Our 20 Most Beautiful Places in Canada to Visit

S’gang Gwaay, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia is one of the most stunning Canadian hidden gems, so it’s no surprise that it belongs on the list of 20 most beautiful places in Canada to see. Once called the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii is an archipelago located off the coast of British Columbia. There are two main islands and about 150 smaller ones. Adventure tourism is the big draw, but as the islands are the centre of the Haida First Nation, Aboriginal culture tourism is beginning to boom. The village of S’Gang Gwaay, located in the south-west, is part of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and the Haida Heritage Site. Occupied by the Haida village until the 1880s, the captivating totem poles remain, slowly giving way to nature’s order. It is only accessible by boat and only about a dozen people are allowed to visit it at a time, guided by Haida Watchmen, who explain the significance of the totems. And if you’re wondering, July is a great time to go, although the spot is beautiful any time of the year.

Some of the best hikes in Banff lead to Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. The lake is fed by glaciers and is at its most beautiful in June, when its waters take on a shade of blue-green that goes perfectly with the green of the surrounding forests and the grey of the mountains overlooking it.

The West Coast Trail tops the list when it comes to the best hikes in Canada and one of the most popular and beautiful stops on the trail is a spot where you can see beach and waterfall at the same time. At Tsusiat Falls in British Columbia, the water cascades over a cliff directly onto the beach.

When it comes to hot springs Alberta is home to some with outstanding views. From the Banff Upper Hot Springs you can see Mt. Rundle, a favourite subject for painters and photographers thanks to its natural beauty.

If you can tear away your eyes from the stunning combination of rugged rock, ancient trees and calm waters of Lake Huron, you’ll find that the Bruce Peninsula also has some up-close treasures, including rare wildflowers and orchids. The area offers some of the best camping in Ontario and diving among the shipwrecks is one of those things you need to do in Canada before you die.

With its water naturally azure, you don’t need filters to get great pictures of the beautiful Maligne Lake. It’s the jewel of Jasper National Park and its shores are home to two of the best Alberta campgrounds.

Forests, grassy fields and sandy beaches along the Sechelt Inlet make Porpoise Bay a beautiful spot for getting away from it all. Porpoise Bay Provincial Park is also home to one of the best campgrounds in British Columbia.

The most beautiful places in Canada aren’t always made by Mother Nature. Whether you see it in winter or in summer, few cities in the world are as picture-perfect as Quebec City, which definitely deserves its title of one of Canada’s most beautiful cities.

If you want to soak in spectacular natural hot springs British Columbia has just the place for you. Lussier Hot Springs are located in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park and consist of a series of warm pools right next to the icy Lussier River. Lush green forest surrounds the springs.

If the landscape of Kananaskis country looks familiar to you, you’ve probably seen the award-winning movie Brokeback Mountain. While the movie was set in Wyoming, much of it was filmed in this part of Alberta with its lakes, meadows and snow-capped mountains.

Rocky coves, wide silvery beaches and blue water are the features that make the Kejimkujik Seaside in Nova Scotia one of Canada’s most beautiful spots. It’s wild and isolated and even the seals come here for peace and quiet.

A quaint little village surrounded by green fields tends to be beautiful anyway but Cavendish has an extra trick up its sleeve to make Prince Edward Island among the world’s best Zika-free beach destinations. Separating the blue of the ocean and the green of the fields is a strip of red in the form of one of Canada’s best beaches and sandstone cliffs.

The village of Percé has one of the most picturesque settings anybody could want. Located on the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, it overlooks Percé Rock, a dramatic rock formation jutting from the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

With its abundance of lakes, forests and wildlife like moose, beavers, deer and Canada geese, Whiteshell National Park lives up to just about every Canadian stereotype. The park offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities, including scuba diving.

Twillingate with its pastel-coloured houses and fishing boats becomes even more beautiful in summer, making it one of the best places to visit in June. This is when this town located along Iceberg Alley becomes one of the most popular destinations for iceberg-spotting in Canada.

It’s not just the forest and the more than 25 waterfalls that make Fundy National Park home to some of the best hiking in New Brunswick. The park overlooks the Bay of Fundy with its dramatic rock formations and the world’s highest tides.

Lakes, forests and dramatic mountains are some of the things that make Canada the envy of the world but for a very different kind of landscape, head to the East Block of Grasslands National Park. Here you’ll find the Valley of 1,000 Devils and if you look closely, you may even see why this is one of the best places to go dinosaur hunting in Saskatchewan!

The Arctic landscape of Auyuittuq National Park provides some of the best hikes in Canada. Here you can see polar bears, Arctic foxes, narwhals, caribou and many other species but the features that will really make your Instagram pictures are Mount Asgard, Mount Thor and Mount Odin.

There are several Canadian road trips you need to take at least once and stretching over more than 700 km through a variety of landscapes, the Dempster Highway provides one of the best drives in Canada. It’s wise to go in summer, not only because road conditions are better but also because you’ll be able to drive under the Midnight Sun.

Located near Whitehorse, Miles Canyon was formed when the Yukon River cut through basaltic rock. It’s stunning in summer but if you come in winter, you may be treated to the spectacle of the Northern Lights too.

There is a spot in the Nahanni National Park Preserve where the South Nahanni River suddenly takes a dramatic plunge of 90 meters. Virginia Falls, also known as Nailicho, is twice the height of Niagara Falls and one of Canada’s most beautiful waterfalls.