Canada travel guide : explore cities, national parks and natural wonders

What you need to know before visiting Canada

• Official name: Canada
• Capital: Ottawa
• Population: About 38 million people
• Official languages: English and French
• Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD/$)
• Area: 9,984,670 square kilometres

How Canadian history shaped its diverse culture

Canada's historical narrative weaves together Indigenous wisdom, European exploration, and the ongoing creation of a pluralistic society:

Indigenous peoples: first nations, inuit and métis heritage

For over 14,000 years before European contact, Indigenous peoples developed rich and diverse civilizations across what is now Canada. From the Haida of the Pacific Coast with their monumental totem poles standing up to 30 metres tall, to the Iroquois Confederacy's sophisticated political system in the East, to the Inuit's ingenious adaptations to Arctic life, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples created complex societies deeply connected to the land.

Colonial Canada: french and british influences

Following Norse settlements around 1000 CE, French explorers established permanent colonies in the early 17th century. Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608, beginning what would become New France. British conquest in 1763 led to the gradual establishment of British North America. The War of 1812 helped forge a distinct identity separate from the United States, leading to the 1867 confederation of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into the Dominion of Canada, with other provinces and territories joining over time.

Canadian independence: from colony to nation

Canada's transition from colony to independent nation occurred gradually. The country distinguished itself during World War I at battles like Vimy Ridge, where Canadian forces advanced 4.5 kilometres through heavily defended German positions. The 1931 Statute of Westminster recognized Canada's autonomy, though full legal independence came with the Constitution Act of 1982, which patriated the constitution from British control.

Modern Canada: multiculturalism and contemporary society

Contemporary Canada has emerged as a leader in human rights, environmental protection, and multiculturalism. The country implemented official bilingualism in 1969 and pioneered the world's first official multicultural policy in 1971. Recent decades have seen important steps toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, including the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and efforts to address historical injustices. Today, Canada ranks consistently among the world's most livable countries while navigating challenges of identity, regionalism, and its role on the global stage.

Canadian culture: languages, arts and traditions

Canadian languages: navigating english, french and more

Canada's linguistic landscape reflects its diverse heritage. While English and French serve as official languages at the federal level, with approximately 22.8% of Canadians identifying as bilingual, the country embraces multilingualism. Over 200 languages are spoken, including more than 70 Indigenous languages. In Quebec, where French is the sole official language, about 80% of the population speaks French as their first language. Initiatives like immersion schools, which enroll over 430,000 students annually, help preserve and strengthen Canada's linguistic heritage.

Canadian arts: literature, music and visual arts

Canadian arts reflect both the country's natural environment and urban dynamism. Literary giants like Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, and Michael Ondaatje have earned international acclaim. Musicians from Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen to Drake and The Weeknd have redefined their genres. The Group of Seven painters captured Canada's wilderness on canvases that helped form national identity, while contemporary Indigenous artists like Kent Monkman and Rebecca Belmore create powerful works addressing colonialism and cultural resurgence. Cirque du Soleil, founded in Quebec, revolutionized circus arts and now performs for over 15 million people annually around the world.

Canadian food: what to eat during your visit

Canadian culinary traditions blend Indigenous ingredients, French techniques, British foundations, and global influences:

• Poutine (Quebec's iconic dish of fries, cheese curds, and gravy, with the average serving weighing 500-750 grams)
• Maple syrup (Canada produces over 80% of the world's supply, about 14.3 million litres annually)
• Butter tarts (sweet pastries with origins dating to the 1900s, typically 7-9 centimetres in diameter)
• Bannock (Indigenous flatbread adapted through Scottish influence)
• Montreal-style bagels (hand-rolled, wood-fired, and slightly sweeter than their New York counterparts)

Canada's beverage culture includes award-winning wines from regions like Niagara Peninsula (spanning 1,800 hectares) and Okanagan Valley (with over 8,600 hectares of vineyards). Craft brewing has exploded with over 1,000 breweries nationwide, while Canadian whisky follows strict regulations requiring aging for at least three years in 700-litre wooden barrels.

