Make the Most of Your Time in Canada

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Mountains, forests, and lakes in the Rockies
How Many Days to Spend in Canada

When planning a trip to Canada, two weeks is an ideal amount of time to visit multiple regions or immerse yourself in one province, getting to know the area well. Alternatively, If you're strapped for time, one week is plenty to visit two, even three provinces in the Maritimes. And with only five days, you can choose a highlights tour of one or two cities, like Ottawa and Montréal or Toronto and Niagara Falls.

Take in the Toronto skyline as you cruise amid the Toronto Islands on Lake Ontario
Map of 5 Days in Canada - 6 Unique Itinerary Ideas
5 Days in Canada - 6 Unique Itinerary Ideas

With five days in Canada, you can explore Alberta's incredible nature on a Banff and Jasper National Parks tour or head north to roam the snow-covered landscapes and chase the northern lights on a wild Yukon trip. City lovers will love splitting their time between Québec City and Montréal, while those looking for a mix of city and nature can focus their time on the bustling streets and stunning landscapes of Toronto.

Visit Lake Moraine on an itinerary that touches Alberta's Banff National Park
Map of 6 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
6 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Depending on your preferred pace, you can visit up to four destinations in Canada in six days. A scenic, fast-paced train journey brings you to the eastern cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Québec City, and Montréal, while a self-drive in the Rocky Mountains takes you hiking in Banff National Park. For a wintry trip, search for the northern lights in Whitehorse or visit the German Christmas Market in French-speaking Québec City. Foodies and nature lovers will enjoy an itinerary that explores Vancouver and Victoria.

Feel the mist and hear the thunder of Niagara Falls' Horseshoe Falls on a eastern Canada itinerary
Map of 1 Week in Canada - 6 Unique Itinerary Ideas
1 Week in Canada - 6 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Explore the Canadian Rockies via train in one week, covering destinations such as Vancouver, Kamloops, Banff, and Jasper. Or, concentrate on the country's city culture in Toronto and Ottawa and the food scene in the culinary capital of Montréal. Swap out trains for cars on a self-drive tour with an additional visit to Mont-Tremblant for an action-packed itinerary. British Columbia is another road trip hotspot as you cover destinations such as Kelowna, Whistler, Ucluelet, and Victoria, with the chance to spot wild bears and whales.

On a road trip of British Columbia you can seek out First Nations' totem poles on Vancouver Island
Map of 8 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
8 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

In eight days, you can experience urban and outdoor activities in two Canadian provinces. Nature lovers can kayak in Jacques-Cartier National Park and trek through a rainforest on Vancouver Island. Wildlife enthusiasts can spot elk on an Alberta safari and go whale watching in British Columbia. Tasting tours through Montréal's Mile End and Toronto's Kensington Market will satisfy foodies, and travelers keen on culture can learn about First Nations through museum exhibits and interactive workshops.

Spirit Island, located in Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, is one of the most photographed spots in the Canadian Rockies
Map of 9 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
9 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

You can visit up to six destinations in Canada in nine days. A road trip from Calgary to British Columbia's Pacific coast stops in Banff and Jasper, while a fast-paced train journey brings you to the eastern cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Québec City, and Montréal. Active travelers should add kayaking and hiking in Kelowna. For a summer adventure, visit Vancouver's national parks and go whale watching, and for winter activities, search for the northern lights in the Yukon and Northern Territories.

Take to Grands-Jardins National Park to hike amid forests of balsam and black spruce and spot wildlife like moose and beavers
Map of 10 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
10 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Explore the best of Canada's west coast in 10 days, covering destinations like Vancouver, Whistler, and lakes Louise and Moraine, or add visits to Banff, Jasper, and Kamloops to your self-drive itinerary through the Canadian Rockies. For something unique, tack on three nights to view the northern lights from Whitehorse. Swap the west coast for the east and combine a train journey with a self-drive tour through Montréal, Mont-Tremblant, and Québec City or opt for skiing, dogsledding, and ice skating in La Mauricie National Park.

Learn about black bears on a cruise of Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park
Map of 11 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
11 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

With 11 days in Canada, you can visit up to six places. A fast-paced road trip across Ontario and Québec stops at Niagara Falls and the charming Baie-Sainte-Paul, while a drive through British Columbia and Alberta provides stops in Banff and Jasper national parks. Wildlife and nature lovers will enjoy whale watching in Tofino and kayaking Salt Spring Island from Victoria. Hit the eastern highlights like Mont-Tremblant and Québec City, or opt for an alternative winter adventure that includes Mauricie.

Spot orcas off the shores of Vancouver with a 12-day road trip through British Columbia
Map of 12 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
12 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Twelve days in Canada is an excellent amount of time to experience the welcoming cities and remote countryside of one or two provinces. Road trip across British Columbia for a mix of alpine towns and rugged coastlines, or through Alberta to conquer hikes within the Canadian Rockies. For those preferring train travel or a mix of urban and winter activities, Québec is perfect, while the Yukon and Northwest Territories await the most adventurous winter travelers.

Snowshoe your way across the frozen Yukon wilderness on a Northern Canada adventure to Whitehorse and Yellowknife
Map of 13 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
13 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

In 13 days, you can experience some of Canada's cities, heritage, and rugged landscapes. Learn about First Nations at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Center and Royal Ontario Museum. Foodies can feast on seafood in Western Canada, sip ice wine in Niagara, or take a tasting tour of Montréal's Mile End. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy glacier hiking in Alberta and surfing from Vancouver Island. Northern Canada in the winter offers snowshoeing, skiing, and a chance to see the aurora borealis.

Amble the streets of historic Québec City to admire beautiful Château Frontenac
Map of 2 Weeks in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
2 Weeks in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

In two weeks, you can visit five destinations of one or two provinces, like Banff, Jasper, Kamloops, and Vancouver, on a west coast road trip. Swap the roads for the rail through British Columbia, adding Winnipeg and northern Churchill, Manitoba, to the mix. Or, discover Toronto and Ottawa and the food scene in Montréal, Québec City, and Charlevoix of Eastern Canada. Alternatively, seek wildlife and nature in Québec on a bear spotting and whale watching excursion, or consider hiking in the Rockies and the Okanagan Valley and enjoy the sights of Yoho National Park.

Discover Ottawa's Parliament Hill on an Eastern Canada road trip or a train journey from British Columbia to Ontario
Map of 15 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
15 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

With 15 Days in Canada, you can visit up to seven places, exploring four provinces on an epic train journey from British Columbia to Québec. Get behind the wheel for two Eastern Canada road trips, one that balances Ontario and Québec highlights from Niagara Falls to Québec City and one that spends more time in French Canada, covering Charlevoix. Alternatively, focus time in the west with a self-drive circuit from Vancouver to Banff or in the north with a snowy adventure in the Yukon and Alberta.

Enjoy views of the prairie grasslands on a train ride to Churchill
Map of 16 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
16 Days in Canada - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Given Canada's size, it's best to focus on 2-3 provinces for a 16-day trip. Culinary travelers can sample poutine on a Montréal food tour and sip ice wine at an Ontario vineyard. A walk on the Horstman Glacier and a hike in Banff National Park are highlights for outdoor enthusiasts. Animal lovers can watch for whales at the Saguenay Fjord and spot polar bears in Churchill. Travelers who prefer a slow pace yet want to cover a lot of ground can take a cross-country train from British Columbia to Québec.