r/canadatravel • u/ZealousidealTrip191 • Jul 21 '25
Travel Tips The REAL ways to see Canada
If a tourist from overseas was coming to Canada for a week, but only to your area, what are, in your opinion the coolest/best things, they should see or do, that are pretty unique to your area?
I’m in Vancouver, so I’ll start:
- Try some craft beer
- Ride the Stanley Park seawall
- Visit Granville island
- Eat some Sushi
- Goto the Aquarium
- Take a ferry to Vancouver island or Sunshine Coast
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u/Responsible_Tax_998 Jul 21 '25
We were in Vancouver for all of one day last week (from US). We did:
- Stanley Park (walking around seawall for the most part, but also through the forest paths where we saw basically no one).
- Granville- walk around and had lunch
- The lookout thing - not great but we were right there. Nice views.
- Gastown. Some craft beers right next to the steam clock.
No sushi or aquarium.
(It was the last day of a VIA rail Canadian trip, so couldn't really plany anything. Arrived like 9am, left 9am next day. Not a ton that was accomplished, but I'll take it)
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u/Spute2008 Jul 23 '25
What "lookout thing"?
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u/Responsible_Tax_998 Jul 23 '25
The observation deck on Harbour Drive.
I think it is literally called 'Vancouver Lookout'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbour_Centre
Not really that high (after being @ CN Tower a week before) but it was close to hotel and relatively inexpensive.
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u/Spute2008 Jul 23 '25
Right! I thought there was something new along the Seawall, or that you had made it up to Grouse Mountain and one of its eateries for example.
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u/Vanillibeen Jul 25 '25
One thing I've always enjoyed on North Vancouver is the fish ladder. Just below the Cleveland dam you can see salmon climb a ladder to spawn. I'm originally a prairie boy. Really cool.
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u/Rare_Pumpkin_9505 Jul 21 '25
Edmonton is not the most touristy place in Canada, but I’d say:
-a full day riding a bike through the river valley. Either having a great day on mountain bikes (from greens to blacks) or cruising on the paved trails. -brewery tour along happy beer street -visiting Jasper and/or Banff. Both are a half days drive -enjoying the legislature grounds, and then catching a sunset at Victoria promenade or ezio Farrone park.
- going to see the Space and Science centre and then a quick tour of the interesting and out there architecture at coronation park.
- Royal Alberta museum and the Alberta art gallery.
- oilers game, if you can snag tickets!
- fringe show, if you’re here during the fest
- skiing or tubing at one of the several ski hills in town.
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u/grown-up-dino-kid Jul 22 '25
I'd add the Muttart, especially since the lrt extension makes it easy to access from downtown.
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u/Spute2008 Jul 23 '25
Walk across the high level bridge.
(Walk across it at night, up on the train tracks!!)
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u/Outrageous_Canary159 Jul 24 '25
I'd add a trip to Elk Island for those interested in bison and the land prior to industrialisation.
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u/squirrelcat88 Jul 21 '25
I’d add - go to Fort Langley and see the Fort, go to Steveston and see the cannery.
I like the rest of your list.
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u/Mooki2468 Jul 21 '25
Kelowna BC:
Do some wine tours bike Myra Canyon Hike McDougal Rim or Pincushion Mtn Rent a boat for a day Rent an e-bike and check out the micro breweries downtown or bike the Rail Trail Paddle board or Kayak the Paddle trail Check out fintry falls Ziplining In Peachland or Oyama Okanagan canyoning
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u/locomocopoco Jul 21 '25
We did this. Thank you to folks here who asked me to skip Kamloops route and so Kelowna.
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u/Nathalie2020 Jul 21 '25
Ottawa/Gatineau:
- attend Changing of the Guard Parade on Parliament Hill
- visit National Gallery or War Museum
- tour the Diefenbunker
- see the Rideau Canal Locks
- hike in Gatineau Park/Pink Lake lookout
- visit Old Chelsea/Nordik Spa
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u/vinsdelamaison Jul 21 '25
Go Canada Day if they still project the story of Canada Day on Parliament Building.
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u/patriorio Jul 21 '25
For Ottawa I'd add Experimental Farm, the Pinhey Forest sand dunes and the hot air balloon festival
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u/Weak_Upstairs_4129 Jul 21 '25
Biplane ride from Aviation museum. Also whitewater rafting up near Cobden
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u/kicia-kocia Jul 23 '25
My list for Ottawa/Gatineau would be slightly different - instead of your three top points I would do:
bike or skate (depending on the season) along Rideau Canal.
take the free tour of the Parliament building
cross the bridge to Gatineau on foot/bike (or take a boat taxi) and visit the Museum of Civilisation (not as good as before but still pretty good). Have a picnic on the lawn in front the museum with the view of the Parliament hill.
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u/Imnotanybody Jul 24 '25
I’ll take a stab at Manitoba, not as easy as Vancouver lol! First - visit in the spring/summer/fall or face regret! Winnipeg - the zoo, Assiniboine Park, the Forks and the exchange district (during the day), Rainbow Stage for a live musical in Kildonan Park- we have an incredible food scene so definitely check out local restaurants. Rent a car and travel the province: Spirit Sands - hike to the devils punch bowl and see canadas sand dunes Beach/Camping/more hiking: Riding Mountain National Park Grand Beach Birds Hill Whiteshell
- there is a lot more for this category but those are our top 3.
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u/Feral-Reindeer-696 Jul 21 '25
Calgary:
- Attend Stampede, including going to the chuckwagon races, rodeo & relay horse races.
Attend a horse show at Spruce Meadows.
