Top Canada hotels
CN Tower Toronto
274 Reviews Let the elevator take you to to the top of (what was once) the tallest free standing structure in the world and you'll have a great view of Toronto and Lake Ontario. The CN Tower is 1,815.4 ft feet...
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Stanley Park Vancouver
194 Reviews If you are driving through the park you will most likely drive by Prospect Point, which is a little bit higher up in the park. From up here you have a great view over the Lions Gate Bridge, North...
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Old Montreal Montreal
208 Reviews The only outdoor skating area in Montreal just opened in the Old Port of Montreal. =) If you are courageous enough to bear the cold and want to enjoy the outdoors, this is for you! Bring your whole...
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Place Royale & Le Petit Champlain Quebec
72 Reviews The oldest commercial area in North America ! This is one of the nicest area of town. Pedestrian streets lined up with nice restaurants and shops. The area was in bad shape until the 70s when the...
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Rideau Canal - Skating in Winter Ottawa
21 Reviews Not sure if this should fall under "Must see activity" or "Tourist Trap". I tend to think it's both. The Rideau Canal is one of Ottawa's top attractions and a lot of fun to skate on -- although it's...
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Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls
107 Reviews It's like taking a shower all over again. What am I talking about? Made Of The Mist. What's that? That is the boat which will take you right underneath the falls. This way you can see the American...
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Chinatown Victoria
31 Reviews Victoria's Chinatown was founded in 1858. Although it still covers about 6 blocks, it is estimated that during the Gold Rush, Chinatown accounted for about half of Victoria's entire population and was...
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Peggy's Cove Halifax
21 Reviews This a small rural community and it is a photographer's paradise! I went there during the summer and it was windy and a little cloudy so it is always better to know the condition of the weather to...
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West Edmonton Mall Edmonton
57 Reviews I visited Edmonton when I was a teen around 1987 or so. I can't add anything here that anyone else hasn't already told you about, but for the sake of completeness I will add my experience...
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Downtown Calgary Calgary
40 Reviews Originally a planetarium, the facility has been upgraded to a complete hands-on Science Center. There are numerous exhibits which change frequently and admission includes access to two shows. Check...
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The Forks Winnipeg
27 Reviews It is located in the heart of Winnipeg not far from city center where the mighty river of Assiniboine and Red meets.It is a National Historical Site of Canada and one among the famous in Manitoba...
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Banff Avenue Banff
15 Reviews Don't miss the chance to have a walk on its streets. It is a fairy tale town and you get to have great views and chances are you ran into a bear! Much of what happens in Banff happens on Banff...
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Canadian Club Brand Center Windsor
7 Reviews The Canadian Club Brand Center features an incredible art collection. The center offers tours daily 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. April to December and Fri.Sat.Sun. 11a.m. to 6p.m. January to March. Admission for...
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Moraine Lake/ Valley of Ten Peaks Banff National Park
41 Reviews Of all lakes in the Canadian Rockies, few can match the beauty of this one. Backed by a wall of ten peaks, Moraine Lake is one of the biggest draws of the Canadian Rockies- so on any given summer day,...
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Signal Hill St. John's
22 Reviews Geological Interactive museum located on the road up to Signal hill. Learn about rock formations, world weather, oil drilling , mining etc. Lots of interactive displays, short movies etc. Not for the...
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Athabasca Falls Jasper National Park
37 Reviews The falls are situated in Jasper National Park and on the Upper Athabasca River. The falls are approximately 23 metres high but are more renowned for their force than their height. There are various...
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Victoria Park London
3 Reviews Victoria Park is 18 acres in downtown London. We walked through it a few times. As advertised, there are a lot of squirrels hanging about -- and the mandatory statues and war monuments. We saw the...
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1000 Islands Kingston
21 Reviews We made a long approach to Kingston on the 100-km (62-mile) Loyalist Parkway, which starts near Trenton and takes a scenic route along the Lake Ontario coast via the isthmus of Prince Edward. It was a...
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Old Charlottetown Charlottetown
4 Reviews This is a pedestrian street in downtown Charlottetown, close to the main attractions in town, such as the Confederation Centre, Province House, Peake's Quay, etc. There are small restaurants,...
