Canada is a country that is blessed with some truly beautiful places to see and visit. Here is a guide to some of the most awesome and simply inspiring places to be found in Canada. From vast expanses of nature and fine urban buildings, it seems that each part of the world's second-largest country has much to offer tourists. Visit the expanse of national parks, admire sea walls, and be amazed by wildlife. Canada has got it all, in fact, you may need more than one visit to see all of the beautiful places mentioned here.
1. The Banff National Park (Alberta)
The stunning views of Banff National Park are some of the most amazing that the Canadian Rockies have to offer visitors. Visit here and you will understand why Canada has a reputation for being the Great White North. Everything about Banff is remarkable, with the most spectacular highlights being the vantage point from the top of Sulphur Mountain, or the serenity offered by Lake Louise.
Whether you make this the starting point of your vacation, or the last leg of your Canadian adventures the forests, lakes, mountains, and waterfalls of this national park will provide brilliant memories for all that go there.
The Mount Royal Hotel is the most popular place to stay for those who explore the beauty of Banff.
2. Abraham Lake (Alberta)
Yet another beautiful place to stay in Alberta is Abraham Lake. It is a man-made lake yet that does not make the view any less spectacular. In the winter months, methene gas is frozen as blue bubbles, which can be seen at the top of the lake. If visiting when the lake is iced over you just have to take a picture of those bubbles and post it on social media. A great place to stay for your visit to Abraham Lake is the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Although it is 80 miles from the lake, the drive makes every single mile worth it. Guests can also go on bike rides or in canoes.
3. The city of Victoria (British Columbia)
There are a host of reasons to put Victoria on the list of Canada's most beautiful places in its own right. The capital of British Columbia is home to some of Canada's most gorgeous public gardens, most notably Butchart Gardens. Aside from gardens, the city is home to parks such as Beacon Hill Park. Alternatively, you could opt to take a slow walk along the Fisherman's Wharf.
Maybe you could stay at one of Canada's grandest hotels, the Fairmont Express. It's Afternoon Teas are something of a local legend as well.
4. The Vancouver Seawall (British Columbia)
If you are feeling fit then there is the opportunity to cycle, jog or walk along the Vancouver Seawall. This seawall stretches out for 17 miles and is the longest such path across the globe. As you go along the path you can look out into the vast Pacific Ocean or catch a view of the city's skyline. There are beaches along the way so you could walk on them, or take a detour to walk around Stanley Park.
Vancouver is home to other fantastic sites including Grouse Mountain and the suspension bridge at Bridge Park.
5. The Glacier National Park (British Columbia)
For visitors looking for mountains and plenty of snow, the Glacier National Park could prove to be the ideal place to visit. This park is deep in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. You could camp within the park, or stay in log cabins. The log cabins would be the warmer places to stay in the winter.
The scenery from Glacier National Park is sensational, with mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and forests. It is a place where you can admire nature and get up close and personal with it.
Visitors looking for more comfort than a tent or a log cabin could into a guesthouse in nearby Revelstoke. People who regularly this national park tend to stay at Poppi's Guesthouse.
6. The Yoho National Park (British Columbia)
Yoho is a Cree word that translates into English as “awe.” As in awe-inspiring views of the Kootenay Rockies. Yoho National Park provides breathtaking scenery and enjoyable mountainside hikes. The park can be explored on foot or you can enjoy a scenic drive through it.
Make sure you visit the awesome Takakkaw Falls and the Emerald Lake. When visiting Yoho a fascinating feature to be seen is the fossils referred to as Burgess Shale. There are fossils for around 120 extinct types of marine creatures dating back up to 500 million years.
Visitors can stay at the Emerald Lake Lodge within Yoho, with log fires to keep you warm during the winter. There are balconies that provide fabulous views of the lakes and the mountains.
7. Cape Churchill (Manitoba)
People who like the cold and want to see polar bears in the wild will find Manitoba's Cape Churchill an ideal place to visit. You are right up in the Arctic when traveling to Cape Churchill, though the number of polar bears that can be seen is decreasing due to climate change. Local tour guides will allow you to get to the polar bears. There are also excursions to see Beluga whales organized by the Lazy Bear Lodge.
For warm and cheerful accommodation that is just a short walk from the town center stay at the Lazy Bear Lodge.
8. The Gros Morne National Park (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Perhaps the best-known part of the Gros Morne National Park is Western Brook Pond. It is misleading to call it a pond as it one of the largest freshwater fjords in the world. Then there are the Tablelands where the Earth's mantra can be seen, as well as Gros Morne Mountain, which is among the world's oldest mountains.
The Neddies Harbour Inn is a good place to stay, with fantastic views of the park, and a restaurant that serves excellent food.
9. Niagara Falls (Ontario)
Now if you want to see a magnificent waterfall then Niagara is the place to go. Though only the Northern part of Niagara Falls is in Canada, for generations Canadians have claimed they have the best view of the falls. Visitors in the summer months are treated to fireworks every night.
If you do not like to stay at places that are too touristy then try the Charles Hotel at Niagara-on-the-Lake, it is worth the 13-mile drive.
10. The CN Tower
For those that like to go into the tallest buildings in any city, there is the CN Tower in Toronto. You can dine in its 360-degree restaurant as it rotates. Dare devils can even walk out over a ledge, over 1,000 feet in the air by going on the Edgewalk. The tower arguably looks best at night when it is lit up.
11. Prince Edward Island National Park
It is not surprising that Prince Edward Island was given the status of a national park. This island has some of the best scenery in the whole of Canada. It has beaches, sand dunes, forests, and hiking trails. Certainly, a place to relax whilst enjoying the best nature has to offer.
You could stay at the 25 room Dalvay-by-the-Sea hotel, where is the room is unique and decorated with antiques.
12. Victoria-by-the-Sea
Originally the pretty village of Victoria-by-the-Sea was dominated by the fishing industry. Now it is home to many artists, and there are plenty of shops geared towards selling things to tourists. It is a postcard-perfect village complete with beaches, art galleries, small shops, and an exceedingly cute lighthouse you just have to take pictures of.
13. Old Montreal
Perhaps you feel like visiting a European city without wanting to catch a plane to Europe. Now the older American cities and the cities in English speaking parts of Canada do not provide the feel of being in Europe. The older parts of Montreal do exactly that. The earliest areas date back to 1642, and include the baslica of Notre Dame. The French architectural heritage cannot be missed. Alternatively, you could visit the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park built for when the city hosted the games in 1976.
14. Quebec City
Perhaps Old Montreal does not have enough European or French influence for you. Quebec City was the capital of French Canada until it was captured by the British during the French and Indian Wars. It has plenty of colonial buildings and rich history. The Montmorency Falls are actually higher than Niagara Falls and are worth seeing.
15. Grassland National Park
The most notable feature of the Grasslands National Park is it's sheer vastness. You would take days to walk across it. A relatively new way to see the park is to drive through it, by driving on the Badlands Pathway. Watch the roaming herds of bison and discover dinosaur fossils.
Other fantastic places in Canada are;
The list is not exhaustive, and people who have visited Canada themselves could come in different places. There are other beautiful places that you should consider seeing when you visit the Big Country next. You may prefer the Cabot Trail, or wonder why the Jesper National Park was not considered to be as good as the parks that made it on to the list.
