Canada Travel Guide: Where to Go, Costs and eTA Rules

Canada is too big for one trip, so pick a single region and give it 7 to 10 days: the Rockies from Calgary, eastern Canada from Toronto or Montreal, the Pacific coast from Vancouver, or the Atlantic provinces from Halifax. Driving from Vancouver to Toronto covers roughly 4,400 km (2,734.0 mi) and takes about a week without stopping, while the flight takes about 4 hours 30 minutes, which is why “seeing Canada” in a fortnight does not work. Visa-exempt travellers flying in need an electronic travel authorisation (eTA), which costs CAN$7 and is applied for online before you leave.

Canada is also two different countries depending on the month. In summer the national parks, coastlines and city patios are the trip; in winter the same places turn into ski hills, frozen lakes, northern lights viewing and ice hotels, and some roads and lodges close entirely. Deciding between summer and winter matters more here than in almost any other destination, and it changes what you pack, what you book and what you can reach.

This guide is written by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team for independent travellers, and it routes you to our own Quebec, Alberta and Edmonton posts wherever they go deeper. Founder Sofie Couwenbergh has been to Canada in winter twice, and the packing lists and hotspot linked below are the ones she used.

Canada quick facts

The Canada quick facts below cover what a trip needs, from currency and plugs to time zones, driving and the emergency number.

The table stops at the practical facts. Provincial powers and how the territories differ from the provinces are set out on Wikipedia.

Canada guides on Wonderful Wanderings

The Canada guides on Wonderful Wanderings go deeper than this hub on Quebec, Alberta and winter travel. The 7 guides are listed below, most useful first.

1. What to pack for winter in Edmonton: the full cold-weather packing list, written after two Canadian winters.
2. What to pack for winter in Quebec: the same problem in a wetter, windier cold.
3. The Ice Hotel in Quebec City: what a night in a room built of ice is actually like.
4. Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec: skiing in winter and mountain biking in summer, half an hour from Quebec City.
5. Places to visit in Edmonton in winter: 3 days of things to do when it is well below freezing.
6. Elk Island National Park: bison, dark skies and a short drive from Edmonton.
7. 27 Canadian foods to try: poutine, tourtière, Nanaimo bars and the history behind them.

One more is a personal story rather than a guide: conquering a fear of heights in the mountains of Quebec. Browse all Canada posts for the full list.

Where to go in Canada and how far apart things really are

Canada is 9,984,670 km² (3,855,103 sq mi) and spans 6 time zones, so treat it as 5 separate destinations rather than one country. The Trans-Canada Highway runs 7,821 km (4,859.8 mi) from St John’s to Victoria, and driving it end to end takes weeks. The 5 regions are listed below, with the province or territory each covers.

1. Eastern Canada (Ontario and Quebec): Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City sit within 900 km (559.2 mi) of each other, which makes this the one region you can genuinely tour in a week. Toronto to Montreal is about 540 km (335.5 mi), roughly 5 hours by train or car, and Montreal to Quebec City another 250 km (155.3 mi). Ontario adds the Bruce Peninsula, Algonquin Park and 4 of the 5 Great Lakes; Quebec adds Montmorency Falls, taller than Niagara at 83 m (272.3 ft), whale watching at Tadoussac and the walled UNESCO-listed old town of Quebec City.
2. The Rockies and the Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba): Banff and Jasper national parks, the Icefields Parkway between them, and Calgary and Edmonton as the gateways; Calgary to Banff is only about 130 km (80.8 mi). Saskatchewan and Manitoba are flatter and quieter, with Winnipeg’s Canadian Museum for Human Rights and, far to the north, Churchill for polar bears in autumn and beluga whales in summer.
3. The Pacific coast (British Columbia): Vancouver, Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway, Vancouver Island with Victoria and Tofino, and the Okanagan wine valley inland. Rain rather than snow defines the Vancouver winter.
4. Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador): Halifax’s waterfront, the Cape Breton Highlands and the Cabot Trail, the Bay of Fundy’s tides, Prince Edward Island’s red-sand beaches and Anne of Green Gables, and Newfoundland’s icebergs, whales and the coloured houses of St John’s, the easternmost city in North America.
5. The North (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut): Whitehorse and Kluane National Park in Yukon, Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories for some of the most reliable northern lights viewing in the world, and Nunavut, which became a territory in 1999, is slightly larger than Mexico and is home to Inuit communities reached only by plane. Nunavut is the least populated of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.

Getting between regions means flying. Vancouver to Toronto takes about 4 hours 30 minutes in the air and about a week by road, and Halifax to Vancouver is further still, so a two-week trip that tries to include both coasts spends most of itself in transit.

