20 Unique Places Across Canada You’ll Want to Visit This Year

Vancouver Island has some pretty sweet spots among the trees but none are quite as Insta-worthy as Free Spirit Spheres. One of Canada’s most unusual places to stay, these aren’t your average treehouse: they’re basically suspended spheres made of fibreglass and wood, perfect for a romantic break or a solo retreat.

St. John’s may be famous for its colourful, Instagrammable houses but there are many more reasons to visit this city. These include sights such as Cabot Tower but to really enjoy all the treasures of St. John’s, you need to work up an appetite. The city has become quite the foodie destination with craft breweries, fresh seafood and a plethora of brunch spots, most of which are found along George and Water Streets.

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If you love music, you can’t visit Toronto without checking out the Horseshoe Tavern. This legendary live music venue has been around since 1947 and among the bands that have graced its stage have been the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, the Police and Talking Heads. Many a Canadian act got started here too, including The Band, Bryan Adams and, of course, The Tragically Hip.

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When game developer Ubisoft moved to Montreal – one of the best places for tech start-ups — it chose the Mile End neighbourhood. Montreal is one of the best cities to live in Canada and if you like an artsy, hipster vibe, Mile End is the place to be. Here you’ll find vintage stores, bagel bakeries, open-air markets, a thriving indie music scene and much, much more.

Yaletown is not the place for you if you’re looking for the cheapest places to live in Canada but if you’re visiting Vancouver and are after what’s trendy, you may want to look for a hotel or an Airbnb in this neighbourhood. The residents here are mainly young professionals and the bars, restaurants and clubs exude style and class. In fact, this part of Vancouver is a favourite with celebs out on the town.

Halifax is not only one of the best cities in Canada; it is also one of the best Canadian trips for solo travellers. A great place to party, meet new people and get acquainted with the local music scene is the Seahorse Tavern, one of the oldest bars in Nova Scotia and also one of the most legendary live music venues in the city.

Mount Nimbus is located in the northwest of British Columbia, in the Purcell Mountains, north of Cranbrook. This is the kind of destination that will take your breath away, literally: you’ll have to remind yourself to breathe as you make your way across a suspension bridge nearly 610 metres or 2,000 feet above the ground. You’ll have some stunning pictures for your social media, though.

With an increasing awareness of climate change and the environment, 2020 is the perfect time for one of the most unique places to visit in Canada. The Biosphere is North America’s only environment museum but isn’t only for people with environmental jobs. It was originally built for the Expo 67 and, like the Eiffel Tower built for the 1889 World’s Fair, was supposed to be taken down after the fair was over. However, it has become an integral part of the cityscape.

In summer, it’s one of the best Canadian bike tours to ride, and one of the easiest if you have young children in tow. In winter, though, the Rideau Canal shows just why Ottawa ranks among the best places to live in Canada for families: you haven’t skated until you have skated here, on what is one of the largest outdoor skating rinks in the world.

Elmira is one of those Canadian towns that fill up with charm during winter, when it hosts the world’s largest maple syrup festival. However, it’s one of those quaint places to visit in Canada during the warmer months too. A large Mennonite community here means that horse-drawn buggies are a common sight on Elmira’s roads.

Canada is home to some unique dining experiences but nothing matches the one-of-a-kind adventure you’re in for when you dine at O.NOIR Toronto. Here, you enjoy your meal in complete darkness. Not being able to see your food means that your other senses are heightened, so you can smell and taste your meal better. You’ll also be better able to understand what life is like for your wait staff, all of whom are visually impaired.

Trois-Rivières is a contender for the best city in Canada to live and work if you’re a petroleum or aeronautical engineer, two of the highest paying jobs in the world. It’s also the place to come if you want to spend the night in prison without getting a criminal record. The Old Prison not only has guided tours of the facility but also offers a package where you get booked, fingerprinted, photographed and issued with a prison T-shirt, just like a real prisoner, before spending the night in a cell.

With its lakes and waterways, hiking and biking trails and stunning scenery, the Kawarthas Northumberland region is one of the best places in Ontario to go cottaging. If you have a sweet tooth, there’s even more reason to visit: the Kawarthas Northumberland Butter Tart Tour has some 50 stops along the way where you can sample this very Canadian delicacy.

When you think of the best province in Canada to go surfing, Alberta is probably not the first, or even the third, to come to mind. Still, river surfing is growing so fast here that there is even an Alberta River Surfing Association. You can learn the basics in Calgary and then head to the Kananaskis River for more serious waves. These include Mountain Wave, one of those secret spots locals don’t want you to know about.

Of course you know Château Frontenac: it’s the fairytale castle dominating the Quebec City skyline and making this one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Royalty – both real and Hollywood royalty – as well as presidents and prime ministers have stayed here in the past century or so. These days Château Frontenac is owned by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and the historic rooms now feature all the modern conveniences you might want.

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About an hour and a half’s drive from Saskatoon you’ll find one of the most unusual places that you can actually visit in Canada. The Crooked Bush is a grove of quaking aspen trees that are curiously twisted, probably due to a genetic mutation. If the sight of these spooky trees isn’t enough to send shivers down your spine, wait until their leaves start trembling, seemingly for no reason!

With its many music festivals and attractions like the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg is one of the best cities in Canada to visit during summer. If pursuits of the outdoor kind are more your thing, you don’t even have to leave the city. FortWhyte Alive is a huge park and recreation centre where you can learn more about nature and now also boasts the Bison Butte Mountain Bike Course designed for every skill level.

Edmonton’s claim to fame used to be that it’s home to the largest mall in the Americas. Malls are great for people-watching but now you can do that in style downtown too. The city revamped what used to be 108th Street and renamed it Capital Boulevard. This is now a wide, tree-lined thoroughfare complete with street furniture, bike racks and public art installations. Don’t forget to look up to spot the decorative pieces on top of the lampposts.

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If you’re looking for amazing Canadian getaways for under $1,000 but want to experience something different too, head to Southern Alberta and the Buffalo Rock Tipi Camp. This is an especially great destination for families. You get to camp in a real tipi while your Blackfoot First Nation hosts will share their culture and knowledge of nature with you.

Yellowknife is one of those cities that are great to visit no matter the season. There are so many outdoor activities to try that you won’t know where to start. Then there’s the festival calendar, which includes events like the Naka Aurora Festival, the SnowKing Festival, the saucy Brrrlesque, Folk on the Rocks and NWT Pride. The city boasts plenty of Insta-worthy spots too, including Ragged Ass road, where the street signs are welded to their posts to prevent them from being stolen yet again.

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