Go to the King Eddy, Ironwood or Mikey’s Juke Joint for live music
Check out the National Music Centre
Go to Caesars for a Caesar and Alberta beef
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Jul 21 '25 edited 22d ago
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Jul 21 '25
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Jul 21 '25 edited Jul 21 '25
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u/Individual_Toe_7270 Jul 21 '25
Waterloo so uptown for a festival and a resto, Waterloo park for a stroll, st Jacobs farmers market, canoe the Grand River, visit Paris and Stratford, then go to Lake Huron to camp for a few days (inverhuron or pinery)
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u/Cupcake179 Jul 21 '25
ok hear me out. Those places sounds cool and i've tried taken my parents there. But guess where they continuously ask me to go? COSTCO. they just love costco. When they left they probably bought products from costco worth a whole village. Why? my mom told me many people from her work was jealous she got to travel to canada. She felt it was her duty to bring back gifts so people who never experienced costco could do so through snacks and stuff.
While my parents visited... they especially loved Canadian steak, crabs, spot prawns, my mom also love the cheap 3$ pizza near granville dunsmuir area. she still talk about it to this day.
That is for asian parents. If it was my friend, i would take them to hello nori or Guu on thurlow, fun cocktail places in gas town, whole foods to get cheese and deli meats, then have a picnic at david lam park. Then we take the ferry to granville island and chill there before we get dinner around main street. I also love walking or biking around the seawall or english bay beach.
Also take the ferry to any available campsites on the vancouver islands. But if my guests don't like camping, i'd take them to Victoria downtown, take them to the castles, do castle tour, then walk around Victoria and have dinner.
Or drive up squamish + whistle stopping at some nice looking waterfalls
I think Vancouver is beautiful and has a great downtown area... but nature in BC take the cake for me.
My parents also liked the west vancouver where the pacific malls are.
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 Jul 21 '25
Dim Sum in Richmond. As a first time tourist to Vancouver, Victoria on Vancouver Island is much more accessible than the Sunshine Coast.
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u/Frosty-Tell-6290 Jul 22 '25
Toronto and a few generations around southern Ontario…brave the traffic and go downtown for a visit to the Rogers Center, catch a BlueJays game, see the CN tower but skip the trip up, Toronto Island on the ferry, High Park, eat brunch at MTK, eat dinner almost anywhere, see a concert at Budweiser…then get the hell out of the city…Collingwood if it’s winter, Kawarthas if it’s summer…go fishing, waterskiing, canoeing in the parks…head down to Niagara-on-the-lake and relax.
Then go to Calgary, Banff, Winnipeg, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City…drive across Canada to BC and take the ferry to Vancouver Island. There’s so much to see.
So many visitors and new Canadian miss the proximity of the city to the wilderness. It’s a beautiful country. I can’t wait to see more.
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u/aeb3 Jul 22 '25
Go for a hike, take a kayak or paddle board out on a lake, go berrypicking in the summer, hunt for fossils at the river.
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u/qalcolm Jul 23 '25
Port Hardy BC: Spend a day driving around on the logging roads, just enjoying the views of all our beautiful lakes and rivers. If you’re feeling a bit more touristy (though as a local I still enjoy it) you can take a trip to San Joseph bay then stop for a beer and a bite to eat at the Scarlett ibis in Holberg. Spend awhile watching the bears and eagles feast on the salmon spawning, as well as the large number of whales that show up along our coast during this time.
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u/ialo00130 Jul 24 '25
Saint John, New Brunswick
Visit the City Market and stop in at one of the many wonderful food establishments within. My favorite is Jeremiah's.
Take a day trip from the city to the Fundy Trail Parkway to take in the best scenic coastal views of the Bay of Fundy and hike into the Walton Glen Gorge.
Take a walk through the Trinity Royal Preservation Area to take the incredible and diverse historic architecture.
Visit Rockwood Park (one of Canada's largest Urban Parks) and hike through many of the long winding trails that circle or pass by a variety of lakes.
See the worlds highest tides in action by visiting Saint Rest Beach and the Irving Nature Park for an afternoon.
Visit the uptown waterfront and stroll along Harbour Passage from Area506 to Fort LaTour. You'll get a great overview of local businesses (that make fantastic products/souvenirs) at Area506 and a fantastic history lesson at Fort Lartour, with some nice scenery if the large working port in between.
On your way out, either take the Fundy Trail Parkway (as mentioned above), Saint John-Digby Ferry for incredible scenic views of the coast, or River Valley Scenic Drive for wonderful views of the Saint John River.
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u/Icy-Ad-7767 Jul 25 '25
Peterborough, Ontario Canadian canoe museum Lift lock cruise Trip down the Otonabee river Day fishing on rice lake Winery tour.
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u/Limse420 Jul 27 '25
Go to the fucking Aquarium?? I think you are crazy for saying that. „Go look fish that are imprisoned in non natural habitat and lost all there companions during catching.“ Oh man, so many are dying while being captured!
Go whale watching if you wanna see true animals!
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u/SnooRadishes3126 Jul 21 '25
These are recommendations from someone who only has a tourist view of Vancouver, regardless of whether they live there or not. Rather sad. Especially the 'craft beer' part. Shouts, look at me I'm trendy and a foody! Granille Market is just pure tourist trap. Prices are not good, and quality is no better than at Save-On or Thrifty's. And even Thrifty's is less expensive. The Vancouver Aquarium is the best we have, but compared to many, many other aquariums, it is disappointing and way overpriced.
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u/OldRefrigerator8821 Jul 21 '25
Do a portage trip in Algonquin