How many days do you need in Canada

Plan 7 to 10 days for one region, and 14 days only if you accept 2 internal flights. The 3 routes below cover the trips most people take.

1. Days 1 to 7, eastern Canada: 3 days in Toronto with a day trip to Niagara Falls, the train to Montreal for 2 days, then 2 days in Quebec City, flying home from Montreal or Quebec.
2. Days 1 to 10, the Rockies: 2 days in Calgary or Edmonton, then a hire car to Banff for 3 days, the Icefields Parkway to Jasper for 3 days, and back; add Elk Island National Park if you fly in and out of Edmonton.
3. Days 1 to 10, the Pacific coast: 3 days in Vancouver, 2 in Whistler, then the ferry to Vancouver Island for Victoria and Tofino, returning by ferry or the seaplane.

Two habits save a Canadian itinerary. Book the summer national-park accommodation months ahead, because Banff, Jasper and Tofino sell out, and check what closes in your season before you fix dates. Check hotel availability in Canada on Booking.com as soon as you know which region you are visiting.

Best time to visit Canada: summer or winter

July and August are the months for the national parks and the coasts, and January to March for skiing, northern lights and winter festivals, because Canada is a different destination in each. The 4 seasons are described below.

• Summer (June to August): the peak season, with long daylight, warm days that reach 30°C (86°F) in southern Ontario and the Okanagan, every road and lodge open, and the highest prices; mosquitoes and blackflies are worst in June in the north and the boreal forest.
• Autumn (September and October): the shoulder season worth aiming for, with fall colour through Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes from late September, thinner crowds, polar bear season at Churchill in October and November, and lodges starting to close after Thanksgiving.
• Winter (December to March): ski season at Whistler, Banff, Mont-Tremblant and Mont-Sainte-Anne, northern lights at Yellowknife and Whitehorse, the Ice Hotel near Quebec City, and temperatures that fall below -20°C (-4°F) on the Prairies and in the north; many park roads, ferries and rural attractions close.
• Spring (April and May): the awkward season, with melting snow, closed ski hills, parks not yet fully open and the cheapest flights; whale watching starts on both coasts and the maple sugar shacks run in Quebec in March and April.

Vancouver is the exception to all of this. It rarely freezes and rarely snows at sea level, and it rains through the winter instead.

How to get to Canada

You get to Canada by plane to Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or Calgary, or overland from the United States, which shares the world’s longest land border with it. The 4 routes in and the entry rules are described below.

Flights to Canada

Flights to Canada land mainly at Toronto Pearson, the country’s busiest airport, then Vancouver, Montreal-Trudeau and Calgary, with Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Halifax taking a smaller share of international routes. Air Canada is the flag carrier, WestJet the main competitor, and Porter and Flair cover domestic and transborder routes. Look here for flights to Canada, and read our guide to what to do when a flight is cancelled before you fly in winter, when weather delays are common.

Overland and ferry from the United States

Driving or taking a bus from the United States is the only overland way into Canada, across more than 100 border crossings. FlixBus, which bought the Greyhound brand in 2021, runs cross-border and domestic coaches, and Amtrak trains link New York with Montreal and Seattle with Vancouver on two slow but scenic routes. Ferries cross from Maine, New York, Michigan, Ohio and Washington state, including the Bar Harbor to Yarmouth crossing to Nova Scotia and the Port Angeles to Victoria run. Look here for ferry routes and prices into Canada if you are bringing a car.

Entry requirements for Canada: the eTA

Check the current entry rules for your passport before you book, because they change. Most visa-exempt travellers, including British, Irish, Australian, New Zealand and EU citizens, need an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) to board a flight to Canada or to transit through a Canadian airport. The Government of Canada’s own eTA page puts the fee at CAN$7 (about $5, £4), the application is online and needs a passport, a card and an email address, and the eTA is linked to the passport you applied with. Three details catch people out, and they come from the official Canada.ca pages:

1. US citizens do not need an eTA or a visa, but they do need a valid passport; the US State Department’s Canada page says Americans need no visa for stays under 180 days.
2. You do not need an eTA if you arrive by land or sea, including by car, bus, train or cruise ship, but you still need a passport.
3. Dual Canadian citizens cannot use an eTA and must travel on a Canadian passport.

Apply only through canada.ca, because copycat sites charge many times the CAN$7 fee for the same application. ArriveCAN is no longer required for entry, so guides that tell you to fill it in before landing are out of date; it now exists as an optional way to make a customs declaration in advance.

