A family vacation in Canada gives you everything from the world’s leading ski resorts and hundreds of vast lakes to First Nations’ culture and some of the most thrilling cities on earth.
Summer beaches, fall road trips, skiing in winter, spring hikes, and cities any time you feel like an urban adventure, Canada couldn’t be more of a year-round destination for family vacations with kids, of any age.
Out of Canada’s 47 National Parks, six have World Heritage status, including Canadian Rocky Mountains Parks: really a collective of seven national parks, one of which is Banff where you’ll find remarkable Lake Louise.
From its 22 UNESCO World Heritage sites to its living First Nations’ culture, world-class museums and galleries, internationally renowned writers and artists, and legendary film festivals, Canada does culture on a grand scale.
Canada has some of the world’s top ski resorts and some of the most accessible. Whistler is under two hours drive north of downtown Vancouver, and you can be skiing Mont Tremblant within a couple of hours of leaving Montréal.
Between bears of all types – including the mysterious Kermode ‘Spirit’ Bear – killer whales and humpback whales, not to mention the cute Beluga, wildlife is wilder and more astonishing in Canada than it is almost anywhere else on earth.
Just about anything can be a cause for celebration in Canada from movies to maple syrup, which is probably why some of the world’s best family festivals are right here, including Montréal’s Winterlude and the annual Calgary Stampede.
Canada’s biggest city is a true icon from its CN Tower dominated skyline to the make-or-break Toronto Film Festival. New and shiny at first glance, Toronto has an old heart and, as haunted tours of the historic districts prove, more than a few tales to tell. It’s a lively city for kids with an endless parade of activities indoors and out, amazing zoos, enormous parks and the powerful attraction of Canada’s Wonderland – the country’s biggest and most thrilling theme park.
Big city excitement, mountain adventure, seaside fun and just about everything else from theme parks to world class museums, outstanding skiing and fascinating history, Vancouver is a great all-round family vacation. Tsawwassen ferry terminal is under 50 minutes by road from the city, so you can easily include phenomenal Vancouver Island in your vacation plans. And although Vancouver’s weather doesn’t go to the extremes of northern Canada, even in winter, in summer, it’s sunny, warm, big on beaches and a great place to do some day-to-day island hopping.
Québec City is charming, historic and cultured. Its authentically ‘French’ Old City looks almost exactly like 18th century Brittany and is, of course, a well cared for UNESCO World Heritage site. This is also a city that likes to celebrate so you’ll find festivals here all year round, even in the coldest months of the year. Think about making a date with the Québec Winter Carnaval in late January each year, to see the city transformed into a snow-fest and witness first hand how much the Québecois love a good party. Then get outdoors in warmer weather too and go adventuring beyond the city to the likes of Montmorency Falls: the suspension bridge here will astound kids.
Founded almost 400 years ago, Montréal is Quebec Province’s oldest city and the second largest French speaking city in the world. It’s also young, fresh, energetic and great for kids – it even has its own International Children’s Film Festival. It’s home territory for Cirque de Soleil as well, along with Montréal Complètement Cirque. And in addition to being famous for year-round ice skating, you’ll find most of Québec’s 70 plus ski resorts within easy reach of the city, including legendary Mont Tremblant.
Ottawa’s mix of museums – seven of Canada’s national museums are here – historic sites, and outdoor activities make it a good choice for a family vacation. It’s another city with a Changing of the Guard ceremony and you can’t miss dramatic Parliament Hill, it’s visible almost everywhere you go. Put the Canadian Museum of History and the National Gallery of Canada, on your to-do list, both are exceptionally child-friendly for younger kids and will fascinate teenagers. The Rideau Canal is great for cycling along in summer and world famous for winter skating, fuelled by equally famous Beaver Tails pastries. And Gatineau Park, is a summer icon for everything from mountain coasters and ziplines to hiking trails.
A biodome, insectarium, planetarium and botanical garden all in one brilliantly exciting and pretty big space.
One of the country’s biggest and wildest theme parks with a well justified reputation for the ridiculous size of its rollercoasters.
Almost everyone agrees Vancouver is one of Canada’s prettiest city, make up your own mind the old fashioned way on charming trolley tour.
Hop aboard the cute little False Creek ferry and spend the day in one of the country’s great waterparks – there are plenty of other island activities too.
Canada’s largest zoo is almost all outdoors and has giant pandas among its thousands of wild residents.
In a city full of icons, this 230-foot-high footbridge over the Capilano River is always the one by which others are measured.
Home to over 70,000 sea creatures, porpoises, whales and penguins, this is Canada’s largest aquarium.
Montréal is a wonderful city to visit with kids and this enormous outdoor rink is a must-do.
Canada’s first national park and third oldest in the world is a vacation in itself.
For over 6,000 years the Plain’s People drove vast herds of buffalo over these cliffs to their death.
Canada is famous for its road trips, so driving is the number one choice for family vacations. That said, inter-province domestic flights are an affordable alternative. Taking the train can be just a convenience or a vacation in itself – this is the land of the Rocky Mountaineer, after all. And it goes without saying that the cities are very well networked with everything from cute heritage trolley cars to the sleek Toronto Subway.
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