St Paul's Church

Nova Scotia

　　The oldest surviving building in Halifax is also the oldest Protestant place of worship in Canada. Established in 1749 with the founding of Halifax, St Paul's once served parishioners from as far afield as Newfoundland and Ontario. Drop in any time for a guided or self-directed tour of this fascinating...

Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park

Nova Scotia

　　Eighteen kilometers south of Halifax, near the village of Sambro, this gorgeous provincial park boasts three distinct beaches in separate coves; the third one out, toward the southwest, is clothing optional and gay friendly. An 8.5km hiking trail begins just inland and heads through barrens, bogs and boulders to Pennant...

Fairview Lawn Cemetery

Nova Scotia

　　When the RMS Titanic sank, the bodies of those not lost at sea were brought to Halifax. Among other sites, there are 19 graves at Mt Olivet Catholic Cemetery and 121 here at the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. Frequently visited graves include the touching Celtic Cross and Unknown Child monuments, and...

Halifax Public Gardens

Nova Scotia

　　Established in 1867 to mark Confederation, but formally opened to the public in 1875, Halifax's delightful 6.5-hectare public gardens are a fine example of Victorian horticultural planning. Stocked with lakes, statues, fountains, bridges, ponds and a huge variety of trees and formal flower beds, the gardens also have a bandstand...

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

　　The province's premier art institution is a must-see. It has a strong collection of local art, particularly the work of folk artist Maud Lewis, including the original tiny house (measuring 3m by 4m) where she lived most of her life, and which she turned into a living canvas. The main...

Halifax Central Library

Nova Scotia

　　Built on a former parking lot, this stunning modern library, composed of glass boxes stacked artfully on top of each other, was opened in 2014 and has become a much-loved meeting spot for Haligonians. Inside, concrete staircases ascend Escher-like through the central atrium, leading toward a rooftop where there's an...

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

Nova Scotia

　　There's an argument that this dockside museum is Canada's most important institution. Between 1928 and 1971, Pier 21 was the Canadian version of the USA's Ellis Island, where all prospective immigrants arrived. More than a million people passed through these redbrick halls, and it's an emotional experience to walk through...

Citadel Hill National Historic Site

Nova Scotia

　　Perched atop the grassy hillock looming over town, this star-shaped fort played a key role in Halifax's founding. Construction began in 1749; the current citadel is the fourth, built from 1818 to 1861. The grounds and battlements inside the fort are open year-round, with free admission when the exhibits are...

Royal St John's Regatta Museum

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　Quidi Vidi Lake is the site of the city-stopping St John's Regatta. The Royal St John's Regatta Museum is on the 2nd floor of the boathouse, and gives an entertaining dive into the history of the race. Opening hours vary. A popular walking trail leads around the lake. ...

Fluvarium

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　The Fluvarium, a glass-sided cross-section of a 'living' river, is located across the street from the campground at CA Pippy Park. Viewers can peer through large windows to observe the undisturbed goings-on beneath the surface of Nagle's Hill Brook. Numerous brown trout and the occasional eel can be seen. The...

Johnson Geo Centre

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　Nowhere in the world can geo-history, going back to the birth of the earth, be accessed so easily as in Newfoundland. The Geo Centre does a grand job of making snore-worthy geological information perk up with appeal via its underground, interactive displays. 　　The center also has an exhibit on the...

Anglican Cathedral of St John the Baptist

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　Serving Canada's oldest parish (1699), this Anglican cathedral is one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Gothic architecture in North America. Although originally built in the 1830s, all but its exterior walls were reduced to ashes by the Great Fire of 1892. Rebuilt in 1905, its Gothic ribbed ceiling, graceful...

CA Pippy Park

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　The feature-filled 13-sq-km CA Pippy Park coats downtown's northwestern edge. Recreational facilities include walking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, a golf course and a campground. Memorial University, the province's only university, is here too. The university's botanical garden is at Oxen Pond, at the park's western edge off Mt Scio Rd....

Quidi Vidi

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　Over Signal Hill, away from town, is the tiny picturesque village of Quidi Vidi. Check out the 18th-century battery and the lakeside regatta museum, but make your first stop Quidi Vidi Brewery, which whips up Newfoundland's most popular microbrews. Located in an old fish-processing plant on the small wharf, it's...

The Rooms

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　Not many museums offer the chance to see a giant squid, hear avant-garde sound sculptures and peruse ancient weaponry all under one roof. But that's The Rooms, the province's all-in-one historical museum, art gallery and archives. The building itself, a massive stone-and-glass complex, is impressive to look at, with views...

