Canada Attractions

Canada's section of Niagara Falls is known as The Horseshoe Falls which drop about 173 feet (53 m) and is Canada's biggest tourist attraction which bring in around 20 million visitors per year. The Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet (790 m) wide. Peak numbers of visitors to the Horseshoe Falls occur in the summertime, when Niagara Falls are both a daytime and evening attraction. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). The oldest and best known tourist attraction at the Horseshoe Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, which has carried passengers into the rapids immediately below the Falls since 1846. Cruise boats operate from boat docks on both sides of the falls.

Banff National Park is the most visited Alberta tourist destination and one of the most visited national parks in all of North America with more than 3 million visitors per year experiencing this wonder of nature. The Canadian government created Banff National Park as the first National Park in 1885 which forms part of the Rocky Mountains. Banff National Park hosts 6641 sq kilometres (2564 sq miles) of mountains, forests, rivers/lakes, glaciers and hot springs. The wildlife within the National Park consists of eagles, mountain goats, wolves, elk and grizzly bears amongst other smaller animals. The most famous man-made addition to the park is the Banff Springs Hotel which was built to resemble a baronial Scottish castle and accommodates more than 800 guests. Lake Louise, named in honour of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, is one of the most popula...

One of Canada's most famous parks commonly visited on a trip from Canada's capital, Ottawa, lies the oldest provincial park in Canada (having been established in 1893) called Algonquin Provincial Park. The park itself consisting of a whopping of 7653 square kilometres is popular with outdoor enthusiasts and canoeists because of its beautiful lakes, forests, bogs, rivers, cliffs and beaches. The park only has a limited number of ways to get in and for campers and day visitors, Highway 60 is generally regarded as the centre of the park, offering camping grounds, walking trails, hiking tours and access to public wolf-howling sessions. There are many natural and historic sites within the Park and for many visitors, a visit to the abandoned OA & PS railroad bed is on the itinerary. This fascinating site also passes by some other populat tourist spots in the park (abandoned train...

Located in the capital city, Ottawa, the National Gallery of Canada is one of Canada's premier art galleries. The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was designed by Moshe Safdie and opened in 1988. The diverse collections in the gallery reflect Canada’s varied history including works by European masters such as Monet, Turner and Di Cosimo, as well as avant-garde Canadian paintings from the 1960s and religious sculptures from Quebec. The museum also contains a significant collection of Inuit art which include prints, drawings and whale bone sculptures, many of which portray the cultural and social issues that have affected Canada’s indigenous population. In 2005, a sculpture of a giant spider was installed towards the entrance of the gallery an...

The UNESCO World Heritage listed Jasper National Park is the largest of Canada's Rocky Mountain Parks, spanning 10,878 square kilometres (4200 square miles) of valleys, glaciers, rugged mountains, alpine meadows, forests and wild rivers along the E slopes of the Rockies in W Alberta. There are more than 1200 kilometres (660 miles) of hiking trails (both overnight and day trips), and a number of incredible mountain drives. The park is also home to a number of protected and thriving wildlife species which include elk, bear, moose, bighorn sheep, grey wolf, mountain lion, deer and woodland caribou. Some of the park's notable attractions include Mount Edith Cavell, Pyramid Lake with the Pyramid Mountain, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, and the Tonquin Valley. Other attractions include the Marmot Basin ski area, the Snocoach (bus-sized snowmobile) tours of the Athabasca Glacier, a dist...

The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower standing 553.3 metres (1,815 ft) tall and is the tallest free standing tower in the Western Hemisphere. Formerley the World's tallest free standing structure is was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa and the Guangzhou Tower in 2009. The tower provides stunning views of Toronto and Lake Ontario along with an awe inspiring appreciation of how high you can look out to the sites below. It takes less than a minute to reach the look-out level in a glass-fronted lift. The tower provides a number of attractions to tourists such as the revolving 360 degrees Restaurant, a walk across a glass floor on the 113th storey, views from the Sky Pod that is 447 metres (1465ft) high and also a collection of entertainment attractions at the base of the tower (such as motion simulator rides, and a short documentary about the engineering behi...

The Skylon Tower standing at 160 metres (520 ft) is the tallest structure that overlooks Niagara Falls with views over the American Falls and the larger Horseshoe Falls, from the Canadian side of the Niagara River. The tower has two restaurants at the top level, the lower Revolving Dining Room and the upper Summit Suite Buffet. The Revolving Dining Room seats over 250 people and revolves through 360 degrees over an hour. An observation deck sits at the tower's summit and the base of the tower features a number of gift shops, fast food restaurants and a large amusement arcade.

Stretching for over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River in Old Montreal, the Old Port Of Montreal has been the social, economic and cultural soul of Montreal ever since early French fur traders used it as a trading post in 1611. It was here that the city and the port came to life more than 350 years ago. The redevelopment of the city's Old Port took place in the early 1990s, under the direction of architects Aurèle Cardinal and Peter Rose. Today, the riverfront welcomes over seven million visitors per year. The historical Old Port offers Montrealers and visitors alike access to a wide variety of activities, including the Montréal Science Centre, with an IMAX Theatre, and the Montreal Clock Tower. It offers riverfront access for walking, cycling, roller-blading, quadricycle, pedalo and Segway rentals. It is also located at the eastern end of the Lachine Canal, ...

