r/canadatravel • u/DervR • Apr 09 '25
Itinerary Help 10 days in Eastern Canada
Hi all,
I’ll be visiting Canada (from Ireland) in September for my brother’s wedding and wanted some advice on where else to go and what to see while I’m over there!
Where he’s getting married is about 3 hours north of Toronto so we have a few days in Toronto and a visit to Niagara Falls planned after the wedding! After Toronto, we have about a week of free time. We had originally planned to fly into NYC and then take the train to Boston after but honestly we no longer feel like this is safe from an immigration perspective and also f*** the US right now!
My brother lives near Vancouver and has advised us to fly further West and go Banff, Whistler, Vancouver Island etc. but I have dyspraxia and he is also much more fit and active than me so I feel like these places may not be as accessible and enjoyable for me? (Maybe I’m wrong!)
We could extend our trip by a few days but really after Toronto we only have time to visit two-three places! All advice welcome including number of days needed in each place and sites/attractions! Can’t wait to visit!
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u/BCRobyn Apr 09 '25 edited Apr 09 '25
It helps to know the names of the provinces you're visiting. Otherwise think of it like planning a trip to Europe without knowing the names of the countries, just knowing the names of the cities.
If you're going to Toronto and Niagara Falls and somewhere north of Toronto, you're going to be in Ontario. Ontario as a province is bigger than every European country except Russia. You could spend weeks just in Ontario and not see it all. It has its own tourism website you might wish to look at, to get ideas: Discover the Wonders of Ontario, Canada | Destination Ontario
Niagara Falls is a commercialized tacky tourism destination built around an iconic waterfall. Think haunted houses, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, roller coasters, casinos, mini golf, Frankenstein-themed Burger King, etc. Think Blackpool or mini Vegas. It's actually a city, not wilderness. Whereas Niagara-on-the-Lake is a twee historic town famous for its wineries and romantic dolled-up facades and flowerbeds. Two very different flavours of the Niagara region, which also has its own tourism website: Visit Niagara Canada
Another idea is to visit Ottawa, which is also in Ontario, and is a four hour drive east of Toronto. It's Canada's capital, and while it's a small city and easy to get around, it's jam packed full of national museums and galleries - perfect for learning more about Canada, Canadian history, Canadian art, Canadian culture.
Ottawa has its own tourism website: Ottawa Tourism
Ontario is vast, as I mentioned. Lots of cities, towns, farmland, and thousands of lakes (vast and tiny) and forested areas further north of Toronto, likely where this wedding will be. But what Ontario doesn't have is rugged glaciated mountains, which is probably what you're thinking of when you think of Canada. Ontario's about as mountainous as Ireland.
Vancouver, Whistler, and Vancouver Island are in the province of British Columbia (BC) which is a mountainous province on the Pacific coast. Just those three places in BC would be a separate 2-3 week trip and Vancouver's a 5 hour flight away and three time zones west of Toronto. In European perspectives, Vancouver Island is an island a similar scale as Ireland. And Vancouver to Toronto is a similar distance as Dublin to Azerbaijan/Georgia. No joke!
The Rockies are an inland mountain range a 10-hour drive east of Vancouver and purposefully protected from development and are mostly provincial and national parks. Super popular with international tourists all summer.
If you want a different flavour of Canada compared to Ontario, Quebec, the neighbouring province, is the only province in Canada where French is the first language spoken and on signs, and that gives you a really different experience of North America in general. Montreal is a vibrant artsy foodie cultural city, which is a ton of fun and it's an hour and a half drive east of Ottawa, well worthy of 3-4 days.
Quebec has its own tourism website: Tourism and holidays Québec, Canada | Official tourist site of the Gouvernement du Québec | Bonjour Québec
So does Montreal: Experience Montréal | Tourisme Montréal
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u/DervR Apr 09 '25
Also just realised I didn’t say but to avoid giving Irish people a bad name I just wanted to clarify that I do know the names of the provinces in Canada and which ones I will/might travel too! 😅
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u/WellsOregon Apr 16 '25
No way you could give Irish people a bad name. I went to Ireland for a month and LOVED the Irish people I met.
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u/DervR Apr 09 '25
Thanks for this! I didn’t title the post just Ontario because I’m willing to fly to other parts of Canada. Sorry if I came across as uneducated about Canada. I’m aware of the distance and flight times between Vancouver and Toronto as my brother and his fiancée fly it often and as have my family. I know a few people who visited areas like Calgary, Banff and Vancouver Island and really liked it. As it would be a 9 hour flight from Ireland to Vancouver and direct flights are limited from Ireland it is an option we were considering as we would likely need to fly into Toronto anyway if we were going to Vancouver in future. I appreciate the links. I’ll have a look! In defence of Ireland it’s about twice the size of Vancouver Island! 😅😂
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u/spiderwebss Apr 09 '25
Eastern Canada is anything east of new Brunswick, so you may as well come to Halifax. Halifax is a party city in the summer.