Getting around Canada

You get around Canada by plane between the regions and by hire car within them, because the distances defeat trains and buses. The 5 options are listed below.

1. Domestic flights: Air Canada, WestJet, Porter and Flair connect the cities, and for anything beyond about 800 km (497.1 mi) a flight is the only sensible choice. Compare domestic flight prices in Canada before you commit to a route.
2. Hire car: the way to do the Rockies, the Cabot Trail, Vancouver Island and the Gaspé, and worth skipping in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, which have good transit and expensive parking. Winter driving needs proper tyres, and Quebec and much of British Columbia require them by law in the cold months. Look here for a good overview of rental car prices and check the winter tyre and one-way drop-off terms.
3. Coaches: Greyhound Canada closed in May 2021 after 92 years, and the network that replaced it is thinner and regional. FlixBus, Rider Express, Megabus, Orléans Express in Quebec and Maritime Bus in the Atlantic provinces cover the main corridors, so check that a route exists before you plan around it.
4. Trains: VIA Rail runs The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver over 4 nights and the Ocean to Halifax, both of them journeys rather than transport, plus a frequent and useful Quebec City to Windsor corridor service through Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Fares outside the corridor often cost more than flying.
5. City transit: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have metro or SkyTrain systems, and every city has buses; a single Toronto fare is C$3.35 (about $2, £2).

What a Canada trip costs

A mid-range traveller spends roughly C$220-350 (about $159-253, £118-187) a day in Canada, with the Rockies in summer and downtown Toronto and Vancouver at the top of that range. Canada’s prices below are approximate and move with the season.

The table covers a typical tourist day. The café, beer, restaurant and transit figures come from Numbeo’s Toronto data for September 2026, and the eTA fee from the Government of Canada’s own eTA page. Two costs surprise visitors: sales tax is added at the till rather than shown on the shelf, and it varies by province, and tipping is expected on top of that.

Money in Canada: cards, cash and tipping

Cards work everywhere in Canada, including contactless and mobile payment, and cash is worth carrying only for small-town parking, tips and the occasional rural business. The 3 money habits that save you money are listed below.

1. Pay in Canadian dollars, not in your own currency, whenever a card terminal offers the choice, because its conversion rate is worse than your bank’s.
2. Expect sales tax on top of the ticket price: the federal GST plus a provincial tax, which together range from 5% in Alberta to 15% in the Atlantic provinces.
3. Tip, because service staff are paid on the assumption that you will. Card terminals prompt for 15%, 18% or 20% in restaurants, and a bar, taxi, tour guide, hairdresser and hotel housekeeper all expect something.

Tipping rates differ by service. Our section on tipping in Canada sits inside the wider tipping in North America guide.

Where to stay in Canada

Canada runs on chain hotels in the cities, lodges and cabins in the mountains, motels along the highways and B&Bs in the Maritimes, and there are hostels in every major city. Book Banff, Jasper, Tofino and Prince Edward Island months ahead for July and August, and check whether a rural lodge closes for the winter before you plan around it.

Booking sites do the filtering. Sofie books hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs through Booking.com, so check Booking.com for a wide selection; she uses Vrbo when an apartment or a cabin suits the trip better. If you book on Airbnb as well, our how to use Airbnb guide covers its filters and fees.

What to eat in Canada

Canadian food is regional and unfussy, built on maple, seafood, game and a deep national fondness for fried potatoes. The 9 dishes and drinks to try are listed below.

1. Poutine: chips with cheese curds and gravy, invented in rural Quebec and now sold everywhere; the curds should squeak.
2. Maple syrup: graded by colour, poured on everything, and worth buying at a Quebec sugar shack in March or April.
3. Butter tart: flaky pastry filled with butter, sugar, syrup and egg, and the subject of a running argument about raisins.
4. Nanaimo bar: a no-bake biscuit base, custard icing and a chocolate top, named after the town on Vancouver Island.
5. BeaverTails: flattened fried dough shaped like the animal’s tail, dusted with cinnamon sugar or spread with chocolate, eaten on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa in winter.
6. Lobster roll: Atlantic lobster with mayonnaise in a toasted bun, at its freshest in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in summer.
7. Montreal bagel: thinner, sweeter and boiled in honey water before going into a wood-fired oven, and a different thing from a New York bagel.
8. Tourtière: the spiced meat pie of Quebec, eaten at Christmas and New Year.
9. Caesar: the national cocktail, made with vodka, Clamato, hot sauce and Worcestershire, and garnished with anything from a celery stick to a whole pickle.