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Lake Louise./Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
29 Reviews Lake Louise is a glacial lake situated in Banff National Park. The lake is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848-1939) who was related to Queen Victoria and the wife of Canada's Govenor...
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Anne of Green Gables Prince Edward Island
14 Reviews This is what you would expect when Disney World merges with Anne of Green Gables. The 'town' consists of a few blocks of buildings, only a few of which are from the period, which house stores,...
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Chinatown Toronto
52 Reviews The main Chinatown area of Toronto centres around Spadina and Dundas St. W. and the neighbouring streets south of Dundas for the most part. There are lots and lots of interesting little shops and...
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Grouse Mountain Vancouver
77 Reviews Grouse Mountain is a great place to visit when you are in Vancouver. You can go for a visit of a couple of hours, but you can easily spent a whole day up here. If you visit in the summer there are...
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Mont-Royal Montreal
103 Reviews Its a long but mostly manageable climb up to Mont Royal (not a mountain, just 692 feet high) and a good first thing to do in the city. There are great views of the city from up here as well as a nice...
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Montmorency Falls Quebec
33 Reviews Montmorency is a 20 min drive from Quebec City. At 84 meters, Montmorency falls was beautiful but not as Spellbinding as Niagara. We had 2 options - to drive or take cable car to the top of the...
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Though we did not visit Canada for the big cities but rather for the nature experience, Toronto was all-in-all a vibrant, interesting modern city. Toronto has Toronto Island, an exceptionally nice recreational area you reach by ferry, and the CN tower (one of the highest man-made structures in the world) with a magnificent view on Toronto. Apart from that, Toronto has excellent restaurants, bars and a very multicultural "feel".
Though it is a "touristy" thing to do and you will rarely be alone, the boat ride on Maligne Lake to Spirit Island (1 1/2 hour return, for 50 CND-$) is not to be missed. The last boat leaves at 5 p.m. from the ferry terminal. Note that it is possible to go to the back on the boat during the ride to take photos unobstructed by the windows. You get incredible views of the lake and the surrounding mountains all along, and a short photo stop (15 minutes) on Spirit Island is included. Though the boat ride is fun, to fully experience the beauty of the region, best include time for a hiking trip (either Bald Hills or Opal Hills) when you are going to Maligne Lake.
Helmcken Falls is Canada's fourth highest waterfall: 141 metres high, about three times higher than Niagara Falls! From the park entrance, it is roughly 1/2 hour to the (rarely ever crowded) viewing platform of the falls. On the way, you pass the so-called "mushbowl" when crossing the Murtle River, a splashing river rapid not to be missed.
Jasper townsite - against the scenic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains - has all the necessary tourist facilities, shops, overpriced accomodation options and some decent restaurants, too. A bit too crowded in peak season for my liking, we instead chose to stay just outside the park (Wyndswept B &B, 2km past the eastern park gate). The advantage of Jasper though is that many hiking trails begin in just a short driving distance from the townsite (Pyramid Lake, Cottonwood Slough etc.). It is interesting to watch the endless freight trains roll in and out of Jasper (the railway line runs parallel to the main street) - just incredible how long those monster trains can be.
These trails in the Mount Washington / Forbidden Plateau area (part of Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island) are sometimes called the "Sawdust Trail", but this is not the official name. Anyway, all trails leading to and around Lake Helen McKenzie are well-signed, you can`t miss your way. I recommend both trails highly, they are very scenic and not too exhausting: - Helen McKenzie-Battleship Lake Loop Trail: Length, 8 km. Suggested hiking time, 3 hours. Elevation gain: 70 m. An easy hike on well-developed trails through a mixture of sub-alpine meadows carpeted with pretty flowers and forests of yellow cedar, amabilis fir and mountain hemlock. - Helen McKenzie to Circlet Lake: Length, 9.5 km. Suggested hiking time, 4 hours. Elevation gain: 270 m. From Lake Helen McKenzie the trail follows forested slopes over rougher terrain before rising to a rolling sub-alpine area. The...