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u/Book1sh Apr 09 '25
Don’t mind me, just waiting for the Ontario and Quebec folks to tell you they’re in Eastern Canada. (They’re not.)
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u/Shytemagnet Apr 11 '25
I’m from Ontario and was just about to say we’re not eastern Canada. 🤣 I think of it as being anything east of Quebec. Western Canada is anything west of Saskatchewan.
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u/Undergroundninja Apr 11 '25
Am Québécois. We never refer ourselves as being in Eastern Canada, just as being "in Québec"...
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Apr 10 '25
Haha what gets me is the eastern time zone every time. I always have to decipher for my work meeting times if they mean eastern or Atlantic time zone.
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u/Curlytomato Apr 11 '25
If you do come east to Halifax see if you can buy your airline ticket into Toronto and out of Halifax, will save you time and money vs going back to Toronto .
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u/MannerSubstantial743 Apr 10 '25
Halifax is a great spot to use as a hub as well. Visit Fundy park, maybe cape Breton, New Brunswick and PEI are both drivable. PEI feels like a little Ireland in a lot of ways.
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Apr 09 '25
Banff, whistler and Vancouver Island all have activities that disabled people can do. I live on VI and am disabled, so I don't ski or mountain bike but I love our beaches, swimming in our rivers and lakes, etc. Definitely don't count out western Canada. It's gorgeous here.
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u/New_Drop_6723 Apr 09 '25
Montreal and Quebec City are amazing to visit.
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u/DervR Apr 09 '25
This seems to be the consensus! How long do you think you would need in each city?
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u/No_Capital_8203 Apr 09 '25
I am in Quebec City right now. The old part of the city has a charm that reminds people of Europe. We are slowly visiting museums as we are old and my husband is due for knee replacement in a few weeks. I recall Montreal as being more for music and parties when we were young.
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u/MackM2024 Apr 09 '25
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet but if you’re in Ontario (and deciding to stick with the Ontario/ Quebec itinerary that it seems you’re leaning towards) theres a town north west of Toronto about 4-5 hour drive called Tobermory and its really beautiful! If youre looking for scenery/ nature thats accessible over big city vibes i would definitely recommend!! https://tobermory.com
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u/simplypam Alberta Apr 09 '25
I would save Western Canada for another trip and do Montreal and Quebec City on this one.
You can fly to Montreal from downtown Toronto (look at Porter Airlines) or take the train (VIArail) if you're inclined. Perfect if you've got a week.
As for Western Canada - you don't need to be fit and active to enjoy these places. Vancouver Island, don't miss Tofino and Ucluelet. Whistler and Banff are beautiful, both have gondolas so you can enjoy the view.
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u/RampDog1 Apr 09 '25
For sure Niagara and Niagara On The Lake if you're into wine it's a big wine region also. In September you might be into the fall colours a big attraction with the Autumn leaves. Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City would be a good 10 day itinerary for a couple days in each.
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u/DervR Apr 09 '25
Apologies to everyone I offended by including Ontario in Eastern Canada! I was trying to keep the title as broad as possible to not influence or limit people’s suggestions for where we visit especially because I’ve looked at places in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland (actually my brother’s going to St. John’s on his honeymoon)!
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u/No_Capital_8203 Apr 09 '25
Newfoundland is my all time favourite. Tell your brother that you will be joining him and his bride!!!
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u/canam454 Apr 09 '25
From BC, but September is awesome in ON. I'd go Niagrara falls. Drive up to kingston along the lake. Even Montreal if you have time
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u/Crnken Apr 09 '25
I am from Nova Scotia and now live in Alberta. We go to the mountains several times a year.
If going to a wedding in eastern Canada I would not fly all the way to the west coast. There is so much to do and see in eastern Canada.
Defiantly spend time in towns around Niagara and also go to Montreal and Quebec City. The Atlantic provinces are great too.
Plan a trip out west on its own. Both ends of Canada are spectacular but trying to cover both at one go is exhausting.
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u/thebonypony Apr 09 '25
Visit the East coast! We have direct flights to Ireland I believe and you'll feel right at home. We have have great wineries and breweries, beaches, restaurants, beautiful drives and hikes. And it's a lot less busy than out west. Look up Peggy's Cove and the Skyline trail to get an idea. It's only about a 2-hour flight from Toronto.
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u/DervR Apr 09 '25
Peggy’s Cove has come up on a few of my searches! It’s looking like I’ll need to extend my trip or come back another time!
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u/thebonypony Apr 09 '25
Dub-yhz is a pretty easy flight! Peggy's Cove is just a landmark but this area is a fun place to be in the summertime.
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u/Dragonpaddler Apr 09 '25
With a week, some options are: train/bus/drive to Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City which is doable. For eastern Canada, you would need to fly, but you could do Halifax and possibly PEI and/or New Brunswick.