Signal Hill National Historic Site

Newfoundland & Labrador

　　The city's most famous landmark is worth it for the glorious view alone, though there's much more to see. The tiny castle atop the hill is Cabot Tower, built in 1898 to honor both John Cabot's arrival in 1497 and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. In midsummer, soldiers dressed as the...

North West Mounted Police Barracks

Around Banff National Park

　　The oldest surviving barracks in western Canada was built in 1893 and used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) until 1929. Today, this itty-bitty wooden building is home to a small display of Mountie-themed memorabilia and a quaint tearoom. ...

Canmore Museum & Geoscience Centre

Around Banff National Park

　　Exhibits at this small museum cover the region's coal-mining past and the community's survival following the mine closure in 1979. Check out the 160-million-year-old petrified cypress stump and the stunning images taken by local photographer Craig Richards. ...

Big Head

Around Banff National Park

　　At the end of Main St, half-buried in gravel by the Bow River, sits the impressive sculpture known as the Big Head (for reasons that will quickly become obvious). Created by the artist Al Henderson, the sculpture was inspired by Canmore’s name – the original town of Canmore in northwest...

Fundy Geological Museum

Prince Edward Island

　　If you want to understand the geological history of the Bay of Fundy this excellent museum should be your first port of call. It has a wide range of interactive exhibits, but inevitably the highlights are the fossils and dinosaur skeletons unearthed around the Fundy coastline – perhaps the most...

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Prince Edward Island

　　One in a magnificent seven of BC national parks, Pacific Rim is replete with wave-whipped beaches and brooding forests, most of them far from civilization. The park is split into three units, often visited separately. The northern Long Beach Unit, between Tofino and Ucluelet, is famous for its surf beaches....

Grouse Mountain

Prince Edward Island

　　The self-proclaimed 'Peak of Vancouver,' this mountain-top playground, accessed via Skyride gondola (included with admission), offers spectacular views of downtown glittering in the water below. In summer, your ticket also includes access to lumberjack shows, alpine hiking, bird-of-prey displays and a grizzly bear refuge. Pay extra for zip-lining and Eye...

Fogo Island Inn

Prince Edward Island

　　The Fogo Island Inn is a groundbreaking exploration of the concept of local sourcing. Everything in this place comes from at least as close as Newfoundland, including the community guides every visiting party is paired with. Architecturally, the Inn is a jaw-dropper, starkly minimalist yet growing organically from the rugged...

La Banquise

Prince Edward Island

　　A Montréal legend since 1968, La Banquise is probably the best place in town to sample poutine. More than 30 varieties are available, including a vegan poutine, the boogalou (with pulled pork) and straight-up classic poutine. There’s an outdoor terrace, a full breakfast menu and a selection of microbrews, plus...

Tablelands

Prince Edward Island

　　Dominating the southwest corner of the park, near Trout River, are the unconquerable and eerie Tablelands. This huge flat-topped massif was part of the earth's mantle before tectonics raised it from the depths and planted it squarely on the continent. Its rock is so unusual that plants can't even grow...

Rideau Canal

Prince Edward Island

　　In 2007, this National Historic Site became Canada's 14th location to be named a World Heritage site, and it remains one of the country's eight cultural inclusions on the Unesco list. Opened in 1832, the 200km-long system connects Kingston with Ottawa through 47 locks, climbing 84m from Ottawa over the...

Coal Harbour Seawall

Prince Edward Island

　　An idyllic 2km waterfront stroll from Canada Place to Stanley Park, this is a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon. En route you'll pass the landmark convention center, the sparkling Olympic Cauldron and intriguing historic panels. Take a break at the grassy nook of Harbour Green Park as well...

Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology

Prince Edward Island

　　This fantastic museum is one of the pre-eminent dinosaur museums on the planet, made even better by a $5.9 million expansion project completed in 2019. Even if you have no interest in dinos, you'll come out feeling like you missed your calling as a paleontologist. The exhibits are nothing short...

Horseshoe Falls

Prince Edward Island

　　The centerpiece of any visit here are the Horseshoe Falls. Named after their 670m curved shape, they have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America; at 65km/h, more than 2574 kiloliters of water per second crashes over the ridge into a roiling Maid of the Mist Pool....

Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Prince Edward Island

　　One of Atlantic Canada's most famous and spectacular national parks, Cape Breton Highlands occupies 20% of the Cape Breton Island landmass. It's accessible by the famous Cabot Trail, a third of which runs along the edge of the park. With dramatic highland scenery, it's a superb place for hiking; the...

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Prince Edward Island

　　In no other place on earth has such a large number of dinosaur bones been found in such a small area – over 40 species and 400 skeletons. Set where The Lost World meets Little House on the Prairie, Dinosaur Provincial Park – a Unesco World Heritage site – comes...