To be honest, we dedicated too little time for Victoria, because we did it as a daytrip from Qualicum Beach and included a whale-watching - trip. I liked Victoria, though the self-image of Victoria as a sort of historic London in a time-bubble is a bit exaggerated. Victoria is not only the capital of Vancouver Island, but also the Whale-Watching capital of British Columbia. This is surely a must-do activity, the sighting rate is near 90%, and you get pretty close to Orcas, Sea-Lions, Seals and other marine animals. Victoria has a spectacular neo-classic Parliament Building, a pretty harbour, an interesting collection of Totem Poles in the Thunderbird Park (behind the Royal BC Museum), a small Chinatown, and good shopping possibilities in Government Street and colourful Johnston Street. Unfortunately, we had no time for the Butchard Gardens and neither the highly recommended Royal BC...
Strathcona Park is a vast Mountain wilderness in the center of Vancouver Island. The most accessible and in my opinion more worthwhile part is the Mount Washinton area (follow the signs to the ski resort and then to the parking lot of Raven`s Lodge). The trailhead to all hiking routes of the Mount Washington area begin here. The Paradise Meadows hike and the hike to Lake Helen McKenzie are highly recommended. The less accessible part of Strathcona Park is around Buttle Lake. There are some short and medium hikes along Buttle Lake (like the Shepherd Trail) and - at the end of Buttle Lake - the Bedwell Falls hike that can only be reached over a steep gravel road in a condition only suitable for 4WD-vehicles. The short hikes here were OK, but nothing spectacular in my opinion though. The weather here is subject to quick changes, so dress in layers and take a raincoat.
This Chinese Garden - only a short walk from the China Gate at Pender Street - was built for the World Exposition in 1986 and is the main attraction of Chinatown. It is named after Sun Ya - Tsen, a Chinese politician and statesman who was influential in the overthrow of the last imperial dynasty in China at the beginning of the 20th century. He was a frequent visitor of Vancouver and lived there for a time. The Vancouver Chinese Garden is said to be the first of its kind outside China. The park (beyond the statue of Sun Ya Tsen) is free, though the gardens and the restored Ming Dynasty residence (entrance to the right of the statue) are not. The gardens are beautiful and absolutely worth a visit. Take notice of the Chinese Zodiac - symbols in front of the Sun Ya Tsen - monument, too.
Asian influence is not only visible in Chinatown, but in every other part of Vancouver, too. Vancouver has a large Asian community and is probably one of the most convenient bases for Chinese and other Asians who want to keep close ties to their respective homelands. Chinatown Vancouver is centered around Pender Street. It is one of the biggest Chinatowns on the North American continent, and one of the most authentic, too - they don`t cater exclusively for tourists here. One of the biggest attraction here is the Dr. Sun Ya Tsen Chinese Garden (see my detailed tip). Also, look out for the China Gate (a remnant of a World Exposition), marking the entry to Chinatowen, bilingual street signs with Chinese letters and the street lamps ridden by colourful dragons. Be aware that the area between Chinatown and Gastown (Downtown Eastside, especially around the corner Hastings/Main Street) looks...
Granville Island is a small peninsula in the False Creek strait, under the southern end of Granville Street Bridge. Go to the waterfront, under Burrard Street Bridge, and take the Granville Island ferry (5 minutes). The popular island is best known for its great public markets, art shops, restaurants, theaters, and a brewery. There is no culinary treat you can`t get here. Every thursday there`s a farmers market, too. Granville Island was once an industrial area - now only a cement factory is left from its industrial past.
Residence Inn Toronto Downtown / Entertainment District Toronto
4 Reviews and 508 Opinions I like it really much. Very clean, personnel was very professional, the suites are like a real home...
Opus Hotel Vancouver
5 Reviews and 653 Opinions A contemporary hotel located in the very cosmopolitan Yaletown. Top-notch service from a very...
Le Square Phillips Hotel Montreal
5 Reviews and 696 Opinions The stay was unremarkable. The hotel was drab. Dark, old, office building appearance. Our bedroom...
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Q: Hi, I'm traveling to Vancouver next week, and I wondered if anyone knows whether there might be a problem with withdrawing...
A: The only issue that you may run into is trying to withdraw money from a machine that is not part of the Visa network. Most Canadian banks are on this network; the only...
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