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada is located in the town of Banff, Alberta within the Canadian Rocky Mountains, at the site of natural thermal mineral springs around which Canada's first national park, Banff National Park, was established. The Cave and Basin is the lowest component of nine sulphurous hot springs clustered in three groups on the northeast flank of Sulphur Mountain. All are located along the Sulphur Mountain Thrust Fault below Devonian limestones. The water is heated geothermally from an estimated depth of three kilometres. The Cave and Basin is the only underground cavern large enough to comfortably accommodate groups of people.

The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site, located in downtown Banff, Alberta, is an exhibition space associated with Banff National Park. The museum was established in 1895 to house an exhibit of mounted specimens of animals, plants and minerals associated with the park. The museum building, constructed in 1903 to the design of territorial government engineer John Stocks, is an early example of the rustic style of architecture that was becoming popular in the parks of North America. In 1896 Norman Bethune Sanson was hired as the museum curator. Serving until 1932, Sanson was responsible for expanding the collection from eight mammals, 259 birds, a turtle and a variety of mineral and botanical specimens to the present collection of 5000 specimens. The building, described as a "railway pagoda", uses exposed log framing and rustic detailing. It is the oldest bu...

Upper Hot Springs are commercially-developed hot springs located in Banff National Park in Canada, near the Banff townsite. The hot pool is outdoors and while in the pool, visitors can look across the valley to Mount Rundle. The Upper Hot Springs are one of nine different naturally occurring hot springs in the Banff area. The hot spring water flows naturally through the Sulphur Mountain Thrust Fault, with the source area located at higher elevations on either Sulphur Mountain or Mount Rundle. The flow rates fluctuate seasonally with snow melt, with highest flows in the spring and lowest during winter. Since the early 2000s, flow to the Upper Hot Springs has stopped for several months of the winter. During these times, municipal water is substituted for the recreational pools. Water temperature is kept at approximately 38°C (100°F).

The Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta. The Banff Centre is part of Alberta's post-secondary educational system, and offers programs in the performing and fine arts, and leadership training. The Banff Centre was founded in 1933 by the University of Alberta as an experimental theatre school and became known as the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1935. By 1936, music became an important part of the program and remains so today. The Banff International String Quartet Competition was established in 1983 and the Banff Festival of the Arts, established in 1971, has seen several Canadian premieres including Michael Daugherty's opera Jackie O, John Metcalf's Kafka's Chimp and Jonathan Dove's Siren Song. In 1947 the centre moved from the town of Banff ...

The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is located in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The museum collects, preserves, exhibits, and makes available for research and education materials related to the cultural heritage of the Rocky Mountains of Canada and other mountains around the world. The museum, which contains an archive and library, was the inspiration of Banff artists Peter and Catharine Whyte. The Alpine Club of Canada has dedicated the Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut on the Peyto Glacier after the duo.

The Banff Sightseeing Gondola provides visitors with the most spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies and the town of Banff. The views become more and more grand in the gondola ride as you climb 698m (2,292 ft) to an elevation of 2,281m (7,486 ft). Alternatively, you can take the 2 hour trail up Sulphur Mountain and catch the gondola down (highly recommended). The trail is steep but manage-able for those with a reasonable level of fitness. Guests will find a restaurant, gift shop, boardwalk, observation deck and unsurpassed photo opportunities at the summit of Sulphur Mountain.

The Calgary Tower is a 191 metre (626 feet) free standing observation tower in Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally called the Husky Tower, it was conceived as a joint venture between Marathon Realty Company Limited and Husky Oil as part of an urban renewal plan and to celebrate Canada's centennial of 1967. On a clear day you can see the Rockies to the west. It features a revolving gourmet restaurant, a bar, and an observation deck. The tower backs onto railway tracks and some run down blocks on the 10th Avenue side and is best approached from 8th Avenue for a more enjoyable experience.

The Glenbow Museum in Calgary is one of Western Canada's largest museums, with over 93,000 square feet (8,600 m²) of exhibition space in more than 20 galleries, showcasing a selection of the Glenbow's collection of over a million objects. The Glenbow-Alberta Institute was formed in 1966, when Eric Harvie donated his vast historical collection to the people of Alberta. Located in downtown Calgary across from the Calgary Tower, the Institute maintains the Glenbow Museum, open to the public, which houses not only its museum collections, but also a very extensive art collection, library, and archives. In 2007, a new permanent exhibit entitled "Mavericks" opened on the third floor; this exhibit traces the history of Alberta through a series of 48 influential and colourful personalities.

The Calgary Zoo is the second largest zoo in Canada. The animal exhibits are organized by geographic region. The current exhibits include, Destination Africa, Canadian Wilds, Australia, Botanical gardens, Eurasia, Prehistoric Park and South America. The zoo opens every day except for Christmas Day. The world-class Calgary Zoo is home to over 1,000 animals from all over the world, as well as to the Botanical Garden and a Prehistoric Park for dinosaur lovers. It is the second largest zoo in Canada.