The list stops at 9. Our 27 Canadian foods post covers the rest, including the regional dishes most visitors never meet.

Festivals and public holidays in Canada

Canada’s festival calendar is spread across the year and the country, with the biggest events in summer and a strong winter programme in Quebec and Alberta. Dates shift each year, so check the programme before you book around an event.

The table shows the events visitors plan around, and the half-corked marathon wine run is written up in detail elsewhere. Canada’s public holidays are set partly federally and partly by province, so a date that closes everything in one province is a working day in the next. The ones observed nationally or almost nationally are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day on the Monday before 25 May, Canada Day on 1 July, the Civic Holiday on the first Monday in August outside Quebec, Labour Day on the first Monday in September, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on 30 September, which became a federal statutory holiday in 2021, Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, Remembrance Day on 11 November, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Quebec adds Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on 24 June, and each province has its own additions.

Is Canada safe?

Canada is safe for travellers, including solo women: it ranked 14th of 163 countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, and the US State Department has it at Level 1, “exercise normal precautions”. The realistic risks are environmental rather than criminal, and the 4 to plan for are listed below.

1. Cold: temperatures below -20°C (-4°F) on the Prairies and in the north cause frostbite on exposed skin within minutes in wind, and a car that breaks down on a rural road in winter is a serious situation, so carry blankets, water and a charged phone.
2. Wildlife: bears in the Rockies and the boreal forest, moose on highways at dusk, and polar bears around Churchill. Carry bear spray on backcountry trails, store food properly at campsites and never approach an animal for a photograph.
3. Wildfires and smoke: the summer fire season closes highways and parks and fills the air with smoke as far away as Ontario and the Maritimes, so check provincial fire and road bulletins before a long drive.
4. Petty theft in the cities: car break-ins at trailheads and parking garages in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, and pickpocketing in crowded tourist areas. Leave nothing visible in a parked car.

Dial 911 for police, fire or ambulance anywhere in Canada.

What to pack for Canada

Pack for the season you have chosen, because a Canadian summer and a Canadian winter need entirely different bags. The 3 seasonal lists follow.

• Summer (June to August): light clothing, sunglasses, sun cream, a swimsuit, a light rain jacket, insect repellent for the lakes and forests, good walking sandals, hiking trousers for the parks and a reusable water bottle, because the tap water is safe.
• Winter (November to March): a proper insulated parka rated for well below freezing, thermal baselayers, insulated waterproof boots, a hat that covers the ears, mittens rather than gloves and a scarf or neck gaiter. Sofie’s detailed packing list for Canada in winter and her Quebec winter list cover the details, including what to wear on your feet.
• Spring and autumn (April, May, September and October): layers you can add and shed within a day, a waterproof jacket, hiking trousers, comfortable shoes and the same reusable water bottle; mornings can start below freezing and afternoons reach 20°C (68°F).

One extra finishes the list. A universal adapter covers the type A and B plugs, and note that Canada runs on 120 V, so European appliances need a converter rather than just an adapter.

Staying connected in Canada

Canadian mobile data is expensive and most European and British plans charge roaming here, so sort connectivity before you land. The 3 options are listed below.

1. A local prepaid SIM from Rogers, Bell, Telus or their budget brands: available at airports and malls, and the cheapest option if you are staying several weeks.
2. An eSIM bought before you fly: data from the moment you land, with no shop visit; our eSIM for travel guide explains how they work.
3. A portable hotspot: Sofie carries a portable hotspot and buys day passes for the length of a Canadian trip, which covers a phone and a laptop on one connection. If you would rather not carry a second device, an Airalo eSIM installs on the phone you already have and does the same job. compare Airalo eSIM data plans; the code HARRY5578 takes €3 off a first order.

Travel insurance for Canada

Travel insurance for Canada matters more than for most destinations, because visitors pay the full cost of healthcare and there is no reciprocal arrangement with European health cards. An ambulance ride, an emergency room visit or a ski injury can run into thousands of dollars, and a helicopter evacuation from a backcountry trail costs far more. Take a policy with medical cover, check that it includes winter sports if you are skiing or snowmobiling, and compare the options in our best medical travel insurance guide. The insurer Wonderful Wanderings uses is SafetyWing, whose plans can be bought before you leave or while you are already travelling, so check out SafetyWing if you want a quote to compare.

Canadian customs and etiquette

Canadians are friendly to strangers in a way that surprises British and northern European visitors, and a conversation on a bus or in a queue is normal rather than an approach. The 4 customs that matter are listed below.