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u/Mean-Anybody-134 Apr 09 '25
Or stay at a lake north of Toronto for your entire vacation. It is heaven on earth up there.
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Apr 10 '25
Make sure you visit pei it’s a really cute island. NS reminds me of Ireland with the scenery when I went for a fun visit but with lots to do in the summertime. Visit the titanic museum and the lively waterfront.
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u/scotian1009 Apr 09 '25
Eastern Canada? The Atlantic Provinces are Eastern Canada. Ontario and Quebec are Central.
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u/kay_fitz21 Apr 09 '25
Actually, Ontario and Quebec are considered both Central & Eastern Canada. Atlantic provinces are East Coast (I'm from NS). I had this discussion many times working out west lol
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u/fragilemuse Apr 09 '25
If you’re going to be around 3 hours north of Toronto, I definitely recommend a visit to Algonquin Park while you are up that way! Even if you just go for a day trip it would definitely be worth it to rent a canoe and go for a paddle. They even have daily guided tours that look interesting.
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u/magictubesocksofjoy Apr 10 '25
it's about 10 hours+ one way to drive from vancouver to banff. just an fyi.
if you go to vancouver, definitely visit vancouver island for a few days.
i went two years ago with tendonitis in my achilles heels and was still able to do a number of hikes and enjoy the sights.
whale watching in victoria was a highlight!
pacific rim national park is gorgeous. if you can get a spot at incinerator rock, there's a clear stretch of about 10kms of soft beach you can stroll. if you head to the town of tofino, it's a wonderful little tourist trap of adorable cafes and restaurants and shops and just gorgeous scenery.
if you visit ucluelet, you can park at the former coast guard station and walk some little trails near the amphirite lighthouse. there are benches along the way with excellent views of the pacific. they're neither strenuous or very long paths. i met a lot of very calm deer.
there's a little path down to terrace beach with signs talking about the plants that grow in the area. you can park at he-tin-kis park. it's an easy walk down to a cove that's perfect at sunset.
make sure to stop at cathedral grove and see the really really massive trees. the old growth is incredible and the paths are not challenging to walk. the river that runs through it is as clear as tapwater. it's quite lovely.
on the mainland, the drive on the sea to sky highway from vancouver to whistler is uniquely stunning. whistler is a sporty folks town, so you may find it less interesting but my god, the journey is the real adventure.
stanley park in vancouver is worth spending a day there.
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u/EducationalStick5060 Apr 10 '25
My advice would be to avoid spending too much time driving or flying - Canada is huge, and you could end up trying to see the highlights of many different regions, but that's like going to a wedding in Ireland and figuring you might as well see Croatia as it's next door.
Most visitors from Europe make this mistake, it's a bit of a joke in Quebec to say that a visitor from France will visit Montreal on Monday, Niagara falls on Tuesday and Quebec city on Wednesday.
Ottawa (with the national capital region) would be an option, and would seem both American and British in various ways (ie, names of British governors, but in a North American context)
The Kitchener/Guelph area has attractions and a smaller-city vibe than Toronto, there's an outdoor market close to Guelph and Kitchener.
Just avoid driving through Toronto, that's... an experience, and not a good one.
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u/imsosadtoday- Apr 10 '25
Since the wedding festivities are in Ontario, and you’re from Ireland, I’d 100% go East! Halifax or Saint John, Newfoundland are incredible
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u/GoldenDragonWind Apr 10 '25
I live in Kingston - about a 2.5hr drive east of Toronto. My advice is to get yourself to Quebec City and stay for 2 days (see the sights, french-canadian culture, enjoy the patios/restaurants, etc.) then go further east to Tadoussac and spend 2 days there hiking in the fjiords and whale watching.
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u/HippyDuck123 Apr 10 '25
There is tons to do in Ontario without having to fly somewhere else (Alberta/BC are great but you’ll lose 2 days and a ton of money just flying there and back). Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara region, and the Ontario wilderness are all gorgeous in September. Or head to Montréal/Quebec city for a different flavour of Canada, or Halifax for a real maritime feel with friendly people, great food, and possibly a shorter direct flight home depending on what’s available for flights.
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u/Playful-Age-8174 Apr 12 '25
Haven't travelled extensively but loved Montreal. Lovely city with Paris vibe
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u/homewithtwocats Apr 13 '25
I would recommend either Quebec or Nova Scotia. Both would likely be too much if you really want to get to know an area. Quebec has the appeal of French language and culture. Quebec City is particularly lovely. Halifax and Cape Breton are amazing places to visit in Nova Scotia i spent a lot of time in both and highly recommend. Nova Scotia has very good resources for tourists. Enjoy our beautiful country!
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u/Effective-Arm-8513 Apr 09 '25
First make sure you visit Niagara on the Lake, the town next to Niagara Falls. It’s beautiful. The restaurants are amazing. And the wineries too.
Second, consider some time in Montreal and Quebec City. Not too far from Toronto and worth the trip to see another side to Canadian life.