7 Must-see Canadian sites

Filled with beautiful scenery, bustling cultural capitals, and much more, Canada is one of our favorite places to visit. If you’re looking for some reasons to add it to your travel list, we’ve got seven of them.

1. Niagara Falls

Made up of the combined flow of three individual cascades (Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls), Niagara is the most powerful waterfall in North America. And even though it straddles the border of Canada and the U.S., some of the best perspectives can be seen from the Canadian side.

2. Banff National Park

Not only is Banff Canada’s oldest National Park, it’s also one of the country’s most beautiful. Since 1855, this natural preserve has protected 2,564 square miles of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, home to pristine glacial lakes, pine forests, and an array of wildlife—grizzly bears, elk, and cougars to name a few.

3. Lake Louise

Its turquoise water and breathtaking mountain surroundings make Lake Louise the jewel of Banff National Park. In addition to its location, the promise of hiking trails and kayak rentals in the summer and a wintertime skating rink draw thousands of visitors to its shores each year.

4. Vieux-Montréal

As the city’s oldest neighborhood (it dates back to 1642), Old Montreal is a must-visit for history lovers. With much of the original architecture still intact, a stroll through its streets is like stepping back in time. For those with more modern tastes, this area of the city has a well-established restaurant scene as well as a wealth of art galleries, theaters, and boutiques.

5. Cabot Trail

Much like California’s Pacific Coast Highway or the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park this scenic roadway boasts some pretty spectacular scenery. Traversing 185 miles of the Nova Scotia coast and countryside, the trail offers views of the Atlantic Ocean and rolling hills of the Cape Bretton Highlands

6. Waterton Lakes National Park

While Waterton may not be Canada’s largest national park, what it lacks in size it makes up for in pristine landscapes—it’s both a World Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park is also home to the Prince of Wales Hotel, a charming 1920s retreat that boasts spectacular views of Waterton Lake.

7. Bay of Fundy

Some of the world’s most dramatic tidal ranges are only one of the reasons why the Bay of Fundy is a Canadian standout. Burntcoat Head in Nova Scotia lays claim to the bay’s highest tides, with a 55-foot average change in water level. The other? New Brunswick’s Hopewell Rocks. Rising 40–70 feet high from the bay floor, these columns of sandstone and sedimentary rock stand as testament to the power of tidal erosion.

What Canadian sites would you add to the list? Let us know on Facebook!