1. Say sorry and thank you often, hold doors, and let people off the train before you board, because politeness here is a social expectation rather than a formality.
2. Read the friendliness carefully: disapproval comes out as a mild, indirect comment, and “that’s interesting” can mean no.
3. Speak French, or at least try, in Quebec. A “bonjour” before switching to English changes the reception you get in Montreal and Quebec City.
4. Use the terms people use themselves: First Nations, Inuit and Métis are the three recognised Indigenous groups, and “Indian” and “Eskimo” are not acceptable.

A short history of Canada

Canada’s recorded history runs from Indigenous nations who had lived here for thousands of years, through French and British colonisation, to Confederation in 1867 and a slow separation from Britain. The 6 periods that explain what you see are listed below.

1. Before contact: First Nations across the south, Inuit across the Arctic and Métis communities later on the Prairies, with settlement in what is now Nunavut going back thousands of years.
2. Early European contact (1000 to 1600): Norse settlers build at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland around 1000, John Cabot reaches the east coast in 1497, and Jacques Cartier claims the land for France in 1534.
3. New France and British conquest (1600 to 1763): Champlain founds Quebec City in 1608, the fur trade shapes the interior, and Britain takes New France after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759.
4. Confederation (1867): Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick join to form the Dominion of Canada on 1 July 1867, and the other provinces follow, with Newfoundland last in 1949.
5. Railways and gold (1885 to 1945): the Canadian Pacific Railway is completed in 1885, gold is found in the Klondike in 1896, and Canada fights in both world wars.
6. Modern Canada (1949 onwards): the Constitution is patriated in 1982 with its Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Nunavut is created in 1999, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports in 2015 on the residential school system, which the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on 30 September now commemorates.

Canada travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Canada?

Plan 7 to 10 days for one Canadian region, such as the Rockies, eastern Canada or the Pacific coast; the country is too large to cover in a single trip, and adding a second region means adding a flight.

Do you need an eTA for Canada?

Yes, if you are a visa-exempt traveller flying into Canada or transiting a Canadian airport: the eTA costs CAN$7, is applied for on canada.ca and is linked to your passport. US citizens are exempt, and nobody needs one arriving by land or sea.

What is the best month to visit Canada?

July and August for the parks and the coasts, and January to March for skiing and northern lights, with September the strongest compromise: warm days, autumn colour and lower prices.

Is Canada expensive?

Canada costs about the same as the United States and more than most of Europe, and a mid-range traveller spends roughly C$220-350 (about $159-253, £118-187) a day; remember that sales tax is added at the till and tips are expected on top.

Do you need a car in Canada?

Yes for the Rockies, Vancouver Island, the Cabot Trail and any national park, and no for Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, which have good transit and expensive parking.

Who is Canada’s head of state?

King Charles III is Canada’s head of state, represented by the Governor General, Louise Arbour, who was sworn in on 8 June 2026; the Prime Minister heads the government.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 4 tips below come from checking Canada’s entry rules, transport network and park fees against the government’s own pages in September 2026, and each one is something the older guides get wrong.

1. Apply for the eTA on canada.ca and nowhere else. The fee is CAN$7 and copycat sites charge many times that for the same form. Three things about it catch people out: US citizens need no eTA at all, nobody needs one arriving by land or sea, and a dual Canadian citizen cannot use one and has to travel on a Canadian passport. ArriveCAN is no longer required either, so ignore any guide that tells you to fill it in before landing.
2. Confirm the coach route exists before you build a day around it. Greyhound Canada shut down in May 2021 after 92 years, and what replaced it is thinner and regional: FlixBus, Rider Express, Megabus, Orléans Express in Quebec and Maritime Bus in the Atlantic provinces. Plenty of itineraries still assume a national network that is not there.
3. Read the winter tyre clause in the rental agreement. Quebec and many British Columbia highways require proper winter tyres by law in the cold months, which makes it a legal matter rather than a comfort one, and the fitting and the one-way drop-off terms are where the cost hides.
4. Budget for national park entry again. The Canada Strong Pass gave free national park admission from 19 June to 7 September 2026 and the regular fees came back on 8 September, so a daily adult fee or an annual Discovery Pass applies once more. The pass pays for itself quickly on a Rockies trip that takes in more than one park.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the first-hand notes in this post come from her two Canadian winter trips, to Quebec City and Mont-Sainte-Anne and to Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. The team covers Canada for independent travellers, including the hire cars and internal flights, the hotels, lodges and apartments, the food worth queuing for, the cold-weather packing gear and the travel insurance worth buying, and updates this page when prices, dates and rules change.