers on the mountain regularly calve off into the water. Since 2022, BC Parks has been rebuilding the trail after major flooding; the section that leads to Kinney Lake reopened in 2023 for day use and overnight camping. Reconstruction of the rest of the trail is expected to be completed in 2025.

This well-maintained trail takes hikers to some of the best scenery in the Canadian Rockies. The first 4½ km (2.8 miles) are relatively easy hiking along the Robson River and then through dense forest before arriving at glacier-fed Kinney Lake. After crossing a steel bridge at the end of Kinney Lake, it's just 2.8 km (1.7 miles) to the Kinney Lake campground.

Beyond the Kinney Lake campground, the trail splits and gives the option of hiking through Kinney Lake Flats or continuing through the forest. At that point, the trail merges together again and begins climbing steeply to the Valley of a Thousand Falls where it provides views of four spectacular waterfalls. The trail then crosses the Robson River on a suspension bridge and arrives at Whitehorn campground at the 11-km (6.8-mile) mark.

Once the trail gets above the valley, you will start getting glimpses of the Emperor Face of Mount Robson. The Emperor Campground lies about 3 km (2 miles) from the shores of Berg Lake. Marmot Campground and Berg Lake Campground sit right on the shores of the lake. Several popular day hikes depart from the Berg Lake Campground and there are two more campgrounds just past the lake, Rearguard and Robson Pass.

The Berg Lake Trail is one of the most popular backpacking trails in the Canadian Rockies and campsites should be booked well in advance, especially during the peak summer months. All hikers must check in at the Mount Robson Visitor Centre before setting out on the trail.

If you can't get a backcountry camping reservation on the Berg Lake Trail, you could opt to fly into Berg Lake and hike down the trail as a day hike. It would be very difficult to hike the trail in both directions in a single day. Difficult.

This 11.4-km (7.1-mile) round-trip trail leads from Waterton townsite through a Douglas fir forest to a beautiful overlook of Upper Waterton Lake, and on to Lower Bertha Falls. From there, a steeper climb takes you past Upper Bertha Falls to Bertha Lake. In June, the wildflowers along the trail are stunning. Moderate.

An 1880-vintage frame structure, this National Historic Site honors the heroic efforts of field surgeon and medical educator Henry Norman Bethune (1830–1939), who worked in China during the Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s and trained thousands to become medics. There are rooms that evoke the period and an exhibit tracing the highlights of his life.

Once the city hall of the former municipality of Maisonneuve before it was annexed by the City of Montréal, the Beaux-Arts building became the home of the public library for the Montréal borough of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in 1981. The growth of the borough and the changing needs of the community prompted a C$42.6 million restoration and expansion project begun in 2020. The heritage building's stone facade, stained glass windows and skylight, mosaic floors, grand central staircase, among other architectural features worth preserving, were all meticulously restored to their former glory. With the addition of two light-filled glass wings, which adjoin either side of the main stone building, the library's surface area was tripled. The result of the project, completed in 2023, is nothing short of magnificent, and well worth a visit.

Out in Mahone Bay, 8 km (5 miles) out from Chester, these scenic islands have trails for hiking and biking, and provide great bird-watching and photography opportunities. There are sandy beaches, too, one of which is great for fossil hunting. Reflecting its part-German heritage, Big Tancook claims to have the best sauerkraut in Nova Scotia. The ferry from Chester runs four times daily Monday through Thursday, six times on Friday, and twice daily on weekends. There is no cost for the 50-minute ride.

For a quick stop for something quirky, from Woodstock you can take Route 105 along the St. John River toward Nackawic—known as the Forestry Capital of Canada—to see "the world's biggest axe." The 60-foot-tall axe is lodged in a concrete stump in a small park by the river.

Nothing captures the exuberance of Expo '67 better than the geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) as the U.S. Pavilion. It's only a skeleton now—the polymer panels that protected the U.S. exhibits from the elements were burned out in a fire long ago—but it's still an eye-catching sight, like something plucked from a science-fiction movie.

Science of a nonfictional kind, however, is explored in the special environmental center the federal government built in the middle of the dome. It focuses on the challenges of preserving the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system, but it has lively and interactive exhibits on climate change, sustainable energy, and air pollution. Kids and others can use games and interactive displays arranged around a large model of the waterway to explore how shipping, tourism, water supplies, and hydroelectric power are affected.  The Biosphère forms part of Espace pour la Vie, which is based in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and endeavors to bring together art, science, and citizen action.

A tropical respite from the crowds and Las Vegas–style attractions, Bird Kingdom is the world's largest indoor aviary, with more than 400 free-flying birds and more than 80 bird species from around the world in the 50,000-square-foot complex. For creepy-crawly lovers, there are also spiders, lizards, and snakes—including a 100-pound python that you can hold.

A namesake subway station is a short walk from this living-history-museum village that makes you feel as though you've gone through a time warp. Black Creek Pioneer Village is a collection of over 40 buildings from the 19th century, including a town hall, a weaver's shop, a printing shop, a blacksmith's shop, and a one-room schoolhouse. The mill dates from the 1840s and has a massive wooden waterwheel that can grind up to 100 barrels of flour a day. As people in period costumes go about the daily routine of mid-19th-century Ontario life, they explain what they're doing and answer questions. Visitors can see farm animals, churn butter, take wagon rides, and explore hands-on discovery stations.

On the Black Sage Bench between Osoyoos and Oliver, Black Hills Estate Winery has developed a cult following among Okanagan aficionados and frequently sells out of its much-admired wines. When the wine sells out, however, the tasting room sets some aside for visitors. It's worth calling to check on the status of its Nota Bene (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc), Alibi (Sauvignon Blanc with a bit of Sémillon), Chardonnay, or whatever the winemaker dreams up next.

