Canada Travel Guide

Canada is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. You can find everything in Canada from endless lakes, striking mountains, wildlife, plains, badlands, and everything in between.

Canada Travel guide

Choose a Province

Alberta – home of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Canada’s Badlands.

British Columbia – endless lakes, mountains, rainforests, and wineries. Great skiing, biking, and climbing.

Ontario – big cities, cottage country, and autumn colours.

I only write about the provinces I’ve personally been to.

First Time Visiting Canada?

Canada is a large, expensive country to visit. The best and most cost effective way to explore Canada is with a car you can camp in.

Canada Travel Guide

Plan Your Trip in Advance: many places in Canada, especially national parks and tourist hubs, require advance bookings. If you’re visiting in winter advance planning is especially helpful as temperatures are very cold. “Winging your trip” is not advised from October to April especially for this reason.

Travel Insurance: ALWAYS purchase reliable travel insurance before your trip. This insurance is trusted by backpackers and adventure sport enthusiasts around the world. You can also use my link to receive 5% off SafetyWing policies. Here’s a blog post with more trustworthy travel insurance options you can compare.

Public Transportation is not common in North America, however every big city has their own local transit system. If you want to venture out of big cities or to any natural spot, plan to rent a car – here are the best budget car rental options in Canada. Trains (Via Rail) are not well connected within the country and are expensive. Hitchhiking is relatively uncommon here, however Poparide is becoming more popular for ride sharing.

Phone: popular providers are Rogers, Telus, and Koodoo. SIM cards can be purchased at the airport, phone stands, or provider storefronts. Canada has some of the most globally expensive phone rates.

Language: English & French (in Quebec).

Currency: Canadian dollars – displayed as “$” or “CAD”. Both cash and card are accepted everywhere.

Visas are typically not needed for stays up to 6 months in Canada.

Tipping Culture: You are expected to tip 15-20% minimum on every meal. You are also expected to tip drivers, hair dressers, or anyone providing a “service” to you.

Tax: is not included in the price you see. Each province has their own tax bracket – Alberta 5%, Ontario 13%, British Columbia 12%, etc.

Visit the Canadian Rockies National Parks

The Canadian Rockies National Parks are some of the most beautiful areas of Canada. The national parks are great for hiking, camping, climbing, and all sorts of other mountain sports.

Banff National Park

Banff is Canada’s most famous national park. Think lakes, glaciers, wildlife, hiking, and camping.

Jasper National Park

Jasper is similar to Banff and located only 3.5hrs away. Jasper is smaller than Banff and has a more “wild” feel.

Kananaskis Country

Kananaskis is not a national park, but a collection of provincial parks right next to Banff. It’s equally as beautiful.

Yoho National Park

Has the most beautiful waterfalls in all of the Canadian Rockies National Parks.

Kootenay National Park

Has lesser explored hiking trails and is located only 30 minutes from Banff.

Waterton Lakes National Park

is an underrated national park south of Banff bordering Montana.

Explore the Alberta Badlands

If you’ve ever wanted to visit Canada’s desert, the Alberta badlands are the place to be.

Drumheller

Drumheller is the dinosaur capital of the world. You’ll find hoodoos, the world’s largest dinosaur, the Royal Tyrell Museum, and a teeny tiny church here.

Writing on Stone

This quiet provincial park has an impressive display of hoodoos and petroglyphs.

Featured Guides by Province

Alberta

British Columbia

Ontario

Recent Canada Blogs

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