Drake Devonshire Inn

Prince Edward Island

　　From the folks behind Toronto's legendary Drake Hotel comes the Drake Devonshire, a historic foundry-turned-inn converted to a swooningly stylish and contemporary boutique hotel, hovering on Lake Ontario. Reopened in 2015 after a three-year renovation, the inn, its restaurant and cultural programming have quickly taken the county by storm. 　　For...

Lynn Canyon Park

Prince Edward Island

　　Amid a dense bristling of century-old trees, the main lure of this popular park is its Suspension Bridge, a free alternative to Capilano. Not quite as big as its tourist-magnet rival, it nevertheless provokes the same jelly-legged reaction as you sway over the river that tumbles 50m below – and...

Schwartz's

Prince Edward Island

　　Reuben Schwartz, a Romanian Jew, opened this Montréal icon in 1928, and it’s been going strong ever since. Schwartz’s meat goes through a 14-day regime of curing and smoking before landing on your plate after a final three-hour steam. It’s widely considered the best smoked meat in Montréal, whether it’s...

Niagara Fallsview Casino

Prince Edward Island

　　Open 24/7, this mammoth building across from the Skylon is itself worth a look – an amazing complex of commerce and crapshoots, with a fantastical foaming fountain in the lobby. Corny old-timers like Rick Springfield and Kool & The Gang are regularly wheeled out to perform at the 1500-seat Avalon...

Jasper National Park

Prince Edward Island

　　Encompassing 11,228 sq km of Rocky Mountains wilderness, including jagged peaks, vast forests, glacial lakes and the magnificent Columbia Icefield, Jasper shelters some of the most pristine natural features on the North American continent. Jasper receives over two million visitors annually, making it Canada's second most popular national park. ...

Moraine Lake

Prince Edward Island

　　Why you should go The spectacular, deep teal waters of Moraine Lake are one of Banff National Park’s most iconic sights. The lake’s rugged and remote setting in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, accessed via a narrow winding road, only add to its allure. Many visitors actually prefer Moraine...

Lake Louise

Prince Edward Island

　　Why you should go Considered by many to be the crown jewel of Banff National Park, Lake Louise is nearly impossible to describe without resorting to clichés. This implausibly turquoise lake is ringed by chiseled mountains capped by Victoria Glacier. 　　Roughly 2km (1.2 miles) end to end and 70m (230ft) deep,...

Jasper National Park

Prince Edward Island

　　Jasper is a rugged beauty; it's more raw and less tourist-pampering than its southern cousin Banff, and hence host to a more ambitious, adventurous visitor. Its tour de force is its extensive multipurpose trail network, much of it instantly accessible from the park’s compact townsite.  　　Backing it up is abundant...

Banff National Park

Prince Edward Island

　　Why you should goOf all Canada’s top sights, Banff National Park justifiably ranks as many people’s number one. As much a piece of history as a natural wonder, Canada’s oldest national park, founded in 1885, is what Canada is all about. It’s a feral, but largely accessible, wilderness that attempts...

Whistler Farmers Market

Whistler

　　If you're here in summer, head to the Upper Village and the plaza in front of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for the Whistler Farmers Market, where you can peruse more than 50 tent-topped stands hawking everything from arts and crafts to stuff-your-face seasonal fruits and bakery items. Arrive early for...

Pemberton Museum

Whistler

　　The perfect place to uncover the rough-and-tumble roots of this old frontier town, you'll find exhibits on everything from First Nations origins to colonial-era settlement and more recent social history. Look out for some arresting taxidermy and ask the volunteers if there are any archive images of Potato Jack, the...

Cloudraker Skybridge

Whistler

　　The newest attraction on Whistler Mountain is this 130m-long suspension bridge with a see-through base that connects the top of Whistler Peak with the Raven’s Eye viewing platform on the West Ridge. Opened in summer 2018, the bridge is accessed by hiking downhill for 15 minutes from the Roundhouse Lodge...

Whistler Museum & Archives

Whistler

　　Tucked into an anonymous green shed behind the library building, this great little museum traces Whistler's development from 1970s hippy hangout to 21st-century resort. The story is as compelling as it is short, speckled with interesting exhibits such as the original 1965 ski-lift gondola and a 2010 Olympic torch. Don't...

Pemberton Distillery

Whistler

　　Located in an old industrial area, stepping inside here is a breath of fresh air – especially if you're an artisan booze fan. One of the elders of the BC craft liquor movement, they started making silky-smooth vodka from local potatoes here but have since added organic gin, absinthe, hemp...