This easy 4.2-km (2.6-mile) interpretive loop trail climbs 90 meters (300 feet) to beautiful Warspite Lake through forested and open areas. The first section of the trail follows an old logging road. Alberta Parks has created a four-page interpretive brochure for this trail, which you can pick up at any of the visitor centers in the park. Numbered posts along the trail correspond to numbers in the booklet. Easy.

This 1-km (0.6-mile) loop trail leads to a dramatic suspension bridge over Blackshale Creek. This is a section of the High Rockies Trail, which is a part of the Trans-Canada Trail. You can do a longer hike along the trail or just do a short loop and take in the bridge and its wonderful views. The trail is best used from April to October and has an elevation gain of 53 meters (174 feet). Dogs are also able to use this trail if they are kept on a leash. Easy.

A 2-km (1-mile) round-trip hike will take you from Red Rock Canyon to Blakiston Falls. Several viewpoints overlook the falls. Easy.

Charlottetown's boardwalk extends from Confederation Landing to Victoria Park, wending its way along the water past historic sites and leafy picnic spots, providing views of sailboats and cruise ships en route. As an added bonus, it's lit at night for romantic strolls.

Natural beauty and artistic sensibilities mark 432 acres of groomed and wild acres in the middle of the city. Listen for harbor seals and see blue herons along hiking trails to the shore. Birds abound here, and this is an important wintering area for the threatened Icelandic Barrow's Goldeneye duck. Balsam fir, white birch, and many other trees fill the forest as do a wide variety of flowers, fungi, shrubs, and whimsical wooden sculptures like giant mushrooms by local artists. Overlooks provide vast wilderness, mountain, and river views.

A visit here is a must, especially for kids who'll be enthralled by the touch tank, the centerpiece of the 45-minute guided aquarium tour. In addition to experiencing sea stars, crabs, algae, and other marine life firsthand, participants learn about the station's past and current research projects. Tours are provided by educated interpreters throughout the day.

This 5-km (3-mile) hike climbs through a forest of pine, fir, and spruce amid mountains and glaciers. The waters of the lake itself are crystal clear. Allow half a day for this hike round-trip. Moderate.

Back when Trois-Rivières was a lumber, paper, and pulp industry leader, this plant’s machinery whizzed and whirled. Built in the early 1920s, it pumped, filtered, and stored water for the paper mill. By the mid-1950s, the plant filtered more than 20 million gallons of water a day that was used to produce 1,000 tons of newsprint. Today, it is eerily quiet, especially the long-abandoned underground vaults, which are part of the original architecture and machinery that's on display.

A walk here is a walk through Montréal's multicultural history. The shops, restaurants, synagogues, and churches that line the 10-block stretch north of rue Sherbrooke reflect the various waves of immigrants that have called it home. Keep your eyes open and you'll see see Jewish delis, Hungarian charcuterie shops, Greek restaurants and bakeries, Portuguese rotisseries, Italian cafés, Vietnamese sandwich shops, Spanish tapas bars, and Peruvian eateries. You'll also spot some of the city's trendiest restaurants, cafés, and galleries, as well as the dernier cri in skateboard fashion. The first immigrants to move into the area in the 1880s were Jews escaping pogroms in Eastern Europe. It was they who called the street "the Main," as in Main Street—a moniker that endures to this day. Even francophone Montrealers often call it "La Main."

A trail from the bottom of the parking lot at Bow Lake leads to this stunning cascade, which can't be seen from the road. At the base of the falls, you'll not only feel the spray and hear the roar, you'll also witness the birth of the Bow River—part of western Canada's largest watershed. The hike is about 4 km (2½ miles) one-way and takes from 1½ to 3 hours to complete, depending on how many photos you stop to take.

Fed by meltwater from the Bow Glacier, one of the largest lakes in Banff National Park is surrounded by mountains and has views of Crowfoot Glacier. This spot is a beautiful place to snap some photos or enjoy a picnic at one of the lakeside tables. There are also public dry toilets here.

This gorgeous lake is surrounded by incredible scenery, including Wapta Icefield, Bow Peak, Bow Glacier, Mt. Thompson, Crowfoot Mountain, and Crowfoot Glacier. Its picnic area is just off the highway with ample parking, restrooms, and tables along the shore.

At 2,070 meters (6,791 feet), Bow Pass is the highest drivable pass in the Canadian Rockies national parks and the highest point of the Icefields Parkway. Bow Summit Lookout is on the same trail as the better-known Peyto Lake Lookout. Stop and take in the view of Peyto Lake and then head up the upper self-guided nature trail and follow an old fire road to the lookout. The hike is 2.9 km (1.8 miles) one-way. Watch for pikas, marmots, and ptarmigan on the trail and at the lookout. From the lookout, you can see Bow Lake to the south, Peyto to the Waterfowl Lakes to the north.

Formerly known as Highway 1A, this scenic drive between Banff and Lake Louise leads to Hillsdale Meadows, Johnston Canyon, Castle Mountain, and Baker Creek. There are plenty of viewpoints and picnic sites along the way. From 2022 to 2024, Parks Canada implemented a pilot program that restricted vehicle use in the spring and fall along the eastern portion of the 17 km (10½ mile) road to provide an improved cycling experience along this popular cycling route. Visitors should consult the Parks Canada website for the latest information on road closures.

This 4.2-km (2.6-mile) one-way paved trail stretches from the Bow Valley Campground to the Bow Valley Administration and Information Centre. The trail passes through forest and rolling terrain with good views of meadows along the way. There are short steep hills at either end of the trail making it less accommodating for wheelchairs. Easy.