Canadian sports and winter activities: hockey to skiing

Ice hockey remains central to Canadian identity, with nearly 80% of Canadians following the sport. Invented in the 1800s on frozen ponds, the modern game is played on rinks measuring 61 metres by 26 metres. The National Hockey League's Stanley Cup, standing 89.5 centimetres tall and weighing 15.5 kilograms, is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. Beyond hockey, Canadians embrace winter through activities like ice fishing on lakes frozen to thicknesses of 30-60 centimetres, dogsledding with teams capable of covering 125-150 kilometres daily, and skiing at resorts like Whistler Blackcomb, which offers a vertical drop of 1,530 metres across 3,307 hectares of terrain.

Where to go in Canada: top cities and destinations

Toronto: exploring Canada's largest city

Canada's largest city embraces remarkable diversity with over 180 languages spoken:

• CN Tower: Standing 553 metres tall, this engineering marvel features a glass floor 342 metres above ground.
• Royal Ontario Museum: Housing over 13 million artifacts across 27 galleries in a distinctive crystal-inspired structure.
• Kensington Market: A vibrant 0.1 square kilometre neighborhood with shops and eateries from over 30 cultures.
• Toronto Islands: A 330-hectare car-free archipelago just 1.6 kilometres from downtown.
• PATH: The world's largest underground shopping complex stretching 30 kilometres beneath the city center.

Vancouver: where mountains meet the pacific coast

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Coast Mountains, Vancouver offers unparalleled natural beauty alongside urban sophistication. Stanley Park covers 405 hectares—22% larger than New York's Central Park—with a 8.8-kilometre seawall. The city's moderate climate, with average winter temperatures of 6°C, makes it Canada's warmest major city.

Montreal: experiencing french-canadian culture

Canada's second-largest city and cultural heart of French Canada captivates with European charm and North American energy. Old Montreal's cobbled streets date back to the 17th century, while the Underground City offers 32 kilometres of subterranean walkways connecting metro stations, shopping centers, and cultural venues—useful during winters when temperatures can drop to -30°C.

Quebec city: north america's historic walled city

The only walled city north of Mexico enchants visitors with its preserved French colonial architecture within 4.6 kilometres of fortifications standing up to 12 metres tall. The iconic Château Frontenac, perched 54 metres above the St. Lawrence River, has 611 rooms spread across 18 floors.

Banff: discovering the canadian rockies

Nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, this mountain town sits at an elevation of 1,383 metres within Canada's oldest national park. The surrounding wilderness offers 1,600 kilometres of hiking trails amidst peaks reaching heights of 3,400 metres, with Lake Louise's turquoise waters reflecting the Victoria Glacier.

Best natural attractions in Canada: mountains to lakes

• Rocky Mountains: A 1,500-kilometre range featuring peaks up to 3,954 metres (Mount Robson) and over 1,000 glaciers.
• Bay of Fundy: Home to the world's highest tides, reaching up to 16 metres, with 160 billion tonnes of water flowing in and out twice daily.
• Northern Lights: Visible up to 200 nights per year in parts of northern Canada, illuminating the sky with displays covering over 1,000 kilometres.
• Great Lakes: Containing 20% of the world's surface freshwater, covering 244,000 square kilometres with an average depth of 62 metres.
• Nahanni National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage site featuring 30,000 square kilometres of wilderness, including the 90-metre Virginia Falls—twice the height of Niagara.

Interesting facts about Canada you might not know

Canada has the world's longest coastline at 243,042 kilometres—enough to circle the equator six times.

The country contains 20% of the world's freshwater and approximately 31,752 lakes larger than 3 square kilometres each.

Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta is larger than Switzerland at 44,807 square kilometres and home to the world's largest beaver dam, stretching 850 metres.

Over 80% of Canada's population lives within 150 kilometres of the US border, with 90% of Canadians living in the southernmost 4% of the country's territory.

Alert, Nunavut, is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world at just 817 kilometres from the North Pole, where winter temperatures average -32°C.

Canadian innovations that impacted global history

• Insulin (discovered by Frederick Banting and Charles Best in 1921)
• The telephone (patented by Alexander Graham Bell while living in Brantford, Ontario)
• Peacekeeping (pioneered by Lester B. Pearson, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts)
• The Canadarm (15-metre robotic arm used on Space Shuttle missions and International Space Station)
• Basketball (invented by James Naismith in 1891, though he was teaching in Massachusetts at the time)